Stockwell War Memorial

Friends of Stockwell War Memorial & Gardens

Italy

Thomas James Woodley

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T. J. Woodley
Service no. 203597
Private, Oxford and Bucks Light Infantry, 1st/4th Battalion; formerly 2725, Royal Buckinghamshire Hussars
Born in Deptford; enlisted in London; lived in Clapham
Killed in action on 15 June 1918, aged 29
CWGC: “Husband of Mrs E. Woodley, of 14 Glenelg Road, Acre Lane, Brixton, London.”
Remembered at Boscon British Cemetery, Italy and St Andrew’s Church, Landor Road, London SW9

Brother-in-law to Arthur Worby

Information from the censuses

Printer’s labourer Thomas James Woodley, 23 in 1911, lived at 6 Edithna Street, Stockwell, where his family occupied six rooms. The other members of the household were his widowed mother, Rosa Ann Woodley, 55, from Southwark; siblings Susan Elizabeth Woodley, 28, a blouse hand, Beatrice Amelia Woodley, 27, a dressmaker, George Thomas Woodley, 25, a printer’s labourer, William Woodley, 19, a shop assistant, Henry Woodley, 17, a shop assistant. Two other siblings lived elsewhere, and three had died.

Ethel Maude Woodley
Ethel Maude Woodley

Information from Howard Anderson

Thomas James Woodley was a career soldier, formerly a regular in the Royal Bucks Hussars before being killed whilst serving with the Oxford and Bucks Light Infantry during the Battle of Asiago fighting the Austrians. He was the brother-in-law of Arthur Worby, having married Worby’s sister Ethel Maude Worby.

Howard Anderson writes: “There is an added poignancy about the names on the memorial. T. J. Woodley is right next to A. Worby, close in stone and in life, they were brothers-in-law. Thomas married Arthur Worby’s sister Ethel Maude Worby but was killed just 18 months later. Although she married again, it ruined her life. I remember her as a sad old lady.”

Howard Anderson, great-nephew to Arthur
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William Evan Turpin

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william-evan-turpin2
Wiliam Evan Turpin. Photo courtesy of George Cody.

W. E. Turpin
Service no. 140311
Gunner, Royal Garrison Artillery, 172nd Siege Bty.
Born in Clapham; enlisted in Clapham
Killed in action on 31 May 1918, aged 32
Remembered at Montecchio Precalcino Communal Cemetery Extension, Italy

National Roll of the Great War 1914-1918

TURPIN, W. E., Gunner, R.G.A.
He joined in January 1917, and in the following May was sent to France, where he took part in the fighting at Bullecourt and Messines. Later he was transferred to Italy, where he was unfortunately killed in action on May 30th, 1918, and was buried at Montechiaro. He was entitled to the General Service and Victory Medals.
“Great deeds cannot die.”
15, Elwell Road, Clapham, S.W.4.

William Turpin (centre) at Young's on Larkhall Lane, at the corner of Gaskell Street
William Turpin (centre) at Young’s on Larkhall Lane, at the corner of Gaskell Street. Courtesy of George Cody.

Information from the censuses

In 1911 William Evan Turpin was a 25-year-old grocer’s assistant, living in three rooms at 15 Elwell Road, Clapham, with his wife Emma Turpin (née Guy), 25, from Wolverhampton, and their young son William Joseph Turpin, 11 months, born in Clapham.Meanwhile, his parents, Jesse Turpin, a 48-year-old bricklayer’s labourer from Little London, Essex, and Mary A. Turpin, 48, from Averayon, Cardiganshire, were living at 62 Paradise Road, Stockwell.

William attested on 8 December 1915. He was 5ft 11in tall, with a 43in chest. His Service record states that he died of shell injuries to the right side of body, particularly his stomach and hand. After an Enquiry in the Field, these injuries were judged to be   ‘negligently self-inflicted’, ‘an accident due to disobedience to orders’.Lieutenant Colonel W.D. Alexandia came to the conclusion that Turpin died after ‘scraping the nose of an old Austrian fuze and having done that he walked away and the explosion took place in his hand.’ Alexandia stated that ‘all  men in the battery have been warned repeatedly not to tamper with enemy duds, fuzes etc.’

Emma was awarded a widow’s pension of 27s 7d a week for herself and her three children.

George Cody (Emma’s great nephew) adds: “Sadly William and Emma’s son Ernest Walter was also killed in action, in WW2, and is interred in a military cemetery also in Italy.”

William Evan Turpins Memorial Plaque, issued to his widow Emma. The plaques were made of bronze and popularly known as the Dead Man’s Penny because of their similarity to penny coins. Courtesy of George Cody.
william-and-emma-with-bill-and-ernie
William Evan Turpin with Emma and their sons William and Ernest. Courtesy of George Cody.

