Private Charles Jenner 390th Labour Company, Labour Corps

In December 1916, Chailey Parish Magazine notes, Jenner, Private C, Queen’s Royal West Surrey but by July 1918 he has transferred to The Labour Corps and the 390th Labour Company remaining with them until the end of the war. 

C Jenner is Charles Jenner who was born at Chailey on the 31st August 1889 and whose birth was registered at Lewes in the September quarter of that year.  He appears on the 1891 census of England and Wales as one year old infant living with his family at South Street, Chailey.  The household comprised: Martin Jenner (head, married, aged 36 and working as a postman), his wife Charlotte (aged 40) and their three children: William Ernest Jenner (a seven year old scholar), Nellie Marion Jenner (aged four) and Charles. 

Ten years later (with the exception of Nellie who was working as a nursemaid at 44 Walsingham Road, Aldrington), the family was still at South Street.  Martin Jenner was still working as a postman and William is noted as a grocer’s assistant. 

Charles' step-grandson, Derek Bird, fills in information on the 390th Labour Company: 

"The 390th was a Home Service Labour Company stationed at Hythe, Kent; although the group photographs I have were taken in front of the Lewes Workhouse in June 1918 (and by a forebear of a Lewes photographer who still has the original negatives!) – it is always possible that they were over in Sussex on training or working. Unfortunately the records for all the Home Service Companies were destroyed during WW2. As Charles Jenner does not feature anywhere on the online medal rolls it appears that he only served at home, and it could be that his service with the Queen’s Royal West Surrey’s was with one of their 30 Infantry Labour Companies, most of which served overseas (and would have been entitled to medals), although those not fit would have been transferred to a Home Service Company. These units were all absorbed into the Labour Corps when it was formed in 1917. 

In 1916 Charles married Rose Beatrice Smythe in Brighton.  Rose was a member of Sussex 54 VAD and her biography also appears on this site.  Their marriage was registered in Brighton district in the September quarter of 1916.  Two years later a son, Bernard C Jenner, was born. 

Rose Jenner died of consumption (TB) in 1927.  Her death was registered in the Ticehurst (Sussex) district in the September quarter of that year. A few years later, probably in the early nineteen thirties, Charles Jenner married Harry Bird’s widow (Harry had died in 1927 and is buried at St Peter's Church, Chailey).  The couple had no children between them but together they brought up the three children from their previous marriages.  Like his father before him, Charles Jenner worked as a postman.  His brother William Jenner also served during the First World War. 

Charles Jenner died in the 1969.  Mabel Jenner died in 1972.

312568 Private Albert Malthouse, Labour Corps

Chailey Parish Magazine first notes A Malthouse in December 1915, noting:  Malthouse, Pte A, NR, England.  In March 1916, the parish magazine notes that he is in India, and in December 1916, notes that he is now serving with the 24th Rifle Brigade.  This entry is then repeated up to and including the final published entry for this man in March 1917. 

Albert was an old solider who had first joined the Royal Sussex Regiment at Petworth on 30th November 1885.  He was nineteen years and two months old and already serving part time with the 4th (militia) Battalion of the Royal Sussex Regiment when he enlisted for a period of seven years with the Colours and five on the Reserve.  His attestation papers note that he was born at St John’s near Burgess Hill in Sussex, and that he was a labourer by trade.  He was five feet seven inches tall and weighed 133.5 lbs.  He had a fresh complexion, grey eyes and brown hair.  He gave his next of kin as his mother, Mrs Maria Donovan of Manor Cottage, World’s End, Burgess Hill, Sussex. 

Albert was posted to the Royal Sussex Regiment Depot and given the number 2128.  He was in England for less than a year when he was sent abroad to India with the 2nd Battalion. His Indian service reckons from 8th October 1886 to 29th December 1893, a total of seven years and eighty three days.  During that time, he was his first Good Conduct pay (in 1888) and second Good Conduct pay (in 1891).  He returned home to England on 30th December 1893 and then re-engaged with the Royal Sussex Regiment in July 1897.  The terms of this engagement are not clear from his surviving papers but on February 3rd 1900, with his country at war with South Africa, he was recalled to the colours and posted to the 1st Royal Sussex Regiment 16 days later.  He certainly saw service in South Africa and was awarded the Queen’s South Africa Medal (with four clasps) and the King’s South Africa Medal (with two clasps). He was discharged from the army on 25th August 1902. 

