Stockwell War Memorial

Friends of Stockwell War Memorial & Gardens

1916

Osmond McKenzie

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O. J. L. Mackenzie
Service no. 1662
Rifleman, London Regiment (City of London Rifles), 1st/6th Battalion
Born in Clapham; enlisted in London; lived in Clapham
Killed in action at age 19 on 15 September 1916
CWGC: “Son of Mr and Mrs James L. MacKenzie, of 10 Atherfold Road, Clapham, London.”
Remembered at Thiepval Memorial, France

Brother of Roderick MacKenzie

Information from the censuses

In 1911 Osmond MacKenzie, 13, lived with his large family in 5 rooms at 10 Atherfold Road. James Leadbetter MacKenzie, 41, from Edinburgh, was a journalist. His wife, Kate MacKenzie, 41, was from Inverness. They  had 9 surviving children (1 died) – 8 sons and a daughter:
Edymion MacKenzie, 16, a woodcarving student, born in Edinburgh
Julian MacKenzie, 14, an architect’s apprentice, born in Edinburgh
Osmond MacKenzie, 13, born in Lambeth
Roderick MacKenzie, 12, born in Wimbledon
Athol MacKenzie, 9, born in Lambeth
Alasdhair MacKenzie, 7, born in Lambeth
Donald MacKenzie, 5, born in Lambeth
Quentin MacKenzie, 2, born in Lambeth
Natalie Syliva MacKenzie, 1

In 1901 the MacKenzie family lived at 10 Hemberton Road (adjacent to Atherfold Road). Maggie Grant, 19, Kate’s sister, lived with them. On the night of the census, John Carl Lyte, 39, an actor, was staying in the house as a visitor.

George Lever

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G. Lever
Service no. G/11157
Private, The Queen’s (Royal West Surrey Regiment), 11th Battalion
Born in Stockwell; enlisted in Lambeth; lived in Stockwell
Died on 17 September 1916 aged 19
CWGC: “Son of G. and Annie Lever, of 151, Sparrows Herne, Bushey, Herts.”
Remembered at Thiepval Memorial, Somme, France

Information from the 1911 census

George Lever, whose father was also called George, was 14 and at school. He lived with his family at 70 Hubert Grove, Stockwell, where they occupied 5 rooms. George Lever (senior), 56, was a carpenter originally from Lovant, near Salisbury, Wiltshire. Annie Lever, 52, was from Clapham. They had had 10 children, of whom 6 survived. Four of these lived at home:
Fred Lever, 23, a Post Office sorter; Annie Lever, 21, a sewing machinist (children’s clothes); George Lever, 14; Alfred Lever, 7. All were born at 70 Hubert Grove.

John Lee

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J. Lee
Service no. PW/1826
Private, Middlesex Regiment, 19th Battalion
Born in Haywards Heath, Sussex; enlisted in Lambeth; lived in Stockwell
Killed in action on 3 October 1916 aged about 41.
Remembered at Thiepval Memorial, Somme, France

Information from the 1911 census

John Lee was born in Hayward’s Heath, Sussex. In 1911, aged 35, he worked as a road labourer. He lived in 2 rooms at 30 Lingham Street with his wife, Edith Lee, who was from Walworth. They had 2 children: Edith Lee, 3, and John Lee, 1, both born in Stockwell.

Information from British Army WWI Service Records 1914-1920

John Lee, a chimney sweep aged 40, enlisted at Lambeth on 19 April 1915. He left behind his wife Edith (née Milne) and four children aged  between 7 and 1. Another child was born in 1916. He gave his address as 94 Lingham Street, Stockwell.

At 5 foot 7½ inches and 11 stone, with a 40 inch chest (which he could expand by 3 inches), Lee was better built than many recruits and his physical development was judged to be “good.”

Lee was killed in action at the Somme. He had served 1 year and 168 days. The Army sent on his effects: letters, a purse and some photos.

Robert Were Leach

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R. W. Leach
Service no. 11233
Corporal, Wiltshire Regiment, 1st Battalion
Born in Battersea; enlisted in St Paul’s Churchyard, London; lived in Stockwell
Died of wounds at age 25 on 16 October 1916
CWGC: “Son of George Were Leach and Mary Julia Leach, of 37 Landor Road, Stockwell, London.”
Remembered at Contay British Cemetery, Contay, France

