A. L. Gooding
Information from Soldiers Died in the Great War and Ireland’s Memorial Records, 1914-1918
Service no. 42122
Formerly 34611, K.R.R.C.
Rifleman, Royal Irish Rifles
Killed in action 7 June 1917
KIA
Jesse William Goff
P. W. Goff (erroneously given for J.W. Goff)
Service no. 300319
Rifleman, London Regiment (London Rifle Brigade), 1st/5th Battalion
Born in Clapham; enlisted in London; lived in Clapham
Killed in action on 1 July 1916 (the first day of the battle of the Somme), aged 19
Remembered at Thiepval Memorial, Somme, France
Jesse William Goff is consistently misnamed as P.W. (Percy William Goff) – in his Army records, on his medals cards, in the Commonwealth War Graves Commission database, on the Thiepval Memorial and at Stockwell War Memorial. Why this should be is still a mystery to his descendants. The family have his medals and death plaque – they give his Army number so there is no question that this is the correct man.
Information from the 1911 census
In 1911 the Goff family lived at 63 Chelsham Road, Clapham, where they had seven rooms. Jesse William Goff, then 13 and an only child, lived with his father, William Percy Goff, 43, a prudential assurance agent from Poole, Dorset, and Grace Mary Goff, 38, an assistant mistress at a London County Council school. There was a boarder, Frank Cutten, 28, a compositor from Chichester, Sussex.
Sue and Ron Falder have sent the photo of Jess, above, and the text of two letters he wrote to his Aunt “Op” (Annie Margaret Carroll (nee Williams) Jesse’s mother’s sister, who is Sue Falder’s grandmother, at 42 Risingholme Road, Weald Village, Harrow, Middlesex.
They provide a vivid portrait of the hard work required at the front, and of the dry good humour life there brought to the surface. He sounds both hard-working (“hard work and fresh air”) and sweet-natured in his expressions of affection for his young cousin Molly and the newborn baby.
The first letter is dated 28 May (1916). He mentions the fact that Jim (Op’s husband) may be called up. By January 1916 compulsory conscription was in place. It applied to unmarried or widowed men between 18 and 41, but on 25 May 1916 married men were included. Those in trades that were considered vital to the war economy – the so-called “starred occupations” – were exempt. I am not sure who “our boss” mentioned in the letter is, but it could be Jess’s sardonic description of his own mother.
Sue and Ron Falder have sent the photo of Jess, above, and the text of two letters he wrote to his Aunt “Op” (Annie Margaret Carroll (nee Williams) Jesse’s mother’s sister, who is Sue Falder’s grandmother, at 42 Risingholme Road, Weald Village, Harrow, Middlesex.
They provide a vivid portrait of the hard work required at the front, and of the dry good humour life there brought to the surface. He sounds both hard-working (“hard work and fresh air”) and sweet-natured in his expressions of affection for his young cousin Molly and the newborn baby.
The first letter is dated 28 May (1916). He mentions the fact that Jim (Op’s husband) may be called up. By January 1916 compulsory conscription was in place. It applied to unmarried or widowed men between 18 and 41, but on 25 May 1916 married men were included. Those in trades that were considered vital to the war economy – the so-called “starred occupations” – were exempt. I am not sure who “our boss” mentioned in the letter is, but it could be Jess’s sardonic description of his own mother.
My Dear Op,
I have just got your address from Ma.
I was going to write before but I could not remember the name of your street. I remembered the number of the house that was all.
Well I am out here again & very near where I was before in fact we pass some of our old billets daily.
It is rather warmer than before in more ways than one. Nevertheless by dint of hard work & fresh air we manage to keep ourselves alive & fit. Mind you it’s not all cakes & ale but our various little “grouses” would fill a book.
We go out & work every day with picks & shovels just like navvies (the only difference is that the latter get about three times the pay). Sometimes we get a little shelling or “strafing” sometimes not, usually the former but we have managed without any casualties so far. Our week usually consists of seven days (working) & after a lengthy discussion today we have come to the conclusion that the man who could put forward an invention that would get another 24 hrs out of a week, would make his fortune.I have heard from Ma about Uncle “Jim” & the “garrison duty abroad” business. Really I should not think that he would be called up at all. I’m sure I don’t know how our “boss” will get on if the age limit extends much more. But I must not express my own views on the subject as this epistle has to pass through other hands.
“Let’s” hope it will be all over soon.
Shall be pleased to hear from you when you can spare the time. Hope you are all well: I am quite fit. Love to both of you. Lot’s of kisses for Molly and I can only say “the other”. I do not know the name or sex.
Anyhow just mention that “he or she” has got a cousin.
Yr Loving Nephew, Jess.
The second letter was written on Friday 23 June, just a few days before he was killed, on 1 July 1916. He mentions the “official P.C. [postcard]”, shown left.
My dear Op & Jim
Thanks very much for your letter and parcel. Many of us enjoyed the contents. As a matter of fact it arrived at a most opportune moment – we were in the trenches.
That is the reason I was unable to write there and then, but I hope you received the official p.c.
