The War Dead – (‘D’ – ‘E’)

George Herbert Day

Service Number 1653, he was a Private in the 9^th Battalion of the East Surrey Regiment. Born in Wimbledon in 1901 he was the adopted son of Frederick – a Carman – and Mary Roddis of 9, Nelson Road, South Wimbledon.  He was enlisted into the army in Merton and died of wounds at Flanders on 23^rd March 1918.  His grave is in the Marchelepot British Cemetery. Mem. 92 ROYE NEW BRITISH CEMETERY.

William Arthur Deacon

Service Number 46712, he was a Private in the 19^th Battalion of the, Queens (Royal West Surrey) Regiment. Transfer to Labour Corps. He was born in Wimbledon in 1896, one of five children and a Bootmaker’s Errand Boy. He was the son of Alice Maria Deacon of 50, Milton Road, Wimbledon and the husband of Mrs Emily Roberts (formerly Deacon) of 20, Rostrevor Road, Fulham. He died in France of wounds on 26^th May 1917 and is commemorated at F.27 ST POL COMMUNAL CEMETERY EXTENSION. His effects totalling £5 15s 4d were sent to Emily.

Frederick George Delve

Service Number 375128, he was a Rifleman in the 8^th Battalion of the London Regiment (Post Office Rifles). Born in Wimbledon, he lived at 17, Gilbert Road, South Wimbledon. He was enlisted into the army at Wimbledon and was killed in action at Flanders on 23^rd March 1918.  He is buried in grave Vl. A. 26. ROCLINCOURT MILITARY CEMETERY

Joseph Denison

Service Number 1433, he was a Driver in the 237^th Brigade of the Royal Field Artillery “A” Battery. Born in Clapham in 1893, he was one of six children and a Wholesale Jam Maker by trade. He was the son of Joseph Thomas Denison – a Foreman Warehouseman and Chairman of the Wimbledon Club – and Harriet Denison, 83, Victory Road Wimbledon. He enlisted into the army at Wimbledon and died at Flanders of wounds on 21^st September 1916 at the age of 22. He is interred at  II. A.18.DERNANCOURT COMMUNAL CEMETERY EXTENSION

John Diprose

Service Number 37553, he was a Bombardier in the 81^st Siege Battery of the Royal Garrison Artillery. He was born in Wimbledon, one of seven children, and was an errand boy. He was the son of Ambrose – a Painter – and Annie Diprose of 13, Leyton Road, S. Wimbledon. He died at Flanders of wounds on 11^th December 1917 at the age of 25.  He is buried in grave XXVII. DD. 8A.LIJSSENTHOEK MILITARY CEMETERY

Arthur Dixon

Service Number 55238, he was a Private in the Royal Fusiliers. Born in Wimbledon in 1881, he was a General Labourer and the husband of Harriet Dixon, 42, South Road, South Wimbledon. They had three children. He died on 8^th October 1918 at the age of 38 and he is buried in grave  I.C.21.  BOIS-DES-ANGLES BRITISH CEMETERY, CREVECOEUR-SUR-L’ESCAUT

Charles Easter

Service Number J/33434, a Boy 1st Class on the Royal Naval ship H.M.S. “Barham.” He was born in 1899 and was one of eleven children. He was the son of Henry Robert Easter – a Boot Maker – and Mary Anne Easter of 106, Haydons Road, South Wimbledon. He died at Jutland on the 31^st May 1916 at the age of 17. He is commemorated at 16.  CHATHAM NAVAL MEMORIAL.

HMS Barham was commissioned in August 1915, joining the 5th Battle Squadron of the Grand Fleet based at Scapa Flow as flagship on 2 October 1915.  At the Battle of Jutland on 31 May to 1 June 1916, Barham was Admiral Hugh Evan-Thomas’s flagship of the 5th Battle Squadron, attached to Admiral David Beatty’s battlecruiser fleet.  Barham fired 337 15-inch shells and 25 6-inch shells during the battle. The number of hits cannot be confirmed, but it is believed that she and her sister ship Valiant made 23 or 24 hits between them, making them two of the most accurate warships in the British fleet. She received six hits during the battle, five from 12-inch shells and one from an 11-inch shell, suffering casualties of 26 killed and 46 wounded.

Wilfred William Edwards

Wilfred was a Lieutenant in the 17^th Battalion of the Royal Fusiliers. He was born in Wimbledon in 1889, the son of Samuel – a Builder and Carpenter – and Alice Edwards of 201, South Park Road, Wimbledon.  He was a student accountant and the husband of D. Astley Edwards, of 39, Wilton Grove, Wimbledon. He died of wounds on 22^nd January 1917 at the age of 28. He was awarded the Military Cross and is buried in grave I. D. 60. VA  RENNES MILITARY CEMETERY.

Thomas Walter Eldrett

Service Number 81376, he was a Private in the Machine Gun Corps (Infantry) 219^th Company. A General Carrier by trade, he was born in Stanford, Essex in 1886. He was the husband of Jane Elizabeth Eldrett – a Restaurant Waitress – of 51, Deburgh Road, South Wimbledon. He enlisted in the army at Wimbledon and was killed in action in Flanders on 15^th July 1917. He is interred at I. GA. 5. COXYDE MILITARY CEMETERY.