Information from the censuses

In 1911 Robert Were Leach lived at 37 Landor Road, Stockwell, where his family occupied 4 rooms. His father, George Were Leach, 42, was a railway inspector, born in Uffcombe, Devon. His mother, Julia Mary Leach, 43, was from Yeldham, Essex. Robert, 19, born in Battersea, was a clerk with the South West Gas Company; his younger brother, Lionel George Leach, born in Ockenden, Esse, 15, was a clerk for a firm of barristers; Horace Reginald Leach, 9, born in Clapham, was at school.
Ten years previously, in 1901, Robert Leach was lived with his parents, younger brother Lionel and various boarders at 52 Willington Road.
William Rochester, 39, a married grocer’s assistant from Canning Town
Frederick Rowe, 22, a grocer’s assistant from Brixton
Alfred Gregory, 30, a civil engineer from Andover, Hampshire
Arthur Grout, 29, a railway guard from Greenwich
Frederick Grigg, 20, a railway guard from Deal, Kent
John J. Fruel, 20, a railway guard from East Hendred, Berkshire
Richard Dennett, 20, a railway shunter, from Margate, Essex

James Larcombe

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J. Larcombe
Service no. R/14879
Rifleman, King’s Royal Rifle Corps, 7th Battalion
Killed in action aged 20 on 15 September 1916
Remembered at Thiepval Memorial, Somme, France

Information from British Army WWI Service Records 1914-1920

James Larcombe, a 19-year-old compositor from Stockwell, joined the King’s Royal Rifle Brigade on 3 August 1915 at Battersea. He stood 5 feet 3½ inches tall and weighed 112 pounds. His chest measured 35½ inches, which he could expand by 3 inches. He wore glasses.

There was just one disciplinary matter in his file. In March 1916 he was disciplined for hestitating to obey an order. His punishment was three days CB (confined to barracks).

His short Army career ended just over a year later at the Battle of the Somme, where he was missing in action and then declared dead.

On 2 November 1916,  Louisa Larcombe, his bereaved mother, wrote to the Rifles Record Office from her home in Hubert Grove, confused by information she had been given and clinging to hope.

Dear Sir,
I regret to inform you that I have been notified from the War Office that my son, Private J. Larcombe, R/14879, B. company, 7th Platoon, 7th Battalion, K.R.R., was missing after being in action on 15th Sept. last, there has also being [sic] one of his letters returned marked on the outside wounded on the 21st/9/16 and present location uncertain. Dear Sir as I am very anxious to know what has become of him, I should be most gratefully obliged if you could [make a] few inquiries about him off some of the lads that was with him on that date or any other possible way and kindly oblige.
Yours sincerely,
Mrs. L. Larcombe

There is no record of the Army’s reply, if any.

Information from the 1911 census

In 1911 James Larcombe was a 13-year-old schoolboy, living with his family in 5 rooms at 21 Hubert Grove, Stockwell. Robert Larcombe, 58, was a tram conductor, born at Crewkerne, Somerset. Louisa Larcombe, 49, was born in Bow, east London. His parents had had 5 children (2 had died). The children on the census were:
Robert Larcombe, 18, a clerk at the Conservative Club, born in Newington, London
Louisa Larcombe, 16, a machinist (blouse-making), born in Newington
James Larcombe, 13, born in Lambeth

Frank Radcliffe King

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F. R. King
Second Lieutenant, The King’s (Liverpool Regiment), “D” Coy. 14th Battalion
Killed in action at age 30 on 14 September 1916
CWGC: “Son of George Edward King, J.P. (Alderman and Guardian for the Borough of Lambeth and Mayor of Lambeth 1928-29), of 57 Aytoun Road, Stockwell, London, and the late Julia Constance King.”
Remembered at Doiran Memorial, Greece

Information from the South London Press, October 1916

The South London Press reported his death in October 1916 and quoted from a letter from King’s Commanding Officer Colonel Lambert to his father “I regret to say your son was killed two days ago fighting gallantly. We had taken a position held by the Germans, and he and the bombers guarded our right flank and did great execution. He will be a great loss to the regiment, as he was so keen, and a most promising officer, but he died a soldier’s death. The regiment fought splendidly, and though we had heavy casualties – four other officers in the battalion being killed – we caused great losses to the Germans. My sincere sympathy in your bereavement.” A friend stated that King had been made Bombing officer of his battalion, but did not want his parents or sisters to know as this would have worried them. 

Information from the 1911 census

In 1911 Frank Radcliffe King, 25, was working as an insurance clerk with the Law Union and Rock Insurance Company. He lived with his parents and 3 of his siblings at 57 Aytoun Road, Stockwell, where the family occupied 8 rooms. Frank’s father, George Edward King, 57, described himself as a schoolmaster and headteacher working for London County Council. He was born in Gorleston, Suffolk. His mother, Julia Constance, 54, was from Islington, north London. They had 5 children, 3 of whom lived at home:
Constance Dorothy King, 30, a schoolmistress and assistant teacher working for the London County Council, born in Brixton
Frank Radcliffe King, 25, born in Stockwell
Kathleen Muriel King, 23, a schoolmistress and assistant teacher working for the London County Council, born in Stockwell
Information from the 1901 Census
The family lived at 57 Aytoun Road in 1901. The census includes Frank’s other siblings
Ethel King, 18, a pupil-teacher, born in Brixton
Ernest King, 16, a clerk with an insurance company, born in Stockwell