G. H. Mayes
Service no. Deal/1834(S)
Private, Royal Marines, R.M. Div. Train, R.N. Div.
Died on 12 June 1915 at age 35
Died of wounds in 2nd (RN) Field Ambulance (shrapnel wound right side, same date)
CWGC: “Husband of Elizabeth M. Mayes, of 10 Stafford Road, Brixton, London.”
Remembered at Lancashire Landing Cemetery, Turkey
DOW
Herbert William May
H. W. May
Service no. 129402
Private, Machine Gun Corps, 2nd Battalion, formerly 8343, London Regiment
Enlisted at Lambeth
Died of his wounds on 22 October 1918 at age 19
CWGC: “Son of Mr and Mrs W. C. May of 76A Thorparch Road, Wandsworth Road, London. Native of Box, Wiltshire.”
Remembered at Etaples Military Cemetery, France
British Army WWI Pension Records 1914-1920
Herbert William May first joined the London Regiment in April 1915 when he was about 16. He enlisted at St John’s Hill, Wandsworth and was accepted into the 23rd Battalion of the London Regiment (Territorial Force).
May was 5 feet 7 inches tall, 128 pounds (just over 9 stone) and 35½ inches around the chest (with 2½ inches expansion). His vision was judged to be good as was his physical development. He stated that he was 19.
This was a lie and on Christmas Day 1915 he was discharged “having made a mis-statement as to age”. He had served 205 days.
Later he joined the Machine Gun Corps, and was died of wounds at Etaples, where there was a high concentration of hospitals treating the wounded.
Information from the 1911 census
Herbert William May, 12, lived in a 3-roomed apartment at 51 Riverhall Street, South Lambeth. He was born in South Lambeth. His parents, Walter Charles May, 40, a general labourer, and Mary Ann May, 45, were both from Box, Wiltshire. Three of their 6 children survived:
Mary May, 18, a kitchen hand for the Express Dairy Company, born in Westminster
Herbert William May, 12, born in South Lambeth
Raymond Wilfred May, 4, born in South Lambeth
Frederick James Lowles
F. J. Lowles
Service no. 49765
Private, Northamptonshire Regiment, 6th Battalion
Born in Stockwell; enlisted in Camberwell
Died of wounds on 18 September 1918 aged 19
CWGC: “Son of Mr. and Mrs. George William Lowles, of 4 Edithna Street, Stockwell, London.”
Remembered at Doingt Communal Cemetery Extension, France
National Roll of Honour 1914-1918
LOWLES, F. J., Private, 6th Northamptonshire Regt.
He joined in August 1917, and embarked for France in the following year. He was in action in many parts of the line, and was wounded at Arras, and also at Villers Bretonneux. On recovery he rejoined his unit, and took part in heavy fighting until severely wounded at Peronne. Admitted to hospital he died from his injuries on September 18th, 1918, and was entitled to the General Service and Victory Medals.
“And doubtless he went in splendid company.”
4, Edithna Street, Landor Road, S.W.9.
Information from the censuses
In 1911 Frederick James Lowles, then aged 11, lived in 3 rooms at 4 Edithna Street, Stockwell. His father George William Lowles, 46, was a paper-hanger, born in Tower Hill. His mother, Elizabeth Lowles, 44, was born in Lambeth. The couple had had 5 children (one died). Three lived at home: Frederick, 11; George William, 19, a printer; Henry Charles Lowles, 8. All were born in Lambeth.
Ten years previously, the Lowles family was living at the same address. The census included Bessie Lowles, 6.
Robert Were Leach
R. W. Leach
Service no. 11233
Corporal, Wiltshire Regiment, 1st Battalion
Born in Battersea; enlisted in St Paul’s Churchyard, London; lived in Stockwell
Died of wounds at age 25 on 16 October 1916
CWGC: “Son of George Were Leach and Mary Julia Leach, of 37 Landor Road, Stockwell, London.”
Remembered at Contay British Cemetery, Contay, France
Information from the censuses
In 1911 Robert Were Leach lived at 37 Landor Road, Stockwell, where his family occupied 4 rooms. His father, George Were Leach, 42, was a railway inspector, born in Uffcombe, Devon. His mother, Julia Mary Leach, 43, was from Yeldham, Essex. Robert, 19, born in Battersea, was a clerk with the South West Gas Company; his younger brother, Lionel George Leach, born in Ockenden, Esse, 15, was a clerk for a firm of barristers; Horace Reginald Leach, 9, born in Clapham, was at school.
Ten years previously, in 1901, Robert Leach was lived with his parents, younger brother Lionel and various boarders at 52 Willington Road.
William Rochester, 39, a married grocer’s assistant from Canning Town
Frederick Rowe, 22, a grocer’s assistant from Brixton
Alfred Gregory, 30, a civil engineer from Andover, Hampshire
Arthur Grout, 29, a railway guard from Greenwich
Frederick Grigg, 20, a railway guard from Deal, Kent
John J. Fruel, 20, a railway guard from East Hendred, Berkshire
Richard Dennett, 20, a railway shunter, from Margate, Essex
Henry Thomas Lackey
H. T. Lackey
Service no. 235398
Private, Duke of Wellington’s (West Riding Regiment), 10th Battalion
Born in Walworth; enlisted in Lambeth; lived in Stockwell
Died of wounds on 21 September 1917, aged about 33
Remembered at Lijssenthoek Military Cemetery, Belgium
National Roll of the Great War 1914-1918
LACKEY, H. T., Private, 10th Duke of Wellington’s (West Riding Regiment).
He joined in September 1916, and in the following year was sent to the Western Front. He served with his Battalion in many parts of the line and fought at the Battles of the Somme and Ypres, and was severely wounded at the Menin Road. Unhappily he died from effects of his wounds on September 21st, 1917, and was buried in Passchendaele Cemetery. He was entitled to the General Service and Victory Medals.
“Thinking that remembrance, though unspoken, may reach him where he sleeps.”
6, Mary’s Cottages, Eastcote Street, Stockwell, S.W.9.
Information from the 1911 census
The information from the census is confusing. There was a Lackey family living in 6 rooms at 9 Industry Terrace, Brixton, that included Henry Lackey, 27, a carman born in Brixton. The household consisted of George Lackey, 48, a general carrier’s carman from Walworth, and Louisa Lackey, 44, from Bankside, Southwark. They stated that they had 7 children: Ellen Lackey, 19; Thomas Lackey, 17, and John Lackey, 15, both greengrocer’s assistants; Rose Lackey, 13; Joseph Lackey, 11; another Henry Lackey, 6; James Lackey, 3. All were born in Brixton except the younger Henry. It looks like the enumerator has made a mistake and described the older Henry Laskey as a son of George and Louisa (perhaps he was a nephew).
There is also a discrepancy between place of birth for Henry. The Soldiers Died in the Great War database gives this as Walworth; this Henry was born in Brixton.
This family provided a testimonial for greengrocer’s assistant Albert Laskey when he joined the Army in 1909.
Hugh John Kemp
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.