Private Frank Stevens, 6th Bn The Buffs

In February 1918 Chailey Parish Magazine notes Stevens, Pte F, 6th Buffs.  Three months later, in May, it notes that he has been wounded and then, in July, that he has been invalided.  This information then appears regularly every month up to and including the final published roll call in July 1919. 

F Stevens is possibly Frank Stevens who appears on the 1901 census of England and Wales as a two year old, born in Lindfield but living at North Common, Chailey.  The household comprised Trayton Farley (head, aged 63, a district council roadman), his wife Celia (aged 61), his son Francie Thomas (aged 19, an ordinary farm labourer) and two grandchildren: Gennette Sandalls (aged 14, working as a “nurse girl”) and Frank Stevens.  There was also a boarder at the house: Thomas Farrant, a widower and retired farmer aged 75, and a visitor: Violet Ethel Wyatt aged 25, a general servant. 

Michael of the Great War Forum writes: 

The only F Stevens that was discharged with an SWB from the Buffs was Fred Whiting Stevens. He had enlisted in Jan 1918 and was discharged with sickness in June 1919 not having gone overseas. I believe that men had to claim these badges so Frank may have been discharged but not applied for his badge.

618329 Pioneer William Henry Tingley, Royal Engineers

William Henry Tingley was born in 1899, his birth registered in the March quarter of that year. He appears on the 1901 census as the only son of William Henry and Jane Tingley. The family was living at No 1, Reedens Cottage, Newick and comprised: William senior (head, aged 26, a coachman), his wife Jane (aged 29) and their four children: Mabel Jane Tingley (aged seven), Annie Amelia Tingley (aged five), Margaret Elizabeth Tingley (aged three) and William (aged one).

William's Record of Service Paper (Army Form B2513) exists as a burnt document at the National Archives in London and from this we are able to tell that he enlisted with The Buffs (East Kent Regiment) on 12th June 1918. He gave his address as Reedens Cottage, Newick, his age as 18 years and eight months (which in turn places his date of birth around November 1899) and his occupation as agricultural labourer. He enlisted at Brighton and this was approved the following day at Chichester. He was given the number 26245 and posted to the 3rd (Reserve) Battalion. It was noted that he was five feet, five inches tall, had brown hair and eyes and a fresh complexion. He was vaccinated on the 18th, 24th and 28th June and appears to have remained with The Buffs for the remainder of that year.

On 14th March 1919 he was “compulsorily and permanently transferred” to the 1st Battalion and remained with them until August when he was transferred again, this time to the 6th Royal West Regiment and the Eastern Divisional Signalling Company. He was given a new number: 38561 but retained the rank of private. He was granted fourteen days’ leave between 29th August and 13th September 1919 and was transferred again on 12th January 1920, to the Royal Engineers where he became 618329 Pioneer W H Tingley. It is unclear when he was finally demobbed but he gave his home address on demob as Bank Cottage, Westmester, Ditchling, Sussex.

Medal index card courtesy of Ancestry.

G/17485 Private William Henry G Piper, 7th East Kent Regt

In December 1917, Chailey Parish Magazine notes that Private G Piper is serving with the 16th Training Reserve Battalion. In April 1918 it notes that he is serving with the 20th London Regiment and in October 1918 it notes that he is serving with the 7th Buffs (East Kent Regiment) and has been gassed. This last entry is repeated up to and including the final published roll call in July 1919.

G Piper is William Henry G Piper who appears on the 1901 census of England & Wales as one year old infant living with his family at South Street, Chailey. The family comprised 41 year old William Piper (a stockman on a farm), his 35 year old wife Barbara and their four children: Nellie Piper (aged 13), Olive Martha Piper (aged eight), Bertha Louise Piper (aged four) and William. William (whose birth had been registered at Lewes in the September quarter of 1899) and his two younger sisters had all been born in Chailey.