Stanley Ernest Elkington

Service Number K/25018, he was a Stoker 1st Class, in the Royal Navy aboard His Majesty’s submarine L10. Born in Fulham on 28^th December 1896, he joined the navy at Chatham on 23^rd March 1915 whilst he was working as a Grocer’s Assistant. Described as being 5ft 1½ inches tall with brown eyes, brown hair, of fresh complexion, and with a scar on his top lip and chin, he joined up for 12 years and was posted as a stoker 2^nd Class on the Pembroke II. He then served on the Victory, the Wellington and the Dolphin before his final posting to the submarine L10, by which time – having been described as ‘of very good conduct’ – he had been promoted to stoker 1^st Class. He was killed in action – ‘torpedoed, believed drowned’ – in the North Sea 4th October 1918.  His body was never recovered. He is commemorated on the CHATHAM NAVAL MEMORIAL. His medals and effects were sent to his mother.

His Majesty’s Submarine L10 was built at Dumbarton by William Denny. She was assigned to serve in the North Sea against German surface units counteracting German efforts to sow mines in British waters. Her greatest success led to her destruction, when on the morning of 3 October 1918, aged just under four months, the L10 surfaced in the Heligoland Bight with the mission of intercepting a German raiding party. This group, consisting of the destroyers S34, S33, V28 and V79 had been delayed in the Bight because the S34 had detonated a mine. The other destroyers were crowded round their damaged comrade, and so it was easy for L10’s commander, Alfred Edward Whitehouse to sneak into position and put a torpedo into the S33, which began to sink. Unfortunately, as she fired, the L10 rose suddenly to the surface and was seen instantly by the V28, S33, S 60 and V79. Although she turned and tried to flee, L10 was not fast enough to escape her pursuers and was rapidly chased down and sunk at 11:03 (CET) with all hands. S33 was scuttled by a torpedo from S52. L10 was the only L-class boat to be lost during the First World War.

Samuel Philip Enefer

Service Number 91380, he was a Driver in the Royal Engineers 7^th Pontoon Park. He was born in Hastings, E. Sussex in 1896. An errand boy by trade, he was the son of Edward Samuel Enefer (born Hastings 1863 – a House Painter), and Elizabeth Enefer (born Esssex 1865), of 69, College Road, Colliers Wood. The family had eight children in 1911: – Ellen (born Hastings 1888 – an ironer), Ethel (born Hastings 1891 – an ironer), Elizabeth (born Hastings 1892 – a domestic help), Kathleen (born Hastings 1893 – an ironer), Samuel (born Hastings 1896 – an errand boy), Fanny (born Hastings 1897), William (born Hastings 1902), and Florence (born Mitcham 1906).  Samuel was enlisted into the army in Wimbledon and died in France aged 21 on 5^th February 1917 from nephritis and bronchitis.  He is interred in grave VI. C. 26.  PUCHEVILLERS BRITISH CEMETERY.

Frederick George Essery

Service Number 49515, he was a Private in the 9^th Battalion of the Essex Regiment. He was born in Wimbledon in 1900 and baptised by the Rev. Pickering at All Saints’ Church, S. Wimbledon. He was the son of Richard Essery (born Bideford, Devon 1866 – a Labourer) and Sarah Elizabeth Essery (born Harnham, Wiltshire 1868), of 73, South Road, South Wimbledon. The family had four children: – Hilda Mary (born Wimbledon 1899), Frederick George (born Wimbledon 1900), Winifred Maud (born Wimbledon 1903) and Violet Elizabeth (born Wimbledon 1906). He died at Flanders of wounds on 22^nd September 1918 at the age of 18.  His grave is at IV. B. 16. TERLINCTHUN BRITISH CEMETERY, WIMILLE. By the time of his death his mother had been widowed and she received his effects of £5 14s 10d

Henry Evans

Service Number 15168, a Private in the Devonshire Regiment. He was the husband of Elizabeth Evans of 74, Hubert Road, South Wimbledon. He was born in Kings Cross in 1882. A house painter by trade, the family had one daughter. He died 30^th September 1915 and is commemorated on the LOOS MEMORIAL

Alfred Edward Everest

Service Number 4493, a Private in the 8^th Battalion of the East Surrey Regiment. One of six children, he was born in Cobham, Surrey in 1891 – the son of Cecil Edward Everest– a Bricklayer – and Elizabeth Everest (nee Choat) of 85, Sydney Road, Raynes Park. He was the husband of Ellen Goldsmith (formerly Everest), of 60, Deburgh Rd, South Wimbledon. He was a wireman with the G.P.O. and was killed in action on the first day of the Battle of the Somme -the day of a famous ‘football charge’ by the 8th East Surreys at Montauban – 1st July 1916. This was a disastrous day for the British Army in France. The troops went over the top at 7.30am, but even before they had left their overcrowded trenches, many had been killed or maimed by German artillery. The Germans knew that they were coming. Once in No-Man’s-Land the artillery continued to take its toll and then the machine guns opened up on the advancing British infantry. They fell in their thousands and the attack came to a standstill almost everywhere. Survivors sought cover wherever they could find it and at night they crawled back to their own lines, often dragging a wounded soldier with them. Over 19,000 British soldiers were killed on this day; including 2,500 from London. Albert Everest was just 24.  He is commemorated on the Pier and Face 6 B and 6 C. THIEPVAL MEMORIAL. His widow Ellen was sent his effects totalling £9 4s 6d.