CHARLES EDWARD COATES

From May through to September 2026, Andrew will be fulfilling his dream to hike the iconic Land’s End to John O’Groats! You are all warmly invited to follow Andrew’s epic journey on his Facebook page, “Andrew Beal LEJOG”: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61577588795730

As Andrew hikes the 1,300+ miles, he will raise funds for the Ipswich War Memorial Project to help finance our future exhibitions and research of the brave Ipswich men and women who lost their lives in conflict. If you would like to make a small donation, please click on the link: https://gofund.me/5d4a50570

Thank you for your love and support. Andrew & Helen – I.W.M.P.

Images courtesy of C. Wilson.

Image from the Evening Star newspaper, 20th April 1942 

Born: 7th October 1909, Shotley, Suffolk.

Baptised: 17th August 1913, at St. Mary’s Church, Shotley, Suffolk.

Died: 15th July 1943; age: 32; died of Beri-beri/ Dysentery as a Japanese PoW – Thailand/Burma Railway.

Captured 15th February 1942 – the Fall of Singapore.

Residence: 14, Campbell Road, Ipswich.

Employed: as a Moulder at Cranes, Ltd., Ipswich.

Rank: Private; Service Number: 5828150.

Regiment: Suffolk Regiment, 4th Battalion – Infantry.

The body was originally buried at Tamakan Bridge Hospital Cemetery, grave number C.2. On the 29th January 1946, the body was exhumed, identified, and reburied at Kanchanaburi War Cemetery.

Grave Reference:

2.J.53.

Kanchanaburi War Cemetery,

Thailand.

Image courtesy of Kevin Knights.

Relatives Notified & Address: Son of Robert & Alice Coates; husband of Eveline Mary Coates, of  Ipswich.

CENSUS

1911   Orwell Brickyard, Shotley, Suffolk.

Charles was a year old and living with his mother & siblings.

Alice Mary Coates (nee Bunyan), 40, born Nightingale Road, Wood Green, London.

Constance Alice Coates, 8, born Ipswich.

Gladys Emma Coates, 6, born Shotley.

John Robert Coates, 3, born Shotley.

In 1911, Charles’s father, Robert Thomas Coates, was 51 years old, a Master Mariner, on his sailing barge ‘Cygnet’ at Ipswich Dock. The ‘Cygnet’ was from Hare’s Creek, Shotley, Suffolk. Robert was born at Snape, Suffolk.

1921   Orwell Cottage, Shotley, Suffolk.

Charles was 11 years & 8 months old. He attended School and lived with his parents and brother.

Robert Coates, 61 years & 9 months old, a Master Mariner for Mr. W. Wrinch – Farmer and Barge Owner, of Ewarton, Suffolk.

Alice Coates, 50 years & 8 months old, Home Duties.

John Coates, 13 years & 9 months old, at School.

Charles’s father, Robert Thomas Coates, died in 1934 in Shotley. His mother, Alice Coates, died in 1936 in Shotley.

In 1932, in Shotley, Suffolk, Charles married Eveline Mary Gibson, born July 1912, in the district of Woodbridge, Suffolk – daughter of Walter Harry Gibson, a farm labourer and Ellen Gibson (nee Threadkell), of Church Green, Samford, Suffolk.

Eveline and Charles had five children:

Robert C. Coates, born 1934, Samford – died 1935, Ipswich.

Sheila Coates, born 1936, Samford.

Betty E. Coates, born May 1937, Samford.

John Coates, born December 1938, Ipswich.

Joan Coates, born 1939, Ipswich.

ENGLAND & WALES REGISTER 1939

Charles’ wife Eveline and their four children lived at the family home – 14, Campbell Road, Priory Estate, Ipswich.

1939.

Charles & Evelyn Mary Coates

Children: Betty Evelyn, John & Joan, Sheila Mary Coates

1940/41

Evelyn Mary (Seated ) Charles (Standing) 

John, Joan, Sheila Mary, Betty Evelyn (In Charles’s arms) 

4th Battalion:
The Battalions were attached to the 18th East Anglian Division.
15 February 1942: After the fall of Singapore, approximately 620 of the Battalions were taken POW and later mostly died on the Burma-Thailand Railway.

The Fall of Singapore.

On the 15th of February 1942, Lt General Arthur Percival signed the largest surrender in British history at Singapore. The city was supposed to be a fortress, but his force of 85,000 men had been defeated by just 35,000 Japanese troops.

Little over 2 months earlier Japanese forces had invaded Northern Malaya. Thanks to their advanced tactics and training, the Japanese advanced with incredible speed pushing the unprepared British and commonwealth troops back to Singapore in a so-called ‘bicycle blitzkrieg’. When they crossed the Johore straights and captured the Bukit Timah heights above Singapore itself. a million civilians in the city were crammed into the remaining Island area held by Allied forces. Japanese aircraft continuously bombed the civilian water supply which was expected to fail within days.

Percival was forced to surrender, the order to surrender surprised the men.

49 infantry battalions, 85,000 British, Indian, Australian and local troops became prisoners of war, joining the 50,000 already captured in Malaya.  many died of neglect, abuse or forced labour. During the next three years, over one-third of the men died in Japanese captivity.

Many Ipswich men were part of the Newly arrived 18th Infantry Division, with Battalions from the Suffolk Regiment, Royal Norfolk Regiment, Cambridgeshire Regiment, Royal Engineers and Royal Artillery.

One of the youngest British and Ipswich soldier to be killed during the battle, was Boy soldier James Martin of the 1st Battalion, Manchester Regiment. He was aged 16.

SUFFOLK REGIMENT MUSEUM

Friends of The Suffolk Regiment