Dear Cambridgeshire's,
A few years ago a man told me a story. Like so many stories I have heard, it spoke of brave deeds and unsurpassable odds. Of hope and bravery in the face of adversity. It was one of the most moving things I had ever heard spoken aloud. So moved by this amazing tale, I decided to find out more. For me this would be a journey of knowledge that would lead to something very unexpected. I had searched the libraries, internet and even the history books, but they seemed to make no mention of the Cambridgeshire's success in the battle at the Scharben redoubt. No where in the history books have our brothers been given the praise and recognition they so obviously deserve. This I feel to be, not only a disgrace to the regiment, but to our nations history. Speaking one day with my grandmother, she told me of her uncle, who had served in the first world war and lived his whole life in Cambridge, he went away from time to time with the army............ Did this mean what I thought??? An old photo was shown to me of him in service uniform. It revealed a small cap badge in the form of a castle - I needed no more. Another search on the web returned the following information: Debt of Honour Register In Memory of EDWARD VICTOR MATTHEWS Private 325369 (1799). 1st Bn., Cambridgeshire Regiment who died on Saturday 14 October 1916 . This man was my grand mothers uncle and had fought and died as a brother Cambridgeshire on that fateful morning in October 1916. As I tell you this I feel a cold shiver run past me. So full of pride, tears well and a weight is lifted. As you see, you can't kill a regiment - Only the men in it. This MUST be published on our site, To right the wrong set by the history books, to tell the world. There was success on the some - although it seems, the historians would forget it. Respectfully. RMM. |