And that is where it might have ended.  However, like many old soldiers, Albert could not completely give up military life.  When Britain declared war with Germany, Albert re-enlisted with The National Reserve (The NR as noted by Chailey Parish Magazine).  He joined up on 4th November 1914 at the age of 48 years.  The following information about the National Reserve is taken from Chris Baker’s site, The Long, Long Trail:

The National Reserve was created prior to 1914 and was, in essence, a register maintained by Territorial Force County Associations of all those who had military experience, but who had no other reserve obligation. It was divided in three classes – I those under 42 in age, II officers and senior ranks under 55 and junior ranks under 50 for home service only, III those who were not medically fit for Classes I and II. Its strength as at 1 Oct 1913 was 215,000 all ranks.  

In October 1914, the National Reserve was formed into Protection Companies, which were attached to existing TF battalions, for the guarding of railways and other vulnerable points in Britain. That November, all Class I and II men were ordered to present themselves for enlistment. In March 1915 the Protection Companies became Supernumerary Companies TF. In July 1915 there was a wide scale trawl of these companies to identify men capable of marching 10 miles with a rifle and 150 rounds of ammunition. Those who were medical Category A went to Service battalions, while Category C's were posted to Provisional battalions. Cat B men were formed into the 18th-24th Battalions of the Rifle Brigade TF. These battalions were sent to Egypt and India at the end of 1915 to replace TF units committed to the Dardanelles and Mesopotamia. The rump left in Britain eventually formed the 25th Battalion Rifle Brigade TF and served as a Garrison battalion at Falmouth. As for the Supernumerary Companies, they were eventually formed into the Royal Defence Corps.

Albert’s service record indicates that he was posted first to No 3 [Protection] Company of the 5th Royal Sussex Regiment where he remained until the autumn of the following year.  On 30th October 1915, as mentioned above, he was transferred to the 24th Rifle Brigade and shortly afterwards, in January 1916, was back in India for a further one year and 150 days.  Another man commemorated on this website, Thomas William Deadman, was also serving with the 24th Rifle Brigade in India at this time. 

Albert returned to England in June 1917 and was then transferred to the Labour Corps (number 312568).  He was then posted to a succession of Agricultural Companies (476 in July 1917, 434 in April 1918 and 681 in September 1918) before being posted to the Labour Centre in November 1918.  He was discharged from the army on February 11th 1919 being “no longer physically fit for War Service”.  Rheumatism, aggravated by military service, is noted as the cause of his discharge. 

Albert’s total army service, excluding time on the Army Reserve, was reckoned at 16 years and 269 days.  To add to his South African campaign medals he was awarded the British War and Victory Medals and also a silver war badge.

Albert appears on Reverend Jellicoe’s roll of serving men because he was living within parish boundaries when he enlisted.  His WW1 service papers give his next of kin as his wife, Mrs Sophia Malthouse of Plough Cottages, Plumpton.

62615 Pte Frederick Stevenson, Labour Corps

Frederick Stevenson, a resident of Chailey, enlisted at Chichester (date unknown) and became 34229 Private Frederick Stevenson, Royal Fusiliers.  Chailey Parish Magazine first notes him as serving with the 36th Battalion in England in July 1916.  By January 1917, he was attached to the 10th Labour Battalion, Royal Engineers, and by December that year was serving with the 105th Labour Battalion of The Labour Corps. 

Frederick Stevenson died of sickness on April 12th 1918.  Chailey Parish Magazine reported that his death had taken place one day earlier and in France but he actually died in England and is buried in the now redundant church yard of St Mary’s Church, North Chailey.  His Labour Corps number was 62615, although his headstone (above) gives his Royal Fusiliers details.

63717 WO Cl II James Louis Cottingham, Labour Corps

Chailey Parish Magazine notes in December 1916: Cottingham, Co Sergt Major J, 37th RF, and this information is then repeated monthly up until the final published roll call in July 1919. 

J Cottingham is probably James Louis Cottingham who was one of four Chailey brothers who served during the First World War.  He was the eldest child of William and Esther Cottingham of South Common Chailey and was born at Chailey in late 1884 or early 1885, his birth recorded at Lewes in the March quarter of that year. 

