Stockwell War Memorial

Friends of Stockwell War Memorial & Gardens

age 34

Charles Frederick Parker

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Charles Frederick Parker
Charles Frederick Parker © Ray Coleman

C. F. Parker
Service no. 142427
Private, Machine Gun Corps (Infantry), 34th Coy.
Killed in action 21 March 1918, aged 34
Remembered at Arras Memorial, France

Charles Frederick Parker was born on 23 November 1884 at 95 Dunnetts Road, St Pauls, Deptford (later, on various censuses his birthplace is given as Peckham and Deptford). He was one of 10 children born to William James Parker, an engineer originally from Liverpool, and Elizabeth Emma Rutt from Southwark, south London.

William and Elizabeth married on 21 October 1871 at Christ Church, Blackfriars. In common with many families at the time, they moved frequently, probably following work around London.

We can trace their movements from the censuses: In 1881 they lived at 13 Upper Winchester Street in Islington; in 1891 they were at 115 Bridge Street, Greenwich; in 1901 they were at 31 Foreign Street, Camberwell and by 1911, aged 68 and 59, they were in Southend on Sea, living with two of their three surviving children.

On October 15 1905 William and Elizabeth’s son Charles, aged 20, and Daisy Laura Hales, 21, married at Christ Church, Blackfriars (the church where William and Elizabeth had married). Daisy’s address was given on the marriage certificate as 32 Collingwood Street (now Columbo Street)* and Charles was living at 48 Brunswick Street (off Stamford Street). Daisy was born in Highgate, the daughter of a journeyman baker, James Hales.

However, in 1901, according to the census, Daisy was living at 2 Redan Terrace, near Elam Street, on the Camberwell/Brixton borders*. Elam Road is adjacent to Foreign Street, where Charles Frederick Parker was living. It seems likely that this was when and where Charles and Daisy, who were both 16 in 1901, met. The 1901 census gives Charles’ occupation as “repairer of bicycle tyres”.

Charles Frederick Parker
Charles Frederick Parker © Ray Coleman

The picture of the Parker family was taken on 10 September 1916 and shows Charles in his uniform with Daisy and their two children, Elsie and William (Bill). Eighteen months later, Charles was dead.

The 1911 census shows that Charles and Daisy Parker were living in two rooms on the Blackfriars Peabody Estate (Block Q) with their daughter, Elsie Daisy Parker, then aged 2. Charles was working as an assistant stationary engineerman.

When Charles joined up he was employed by the London Hydraulic Company as an engineer. Before electricity became the primary source of power, heavy lifting was carried out using high pressure water piped underground. Probably its most famous application was to lift the bascules of Tower Bridge.

Charles enlisted in the Royal Field Artillery (Service no 2578) in Brixton before transferring to the 34th Company Machine Gun Corp (Infantry) as number 142427.

This faded picture, taken on 4 February 1917, shows Charles recovering from trench foot at The Cardiff Soldiers’ Rest, St Mary Street, Cardiff. Trench foot is caused by continuous immersion in water. If untreated, trench foot could turn gangrenous and result in amputation. The water table was often less than one metre below the surface and digging in, to avoid shells and bullets, often meant living in mud. Despite this, British commanding officers, unlike their German counterparts, refused to give up any ground, however unsuitable.

Charles Frederick Parker
Charles Frederick Parker in hospital

‘Operation Michael’, the momentous German counter-offensive known as the ‘Kaiser’s Battle’ (and sometimes as the Second Battle of the Somme, since to some extent it took place on the same territory), was launched along a 50-mile front at dawn on 21 March 1918, following a massive preliminary bombardment. The Germans broke the British lines in several places and the 34th Machine Gun Corps found itself virtually surrounded.

Charles Frederick Parker died that day. Unfortunately, his grave was among those which the Army Graves Service was unable to trace after the war and he is therefore commemorated on Bay 10 of the Arras Memorial, France.

Postcardsfront
© Ray Coleman
Postcardsback
© Ray Coleman

While away at the Front, Charles sent these beautiful postcards to his family. They are a poignant reminder of the contrast of worlds between the War and home life. While Charles was no doubt faced with unspeakable horrors he found time to send back these sweet and special greetings to his wife and young family.

Elsie points to her father's listing in the Book of Remembrance at Arras Memorial in France
Elsie points to her father’s listing in the Book of Remembrance at Arras Memorial in France © Ray Coleman
David at Stockwell War Memorial
David at Stockwell War Memorial © Ray Coleman

The families left behind

Charles’s daughter Elsie, who was married in St Andrew’s Church, Landor Road, London SW9, visited Arras with two of her grandchildren.

Many thanks to Ray Coleman for family information and use of material.
All family assets relating to Charles Parker are copyright Ray Coleman. All rights reserved.

* Collingwood Street was next to Christ Church, Blackfriars (behind the railings in the picture on the left), but has now been replaced by Columbo Street. The cottages have been replaced by a pub (the brick building in the engraving) and a sports centre. Elam Street survives but most of the surrounding streets do not, the area having been extensively redeveloped after World War II.

Many thanks to Ray Coleman for family information and use of material.
All family assets relating to Charles Parker are © Ray Coleman. All rights reserved.

