Stockwell War Memorial

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William Henry Murray Giles

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W. H. M. Giles
Service no. G/4952
Private, Royal Fusiliers, 2nd Battalion
Died on 9 May 1915
Born in Lambeth; enlisted in London; lived in Stockwell
Remembered at Helles Memorial, Turkey

William Henry Murray Giles was born in Lambeth on 28 January 1885, the son of Walter George Giles, a carman from Godalming, Surrey, and Lillian Jane (née Ford) from Lambeth. The family lived in Waterloo.

In 1908 William married Florence Winifred Bartlett at St John the Evangelist, Waterloo. A son, Henry, was born in 1910 and a daughter, Mabel, in 1911. By 1911 the family were living in two rooms at 26 Burgoyne Road, Stockwell. He enlisted in London. William worked as a carman for Lambeth Borough Council. 

James William Gilbert

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J. W. Gilbert
Service no. K/42535
Stoker Second Class, Royal Navy, H.M.S. “Cornwall”
Died age 19 on 10 January 1918
CWGC: “Son of W. Gilbert, of 139 Hartington Road, South Lambeth, London.”
Remembered at Plymouth Naval Memorial

Information from the Royal Navy website

The fourth HMS Cornwall (1902-1920) was a 9000 ton armoured cruiser launched at Pembroke in 1902. On the outbreak of war in 1914 she was despatched to West Africa to intercept German merchant shipping. She proceeded to the Falklands and on 8 December 1914 engaged German light cruisers, sinking theLeipzig. Returning to West Africa until June 1915 she was sent to support the Gallipoli campaign. The following October she went back to the East Indies and China Stations to protect Allied shipping from surface raiders. Returning to the UK in 1917 she was refitted and escorted convoys between Canada and the UK. She paid off early in 1919.

Information from the 1911 census

In 1911 James William Gilbert, then aged 12, lived at 74 Thorparch Road, Stockwell. His father, William Gilbert, 52, was a railway guard from Frampton, Dorset. His mother, Annie Gilbert, 48, was born in London. They had had 7 children, 6 of them surviving in 1911. Five lived at home:
Ellen Lucy Gilbert, 17, was a machinist
Lilian Frances Gilbert, 14, was a domestic servant
James William Gilbert, 12
Florence Louisa Gilbert, 10
Alice May Gilbert, 7
All the children were born in London.

Frank William Gibbins

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Frank Gibbins in Rifle Brigade uniform. Courtesy of Bob Ray.

F. W. Gibbins
Service no. S/32220
Rifleman, Rifle Brigade, 7th Battalion
Died age 28 on 21 March 1918
Born in Lambeth; enlisted in Camberwell; lived in Lambeth
CWGC: “Son of Charlotte Gibbins, of 62, Wilcox Road, South Lambeth, London, and the late William Gibbins.”
Remembered at Pozières Memorial, Somme, France.

Information from the 1911 Census

In 1911 Frank Gibbins was 21 and living at 161 Hartington Road (just around the corner from Wilcox Road) with his parents William Gibbins, 57, a railway guard born in Sussex, and Charlotte Gibbins (née Dance), 47, also born in Sussex. (The couple had had 5 children, 4 of whom survived.) Frank’s occupation is listed as railway porter. His brother Reginald Gibbins, 20, was a printer, and his sister Gertrude Gibbins, 16, was a domestic servant. The youngest, Horace Gibbins, at 12, was still at school. The children are listed as born in London.

Frank, the second of five children, was born on 23 April 1889 and baptised at Christ Church, Clapham on 28 November. The family then lived at 83 Clifton Street.

Frederick Charles George

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F. C. George
Service no. S/31588
Rifleman, Rifle Brigade, 3rd Battalion
Died age 19 on 31 July 1917
Born in Lambeth; enlisted in Lambeth; lived in Wandsworth
CWGC: “Son of William and Sarah E. George, of 27A, Goldsboro’ Rd., Springfield Estate, Wandsworth, London.”
Remembered at Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial, Belgium

National Roll of the Great War 1914-1918

GEORGE, F. C., Rifleman, Rifle Brigade
He joined in 1917 and in March of that year proceeded overseas. During his service on the Western Front he took part in many engagements, and did very good work with his Battalion. He gave his life for the freedom of England in July 1917 near Hill 60, and was entitled to the General Service and Victory Medals.
“And doubtless he went in splendid company.”
27A Goldsboro’ Road, Wandsworth Road, S.W.8.

