Stockwell War Memorial

Friends of Stockwell War Memorial & Gardens

age 19

William Alfred Crowther

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W. A. Crowther
Service no. K/27519
Stoker 1st Class, Royal Navy, HMS Vanguard.
Died age 19 on 9 July 1917
Son of Mrs. M. Flowerdew (formerly Crowther), of 16 Birds Hill, Railway Side, Letchworth, Herts. Native of Clapham, London.
Remembered at Chatham Naval Memorial

The Vanguard exploded on 9 July 1917. You can read about it at www.gwpda.org/naval/vanguard.htm.

Information from the 1911 census

In 1911 William Alfred Crowther lived with his family in 4 rooms at 48 Cottage Grove, London SW4 – his father, George Crowther, 39, a coal porter and his mother, Elizabeth Crowther, 38; his siblings George, 18, a milkman “on round”; William, 15, an errand boy; Alfred Crowther, 13, and Albert Crowther, 10, at school; and the youngest Nellie Crowther, 4. All were born in Clapham, except William who was born in Lambeth.

William Reuben Collett

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W. R. Collett
Service no. S/20722
Rifleman, Rifle Brigade, 1st Battalion
Killed in action age 19 on 18 May 1917
Born in Battersea, lived in Stockwell
Son of Reuben John and Helen E. Collett, of 75, Tasman Rd., Stockwell, London.
Remembered at Brown’s Copse Cemetery, Roeux, Pas de Calais, France

National Roll of the Great War 1914-1918

COLLETT, W. R., Rifleman, Rifle Brigade.
Joining in June 1916 he was sent to the Western Front at the conclusion of his training and fought at St.Eloi and the Somme. He gave his life for King and country at the Battle of Arras on May 12th, 1917. He was entitled to the General Service and Victory Medals.
“He died the noblest death a man may die,
Fighting for God, and right and liberty.”
75, Tasman Road, Landor Road, S.W.9.

Information from the 1911 census

The Collett family were living in 4 room at 75 Tasman Road in 1911. Reuben John Collett, 44, was a compositor born in Lambeth; Helen Eliza Collett, 44, was born in Battersea. They had had four children, three surviving: Leonard Collett, 21, was an engineer (turner); George Collett, 18, was a machine manager for a printer; William Reuben Collett, 13, was at school. All were born in Battersea.

Fredrick Victor Clement

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or Frederick Victor Clement
F. V. Clement
Service no. 3538
Private, London Regiment, 1st/24th Battalion
Died age 19 on 11 June 1916
Son of Walter George and Harriett Clement, of 38 Burgoyne Road, Stockwell
Remembered at Bruay Communal Cemetery Extension, France

Information from the censuses

In 1911 Fredrick/Frederick Victor Clement was a 14-year-old schoolboy boarding at 60 Burgoyne Road (off Combermere Road), London SW9.  He, his mother Harriett Clement, 58, a widowed charwoman from Clapham, and brother Walter George Clement, 36, a chair caner, also from Clapham, lived with the Faux family: Frank Mark Faux, 34, a brewer’s drayman, Ada Ethel Faux, 30, and their sons Frank William Faux, 5, and Leonard Henry Faux, 2.
The 1901 census shows that Walter George was “part blind from birth” and was working as a tea agent. Chair caning, his occupation in 1911, was a popular job for the blind.

Frederick was baptised on 15 September 1897 at St Andrew’s, Landor Road. His father, Walter George Clement, was a coach painter, and the family lived at 90 Dalyell Road.

Frederick died at No.22 Casualty Clearing Station.

Stanley William Clarke

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S.W. Clarke
Private, London Regiment (Royal Fusiliers), 3rd Bn.
Service No. 279057
Died 31 May 1918, aged 19.
Remembered at Pernois British Cemetery, Halloy-Les-Pernois, France

Chris Burge writes:

Stanley William Clarke was born on 7 April 1899 and baptised on 24 October 1900 at Forest Gate, St James, Essex. Stanley was the third of the five known children of Thomas and Elizabeth Mary Clarke.  He was about five when the family settled in Lambeth.

In the 1911 census, Stanley, his four siblings and their parents lived in four rooms at 27 Angell Road, Brixton.  Stanley’s father was a foreman motor fitter and his older brother Sydney was working as an office boy. 

With the introduction of conscription in 1916, Stanley’s parents knew that, if the war continued, all but the youngest of their four sons might have to fight.  What happened to his older brothers Sydney and Harold is not known, but Stanley, who was just 15 in 1914, was conscripted in 1917.  He become eligible for overseas service at the age of 19 and was sent to France on 3 April 1918 as a private 654707 Clarke of 21st Bn., London Regiment.  He was transferred and renumbered as private 279057 Clarke four days later, on his 19th birthday. 

Stanley reached the support line on the 13 April, part of a 70-man draft, in cold and wet weather. After moving to the front line, their position was attacked on 24 April.  Fierce fighting led to over 200 casualties in a 48-hour period.  The battalion was relieved and in the first two weeks of May they played a football match and were entertained by concert parties.  They returned to a forward position on 22 May, in fine weather.  The situation remained quiet until sporadic shelling three days later caused 10 casualties, of whom Stanley was one. He passed down the evacuation chain to reach the 4th Casualty Clearing Station at Pernois, but succumbed to his wounds on 31 May 1918.*  

The Clarke family were living at 40 Tasmin Road when they received news of Stanley’s death.  His father Thomas died in 1930, aged 60. His mother Elizabeth, who continued to live in Tasmin Road with her youngest daughter Ivy until at least 1939,  died in 1956, aged 87.

Albert Edward Chandler

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A. E. Chandler
Service no. 3527
Private, London Regiment (Royal Fusiliers), 1st Battalion
Killed in action age 19 on 1 July 1916
Enlisted at Handel Street, lived in South Lambeth
Son of James and Ada Chandler, of 3 Oval Place, Clapham, London.
Remembered at Hubuterne Military Cemetery, Pas de Calais, France

Information from the 1911 census

In 1911 the Chandler family lived in 2 rooms at 3 Oval Place, off Dorset Road. James Walter Chandler, 41, was a timber carman, born in Clapham. Ada Emily Chandler, 39, was born in St George’s in the East. There were 2 children on the census, both born in South Lambeth:
Ellen Ann Chandler, 15, a checker at a laundry
Albert Edward Chandler, 13