Stockwell War Memorial

Friends of Stockwell War Memorial & Gardens

Died

Frank William Gibbins

by

Frank Gibbins in Rifle Brigade uniform. Courtesy of Bob Ray.

F. W. Gibbins
Service no. S/32220
Rifleman, Rifle Brigade, 7th Battalion
Died age 28 on 21 March 1918
Born in Lambeth; enlisted in Camberwell; lived in Lambeth
CWGC: “Son of Charlotte Gibbins, of 62, Wilcox Road, South Lambeth, London, and the late William Gibbins.”
Remembered at Pozières Memorial, Somme, France.

Information from the 1911 Census

In 1911 Frank Gibbins was 21 and living at 161 Hartington Road (just around the corner from Wilcox Road) with his parents William Gibbins, 57, a railway guard born in Sussex, and Charlotte Gibbins (née Dance), 47, also born in Sussex. (The couple had had 5 children, 4 of whom survived.) Frank’s occupation is listed as railway porter. His brother Reginald Gibbins, 20, was a printer, and his sister Gertrude Gibbins, 16, was a domestic servant. The youngest, Horace Gibbins, at 12, was still at school. The children are listed as born in London.

Frank, the second of five children, was born on 23 April 1889 and baptised at Christ Church, Clapham on 28 November. The family then lived at 83 Clifton Street.

Frederick Charles George

by

F. C. George
Service no. S/31588
Rifleman, Rifle Brigade, 3rd Battalion
Died age 19 on 31 July 1917
Born in Lambeth; enlisted in Lambeth; lived in Wandsworth
CWGC: “Son of William and Sarah E. George, of 27A, Goldsboro’ Rd., Springfield Estate, Wandsworth, London.”
Remembered at Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial, Belgium

National Roll of the Great War 1914-1918

GEORGE, F. C., Rifleman, Rifle Brigade
He joined in 1917 and in March of that year proceeded overseas. During his service on the Western Front he took part in many engagements, and did very good work with his Battalion. He gave his life for the freedom of England in July 1917 near Hill 60, and was entitled to the General Service and Victory Medals.
“And doubtless he went in splendid company.”
27A Goldsboro’ Road, Wandsworth Road, S.W.8.

Information from the 1911 census

In 1911 Frederick Charles George, born in South Lambeth, lived with his parents, sister and uncle at 27a Goldsboro Road, Wandsworth. His father, William George, 41, was a railway porter, born in Old Basing, Hampshire; his mother Sarah E. George, 39, was born in Battersea. Zillah, Frederick’s sister, 16, was a dressmaker’s apprentice born in South Lambeth, and his uncle, Frederick George, 35, was a foreman horsekeeper.

Harry Bird Gayton

by

H. B. Gayton
Service no. 6172
Private, Queen’s Own (Royal West Kent Regiment), 7th Battalion
Died age 24 on 18 December 1917
Awarded the Military Medal
CWGC: “Son of Mr and Mrs F. M. Gayton, of 51 Clifton Street, Clapham, London.”
Remembered at the Dozinghem Military Cemetery, Belgium

British Army WWI Service Records 1914-1920

Harry Bird Gayton was born in Battersea in about 1894. He volunteered on 12 April 1915 and was enlisted into the Queen’s Own (Royal West Kent) Regiment. He gave his age as 21 years and 194 days and his occupation as “tripe dresser”. Gayton stood 5 feet 5 inches tall, with a 36½ inch chest. He had a small scar on the left side of his forehead. He wore upper dentures.

While with his regiment at Chatham, in July 1915 he was disciplined for failing to comply with an order, for which he was punished with 7 days confinement to barracks. He was posted with the British Expeditionary Force on 1 November 1915 and took part in the Battle of Ypres, where he was wounded – he received a gunshot wound to the right arm – on 28 February 1916. He was not admitted to hospital until 10 March. It must have been a wound of some seriousness as Gayton was operated on on 17 March (shrapnel was removed) and remained in hospital for 28 days, after which he rejoined his unit.

Gayton received a Military Medal for actions on 15 September 1917 (we don’t know what these are), but on 15 December he received shrapnel wounds to his knee and right leg. He was admitted to 61 Casualty Clearing station but died of his wounds on 19 December.

The war office sent his effects to his family, including letters, cards, photos, religious books, wallet, cap badge, broken false teeth.

In May 1918 the Infantry Record Office wrote to Gayton’s mother Finetta asking how she would like to receive his Military Medal – privately by post or at a presentation. She opted to have it sent and she later acknowledged its receipt:

“Sir, received the medal quite safe and thank you very much I only wish the dear Boy was here to wear it, yours gratefully F. M. Gayton”

Information from the 1911 census

Robert Gayton, 44, an engine driver for the London and South West Railway Company originally from Fenny Stratford, Buckinghamshire, and Finetta Mary Gayton, 45, from Marks Tey, Essex had 5 sons surviving (of 6 children):
Arthur William Gayton, 20, an off-licence assistant, born in Twickenham, Middlesex
Edmund James Gayton, 19, an office lad for the London and South West Railway, born in Twickenham, Middlesex
Harry Bird Gayton, 17, a shop assistant, born in Battersea
William Robert Gayton, 12, born in Lambeth
Alfred Ernest Gayton, 7, born in Lambeth
The family lived in 4 rooms at 51 Clifton Street, Clapham.

