Stockwell War Memorial

Friends of Stockwell War Memorial & Gardens

1916

Alfred Harold Holman

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A. H. Holman
Service no. 34678
Gunner, Royal Field Artillery, 182nd Bde.
Enlisted in Chelsea; lived in Clapham
Died of wounds aged about 23 on 11 May 1916
Remembered at Dud Corner Cemetery, Loos, France

Brother of John Orlando Holman, whose CWGC entry states that the family lived at 45 Jeffreys Road, Stockwell.

Information from the 1911 census

In 1911 Alfred Harold Holman, an 18-year-old warehouse porter, lived in 4 rooms at 45 Riverhall Street, South Lambeth with his mother Sarah Jane McQuillin, 49, her husband Stephen McQuillin, 49, and 4 of his 6 brothers. Sarah Jane was a domestic servant and was born in Yeovil, Somerset. Stephen was a fitter’s labourer, born in Walworth. Sarah’s children were:
Percy Holman, 24, a general labourer, born in South Lambeth (as were all the children)
Ernest Holman, 21, a gardener
Alfred Holman 18, a warehouse porter
John [Orlando] Holman, 15, a junior clerk
Bertie Holman, 13

In 1901 the widowed Sarah J. Holman lived at 10, Thorne Street, Lambeth with her 7 sons.

Bertie Hoft

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B. C. Hoft
Service no. 10050
Private, Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, 10th Battalion
Born in Lambeth; enlisted in Battersea
Died of wounds at around age 19 on 7 May 1916
Remembered at Bailleul Communal Cemetery Extension (Nord), France

Information from the 1911 census

Bertie Hoft and his brother Hermann Hoft (who served in the war and survived) were sons of Hermann Hoft. Hermann Senior, 47, worked as a syrup maker for a mineral water factor. He was born in Germany. His wife, Christiana Hoft, 48, was born in St George’s, London. They had 6 children:
Christiana M. Hoft, 21
Hermann L. Hoft, 19, a van guard in the mineral water factory
James F. Hoft, 17, a builder’s labourer
George C. Hoft, 15, a machine cleaner in a tobacco factory
Bertie C. Hoft, 13, at school and working as a newsboy
Lilian M. Hoft, 10
All were born in Lambeth.
Two boarders lived with the family: Elizjah Gathercole, 22, a single baker from Brandon, Norfolk, and William E. Wright, 32, a married butcher from Newbury, Berkshire.

Information from the 1901 census

In 1901 the family lived at 65 Bond Street, Lambeth.

Herbert Thomas Head

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H.T. Head.
Private, 3rd Reserve Cavalry Regiment
Service no. 7211
Died on 26 December 1916, aged 37, after discharge

Chris Burge writes:

Herbert Thomas Head was born in 1879 to parents William and Sarah. He was baptised Herbert Thomas William Head, at St Stephen’s, Villa Street, Walworth Common, Southwark, on 21 August 1879. His father William was a hackney carriage driver.

On 7 October 1897, at the age of 19, Herbert joined the 3rd Dragoon Guards. He was described as 5ft 6in tall, 115lbs with a fresh complexion, grey eyes and dark brown hair. He served in the South African War before being discharged on 1 September 1902 as medically unfit. After returning to ‘civvie street’, Herbert found work as a coachman  and married widow Caroline Applegate (née Pettit) on 30 July 1905 at St Jude’s in Brixton. The couple lived at 269 Shakespeare Road, opposite the extensive Herne Hill railway sidings. Caroline was originally from Norfolk. 

Herbert and Caroline’s first child William Herbert George was born on 24 April 1906 and baptised at St Jude’s on 17 June. Herbert was now described as a carman and the couple had moved close to 69 Saltoun Road, a turning off Atlantic Road in the centre of Brixton. 

The 1911 census shows that Herbert, Caroline and William had moved to the ground floor of 91 Hargywne Street, Stockwell, where they rented three unfurnished rooms on the ground floor of 91 Hargywne Street from Sarah Neighbour, a widowed domestic cook, who lived at the same address. Herbert was now earning a living as an ‘acetylene generator’. 

At the outbreak of war, Herbert left the family home to volunteer, enlisting in Lambeth on 31 August 1914. Three days later Herbert Head was in Canterbury, as a private in the 3rd Reserve Cavalry. He was now 37 years old. Outwardly his physical appearance was little changed but he was no longer fit and was discharged on 6 June 1915. The Dragoon records show he was issued with a silver war badge by October 1916. 

Herbert and Caroline’s second child, Lilian Winifred Head, was born on 16 September 1916 and baptised on 1 November at St Andrew’s, Stockwell Green. The family were still living at Hargywne Street. Herbert’s health deteriorated and he died on Boxing Day 1916, leaving his widow and children with no means of support. 

At the end of the war Caroline received a £3 war gratuity, but the war pension ledgers imply that Herbert’s married sister Elsie May Gazzard had become the guardian of William and Lilian. Caroline married Walter Hill in 1921 and they lived in Santley Street in Clapham until 1925. 