Joseph Temple Mandale

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J. Mandale
Service no. 1728
Lance Corporal, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment), 8th Battalion
Died on 20 November 1915 age 34
Born in Lambeth; enlisted at Camberwell; lived in Vauxhall.
CWGC: “Husband of G. E. Mandale, of 49 Cambridge Street, Pimlico, London.”
Remembered at Douai Communal Cemetery, France

Information from the censuses

In 1911, Joseph Temple Mandale, 30, born in Brixton, was living at 61 Bessborough Place, Pimlico. He worked in the wine trade, was married to Gertrude Eleanor Mandale, 20, from Westminster, and had a baby, born in Pimlico, so new he had not yet been named.
In the 1901 census, Mandale lived at 3 Regent Place, in the parish of St Margaret And St John. He was 20 and worked as a porter in a wine cellar. His mother, Marie E. Mandale, 46, was a dress-maker, born in Paris. The previous census, 1891, shows that a 10-year-old Joseph was living with his mother, then 32, and father, another Joseph Mandale, a solicitor’s clerk born in Cockermouth, Cumberland, at 17 Vicarage Terrace, Fulham. There was a younger son, John D. Mandale, then 5.

Note: Some of the ages and names do not add up correctly and Joseph T. Mandale is listed as Joseph J. in the 1891 census.

William G. Kightly

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W. G. Kightly
Service no. 127770
Private 2nd Class, Royal Air Force, 2nd Aircraft Depot
Died 11 December 1918, aged about 34
Remembered at Terlincthun British Cemetery, Wimille, France

This identification is somewhat tentative as there is no supporting evidence that the W. G. Kightly listed on the CWGC database is the man listed on the 1911 census at Clyston Street. However, there is only one entry on the CWGC database for that name and none in the Soldiers Died in the Great War 1914-1919 database.

Information from the 1911 census

In 1911 William G. Kightly, 26, was living with his wife and child at 2 Clyston Street, Clapham, where they had 1 room. He gave his occupation as bottle washer and his place of birth as Battersea. His wife, Florence May Knightly, 23, was born in Peckham Rye. They lived with Lilly Annie Stocks, 10 months, a “nurse child” (foster child) born in Clapham, London.

Information from the 1901 Census

In 1901 William G. Kightly was a 17-year-old errand boy living with is family at 31 Motley Street, Battersea. His father, William F. Kightly, 51, was a blacksmith, labourer and “hammerman” born in Wolverton, Buckinghamshire, and his mother, Mary A. J. Kightly, 47, was born in Lambeth. Their daughters Emily Knightly, 19, and Jessie Kightly, 14, were general domestic servants. Other children named on the census were Harry Kightly, 13, May Kightly, 9, and Jennie Kightly, 6.

William Keys

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W. Keys
Service no. 2009
Lance Serjeant, Seaforth Highlanders, 4th Battalion
Enlisted in London
Killed in action age 34 on 9 May 1915
CWGC: “Son of William Keys, of 18, Mandalay Road, Clapham, London, and the late Nancy Kelly Keys.”
Remembered at Le Touret Memorial, France

Information from the 1911 censusIn 1911 William Keys was 29 and working as an assistant schoolmaster at a London County Council school. He lived at home with his parents and siblings at 5 Grantham Road, Stockwell, where the family occupied 7 rooms. His father, William Keys, 59, described himself as a miller at a grain drying works. He was born at Glenavy in County Antrim, in Ireland. His mother, Agnes Keys (who may also have been known as Nancy) was 55 and came from Ballynahinch in County Down. They had had 9 children, of whom 8 survived in 1911 and 7 lived at Grantham Road:
Sarah Keys, 31, a telephone supervisor for the National Telephone Company, born at Riverstown Killucan, County Westmeath
William Keys, 29, assistant schoolmaster, born at Riverstown Killucan, County Westmeath
Emily Ann Keys, 27, a clerk at the Post Office, born at Riverstown Killucan, County Westmeath
Agnes Dorothea Keys, 25, no occupation given, born in Leixlip, County Kildare
David Keys, 22, a clerk at a glass merchants, born in Lambeth
Francis Herbert Keys, 20, a student, born in Lambeth
Edith Mary Keys, 18, a “civil service student”, born in Lambeth

Sydney Frank Kemp

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S. F. Kemp
Second Lieutenant, Oxford and Bucks Light Infantry, Bucks Batallion
Killed in action age 34 on 16 April 1918

Awarded Military Cross

See Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry for an account of the attack in which Kemp died.
CWGC: “Eldest son of Frank John and Ellen Kemp, of 40 Lansdowne Gardens, London; husband of Eva Kemp (formerly Wisdom), of 10 Ross Street, Rochester.”
Remembered at St. Venant-Robecq Road Cemetery, Robecq, Pas de Calais, France

Brother of Hugh John Kemp.

At the time he enlisted on 26 August 1914, Sydney Frank Kemp worked as a prison warder. His paperwork includes the information that he had served in the 7th Hussars of the Line and had been discharged in 1905, having served his term.
It is therefore a little surprising to see the number of transgressions on Kemp’s conduct sheets. His crimes were all committed while he was serving in the ranks of the 11th Hussars of the Line; that is, before he was given a commission. Kemp’s crimes included absence from reveille, absence from billet, drunkenness, leaving the ranks without permission, neglecting to obey an order, making an improper remark to a warrant officer and ditto to a commanding officer. However, someone must have spotted his military talent, as in April 1917, after serving 3 years and 29 days, he was transferred to England, where he joined the 3rd Reserve Cavalry Regiment, moved to the Officer Cadet Battalion at Berkhamsted in June, and joining the Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry.

This may have given Kemp the confidence and motivation he needed. Kemp and his fellow officers were described by Major G. K. Rose writing in The Story of the 2/4th Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry (1920) as “an infusion of new blood and vigour,” and he and the officer who was killed with him in the attack of 17 April 1918 were “capital officers.”
Sydney Kemp, 5 feet 6 inches tall and weighing 8 stone, blue-eyed and fair-haired, married Eva Wisdom at St. Barnabas church on 3 February 1916.  He was the eldest of 11 children of Frank John and Ellen Kemp of 40 Lansdowne Gardens, Stockwell. Eva later moved to Rochester.