A Company was the first and was to come under the command of the newly arrived Major Corfe with the company headquarters situated in Bradgate Road, Catford. The months of May and June 1915 saw the the ranks fill with men who wanted to serve alongside their friends and neighbours. Men like Arthur Barrow G/8264 a Shop Assistant from Leathwell Road, Lewisham. Age 26 he would later be attached to Battalion H.Q as a Runner, relaying messages to the front line.
Also enlisting were 32 year old Edwin Freeman G/8137 a father of six who was employed as a Tram Driver.
Joseph Giddings G/9091 a 33 year old Butcher from Bronze Street, Deptford was another father of six. Sadly four of his children would die of illness while he was away on active service.
Two other Butchers who enlisted were 37 year old Joseph Wright G/8041 also a father of 6 from East Dulwich and 24 year old John Graves G/8071 from Camberwell who enlisted on the 25th May 1915 as did 24 year old Hairdresser, Frederick Higgens G/8076 from Lewisham although at different recruitment offices.
Edward Jacob G/8168 was an old regular who re-enlisted and was to be joined later in August by his brother George Jacob G/9618.
John Mars G/8191 a 39 year old Gardner from Greenwich, Walter Murrell a 27 year old Biscuit Maker from Peckham, the Penny brothers Charles G/8277 and Edward G/8028 who both came from the Old Kent Road. All were A Company men.
Joining them was Matthew Pridie G/8142 a 29 year old Clerk from Sydenham, two men from Pimlico, Douglas Reynolds a 33 year old Lift Attendant and 39 year old Waiter, Ernest Villers G/8164 whose civilian occupation was to lead to the Officers Mess of the 124th Brigade once he was overseas.
In the first weeks of June, A Company was to reach full establishment.
James Combes G/8349 a 36 year old Labourer from Rotherhithe enlisted along with another 36 year old, father of four William Dowdall G/8369 a Decorator from Hither Green. Thomas Dunn G/8248 came from Brixton, Harry Fox G/8357 a Fishmonger from Sydenham, William Kelsey G/8300 from Kennington.
All these men and more were joined in A Company by those young men who either too young to enlist when war broke out the previous autumn or who misinformed the recruitment office of their age when enlisting.
Walter Clarke G/8066 a Mechanic from Forest Hill, Stanley Craigie G/8065 a Cook from Greenwich and Thomas Davey G/8172 a Brewery Labourer from Deptford all 19 years of age.
George Helmore G/8146 a 19 year old resident of Sheerness in Kent who came to Deptford to enlist.
Stanley Gilham G/8370 was a 19 year old Baker who came from Crockenhill in Kent. He was to leave A Company and become the cook for the Battalion H.Q once they were overseas.
Francis Adams, G/8431 who was born in the Falkland Islands and gave his occupation as a Typist stayed with the battalion until October until his real age came to light whereupon he was discharged from the Army.
17 year old Walter Bennington G/8444 a Shop Assistant from Deptford joined A Company but was sent to the 12th Reserve Battalion in February 1916 and ended up serving with the Hampshire Regiment in Salonika.
Christopher Butler G/8422 was 15 when he enlisted but soon deserted only to turn up in October when he tried to fraudulently enlist into the Royal Garrison Artillery. He was soon found out and dismissed from the Army forthwith.
Ernest Huxley G/8449 was even younger. Age 14 from Bromley, he gave his trade as a Painter only to be found out and discharged in October.
George Leat G/8264 from Walworth was another who lied about his age. Turning 18 just before the battalion embarked for France he was old enough to stay in the Army until he reached the age to serve overseas. He died of illness on the 18th May 1917 at Aldershot while serving with the 99th Training Reserve and today lies at Aldershot Military Cemetery.
A Company also had a number of deserters.
William Bailey G/8009 has been mentioned in a previous post.
33 year old Alfred Baker G/8058 from Greenwich gave his occupation as a Barman but was never apprehended.
George Baker G/8044 and Sydney Franks G/8167 were both age 19 from Deptford but likely to have been younger.
John Harris G/8063 from Camberwell stated he was 19.
The local police would have made enquires and any information reported back to battalion headquarters. If found to be underage then the Army would instantly dismiss them and no further action would be taken.
John Daley G/8338 from Peckham was a 33 year old father of six and was employed as a Bricklayers Labourer. Transferred to the reserve in December for being unfit, he then deserted only to be arrested and face a court-martial. Before his trial he was medically examined and discharged from the Army due to his lack of fitness and poor health.
Evan Jones G/8020 and Samuel Josephs G/8287 both 37 years old soon deserted after enlisting as did 32 year old Thomas Lampey G/8288. All stated they were unmarried, so no family ties which gave them a greater chance to evade the authorities.
Another deserter is 22 year old Harry Selby G/8048 of the Old Kent Road. He states that he is an ex police constable but no sooner is he issued with his kit then he disappears. Enquires are made but there are no records of a Harry Selby being at any time a member of the constabulary.
Edward Powell G/8414 has the most interesting story of all those men who deserted from the battalion. Born and living in Greenwich he initially joined the Royal West Kent Regiment in 1914 just after the outbreak of the war. Having served over two months he was discharged from the Army in November 1914 for reasons unknown, whereupon he made his way to the United States.
In the Spring of 1915 Edward was in New York and and signed on as part of the crew of the Lusitania although there is no evidence that he had any experience working in the Merchant Navy.
On the 7th May 1915 around 11 miles of the coast of southern Ireland the Lusitania was sunk by a German U-boat with a loss of nearly 1,200 lives with 764 passengers and crew surviving.
Having survived Edward Powell made his way back to Greenwich and on the 9th June 1915 enlisted at Deptford joining A Company, stating his age as 28 and his occupation as a Labourer. He gave as his address 77 Roan Street, Greenwich which was also his address in the 1911 census.
On the 14th June 1915 Edward Powell is listed as a deserter and nothing is ever heard of him again.
For every deserter there were those who felt it was their duty to fight for King and Country.
These men were the nucleus of A Company, men who joined up with their pals, neighbours and fellow workers. Men like Sergeant Frank Buddell G/8445 (picture below) who became A Company's Quarter Master Sergeant. He enlisted in Lewisham alongside his brother Arthur Buddell G/8407 and both came from Garthorne Road in Forest Hill. Frank was 26 and working as an Insurance Clerk when he enlisted and served with the 11th Royal West Kent's throughout its existence until the battalion was disbanded in March 1918. He was then transferred to the regiments 10th battalion and according to the battalion war diary entered the front line to the east of Ypres on the 17th May. During this spell in the front line the 10th suffered many casualties due to the constant bombardment of Gas shells and Frank Buddell is recorded as dying from his wounds on the 24th May 1918. He lies buried at Brandhoek New Military Cemetery No 3 in Belgium.
The following citation appeared in the London Gazette on the 1st February 1919.
"For conspicuous gallantry near Bellinglise on 29th September, 1918, in reconnoitring a cable route and putting through under heavy fire the main forward communication route for the use of the attacking troops, as well as the headquarters of the leading companies. It was due to his driving power that cable communication was established at a critical period of the battle."
