Stockwell War Memorial

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Ernest Alexander Potts

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E. A. Potts
Second Lieutenant, Royal Fusiliers, 24th Bn. attd. 10th Bn.
Died of wounds on 15 October 1918, aged 26
Military Cross
CWGC: “Son of Edward and Emma Potts, of 9, Mordaunt St., Brixton, London.”
Remembered at St. Sever Cemetery Extension, Rouen

Ernest Alexander Potts, the son of a police constable and a former railwayman, volunteered for the Coldstream Guards in September 1914 and was sent to the Western Front later that year. He fought at the Battles of Ypres, Arras, Le Bassée and Givenchy. He was awarded the Military Cross for conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty in the Field during heavy fighting on the Somme in 1918. Potts rose to Lance Serjeant and in early 1918, was discharged to join the Royal Fusiliers on a temporary commission. Severely wounded on 8 October, he died a week later.

At 6 feet 3 inches, Potts was the tallest man I have been able to acquire vital statistics for, but he was slender rather than sturdy – weighing just over 11 stone and with only a 36½-inch chest. He was pale-complected, with blue eyes and brown hair.

Potts suffered from eczema and he was hospitalised several times. In early 1917, he was admitted to the Bethnal Green Military Hospital at Cambridge Heath, for which he was treated with a staphylococcal vaccine. In addition, he suffered from impetigo of the scalp, myalgia and a bout of flu.

National Roll of the Great War 1914-1918

POTTS, E. A. (M.C.), 2nd Lieutenant, 10th Royal Fusiliers and Coldstream Guards
Volunteering in September 1914, he was sent to the Western Front later in that year. During his service overseas he fought at the Battles of Ypres, Arras, Le Bassee, Givenchy, and many other engagements of note. He was awarded the Military Cross for conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty in the Field during heavy fighting on the Somme in 1918. He was severely wounded on October 8th, 1918, and subsequently died from the effects of his injuries on October 15th. He was entitled to the 1914-15 Star, and the General Sevice and Victory Medals.
“A valiant soldier, with undaunted heart he breasted Life’s last hill.”
9, Mordaunt Street, Landor Road, S.W.9.

Information from the 1911 census

Ernest Alexander Potts was one of four children of Edward Alexander Potts, 56, born in Gateshead, County Durham, a police pensioner now working as a watchman at the Bon Marche, Brixton, and Emma Potts, 55, of Kennington. Ernest, 18, was a railway employee, as was his brother Edward William Potts, 20. His elder sisters worked too: Violet Mary Potts, 25, was a cashier in a restaurant, and Annie Elizabeth Potts, 23, was a drapery assistant. All the children were born in Brixton. The family had six rooms in their house at 9 Mordaunt Street, Stockwell.

Henry John Penney

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H. J. Penney
Service no. 7074
Rifleman, London Regiment (Queen Victoria’s Rifles), 1st/9th Battalion
Enlisted in Putney; lived in Brixton
Died of wounds age 21 on 20 October 1916
CWGC: “Son of Henry and Louisa Mary Penney, of 29 Knowle Rd., Brixton, London. Native of London.”
Remembered at Etaples Military Cemetery, France and on the war shrine at St Michael’s Church, Stockwell Park Road, London SW9 0DA

Information from the 1911 census

Henry John Penney, 15 in 1911, was a goldsmith’s apprentice. He lived at 29 Knowle Road, Brixton where his family had four rooms. His father, Henry Penney, 42, was a stone mason from Southwark, and his mother, Louisa Mary Penney, 41, was from Lambeth. They had three surviving children (of four): Henry, born in Lambeth; Beatrice Jessie Penney, 10; Irene Grave, 8. Both girls were born in Brixton. There were two boarders: Elizabeth McCallum, 46, a married daily housekeeper from Tilbury, Essex, and Gladys Lilian McCallum, 6, born in Portsmouth, possibly Elizabeth’s daughter.

Percy William Pearce

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P. W. Pearce
Service no. 1432
Lance Corporal, The Queen’s (Royal West Surrey Regiment), 11th Battalion
Born in Clapham; enlisted in Lambeth; lived in Clapham
Died of wounds on 17 July 1916, aged 20
CWGC: “Son of George Thomas and Marian Pearce, of 45 Tradescant Road, South Lambeth Road, London.”
Remembered at Boulogne Eastern Cemetery, France

Information from the censuses

Percy William Pearce, 14 in 1911 and working in a wheelwright’s shop, lived with his family in 5 rooms at 28 Tradescant Road, South Lambeth. He was one of eight children (one had died by 1911) of George S. Pearce, 46, a railway police constable from Godalming, Surrey, and his wife Marian Pearce, 46, from South Lambeth. Six children were at home on the night of the census: Ethel E. Pearce, 19, a waitress; Alfred G. H. Pearce, 17, a junior clerk; Percy W. Pearce, 14, Charles J. Pearce, 12; Cecil E. H. Pearce, 9; Louis E. W. Peace, 6. All the children were born in South Lambeth. Augustus Chaddock, a 60-year-old retired man from Westminster, boarded with the family. The Pearces were evidently very attached to Tradescant Road – they were there in 1901, at Number 34.

