Stockwell War Memorial

Friends of Stockwell War Memorial & Gardens

Brothers

Arthur Joseph Mullett

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A. J. Mullett
Service no. 130014
Pioneer, Royal Engineers, 3rd Battalion Special Brigade; formerly 35044, London Regiment
Born in Lambeth; enlisted at Holborn; lived in Lambeth
Died of wounds on 1 July 1916, aged about 21
Remembered at Bailleul Communal Cemetery Extension, Nord, France

Brother of George Thomas Mullett

Information from the censuses

In 1911 Arthur Joseph Mullett, then a 14-year-old schoolboy, lived at 12 Ely Place, Stockwell with his parents, a brother and a sister. The family had lived at that address since at least 1901. His parents were from Dorset: Henry Mullett, 51, was a horsekeeper for a brewery (a job he was doing at the time of the 1901 census), born in North Matravers; Harriett Mullett, 52, was from Swanage. Emily Mullett, 26, was an ironer for a laundry, born in Lambeth; William Mullett, 23, was a welder for a bus company, also born in Lambeth; Arthur Mullett was born in Battersea. The family occupied 4 rooms. Elizabeth Mullett (in 1901 a laundry machine hand) and George Mullett (in 1901 working as a printer’s boy in the lithography department) had left home.

Information from Terry Reeves

Around March 1916 Arthur would have been transferred from the London Regiment to the Royal Engineers Special Brigade, who were responsible for much of Britain’s offensive chemical warfare effort on the Western Front. Arthur would have been sent initially to Helfaut, some 4 miles south of St Omer, where the Special Brigade had established their expeditionary force Depot. He would have been billeted in one of the surrounding villages as the 3rd Battalion formed up. The unit was a cylinder company responsible for dispensing gas from heavy cylinders which had to be carried into the front line, often with assistance from the infantry, and installed in the front line trenches.

On the night of 30 June/1 July 1916, Arthur’s K Company detachment was tasked to release cylinders containing “White Star” gas, so-called because of the white star emblem on the cylinder.  They were filled with a 50/50 mix of phosgene and chlorine. The former had a low vapour pressure and needed a propellant, which was provided by the chlorine which had a higher vapour pressure. The release of this gas was part of a minor operation in support of 2nd Australian Brigade at Ploegsteert in Belgium. The battalion war diary noted the following:

“106116 Cpl R. G. Williams, 1282286 Pioneer A Lewis and 130014 Pioneer AJ Mullett were working in an emplacement, their Tower Respirators were fixed efficiently. A shell burst in front of our parapet and blew a cloud of gas back so that some entered the bay occupied by these men. They all felt a slight irritation and reported to their section commander, who ordered them to go to at once to the dressing station. The two pioneers remained, but later Cpl Williams said that he felt quite well and returned to his work. He was sent back to the hospital at once. All three were dead by the following morning.”

Cpl Williams and Pioneer Lewis are recorded as dying on 30 June and Pioneer Mullet dying on 1 July at No. 8 Casualty Clearing Station. 

The report continued:

“The Tower Respirator which each man was wearing throughout the attack is proof against White Star gas. 

“It is surmised that respirators must have been temporarily displaced by a shell which is known to have wrecked the emplacement.”

From a technical point of view, phosgene had a delayed-action effect, of anything up 48 hours. Any exertion could bring about tiredness and collapse during that time which fits with the casualties described above. 

All three men are buried in Baileull Communal Cemetery. Cpl Williams and Pioneer Lewis side by side and Arthur Mullett just a few graves away in the same row.

Roderick Emile Leadbetter MacKenzie

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R. E. L. MacKenzie
Service no. 14/42565
Rifleman, Royal Irish Rifles, 14th Battalion, formerly R/35035, King’s Royal Rifles
Born in Wimbledon; enlisted in London; lived in Lambeth
Killed in action on 2 September 1917 at age 19
CWGC: “Son of Mr and Mrs James L. MacKenzie of 10 Atherfold Road, Stockwell, London. Born at Wimbledon, London.”
Remembered at Hermies British Cemetery, Pas de Calais, France

Brother of Osmond MacKenzie.

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.

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.

Hugh John Kemp

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H. J. Kemp
Service no. L/3287
Lance Corporal, 16th (The Queen’s) Lancers, “C” Sqdn.
Born in South Norwood; enlisted in London; lived in Clapham
Died of wounds age 22 on 22 October 1914
CWGC: “Son of Frank John and Ellen Kemp, of 40 Lansdowne Gardens, South Lambeth, London.”
Remembered at St Andre Communal Cemetery, Nord, France

Brother of Sydney Frank Kemp

Information from the National Archive Pension records

Hugh John Kemp joined the 3rd London Brigade of the Royal Field Artillery (Territorial Army) on 16 February 1909. He gave his age as 17 years and 2 months and stated that he was a clerk at “A. Stedall”. He was 5 feet 5½ inches; his chest measurement was 33 inches, with 3 inches expansion. Kemp’s physical development was “good”, although the officer who completed the form had started to write “poor” but struck it out.