A medal index card  notes two numbers for William Piper – 77167 for the London Regiment and G/17485 for the East Kent Regiment. The medal roll in turn notes 77167 2/4 Londons Pte, G/17485 7 Bn. E. Kent

G/25996 Pte Victor Ashford, The Buffs

On his service papers dated 25th May 1918, Victor Ashford’s home address is given as Colonels Bank, Chailey.  Geographically speaking, I believe that Colonels Bank was in Newick rather than Chailey, but as the service record states Chailey, I am including Victor’s First World War service here.  Brothers Frederick and George Smith, also remembered on this site, lived at Colonels Bank too, the Commonwealth War Graves Commission’s site noting this as being in Chailey.

Victor was called up for service at the age of 18 years and 11 months and posted to the 3rd Buffs; number G/25996 (although his preferred regiment was noted as The Royal Engineers). He was five feet eight and a half inches tall, a farm labourer who gave his next of kin as his father, James Ashford. 

Victor remained in England for just over four months before being sent to France with on 28th September 1918.  He joined the 10th Battalion in the Field on 5th October 1918 and remained with it until 5th December when he was admitted to the 51st Casualty Clearing Station with bronchitis.  He was moved to the 53rd General Hospital at Boulogne two days later and then, on 17th January 1919, returned to England from Wimereux aboard the Hospital Ship Jan Breydel. The following day he was admitted to the 1st Western General Hospital in Liverpool where he remained until 21st February when he was granted leave to return home until the 3rd March.

On 27th November that year, medically classified as B2, Victor was demobilised and awarded a final pension of five shillings and sixpence a week for one year.

William Richard Pointing - wounded at Arras

William Richard Pointing of the 6th Buffs (East Kent Regiment) was wounded twice - on the Somme in 1916 and at Arras in 1917 - and then taken prisoner in November 1917. Although his Arras wound - shrapnel in his hand - rendered his left little finger useless, it quite possibly saved his life as well. On April 9th 1917, while he was in an Arras hospital, British, Canadian and French troops attacked the German positions. British casualties during the battle would ultimately amount to close to 160,000 men.

William's partial service record survives in the WO 364 series at the National Archives in Kew, London and I have quoted from this in the revised biography I have written for him on the main Chailey 1914-1918 site.

Read William Pointing's partial service record on-line with a FREE 14 day trial to Ancestry.co.uk - Click here!

Alven Brown - six enlistments

Alven Henry Jesse Brown was born in Chailey about October 1869. He did not originally feature on this website for the simple fact that his name was not recorded in the Reverend Jellicoe’s monthly roll call of serving men. Thankfully though, Alven’s extensive service record (comprising over 40 separate pages) exists in the WO 364 pension series at the National Archives and I therefore summarise his military service below.

He attested with the East Kent Regiment (The Buffs) at Canterbury, Kent on 25th January 1887, enlisting for a period of seven years with the Colours and five on the Reserve. He gave his place of birth as Chailey, his age as eighteen years and three months and his trade as labourer. In answer to the question, “Have you resided out of your father’s house for three years continuously in the same place…” he answered, “Yes, Cheltenham” and also indicated that he was currently serving with the 4th East Kent Regiment, a militia outfit.

Alven was short – five feet four and a quarter inches – weighed 122lbs, had a fresh complexion, grey eyes and light brown hair. Two moles on his right forearm and let shoulder blade are noted as distinctive marks. His next of kin is noted as his father, Joseph Brown; brother, James Brown and sister Mary Brown, all living in Chailey. Alven was posted to the 2nd Battalion of the East Kent Regiment and given the service number 2207. Two years later he was granted his first Good Conduct Badge. He carried out all of his soldiering in the UK and was discharged on 24th January 1899.

During this time he also married Florence Annie Head at Bromley on 10th October 1891. He enlisted for a second time, in the Royal Southern Reserve Regiment (number 1966) on 27th March 1900, this time giving his trade as gardener. His term of service was one year at home and he was consequently discharged on 26th March 1900. On 26th August 1901 he enlisted for a third time, this time with the Royal Garrison Regiment (number 3362) for a period of two years (which he extended for four years in June 1903). He remained in the UK for two weeks and was then posted to Malta where he served from 20th September 1901 until 20th April 1904. He then sailed for South Africa, serving there between 21st April 1904 and 2nd October 1905. On his Royal Garrison Regiment papers, his next of kin is recorded as his wife, Florence Brown of 49 Albert Road, Penge, London SE, his sons Edward, Walter and George and his daughters Annie and Edith, all living at home with their mother. He was discharged from The Royal Garrison Regiment on 16th October 1905 and immediately re-enlisted as a regular with The Buffs the following day. He enlisted for a period of three years with the Colours and nine on the Reserve and was given his fourth army service number: 8179. His wife’s home address is noted on these papers as 7 Pembroke Road, Widmore, Bromley, Kent.

