No.41357, Acting Corporal, Edgar WESTLEY
Aged 29
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Edgar Westley was born in Moulton on 11th September 1888, (Newmarket Q4-1888 3B:511), baptised at St Peter's, Moulton on 10th February 1889, son of
Edgar and Mary WESTLEY(née TWEED),
1891 census...Aged 2, he was at Newmarket Road, Moulton with his father Edgar WESTLEY [32] assistant game keeper, born Chippenham; his mother Mary [27] born Cheveley and sisters Eva [6] and Phoebe [4] both born in Chippenham. 1901 census...Aged 13, he was at Lime Kiln Lodge, Bury Road, Snailwell with his parents, sister Phoebe, brother Ralph [8] born Fordham and sisters Maggie [5], Edith [3] (both born in Fordham) and Alice [1] born in Snailwell. 1911 census...Aged 22, single, farm labourer, he was at Philadelphia Farm, Snailwell with his parents, sisters Phoebe, Edith and Alice, brothers Ralph and Stanley [9] born Snailwell and Henry Edwin [5] born Kentford. His mother had lost one child, believed to be another Ralph, born and died in 1891. A family tree on Ancestry has a daughter Betty GERBEAU born 25th June 1918 at Prueres, Pas de Calais, France. Died 16th December 2006. Not sure of the reliabilty of that. The pension card has his mother at Mill House, Snailwell. His younger brother Ralph died of his wounds on 4th October 1917. see here |
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He enlisted in Newmarket on 24th August 1914, a gamekeeper, giving his age as 24 years 11 months, next of kin, father Edgar Westley, Mill House, Snailwell.
He was 5 feet 9.25 inches (175.9 cm)tall, weighed 136 lbs (61.9 kg), chest 38" to 40.5" (96.5 to 101.6 cm), fair hair, blue eyes, Church of England. Initially in General Service Cavalry, he was posted to 7th Reserve Cavalry Regiment on 7th September 1914. On 23rd May 1915, in the 9th Lancers, he embarked at Southampton, arriving Rouen on 24th and with his unit in the field on 1st June 1916. Around this time a lady wrote to the Army to say she had found his address in 9th Lancers and wanted to take proceedings against him. This was passed from Reserve Cavalry Regt., to 9th Lancers for possible action on 31st May 1915. Edgar, it seems, denied paternity. Nothing further was found. He was attached to 2 squadron Machine Gun Corps., on 24th March 1916 and transferred to that unit on 27th June 1916. Promoted to acting unpaid Lance Corporal on 16th August 1916 and Acting-Corporal on 18th November 1917. A badly damaged entry seems to suggest he was wounded in 1916. Killed in action on 21st August 1918 (no place given), documentation from his father on 8th April 1919 gave the following family details:- Father, mother, brother Henry, sisters Phoebe POWERS and Edith were living at Mill House, Snailwell. His brother Stanley was Gunner 257692, 56 Batt. Woolwich. Sister Alice WESTLEY was at 29 Park Lane, London, sister Eva DOUGLAS was in Chelsea and sister Maggie was at Holbeck, Leeds. A MGC (Cavalry) Squadron, commanded by a Captain or Major, consisted of 8 officers and 204 other ranks, equipped with 299 horses, 18 limbers, 1 GS wagon and 1 water cart. These were formed up into six two-gun sections each of a Subaltern, 34 men and 46 horses. No 2 Squadron, Machine Gun Corps (Cavalry) was formed on 28th February 1916 from machine gun sections taken from 4th Dragoon Guards, 9th Lancers and 16th Hussars. They lost 10 men killed on 21st August 1918, between Doullens and Arras. |
photo; Rodney Gibson
click here to go to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission website for full cemetery/memorial details