Frederick David Shea

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F. D. Shea
Service no. G/11619
Lance Corporal, The Queen’s (Royal West Surrey Regiment), 11th Battalion
Died of wounds on 18 or 19 January 1918, aged 28
Born in Peckham, enlisted at Lambeth, lived at Stockwell
CWGC: “Son of Frances and the late James Shea, of Stockwell, London.”
Remembered at Giavera British Cemetery, Arcade, Italy

Brother of George Shea

Information from the censuses

Frederick David Shea, 22 in 1911, was a clerk in a grocery warehouse. He lived at 425 Forest Road, Walthamstow, east London in four rooms, which he shared with his mother, Frances Shea, 49, a widow from Clapham living on private income; sister Amelia Shea, 23, a booking clerk, born in Clapham; and brother George Shea, 14, born in Manor Park, east London. Ten years previously when Frederick Shea was a 12-year-old schoolboy, he lived with his grandmother, Amelia Couturier, 67, a Clapham-born bookseller, at 209 Clapham Road, his uncle, Francis L. Couturier, her 37-year-old married son described as a “bookseller’s assistant” and born in Newington, and his younger brother, George Shea, 14, born in Manor Park, Essex.

VLUU L210 / Samsung L210
209 Clapham Road

Information from British History Online (Survey of London, 1956)

No. 209 Clapham Road, formerly The Bays or No. 2 Stockwell Common
“This is probably the oldest surviving house in Clapham Road, but unfortunately nothing has been discovered about its origin. It is a double-fronted house of three storeys, its painted stucco face clothing a front of mid or late 18th century date. The central doorway is surmounted by two windows and flanked on each side by a splay sided bay rising through the three storeys. The wood doorcase is of charming design, the arched opening being framed by panelled pilasters with consoles supporting an open triangular pediment. The front finishes with a cornice and blocking course.”

William Alfred Lamerton

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W. A. Lamerton
Service no. 217128
Sapper, Royal Engineers, 48th Divisional Signal Coy
Born in Camberwell; enlisted in Lambeth; lived in Stockwell
Killed in action age 35 on 2 July 1918
CWGC: “Son of James Edward and Emily Lamerton, of Peckham; husband of Louisa Lamerton, of 6, Emily Mansions, Landor Road, Stockwell.”
Remembered at Magnaboschi British Cemetery, Italy

British Army WWI Service Records 1914-1920

William Lamerton, a skilled bricklayer (who also described himself on his enlistment papers as a house agent), attested at Lambeth Town Hall on 10 December 1915, just before the national compulsory call-up came into force. He was described as 5 feet 8¼ inches tall with a 37 inch chest (which he could expand 3 inches) and weighing 140 pounds (10 stone); his physical development was judged to be “fair”.

He was assigned to the Army Reserve and mobilised in December 1916. He joined the 48th Divisional Signal Company on 6 May 1917 and was killed in action in Italy in July 1918, leaving Louisa Lamerton a widow.

After Lamerton’s death, Louisa applied for a pension. On 31 October 1918 the Form was returned to the local pensions board, which was based at Hammerton Hall, Stockwell Green, as the Ministry of Pensions was not satisfied with the signature of the person who countersigned it. They responded with information that Dr. Cross of 51 High Street, Clapham had signed.

We do not know if Louisa had any special occupation or whether she was able to supplement the weekly widow’s pension of 20 shillings and 5 pence (just over one pound) she was awarded. Louisa was lucky in one way – she had only one child (seven-year-old Doris Louisa) to care for.

In March 1920, Louisa filed her Form W.5080, in which she listed the relatives of the late soldier. She almost forgot herself by signing herself “wife”, which she scrubbed out and replaced with “widow”.

Information from the 1911 census

In 1911 William Lamerton, then 27, and his wife Louisa Lamerton, 27, were living in 6 rooms at 54 Lugard Road, Peckham with William’s older brother Harry Lamerton, 30, and his wife Eliza Lamerton, 37. Louisa was from Nunhead and Eliza from Peckham, while the Lamerton brothers were both born in Camberwell. Doris Lamerton had just been born.

David James Thomas Hibbert

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D. J. T. Hibbert
Service no. 57427
Lance Corporal, Royal Welsh Fusiliers, 1st Battalion
Born in Walworth; enlisted in Hounslow
Killed in action age 24 on 3 May 1918
CWGC: “Son of Mr D. C. J. and Mrs S. M. Hibbert, of 17 Horace Street, Wilcox Road, South Lambeth, London.”
Remembered at Giavera Memorial, Italy

Information from the 1911 census

The Hibbert family lived in 2 rooms at 126 Dorset Road. David Charles James Hibbert, 45, was a gas fitter. He was born in Walworth. Susannah Maria Hibbert, 41, was born in Southwark. They had 3 sons:
David James Thomas Hibbert, 16, an errand boy, born in Walworth
Stanley Arthur HIbbert, 11, born in Lambeth
Walter Henry, 6, born in Thornton Heath