Alven was discharged on 18th July 1909 aged 40 years and nine months and elected to receive a War Office pension of eight pence per day for life.

When the First World War was declared, Alven Brown enlisted for a fifth time, joining The Buffs’ Special Reserve (number S/667) on 30th September 1914. He was now 44 years old and enlisted for a period of one year “unless War lasts longer than one year, in which case you will be retained until War is over.” Alven remained with The Buffs until 30th June 1917 when he transferred to The Labour Corps, finally being discharged on 28th March 1919. Children noted on his First World War service papers are Herbert Arthur Brown (born 3rd April 1907), John Brown (born 10th December 1908) and Horace Brown (born 7th October 1911). His wife’s address is now noted as 1 Buffs Cottage, Rumfields, Ramsgate, Kent.

Not content that he had done with soldiering, Alven Brown enlisted for a sixth and final time with The 47th Battalion of The Royal Fusiliers on 23rd June 1919. His new number was G/132630 and his period of service was to last until 30th April 1920. In actual fact he was demobbed twelve days after this but with so much service under his belt, it hardly mattered and one gets the feeling, reading through his papers that he would have been quite happy to continue in the army indefinitely. Alven Brown died in Ramsgate of heart disease on 11th December 1944 aged 75. His son George registered his death.

G/18963 Private Charles Buckwell, 6th East Kent Regt

Charles Buckwell is one of Chailey's forgotten men. He was born in Chailey village and killed in action 89 years ago today. He is not however commemorated on Chailey's war memorial and I have often wondered whether the fact that he was illegitimate had anything to do with this. This is his story.

Charles was born around May 1880 and features on the 1881 census of England and Wales as a ten month old infant living at Buckwells Cottage, South Street, Chailey. The head of the family is noted as his grandfather, Charles Buckwell, a 53 year old agricultural labourer and his two daughters: Elizabeth Buckwell (aged 23) and Caroline Buckwell (aged 21). Both the daughters are noted as being single and both working as general domestic servants. Elizabeth Buckwell though, was also Charles’ mother.

On the 1891 census, ten year old Charles appears living alone with his grandfather at South Street, Chailey. He is recorded as being a scholar.

By the time the 1901 census was taken, Charles (aged 20), was boarding with his mother and her husband and family. Elizabeth Ann Buckwell had married John Weller in 1883, their marriage being recorded in the September quarter of the Lewes register for that year. Charles is recorded as “carter on farm” and, besides his mother and step-father, shared the family home with the Weller children: George Weller (aged 15, working as a carter’s mate on a farm), John Weller (aged 13, also working as a carter’s mate on a farm), James C Weller (aged 11) and Ellen Weller (aged eight).

Having lived in Chailey for the first twenty years of his life, Charles Buckwell must have moved out of the village at some point after the 1901 census was taken. Soldiers Died in The Great War notes that he was living in and enlisted at Hastings in Sussex. He joined the 6th Buffs (East Kent Regiment), probably under The Derby Scheme, and became G/18963 Private Charles Buckwell.
Without further information at this time it is difficult to say when he went to France but he was killed in action there on 11th July 1917.

Charles Buckwell has no known grave and is commemorated on bay two of the Arras Memorial in France. He does not feature in Chailey’s Parish Magazine and is not commemorated on the village war memorial even though he was a native of Chailey and certainly spent his childhood and adolescent years there.

Charles Buckwell’s half-brothers George Weller, John Weller and James Charles Weller all served their King and Country during the First World War.

My thanks to Janet Graves for the photo of Charles Buckwell's name on the Hastings war memorial.