The 1901 census returns show him living at Chailey with his family.  The household comprised William Cottingham, head of the household, aged 53 and working as a tile maker, his 46 year old wife Esther Cottingham and their five children: James, aged 16, a brickyard labourer, William Cottingham, aged 13, a brickyard labourer, his twin brother George Cottingham, aged 13, working as a carter boy on farm, Frederick [Samuel] Cottingham, aged nine, and finally Alfred Cottingham aged six.  The 1891 census also shows a daughter, Edith Cottingham aged five in 1891 but I could find no record of her on the census taken ten years later. 

The 37th Royal Fusiliers was a labour battalion formed at Falmer, Sussex on June 6th 1916.  It went to France the following month as part of the Fourth Army.  In April 1917 it became the 107th and 108th Labour Companies of The Labour Corps.  The National Archives gives two designations for this man: 38338 Warrant Officer Class 2 James L Cottingham, Royal Fusiliers and (when the 37th Royal Fusiliers was re-designated), 63717 Warrant Officer Class 2 James L Cottingham, Labour Corps.

Cpl Ernest Frank Stevens, Labour Corps

The photo above shows Ernest Stevens and his wife Alice Pointing. The couple had married on the 15th December 1915 and this photo may date to shortly this.  Alice was born at Chailey on 2nd November 1891 and Ernest on 23rd December 1889. The couple had two children, Arthur and Ronald.

Chailey Parish Magazine notes a Corporal E F Stevens serving with the Salvage Corps in January 1919 but that is as much information as is given, information that is repeated up to and including the final published roll call in July 1919.

 

My thanks to Ernest's granddaughter, Lesley, for sending me the photograph and information about her grandparents.

Private John Frederick Page, 36th Royal Fusiliers

Chailey Parish Magazine first notes John Page in March 1916 when he appears in a special list of attested men.  Next to his name the words “medically unfit” are written. 

Nevertheless he appears to have been accepted into the army and in October 1916, Chailey Parish Magazine reports Page, Pt J, 36th RF, France.  John Page appears to have served throughout the war, his name and regimental details with the 36th RF appearing every month up to and including July 1919.

 

Chris Baker's The Long, Long Trail website has this to say about the 36th Battalion, Royal Fusiliers:

 

33rd, 34th, 35th, 36th and 37th (Labour) Battalions Formed at Seaford (33rd) and Falmer (34th to 37th) in May and June 1916. 35th landed in France on 8 June and moved to Rouen, where it was engaged in unloading from ships docked there. In April 1917 these battalions became the 99th to 108th Labour Companies, Labour Corps.

From the information provided in Chailey’s parish magazine I have been unable to match John Page with certainty to any named individuals in census returns or to provide a link between him and Chailey.  The closest possibility is a 19 year old John Frederick Page who appears on the 1901 census return for Chailey where he is noted as a bricklayer.  This may or may not be the same man.  The National Archives though, does note a 33783 Private John F Page, Royal Fusiliers, later 63428 Private John F Page, Labour Corps and I am assuming that this is the Chailey John Page, certainly the Labour Corps connection yies in nicely with the 36th Battalion, Royal Fusiliers.

John may be related to George Page and Thomas Pagewho also appear in Chailey’s roll call of local serving men.

Medal index card courtesy of Ancestry.

239384 Driver Henry Rogers, Royal Field Artillery

Henry Rogers is almost certainly the Harry Rogers who appears on the 1901 census of England and Wales as a 16 year old stable helper boarding at the home of Mr and Mrs George Chantler at Skippetts Cottage (The Grove), Basingstoke.  Skippetts House was owned by Robert Campion Blencowe.  George Chantler was Robert Blencowe’s coachman and it seems quite likely that the latter took Harry Rogers with him to Basingstoke. 

Henry’s family lived at Pound House, Chailey.  The house was owned by the Blencowe family and William Rogers, the head of the household, appears on the 1901 census as a 48 year old farm bailiff.  With him were his wife Janet Helen (aged 52), and their two daughters: Maud Rogers (aged 18, working as a room maid) and Edith Rogers (aged 12). 