Information from the 1911 census

In 1911 Frederick Charles George, born in South Lambeth, lived with his parents, sister and uncle at 27a Goldsboro Road, Wandsworth. His father, William George, 41, was a railway porter, born in Old Basing, Hampshire; his mother Sarah E. George, 39, was born in Battersea. Zillah, Frederick’s sister, 16, was a dressmaker’s apprentice born in South Lambeth, and his uncle, Frederick George, 35, was a foreman horsekeeper.

Benjamin James George

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B. J. George
Service no PS/2124
Private, Middlesex Regiment, 16th Battalion
Died of wounds age 25 on 15 July 1916
Born in Thornton Heath, Surrey; lived in Stockwell; enlisted in Lambeth
CWGC: “Born at Coulsdon, Surrey. Son of David John Gingell George and Emily George, of 76, Southview Rd., Southwick, Sussex.
Remembered at Hamburg Cemetery, Germany

British Army WWI Service Records 1914-1920

Benjamin James George went missing on 1 July 1916, the first day of the Battle of the Somme. His status changed to “Killed in action” on two weeks later. However, this was wrong. He was, in fact, a prisoner of war in Germany and he was suffering from gunshot wounds to the left side of the chest and pneumonia. He died in the hospital of a German prisoner of war camp (Gefangener Lager Lazarett) at Minden, a city west of Hannover and over 600 kilometres from the Front.
A document translated from the German in George’s file (transmitted to the War Office through the Red Cross) states that he was visited by a clergyman adn buried in the French Cemetery at Minderheide, Grave 145, and gives his precise time of death – 12.30am.

His effects were sent to his family: French dictionary, torch, holdall, notebook, steel mirror. These items were presumably in his dugout. It is unlikely he would have had them with him when captured.

The other details we have on George are that he was 5 feet 6 inches, with a 34½ inch chest (which he could expand by 2½ inches). He weighed just over 9½ stone. There were small moles on the left side of his neck. He had fair hair. He gave his address as 46 Hemberton Street, and his occupation as salesman. He was 25 years and 9 months old and was born in Thornton Heath. He enlisted at Lambeth. He was hospitalised at Tidworth, Hampshire for 3½ weeks in October 1915 with impetigo on the chin. Impetigo, a highly contagious skin disease, was common in soldiers, although rarely reported in the field, as soldiers would wait until it became infected before seeking health. An article in the British Medical Journal of 2 February 1918 claimed that of 1800 military patients in one of the London General Hospitals over 1400 had the condition. Treatment was long and tedious.

Information from the censuses

In 1911 Benjamin James George, then 21, was living with his brothers and sisters at 71 Stanley Street, South Lambeth:
Claude William George, 30, was designated head of the household. He worked as a sorter for the G.P.O. (General Post Office). Born in High Wycombe. Buckinghamshire.

Mabel Adelaide George, 29, was a military tailoress working for the Royal Army Clothing Department. She was born in Maidenhead, Berkshire
Elsie Annie George, 25, had no employment. She was born in Hammersmith, west London.
John George, 23, was a railway porter. He was born in Hammersmith.
Benjamin James George, 21, was a shop assistant in the book trade. He was born in Thornton Heath, Surrey.
Emily White, 25, was a cashier in a restaurant. She was born in the City of London.
Their father was a police sergeant (1901 census).

Arthur Henry George

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A. H. George
Service no. 230638
Private,  London Regiment (Royal Fusiliers), (2450). 1st/2nd Battalion
Enlisted at Tufton Street, London
Killed in action age 23 on 1 July 1916
CWGC: “Son of John Daniel and Elizabeth George, of 82, Wandsworth Rd., London.”
Remembered at Gommecourt British Cemetery No. 2, Hebuterne, Pas de Calais, France

Information from the 1911 census

In 1911 Arthur Henry George, 17 and born in “Surrey, near London”, was a messenger in a newspaper office. He lived with his parents and brother at 11 Riverhall Street, South Lambeth. John Daniel George, 57, was an unemployed general labourer, born in “Middlesex, London”, Elizabeth George, 57, was from Billericay, Essex. The couple had had 6 children of whom 5 survived, with only Arthur and his brother Charles Ernest George, 29, a general labourer born in Billericay living with them.