The Queens Own Royal West Kent R

The Queens Own Royal West Kent Regiment

Private G A French

Private Gilbert Alfred FRENCH, G/14675, "D" Company, 6th Battalion, Queens Own Royal West Kent Regiment, killed in action, Flanders France, death presumed as on or after 7th October 1916.

8th July 1889, born Wolobourgh, Devonshire, son of William Alfred & Lydia French, of 75, Halcyon Road, Newton Abbot, Devon.

30th September 1905 to 18th June 1906, Great Western Railway, Newton Abbot Division, employed as machinist.

1911 Census - 75, Halcyon Road, Newton Abbot, Devon - William Alfred French, head, age 44, married, mail contractor, van driver, H.M. Government Mails, born Newton Abbot, Devon; Lydia French, wife, age 46, married 23 years, 5 children, all still alive, born Cornworthy, Devon; Gilbert French, son, age 21, single, barman, born Newton Abbot, Devon; Olive Maud French, daughter, age 20, single, domestic servant, born Newton Abbot, Devon; Beatrice Louisa French, daughter, age 18, single, domestic servant, born Newton Abbot, Devon; Sydney Thomas French, son, age 14, school, born Newton Abbot, Devon; Lydia May French, daughter, age 10, school, born Newton Abbot, Devon.

15th May 1912, St Mary Abbotsbury Church, Newton Abbot, Devon, married Winifred Barrett, spinster, of 67 Bayham Street, Camden Town.

Children - William Reginald French, born 5th January 1914, St Pancras; Sidney Gilbert French, born 9th August 1916, St Pancras.

Enlisted Willesden Green, NW, age 26 years & 5 months, height 5ft 3 inches, 112lbs. Resided 93 Sandringham Road, Willesden Green NW. / 67 Bayham Street, Camden Town / 73 Stroude Road, Willesden Green NW. Formerly motor bus cleaner, London General Omnibus Company.

Home, 12th December 1915 to 12th September 1916; BEF, 13th September 1916 to 7th October 1916.

12th December 1915, enlisted; 13th December 1915, to Army Reserve; 26th April 1916, mobilized; 27th April 1916, posted 12th Battalion, Royal West Kent Regiment; 1st September 1916, posted 3rd Battalion, Royal West Kent Regiment; 13th September 1916, embarked; 13th September 1916, Infantry Base Depot; 29th September 1916, posted 6th Battalion, Royal West Kent Regiment; 7th October 1916, posted missing.

18th June 1917, pension of 22/11 a week awarded to widow, Winifred Barlow, and two children.

Commemorated at Thiepval Memorial, Pier & Face 11C, Somme, France.

6th October 2014, email from Will Ward of Dorchester:

I have just returned from a tour of Flanders and the Somme following the London Transport Museum and their "Battlebus" - a restored 1914 London Bus. You may have seen it featured on Breakfast News. The information on your site ( http://janetandrichardsgenealogy.co.uk/Pte%20G%20A%20French.html ) was used to guide the tour to the panel commemorating this ex-LGOC employee. I thought you might be interested in a picture of that section of the Thiepval memorial in the following link (it was at the bottom of the panel which made for a simpler photo.)
https://mobile.twitter.com/ltmbattlebus/status/515807403615744000
https://mobile.twitter.com/ltmbattlebus/status/515805679140212737

His name liveth. Former London General Omnibus Company motor bus cleaner / PTE Gilbert Alfred French. Killed in action Flanders c7/10/1916 RWQ

London Transport Museum’s B-type bus B2737. Restored by @ltmuseum @LTMuseumFriends & #HLF to commemorate the role of London’s transport in the First World War. Arrived at the Thiepval Memorial

This page was last updated on 10-Feb-2019.