Edwin Robert Gilbert Peacock

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E. R. G. Peacock
Service no. 3261
Serjeant, Machine Gun Corps, 17th Battalion, formerly 18320 Royal Fusiliers
Born at Southend, Essex; enlisted at Clapham
Died of wounds on 3 September 1918, at about age 27
CWGC: “Son of E. M. Peacock, 38 Gaskill Street, Clapham, London.”
Remembered at Varennes Military Cemetery, France

Information from the censuses

Edwin Robert Gilbert Peacock, 20, was a stone mason. He boarded with the Smith family at 24 Lingham Street. Charles Smith, 50, was a stone mason from Portland, Dorset. His wife, Alice Selina, 53, was from Lambeth. They had two children: George Arthur, 19, a clerk, and Alice Mary Smith, 15. Alfred Dance, a 40-yea-old single painter, also boarded.

In 1901 Edwin Peacock was a 10-year-old and living at 13 Anns Road, Anns Terrace, Prittlewell in Essex. His 49-year-old father, Charles C. Peacock was a corporation dust inspector from Bethnal Green, east London, his mother, Ellen M. Peacock, 49, was born in St Pancras. Four sons were registered:
Walter S. Peacock, 19, was a furniture porter, born in Bermondsey
John H. Peacock, 15, was a bread baker, born in St Lukes, London
Albert E. Peacock, 13, worked for a fruiterer and greengrocer, born in Camberwell
Edwin R. G. Peacock, 10
Lottie Patrick, 4, described as granddaughter, also lived there, as did a boarder, Alfred Barfield, 70, born in Ipswich, Suffolk and “living on his own means”

George Frederick Osborne

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G. F. Osborne
Service no. 48694
Rifleman, Rifle Brigade (Prince Consort’s Own), formerly 35391, Royal Engineers (Postal Section).  Posted to London Regiment (Post Office Rifles)
Born in Lambeth; enlisted in London; lived in Clapham
Died of wounds on 10 July 1918, aged 23
CWGC: “Son of Lydia Osborne, of 110 Dorset Road, Clapham Road, London.”
Remembered at Pernois British Cemetery, Halloy-les-Pernois, France

Information from the censuses

George Frederick Osborne, 15 and working as a telegraph messenger for the General Post Office (GPO), is found on the 1911 census living at 7 Bolney Street, South Lambeth, where his family had five rooms. His father, George Lewis Osborne, 36, was a plasterer’s labourer; he was born in Lambeth, as was his wife, Lydia Osborne, 35. The couple had five children, all born in Lambeth: George Frederick, 15; Alfred James, 12, at school and working as a milk boy; Thomas John Osborne, 11, William Frederick, 3; Florence Maud, 6 months. Joseph Alfred Wyld, 35, a carman in the newspaper trade, boarded with the family. In 1901 George and his family lived at 41 Vine Cottages, Bond Street.

Alfred Edward Nunn

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A. E. Nunn
Service no. 63634
Private, The Queen’s (Royal West Surrey Regiment), “A” Coy. 7th Battalion
Died on 10 May 1918, aged 19
CWGC: “Son of Alfred and Emily C. Nunn, of 108 Manor Street, Clapham, London.”
Remembered at St. Sever Cemetery Extension, Rouen, France

Chris Burge writes:

Alfred Edward Nunn was born in 1899 and baptised at St Andrew’s, Stockwell Green on 21 May 1899, the first child of Alfred and Emily Clara Nunn who lived at 7 Landor Road. Alfred’s father worked as a laundry manager and his mother as a laundress. 

The 1901 census shows that they shared their home with a daughter from Alfred’s first marriage (he was widowed). Alfred Snr was now working on the trams. A second son, George William Nunn, was born on 4 February 1903 and baptised at St Andrew’s on 22 February 1903. 

In the 1911 census, the Nunn family now lived in five rooms at 38 Landor Street, close to the Avondale music and dance hall, and the Landor Hotel Public House. Alfred Snr, aged 49, worked for the London County Council tramways as a motorman. Alfred Jnr and George were at school. The property was shared by an elderly widow and her daughter living in two other rooms and a family of three in another two rooms.

Alfred was 15 at the outbreak of war, but  conscription was introduced in 1916 and Alfred was called up early in 1917. The Surrey Recruitment Registers, a rare survival of its type, record Alfred’s details. After reporting at Wandsworth, Alfred was directed to be at Kingston by 30 March where he was assigned the service number 45901 and instructed to join the 23rd Training Reserve Battalion for basic training. Alfred was 18 years and 2 months, 5ft 7in tall, 108 lbs and had a chest size of 34in. His address was 108 Manor Street, Clapham. 

Training complete, Alfred was posted to the 7th Battalion of the Royal West Surrey Regiment. No records exist to say exactly when Alfred was sent to France. Spring 1918 was a time of crisis on the Western Front when the enemy threatened to break through, the 7th RWS were in the forward zone to the east of Amiens. March and April were a time of retreat and counter-attack. An assault on Hangard Wood on 26 April resulted in further casualties, a total of five officers and 141 other ranks. The first week of May was quiet as the 7th RWS worked hard to improve trenches, build shelters and erect barbed wire. The records note on the 4th May 1918, ‘2 O.R. wounded by shell whilst on way to join Battn, in the line’. 

Alfred Edwin Nunn was among the wounded and later died of his wounds on 10 May 1918 in one of Rouen’s many hospitals. 

Alfred Snr and Emily lived in Manor Street, Clapham until Alfred’s death in 1929 at the age of 67. Emily was living in Epping, Essex when she passed away in 1943, aged 75. Alfred’s brother George William died in 1979, aged 76.