Harry first appears in Chailey’s parish magazine in the June 1917 edition where he is listed as Driver H Rogers, Royal Field Artillery.  It can be reasonably assumed that he was still in England as on the 22nd of that month, The East Sussex News reported his wedding to “Miss Kate King, only daughter of Mr and Mrs A King of Westland Cottage, North Common.  The Rector (The Rev T H L Jellicoe) officiated.”  The newspaper report mentions that Harry was the youngest son of Mr and Mrs W Rogers of Pound House but I cannot find an older brother (or brothers) noted on census returns.  There was certainly at least one older sister however, Olive Rogers born about 1879. 

In April 1918, Chailey Parish Magazine reported that Driver H Rogers has been wounded.  The following month it is recorded that he has been invalided.  This information then appears up to and including the final roll call published in July 1919.

 

Henry Rogers has extensive papers which survive in WO 364. His service record, in brief, is as follows:

 

4th December 1915: attests under the Derby Scheme

17th May 1917: joins with the RFA at Chichester and is given the regimental number 239384

5th January 1918: posted to 25th Divisional Ammunition Column

27th March 1918: Hospitalised with "inflamed Corn Tissue, Foot, Thigh, left"

31st March 1918: invalided to England

14th December 1918: compulsorily transferred to the Labour Corps and given new number 683184

Serves with no 696 Agricultural Labour Coy

22nd July 1919: discharged

 

Medal index card courtesy of Ancestry.

 

57356 Corporal Edward Still, Queen's Royal West Surrey Regt

Edward Still was born in Chailey around 1893.  The 1901 Census of England & Wales records the family living at North Common, Chailey.  Albert Still (37), headed the family and gave his trade as an ordinary agricultural labourer.  The rest of the family comprised Albert’s 37 year old wife Fanny and their eight children: Alice (aged 15 and working as a laundry maid), Albert (aged 13, working as a telegraph boy), Alfred (12), Arthur (nine), Daisy Maud (seven), Edward (seven), Ernest (four) and George Henry (nine months). 

Chailey Parish Magazine first records Edward in its September 1916 edition, reporting: Still, Private E, 2nd Queen’s Royal West Surrey Regt, England.  Two months later, it notes that Edward Still is now a lance-corporal and is in France.

Given the inevitable delay in publishing information received, it is likely that Edward went to France in September or October 1916 as part of a draft reinforcement.  The 2nd Queens was a regular battalion which had been based in Pretoria, South Africa, when war was declared.  On 19th September 1914 it had landed at Southampton and joined the 22nd Brigade in the 7th Division at Lyndhurst. 

The division remained on the Western Front until November 1917 when it was transferred to the Italian Front.  By this time though, Edward had been transferred to The Labour Corps possibly as a result of wounds or sickness (although Chailey Parish Magazine mentions neither of these).  

Four of Edward’s five brothers: Albert Still, Arthur Still, Ernest Still and George Henry Still, also served their King and Country during the First World War.

73165 Private Frank Chatfield, Middlesex Regt

Frank Chatfield was the third oldest son of Alfred and Mary Chatfield of Newick. He appears on the 1901 census living with them and his brothers and sisters at The Rough in Newick. The household comprised Alfred Chatfield (aged 42, head of the family, born at Fletching and working as a domestic gardener), his wife Mary (aged 42, born in Newick) and their six children: Mabel Chatfield (aged 14, born Fletching), Emily Chatfield (aged 13, born Fletching), Harry Chatfield (aged ten, born Uckfield), Frank (aged eight, born Fletching), John Chatfield (aged four) and Thomas Chatfield (aged two, born Newick).

There were other children as well. The 1891 census shows the family living at Church Street, Uckfield. Alfred Chatfield (aged eight, born at Fletching) and Alice Mary Chatfield (aged six, born at Fletching) had obviously left the family home by the time the 1901 census was taken. Harry Chatfield is recorded as “infant Chatfield aged under one month”.

Chailey Parish Magazine first mentions him in April 1916 recording, Chatfield, Private F, 27th Middlesex, England. In January 1917 it notes that he has been invalided and then the following month records that he has still been invalided but is serving with the 3rd East Surrey Regiment. The following month there is another change of regiment recorded – the 2/9th Royal Scots – and again the information that he has been invalided. In January 1918, the parish magazine notes that he is serving with the Labour Corps (invalided) and this information is then repeated monthly up to and including the final published roll call in July 1919.