On 10 February 1911 Kemp left the Territorial Army to enlist in the regular army. He joined the Lancers of the Line. By now he had grown to just over 5 feet 6¾ and his chest was 36 inches.

Information from the censuses

In 1911 Frank J. Kemp, 55, a hop factor’s clerk, and his wife Ellen Kemp, 52, headed a large family living at 40 Lansdowne Gardens, where they occupied 11 rooms. Frank and Ellen had had 12 children, of whom 11 survived.
Frank was originally from West Wickham in Kent and Ellen from Pebmarsh in Essex. Their large family consisted of
Sydney F. Kemp, 26, working in “fruit farming”, born in Peckham, who died in 1918
Constance P. Kemp, 24, a shorthand typist, born in New Cross
Thomas C. Kemp, 21, a colonial agent’s representative in the drapery trade, born in New Cross
Winifred M. Kemp, 20, another shorthand typist, born in East Dulwich
Mabel E. Kemp, 16, not working, born in South Norwood
Leslie A. Kemp, 15, a junior clerk, born in South Norwood
Ivy G. Kemp, 14, at school, born in South Norwood
Doris F. Kemp, 12, at school, born in East Dulwich
Stanley E. Kemp, 10, at school, born in Nunhead
In addition, there was a nephew, Frederick H. Kemp, 26, a musician born in Brixton, and a niece, Ivy Nicholls, 16, a dressmaker’s assistant, born in Hamptonshire, Middlesex.
In 1911 Hugh John Kemp, 19, was at the barracks of the 16th Lancers at Woolwich Common – he was a private.
He appears on the 1901 census as an eight-year-old. At that time, the family was living 45 Nunhead Lane, Camberwell. Hugh John is listed as having been born at South Norwood. Sydney (given as Sidney) is described as a stockbroker’s clerk.

John or Jack Jordan

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J. Jordan
Private, Royal Fusiliers, 2nd Bn.
Service no. L/12725
Died on 25 April 1915, aged 31.
Remembered at Helles Memorial, Turkey

Brother of Albert Edward Jordan and Frank Andrew Jordan

Chris Burge writes:

John (aka Jack) Jordan was born in Hammersmith in 1883, the fifth child of parents George Thomas and Mary Ann Jordan. John’s father was a self-employed jeweller. In the 1891 census the Jordan family were living in two rooms at 4 Broomgrove Road, off Stockwell Road, an area described as ‘very poor’ in social surveyor Charles Booth’s 1890s map of London. 

The family’s fortunes had not improved in the following decade with the birth of a further six children. When John’s youngest sibling Violet was baptised in April 1900 at St John the Divine, Kennington, the family were living at 7 Thompsons Avenue, in one of the poorest parts of Camberwell. John’s father George, aged 42, died later in the same year leaving Mary Ann to support seven young children with the help of her four children of working age. In the 1901 census, the Jordan family were still living at 7 Thompsons Avenue; Mary was working as a collar ironer and the family of 12 lived in just three rooms in a property which housed two other families in four other rooms, making a total of 23 people at this address. The family’s situation deteriorated to the point that some of Mary’s youngest children were briefly taken into care and John’s younger brother Frank, aged 11, was sent to the Training Ship HMS Exmouth where he stayed for three years. 

By the time of the 1911 census, the Jordan family were living in three rooms at 4 Nealdon Street, Stockwell, a property which also housed a greengrocer’s family of seven in five other rooms. When Mary, now aged 49, completed the census return her household consisted of: Alfred, 26, a self-employed fishmonger; Frank, 19,  who was in ‘Army Reserves (Private 6th Rifle Bde)’; Albert, 17, a carman; Letty, 13; and Violet, 11. and Albert was a carman for the L.P.D. company. 

Jack was over 4,000 miles away in India. He had joined the regular Army around 1907, serving as Private L/12725 of the Royal Fusiliers whose 2nd Battalion had been posted to India in 1908 and were based at Jabalpur in Madhya Pradesh. In the 1911 census, Jack was counted as in the Hugh Rose barracks at Jabalpur. Jack’s battalion did not return to England until December 1914. By March 1915 orders were received to move to an eastern destination as the battalion was to be part of the ill-fated Gallipoli Campaign. 

The 2nd Bn. Royal Fusiliers were the first to land on beach ‘X’ on 25 April 1915. Unlike at other beaches, they faced little opposition until after scrambling up the cliffs and moving inland. For several days there was no respite in the fighting. The battalion had started with 26 officers and 948 other ranks but by 30 April 1915 were reduced to 12 officers and 481 other ranks. Jack Jordan was killed in action on the day he landed on Gallipoli. He is listed in the records of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission as ‘Jordon’.

1915 was a bleak year for the Jordan family. John’s younger brother Frank was killed in action on 25 September 1915 in Belgium and his brother Albert was killed in action in France on 19 October 1915. 

By the end of the war, Mary Jordan was had returned to the familiar surroundings of Broomgrove Road and lived with Alfred, Letty and Violet at number 19, which remained their home into the 1930s.