Centennial Memorial to the First World War Dead of Thames Ditton, Surrey published

[Malcolm12hl]

I am pleased to be able to report that my book We Will Remember Them.  A Centennial Memorial to the First World War Dead of Thames Ditton has now been published.  It covers the lives and deaths of the 107 men and 1 woman of this Surrey village I was able to identify who died in the service of their country between 1914 and 1920.  I owe an immense debt of gratitude to members of this Forum, who helped with the identification of a number of my subjects, and with additional information on their service records, and I would like to say a very big thank you to all of those who were so generous with their knowledge and experience.

 

The book itself is a non-commercial venture published by St. Nicholas, the village parish church.  I am claiming neither expenses nor royalties, and any profits left after the church has covered its printing costs will go to the Poppy Appeal.  All that said, I am not sure that it is appropriate to use this Forum for a sales advertisement, so if anybody would be interested in purchasing a copy, please PM me and I will answer any questions regarding contents, price etc.

 

Malcolm Cooper

[Matt JB]

On 12/11/2018 at 09:33, Malcolm12hl said:

I am pleased to be able to report that my book We Will Remember Them.  A Centennial Memorial to the First World War Dead of Thames Ditton has now been published.  It covers the lives and deaths of the 107 men and 1 woman of this Surrey village I was able to identify who died in the service of their country between 1914 and 1920.  I owe an immense debt of gratitude to members of this Forum, who helped with the identification of a number of my subjects, and with additional information on their service records, and I would like to say a very big thank you to all of those who were so generous with their knowledge and experience.

 

The book itself is a non-commercial venture published by St. Nicholas, the village parish church.  I am claiming neither expenses nor royalties, and any profits left after the church has covered its printing costs will go to the Poppy Appeal.  All that said, I am not sure that it is appropriate to use this Forum for a sales advertisement, so if anybody would be interested in purchasing a copy, please PM me and I will answer any questions regarding contents, price etc.

 

Malcolm Cooper

Hi Malcolm,

 

Does your book cover A V Duffell? He appears to have enlisted as a boy soldier but discharged when his age was revealed, possibly by his parents. He then went to London to reenlist with the East Kent Regiment and KIA 1915.

 

Thanks

 

Matt

[Malcolm12hl]

Hi Matt

 

Yes, my book does cover Archibald Duffell - I have pasted in a copy of the entry on him below.

 

Malcolm

 

Private Archibald Victor Duffell G/829, 2^nd Battalion, East Kent Regiment (the Buffs)
Killed in action, 14 March 1915, Kemmel, aged 17
Buried in Kemmel Chateau Military Cemetery
Reference: F.46

Archibald Duffell, the youngest Thames Ditton soldier to die on active service in the war, was born in the village in early 1898, the son of Albert and Alice Duffell of 3 Vine Cottages, Queen’s Road, Thames Ditton.  He attested for military service at the Canterbury depot of the East Kent Regiment on 7 September 1914, giving his occupation as moulder and his age as 19 ½ when he was in fact three years younger.  He remained with the 3^rd (Training) Battalion until February 1915 before being posted overseas to join the 2^nd Battalion in Flanders on the 23^rd of the month.  The 2^nd/Buffs had been on garrison duty at Madras in India when the war broke out and returned to Britain on 23 December 1914.  The Battalion joined the B.E.F. in mid-January as part of 85^th Brigade, 28^th Division.  Between 4 and 16 March 1915 it was deployed to hold trenches in a sector of the line east of Kemmel.  On 14 March they maintained these positions while units of the 7^th Brigade advanced through them to attack German positions at Spanbroekmolen.  This attack failed, and it appears that the Buffs suffered some casualties after being caught up in the fighting.  Archibald Duffell was one of three men of the 2^nd Buffs to fall on 14 March who now lie side by side in the Kemmel Chateau Cemetery.  When he died he had only been at the front for 20 days and was still just 17 years old.

[Matt JB]

Thanks very much, Malcolm. I also found the following which suggests he’d been caught out earlier.

 

Matt