The 27th Middlesex Regiment was formed as a local reserve battalion in late 1915 and from September 1st 1916 became the 101st Training Reserve Battalion. It and the 3rd East Surrey Regiment (also a reserve battalion), remained in England throughout the war. The medal card I have reproduced below is almost certainly Frank's. It indicates that he also received a silver war badge and from this roll we can see that Frank enlisted on the 11th December 1915, almost certainly under the Derby Scheme, and was discharged due to sickness on the 17th July 1919. This information ties in very neatly with that recorded in Chailey's parish magazine.

Notes made by his old headmaster, John Oldaker of Newick school, where Frank had been a pupil between 1901 and 1903, state that he enlisted in January 1916, went overseas in June that year and was invalided to England two months later.

 
The photograph on this page, which Frank sent to John Oldaker, was taken in a studio in Northampton and shows him sporting the Middlesex Regiment cap badge. Three of Frank Chatfield’s brothers – Harry, John and Thomas – also served their King and Country during the First World War.

My thanks to Simon Stevens for sharing John Oldaker's First World War album.

Albert Still - a Barcombe terrier and conscript

The images from Albert Still's service record that appear on this blog are Crown Copyright and are housed in WO 363 at The National Archives. They are badly water-damaged as can be seen. Nevertheless, what remains is more than what survives for a lot of soldiers and I'll do my best to pick out the key points from each of the surviving pages.

The front page of the four-page attestation form gives basic details and shows that Albert attested at Lewes on the 22nd May 1916 and was called up at Chichester on the 15th May 1917.  At the time of attestation he was nearly 29 years old, married, working as an insurance clerk and living at Barcombe.  The word Norfolk can be seen top right and partial numbers can be seen to the left.  By the time Albert attested, conscription had been introduced and he would have been obliged to attest when he did.  He would have had no choice in the regiment to which he was eventually posted.  It is noted on this form that Albert had no prior military service.

Page two shows details of his next of kin - his wife Mabel whom he had married on the 25th April 1909 at the parish church, Chailey - and two daughters born in June 1914 and April 1916. The campaigns' section of this side shows that he spent his entire service between 15th May 1917 and 6th March 1919, at home in the UK. He would therefore not have been entitled to receive any medals.

Page three is a listing of Albert's army career: the 4th Royal Sussex (15th May 1917) Regiment, followed by an immediate transfer to the the 11th Norfolk Regiment on the same day. On the 20th October 1917 he was transferred to No 684 Agricultural Labour Company, then to 695 Company on the 15th December that year. Subsequent postings are blurred but we can see that he was discharged, no longer physically fit for war service, on the 6th March 1919. Defective vision and vertigo are noted as the disability. Albert's character is noted as good and his home address is recorded as 1 Munster Cottage, Barcombe, Sussex.

A blemish-free service is recorded and there's also a couple of numbers visible top left: 291117 and 429342. We can also see that Albert served with D Company of the 11th Norfolk Regiment.

The letter from the Ministry of Pensions notes that 429342 was Albert's number with the Labour Corps and that he had claimed a pension as a result of a heart condition aggravated by war service, and rheumatism attributable to war service.  He was awarded a weekly pension of five shillings and sixpence for 52 weeks from 7th March 1919 and a weekly allowance of two shillings and fourpence for his two children, effective from the 24th March 1919.  His case was to be reviewed after one year.

Army Form B178 notes that Albert's number with the 4th Royal Sussex Regiment was 1560 and that he had originally joined the Territorial Force on the 16th January 1913.  He was presumably discharged then, as a Time expired Territorial and was subsequently conscripted.  This Army Form also notes service in the Machine Gun Corps and a number 49461.

259027 Pte Roland Gilbert, Labour Corps

The undated photo above, sent to me by Mike Gilbert, features his grandfather Roland Gilbert (seated third from left) when he was serving in the Royal Sussex Regiment. The reverse of the card, sent to his three children, simply reads, love to you all, Daddy.

In March 1915, Chailey Parish Magazine had noted that Roland Gilbert was serving his King and Country.  In October 1915 it reported, Gilbert, Private R, 10th Royal Sussex, France. 

