In France with the Royal Fusiliers

Alfred Sidney Searle was the brother in law of my Great Great Grand Uncle Edwin Ernest Bush who had married Alfred’s sister Ada Searle on the 10th September 1893 at Holy Trinity Church, Wimbledon.

Alfred was born in 1880 in Wimbledon, Surrey, one of eight children of John Joseph and Emma Jane Searle (nee Miles). He had two older brothers John (born 1868) & Charles (born 1873), two younger brothers Edward (born 1882) & Thomas (born 1885) and three older sisters Emma (born 1869), Ada (born 1872) & Alice (born 1879).

His mother, Emma had passed away in 1895 and his father, John in 1897.

In 1901 Alfred aged 21 and his two younger brothers Edward and Thomas were living with their Aunt and Uncle, Edwin Ernest and Ada Bush at 8 Leyton Road, Wimbledon along with his younger nephews Edwin Maurice (aged 7), Alfred Ernest (aged 6), Frederick Charles (aged 4) and Arthur William (aged 0). At the time Alfred was working as a labourer in a silk factory (Possibly Streatham Silk Mill)

Alfred married Harriet Rachel Harman in 1907 in Wandsworth, Surrey with their daughter Minnie being born a year later in 1908. The 1911 census shows the family living at 6 Abbey Terrace, Abbey Road, Merton, Surrey – a three room flat. Alfred was working as a House painter, the same profession as William Giles, William Alfred Bush and William J T Bush who were all cousins and from Wimbledon. His younger brother Thomas was also employed as a painter.

Alfred’s sister Ada had died in 1910.

Alfred had enlisted on the 6th March 1917 with the Middlesex regiment and was then transferred, serving as a Private with the 20th Battalion Royal Fusiliers from the 23rd March 1917. However, 100 years ago today and just a week before the 20th Battalion was disbanded (16th Feb 1918), Alfred Sidney Searle was transferred to the 2nd Battalion Royal Fusiliers.

The 2nd Battalion had served in Gallipoli and arrived in France in March 1916. The Battalion had taken part in the Battle of the Somme and in the spring of 1917 in the Battle of Arras. The 20th Battalion had served in France.

His younger brother Thomas was serving with the Royal Engineers and had been in France since July 1915. He had married Florence Ann Dean in 1907 in Wimbledon and had two sons Ernest Leonard (born July 1907) and Richard William Douglas (born 1910).