William Albert George Fuller

by

W. A. G. Fuller
Private, 17th Lancers (Duke of Cambridge’s Own)
Service no. L/4110
Died in hospital on 24 March 1917, aged XX
Remembered at Mazargues War Cemetery, Marseilles, Bouches-du-Rhone, France

William Albert George Fuller was born in Lambeth in 1893, the eldest of five children of Albert Arthur Fuller, a machinist from Battersea, and Rose Maud (née Everett), from Stockwell. 

In the 1911 census the family of seven lived in two rooms at 1 Saunders Place in Saunders Street, which ran between Fitzalan Street and Lollard Street in Kennington. William, aged 17, worked as a labourer. 

William attested at Kingston Upon Thames in 1914. He and his wife Annie Harris had two children before marrying in Hampstead on 12 November 1915. 

Frank Thomas Frisby

by

F. T. Frisby
Service no. 26192
Private, Grenadier Guards, 1st Battalion
Died on 12 October 1917, aged 36
Enlisted at Battersea
Remembered at Tyne Cot Memorial, Belgium

Chris Burge writes:

Frank Thomas Frisby was born on 4 April 1881, the first child of parents John Hulbert and Mary Ann Frisby. He was baptised as an infant on 29 May 1881 at St. James’s, Piccadilly. The family had moved to Stockwell around the time of his third birthday as the family grew with the addition of two more children, Louisa Jane Frisby and Arthur Hulbert Frisby.

Frank married Ellen Susannah Reed at St Michael’s Church, Stockwell on Christmas Eve 1900. At the time of their wedding, Frank said he was a ‘cellar man’ and the couple gave their address as 55 Russell Street.

A decade later, at the time of the 1911 census, Frank and Ellen Frisby were living in five rooms at 52 Union Road, Clapham. They had no children. Frank was now a fishmonger and employed at least one person. Widower Harry Morgan boarded with them, giving his occupation as ‘fish fryer’.

Frank and Ellen’s comfortable life was to be shattered by the Great War. Like anyone trying to run a business, the introduction of conscription early in 1916 made labour even harder to find and dwindling fish supplies led to a doubling of prices by 1916. Who could afford fish suppers now?

Conscription was soon extended to married men after its introduction, and Frank’s turn came in the summer of 1916. His army service number, 26192, is consistent with recruits to the 1st Bn. Grenadier Guards in July and August of that year. Frank would be sent to France towards the end of 1916.

Frank had been on the Western Front for close on a year when the his battalion took part in the opening of the First Battle of Passchendaele on 12 October 1917. Frank Thomas Frisby was killed in action on that day.

In due course, Ellen Susannah Frisby received a War Gratuity and widow’s pension, meagre compensation for her loss. Her husband’s medals followed in 1920. With no known grave, Frank Thomas Frisby was one of the thousands of names added to the Tyne Cot Memorial, unveiled in 1927.

In common with other families, Frank Thomas Frisby’s name was added to the headstone marking the grave of his parents at Lambeth Cemetery, Blackshaw Road, Tooting. The simple inscription reads ‘Also FRANK THOMAS FRISBY (son) Killed in action (Belgium) 12th October, 1917. Aged 36 years.

Surely it was Ellen Frisby who arranged for her husband’s name to appear on the Stockwell Memorial. Ellen continued to live at 52 Union Road into the 1930s, only moving to Tooting near the time of her death in 1944.

Frank’s brother, Arthur Hulbert Frisby, married with four children, had volunteered in 1915 and served in the Royal Engineers throughout the War, returning safely to his family in May 1919.

George Edward Fensome

by

G. E. Fensome
Service no. 955621
Gunner, Royal Field Artillery
Died aged about 24 15 March 1919
Remembered at Lambeth Cemetery, London and at Stockwell War Memorial, London SW9

Information from the censuses

In 1911 George Fensome, aged 16, was working as a ticket collector for the City and South London Railway and living with his family at 38 Osborne Terrace, Clapham Road (this street was merged with Richmond Terrace to become Richborne Terrace). The family occupied 3 rooms. Mark Fensome, 52, was a sewer flusher for the borough council, born in Harpenden, Hertfordshire. Caroline (here given as Carriline in her husband’s hand) Fensome, 51, was born in Lambeth. The couple had had 8 children, but only 3 survived by 1911:
Mark Fensome, 19, an engine driver’s assistant working for the City and South London Railway
George Fensome, 16, a ticket collector working for City and South London Railway
Florence Fensome, 2
The children were all born in Lambeth.

Ten years previously, in 1901, George Edward Fensome, then 6, lived with his at 17 Portland Place South, South Lambeth. The same 3 children were recorded on this census. In addition, Bertha Burden, Caroline’s single 28-year-old sister who worked as a calico machinist, lived with the family, as did Edith Burden, 20, a domestic servant and another sister to Caroline. Frederick Dovinge, 20, a 20-year-old mason from Paddington, boarded.