Ten months later in August 1916 the parish magazine noted that Private Gilbert has been wounded and was in England.  His final entry in the parish magazine appears in September 1917 which simply states, Gilbert, Private R, 10th Royal Sussex.  Wounded.

It seems likely that Roland Gilbert was 4469 Private Roland Gilbert.  His medal index card has two numbers and two regiments for him, the second being 259027, a Labour Corps number.  It would seem to fit the information contained in the parish magazine that Private Gilbert was wounded with the 10th Royal Sussex Regiment, returned to England to recuperate and then transferred to the Labour Corps.

Roland Gilbert was born in Burwash, Sussex in 1880, his birth registered in the Ticehurst district in March of that year.  He was the son of William and Ann Gilbert and appears on the 1881 census for Burwash as a one year old infant.  The family was living at Toll Gate Cottage and comprised William Gilbert (aged 23), an agricultural Labourer, his wife Ann (aged 27), Roland and the couple's one month old daughter (un-named on the census return).  All four family members are noted as having been born in Burwash.  They also shared the house with another family: Harry Kemp (aged 71) and his two daughters: Sarah Kemp (aged 40) and Hannah Kemp (aged 38 and bed-ridden).

I have been unable to locate the family on the census returns for 1891 and 1901 but thanks to Roland's grandson, Mike Gilbert, who contacted me as a result of finding this website,  Iam able to fill in further details post 1901.

In 1902 Roland married Mabel Day, their marriage registered in the Brighton district in the December quarter of that year.  Four children followed quickly: Percy Gilbert (born in 1903), Dorothy Gilbert (born in 1904), Ella Gilbert (born in 1905) and Kathleen Gilbert (born in 1907).  The family lived in Lower Station Road, Chailey, next door to Mabel's parents William and Emma who let rooms and had a small market garden.  Mike Gilbert thinks that the properties were called The Pines and Fernside (one of these now re-named Wray Lodge).  This ties in with Kelly's Directory for 1915 which notes William as being the owner of Pines Apartments.  Logic suggests therefore that Roland and his family lived at Fernside.

In 1909, Mabel Gilbert died at the young age of 30 and her sister became a surrogate mother to the four young Gilbert children. 

 

 

It is clear from the entry in Chailey Parish Magazine that, despite being the breadwinner for four children, Roland Gilbert voluntarily enlisted in the army.  He would have been 35 years old by then.  Mike Gilbert remembers his father saying that he had to leave school in 1915 to help in the market garden as his father had joined the army. Fortunately, as mentioned above, Roland survived the war and came home to Chailey to continue bringing up his family.

My thanks to Mike Gilbert for the wonderful photos of his grandfather, father and aunts.

Ernest Whitcomb - "Frost bites in both feet"

Eighty eight years ago today, on 10th December 1918, Ernest Whitcomb died in Macedonia. He was not from Chailey but as 6271 Private Ernest Whitcomb, he had been a convalescent patient at Hickwells in early 1915. His entry in Nurse Oliver’s album reads:

Pte E Whitcomb
1st Middlesex Regt

Frost Bites in both feet on the
14th Feb at Armentieres

Reg No 6271

He shares this page with entries from SR/1921 Private James William Salmon of the 4th Royal Fusiliers, 2229 Trooper Alfred Rock of the Royal Horse Guards, 22002 Private D Jones of the Army Service Corps and 6155 Private Frank Chivers Dixon of the 1st Wiltshire Regiment.

I have often wondered if Ernest Whitcomb is one of the men pictured above. The man seated second left and the man seated far right appear on a number of photos and I have a hunch, although it won't be proven, that they were amongst the first 12 patients to be admitted.

The Commonwealth War Graves Commission’s Debt of Honour Register notes that he was 38 years old at the time of his death on 10th December 1918 and that he was son of J Whitcomb and the husband of S Whitcomb of Solander Street, St George in the East, London. Despite this information however, he has proven to be very difficult to track down on census returns. He should appear on the returns for 1881, 1891 and 1901 but I am not convinced that I have found him on any.

On the 1891 census, a ten year old Ernest Whitcombe, born in St George in The East, is recorded as a scholar at the St George’s in the East Industrial School at Plashet Grove, East Ham, London. The school was opened in 1851 on a 16 acre site at the east of Green lane. It was intended to accommodate 150 boys, 120 girls and 80 infants. The building was demolished in the 1980s.