Caroline died in Wandsworth in 1964, aged 87. William was living in Cato Road, Clapham when he passed away on 6 September 1979, aged 73.

Robert Charles Hayes

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R. C. Hayes
Service no. G/14909
Lance Corporal, Middlesex Regiment, 20th Battalion
Killed in action age 24 on 30 July 1916
CWGC: “Son of Robert Charles and Emily Kate Hayes, of 33, Hargwyne St., Stockwell, London.”
Remembered at Arras Memorial, Pas de Calais, France

Information from the 1911 census

In 1911 the Hayes family lived at 33 Hargwyne Street, Stockwell, where they occupied 3 rooms. Robert Charles Hayes (Senior), 41, was a timekeeper for the London County Council sewerage department. He was from Portsmouth, Hampshire. Emily Kate Hayes, 39, was from Wandsworth. The couple had 2 surviving children (of 3). Eighteen-year-old Robert Charles Hayes was a clerk for a type foundry. He was born in South Lambeth. His brother William Alfred, 17, was a clerk for a motor sport company and was born in Kennington.

William A. Hall

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W. A. Hall
Service no. 302230
Rifleman, London Regiment (London Rifle Brigade), 1st/5th Battalion
Died age 21 on 9 October 1916
CWGC: “Son of Henry Charles and Priscilla Amelia Hall, of 27 Cavendish Grove, South Lambeth, London.”
Remembered at Thiepval Memorial, France

Information from the 1911 Census

In 1911 the Hall family were living at 19 Cavendish Grove, where they occupied 6 rooms. Henry Charles Hall, 44, who was born in Lambeth, worked in the building trade as a painter. Priscilla Amelia Hall, 46, was born in Pimlico. They had had 13 children, 9 of whom survived in 1911. Eight were on the census return for this address:
Amelia Annie Hall, 24, was a waitress
Lucy Charlotte Hall, 20, was a “counter hand”
Daisy Maud Hall, 17, was a blouse machinist
William Arthur Hall, 15, was an office boy
Ethel Victoria Hall, at 13, was still at school,
Herbert Sydney Hall, 11, at school
Walter Edward Hall, 7, at school
Elsie Doris Hall, 4
All were born in Lambeth.

Edwin John Burlington Green

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E.J.B. Green
Service no. 2637
Gunner, Royal Field Artillery, 236th Bde.
Killed in action 6 October 1916, aged 32
Remembered at Thiepval Memorial, France

This identification was made by Chris Burge, who writes:

Edwin John Green was born in the summer of 1883, the fifth child of parents Edward and Eleanor Green when the family was living in Camberwell. By 1891 there had been another child born and by 1901 Edwin was one of eight siblings, and like his father, Edwin worked as a slater. The family was then living at 104 Lyndhurst Grove, Camberwell.  

By the time of the 1911 census, Edwin, along with sister Ada and brothers Trevor and Clarence, was still living with parents Edward and Eleanor. Edwin’s father, now 65, was still working as a slater but Edwin was now carman, his younger brother Trevor a shorthand typist and Clarence a clerk. The six adults occupied nine rooms at 49 Lyndhurst Grove, Camberwell.   

Edwin married Harriet Jane Porter in 1913 and their first child, Edwin Frederick Burlington Green, was born later that year.

Despite Harriet expecting a second child, Edwin followed his brother Trevor’s example and joined the Army in May 1915. Edwin volunteered at 105 Holland Road (now Minet Road), Brixton, the HQ of the 6th London Brigade of the Royal Field Artillery, Territorial Force (the batteries of this brigade were later re-designated as the 236th Brigade, RFA). So began a long and intensive training period for Gunner, 2632, E.J.B Green. Edwin and Harriet’s second child, Arthur Percy Burlington Green, was born two months later, on 6 July 1915.

Months past and Edwin was still in England. His departure to France was delayed until 1916, possibly the 13 June 1916, if the records of Gunner 2630 Henry Eugene Saunders of Stockwell are a guide. Harriet was expecting her third child at his time, and Alice Eleanor Burlington Green was born on 3 August 1916. The grim news from the Battle of the Somme must have filled Harriet with dread. It was in August that Edwin’s battery joined the Somme offensive.

Edwin had been in action in mid August and again in September between periods of relief and had returned to action at the beginning of October 1916 on the Somme. A time referred to as the Battle of Transloy Ridge. It was here that Edwin John Burlington Green was killed. Very unusually for an ‘other ranks’ soldier, Edwin’s death is recorded in the brigade’s war diary on 6 October with the battery position near ‘High Wood’.

C/236 Btty were shelled in their new position … and had to evacuate it. Gnr Green E.J.B was killed and one wounded ( Sgt Irons). Two or three others were buried but successfully dug out and remained at duty.

Harriet suffered further heartache when her baby daughter Alice died in October 1918, close to the anniversary of Edwin’s death. Harriet Jane Green remained in Lambeth for many years, passing away in 1972, aged 87.