69438 Private Edward Wells, 9th Royal Fusiliers

Edward Wells gets no mention at all in Chailey’s Parish Magazine.  According to Soldiers Died in The Great War, however, he was born in Croydon, resident in Chailey and enlisted at Brighton.  He was killed in action on 5th April 1918 whilst serving with the 9th (City of London) Royal Fusiliers.  His rank was that of private and his number, 69438.  He had previously served with the 99th Training Battalion where he had been given the number TR/10/41302. 

The Commonwealth War Graves Commission notes that he is commemorated on panels 19 to 21 of the Pozieres memorial in France.  It also notes that he was the brother of Mrs Daisy Lockwood of 18 Thesiger Road, Penge, London. 

From this latter information it is possible to identify him on the 1901 census.  At the time it was taken he was living in Croydon, Surrey, with his family.  The household comprised: Charles E Wells (head, aged 42, working as a house painter), Emily Wells (wife, aged 40), Violet Wells (aged 17), Daisy Wells (aged 15), Edward (aged 13), Bertie Wells (aged 11), Frederick Wells (aged seven), Dolly Wells (aged 5) and David Wells (aged four).  Charles was born in Brighton, his wife in Eastbourne but all of the children had been born in Croydon.

April is the cruellest month

On 5th April 1917, Chailey born Private Owen Plummer of the Army Service Corps, was killed in action. Exactly one year later, Private Edward Wells who, at the time of his enlistment, was living in Chailey, was killed in action whilst serving with the 9th Battalion of the Royal Fusiliers.

Owen is buried in Douchy-les-Ayette British Cemetery in France and commemorated on Chailey's memorial along with two of his brothers, Albert Plummer and Alexander Plummer. Edward Wells has no known grave but is commemorated on the Pozieres memorial in France. He is not named on the Chailey parish memorial.