We had a rather rough time up there but are very now resting (& very glad too).
Really there is next door to no news. One cannot say everything & – well all that remains is I am quite well and the weather has not been at all good.
We see rather more life & more grub now since we have left the “navvies”. I don’t think anyone was very sorry to leave.
By the way I’m afraid I’m putting the cart before the horse. I don’t think I told you that we moved and are now with our regiment.
My address for the future will be No. 255 A Coy. London Rifle Brigade B.E.F. France.
Now I’m afraid that is all.
Best of love to Molly & the new arrival.
Y. Loving Nephew Jess
Ernest Girdlestone
E. Girdlestone
Service no. 16374
Private, Oxford and Bucks Light Infantry, 6th Battalion
Killed in action age 38 on 17 September 1916
Enlisted in Lambeth; lived in Brixton
CWGC: “Son of the late Owen William and Clara Morten Girdlestone, brother of Mrs. L. Boughey, of 283 Rosendale Road, Herne Hill, London.”
Remembered at London Cemetery and Extension, Longueval, France
Information from the censuses
In 1911 Ernest Arthur Girdlestone, 30, was working as a painter’s labourer and living with his brother Percy James Girdlestone, 28, a widowed upholsterer, and his son, William Girdlestone, 6, at 188 Icknield Port Road, Birmingham, where they occupied 2 rooms. All were born in Brixton, south-west London.
Twenty years earlier Ernest was living with his parents and siblings at 99 Stockwell Road, where the household included:
Owen Girdlestone, 63, an upholsterer from Halesworth, Suffolk
Clara Girdlestone, 44, from Colchester, Essex
Owen Girdlestone, 16, a tailor’s porter, born in Holborn, London
Ernest Girdlestone, 13, born in Holborn, London
Percy Girdlestone, 12, born in Holborn, London, “speech and hearing imperfect”
Clara Girdlestone, 2, born in Lambeth
There is a discrepancy between the 1891 and 1911 censuses in place of birth for Ernest and his siblings. It is possible that, since the death of Owen and Clara Girdlestone, this knowledge was lost.
Arthur Henry George
A. H. George
Service no. 230638
Private, London Regiment (Royal Fusiliers), (2450). 1st/2nd Battalion
Enlisted at Tufton Street, London
Killed in action age 23 on 1 July 1916
CWGC: “Son of John Daniel and Elizabeth George, of 82, Wandsworth Rd., London.”
Remembered at Gommecourt British Cemetery No. 2, Hebuterne, Pas de Calais, France
Information from the 1911 census
In 1911 Arthur Henry George, 17 and born in “Surrey, near London”, was a messenger in a newspaper office. He lived with his parents and brother at 11 Riverhall Street, South Lambeth. John Daniel George, 57, was an unemployed general labourer, born in “Middlesex, London”, Elizabeth George, 57, was from Billericay, Essex. The couple had had 6 children of whom 5 survived, with only Arthur and his brother Charles Ernest George, 29, a general labourer born in Billericay living with them.
George Frederick Geleit
G. F. Geleit
Service no. B/200790
Rifleman, Rifle Brigade, 13th Battalion
Killed in action age about 33 on 29 May 1917
Remembered at Arras Memorial, Pas de Calais, France and on the war shrine at St Michael’s Church, Stockwell Park Road, London SW9 0DA
Information from the censuses
George Geleit was 3rd generation German, his grandfather, August Geleit, having emigrated to London some time before 1871.
In 1911 George Geleit, who was born in Bermondsey, was 27 and married to Clara, aged 25, from Walworth. They had two young children they had named after themselves: George, 2, and Clara, 1, both born in Brixton. The family lived in 2 rooms at 87 Hackford Road (this address is now Van Gogh House – the artist lodged there from August 1873). George described himself as a “housekeeper”.
The 1891 shows Annie Geleit, a 30-year-old widow from Bermondsey, living with her 3 sons, including George Geleit, 7, at 26, Russell Street, in north Brixton.
The 1871 census shows an August Geleit, 46, a tailor, and Caroline (possibly Christina) Geleit, 32, both born in Germany living with their 5 children at Houghton Street, Westminster. August died in 1887.
Geleit means escort or convoy in German.
Frederick Amos Frewer
F. A. Frewer
Service no. 926373
Gunner, Royal Field Artillery, “A” Bty. 290th Bde.
Killed in action age 25 on 30 October 1918
CWGC: “Son of James and Elizabeth Frewer, of 39, Arlesford Rd., Stockwell, London.”
Remembered at Tournai Communal Cemetery Allied Extension, Belgium
Information from the 1911 census
In 1911 Frederick Amos Frewer lived at 40 Chantry Road, Brixton where they had 6 rooms. James Frewer, 49, born in Marylebone, London, was a vellum binder. Elizabeth Frewer, 44, was also born in Marylebone. Frederick Amos Frewer, 17, was a letterpress machine minder apprentice, born in Paddington, west London. Florence Elsie Elizabeth Frewer, 15, was an apprentice to an embroiderer. She was born in Paddington.