Memorial plaque on the Pickerel pub, Stowupland Street, Stowmarket
Introduction
The photograph on this page of Memorial plaque on the Pickerel pub, Stowupland Street, Stowmarket by Christopher Hilton as part of the Geograph project.
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Memorial plaque on the Pickerel pub, Stowupland Street, Stowmarket
Image: © Christopher Hilton Taken: 25 Mar 2019
As noted on the plaque, Spencer John Bent VC MM (1891-1977) lived on this site. Spencer Bent, known as Joe, was 23 years old and serving as a drummer in the East Lancashire Regiment (whose successor body, The Queen's Lancashire Regiment, placed this plaque) when he won his Victoria Cross, in November 1914. His officer and company sergeant had been struck down but Bent took command of the company and held their position whilst under attack, at Le Gheer, Belgium. (Before this, in October, he had been noted for bringing ammunition forwards under fire, and immediately after the action in which he won his VC distinguished himself again by rescuing wounded men under fire.) He rose to the rank of Company Sergeant-Major and died in Hackney in 1977; he was cremated at West Norwood cemetery, London. (Details from Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spencer_Bent.) The plaque can be seen in context at Image
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Image Location
Latitude
52.190381
Longitude
0.998441