I believe that Ernest may have been the son of Fred and Annie Whitcomb. Frederick John Whitcomb was born in 1861 in Bermondsey and his wife Annie (who was possibly born as Mary Ann Ince) was born in St George in The East around 1865. The couple appear on the 1891 census living at 105 Cornwall Street, St George in The East with their five children. Their names and ages are recorded as follows: Fred Whitcombe (aged seven), Mary Whitcombe (aged six), Sam Whitcombe (aged four), John Whitcombe (aged two) and Emma H Whitcombe (aged one month). Fred’s occupation is given as general labourer.

By the time the 1901 census was taken the family was still living at St George in the East but had moved to 57 Spencer Street. Frederick, still working as a labourer, is recorded as John; his wife his recorded as Anne and her age given as 39 (she was recorded as being 27 on the 1891 census). Their offspring are all still noted as living at the family home (Mary is recorded as Mary Anne) and there is a fifth child: Charles Whitcombe (aged two). Frederick/John’s mother Jane Whitcombe is the final person noted at the Whitcombe household. She is recorded as a 60 year old widow born in Greenwich. On both census returns, St George in the East is given as the place of birth for all of the Whitcombe children.

According to his medal index card (below), Ernest arrived in France on 3rd February 1915. He notes that he served with the 1st Battalion which formed part of the regular 6th Division. Judging by his Middlesex Regiment number, he originally enlisted in May 1900. Terms of enlistment were generally seven years with colours and five years on the reserve. This would have meant that Ernest would, under normal circumstances, have been discharged from the army in May 1912. That he was not suggest either that he extended his period of engagement or, more likely, that he enlisted for section D Army Reserve which would have given him four more paid years on the reserve when his first period of reserve service ended. Either way, he had certainly not been discharged from the regiment when Britain went to war on 4th August 1914.

Contemporary reports describe the awful conditions in which men found themselves in that first winter on the Western Front. The war diary for the 1st Middlesex describes how the battalion left billets west of Armentieres on 2nd January 1915, and entered the trenches which were “very bad, full of mud and water up to the men’s knees in many places. Raining all day.”

Between the 4th and 7th January, the war diary entries simply read: “still in trenches. Weather terrible - mud and water terrible.” By the 8th the weather was “slightly better” and the men were “Working all day to try and keep the trenches standing. Rain causes dug-outs to fall in and parapets to disappear. Fascines and sandbags all sink into mud.”

By 9th January it was raining hard again and because the trenches were in such an appalling state it was decided to start a breastwork to the rear of their present line. On the 18th, with the breastwork still being constructed, the 1st Middlesex was relieved by the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders but were back in the line five days later. On the day that Whitcomb records he reported sick, there are no casualties mentioned but one can well imagine that many soldiers must have reported sick during this time.

Ernest would have spent time in hospital in England before being sent to Chailey to recuperate. Photos from Nurse Oliver’s album and Nurse Blencowe’s album at the time show men with bandaged feet in slippers and it is possible that Ernest Whitcomb is one of these men.

It would appear that after he recovered, Ernest transferred to the 5th (Reserve) Middlesex Regiment and subsequently to the Labour Corps where he was given the number 587639.

As mentioned previously, Ernest died on 10th December 1918 and is buried at Mikra British Cemetery in Kalamaria, Greece; grave/memorial reference 894. According to The Commonwealth War Graves Commission, the British Cemetery at Mikra was “opened in April 1917 and remained in use until 1920. The cemetery was greatly enlarged after the Armistice when graves were brought in from a number of burial grounds in the area.”

Ernest’s medal index card at The National Archives indicates that his 1915 Star and British War and Victory Medals were returned by Mr F Whitcomb on 18th March 1923. They were re-issued to Ernest’s widow four days later but again returned as “gone away” on the 28th March. I am assuming that F Whitcomb is John Frederick Whitcomb and that, probably at the time of his enlistment in the army, he was Ernest’s next of kin. The medals would have been returned however because – and again this is an assumption – by the time Ernest was killed he had married and his wife was now his next of kin. Unfortunately there is no record of him on Soldiers Died in The Great War.

As with many of the soldiers commemorated on this site, further research is necessary to provide additional jigsaw pieces to the puzzle.