Still joining up

On the 16th September 1918 Arthur William Bush, just four days after his eighteenth birthday enlisted in the 27th Transport Battalion of the Royal Army Service Corps.

Arthur William Bush, my first cousin three times removed, was born on the 12th September 1900 in Wimbledon, Surrey. He was the fourth child of Edwin Ernest and Ada Bush (Nee Searle). He had 3 older brothers Edwin Maurice (born 1893, Wimbledon), Alfred Ernest (born 1895, Wimbledon) and Frederick Charles (Born 1896, Wimbledon). He also had two younger brothers Albert James (Born 1903, Wimbledon) and George C (born 1908, Mitcham). He also had two younger brothers who died in infancy Horace Sydney (born & died 1904, Croydon) and John Joseph (born and died 1906, Wimbledon)

Arthur grew up in the family home at 8 Leyton Road, South Wimbledon. Ada, his mother passed away in 1910 aged just 38 years old, with Arthur only 10 years old and by 1911 the family (Arthur, his father Edwin and 3 brothers, Alfred, Albert and George were living in a one room dwelling at 41a Cowper Road, Wimbledon. However, his brother, Frederick was away from the family at the Holme Court Industrial School for Boys, Twickenham Rd, Isleworth, which was a certified truant industrial school.

Arthur’s brother Alfred Ernest Bush was serving as a Driver with the Royal Field Artillery and had recently married Ellen Scott. And Frederick was serving in the navy.

When Arthur enlisted, he was living at 26 Abbey Terrace, Abbey Road, Merton, Wimbledon, with his Aunt Harriet Searle. Previous to enlisting he was employed as a van guard / porter on the Railways. He was 4 ft 11 ¾ inches, weighing 102 lbs with brown hair and a fresh complexion, with a scar over his right eyebrow and his next of kin was listed as his Aunt Harriet Searle.

One can only assume that his father Edwin had also passed away before his enlistment and that Arthur had moved in with his closest relatives – his mothers brother Alfred and wife Harriet.

Arthur was posted to Brocton Camp, Cannock Chase, Staffordshire on the 20th September 1918
His Aunt – Harriet Searle had just received notification that her husband Alfred Sidney Searle, serving with the 2nd Battalion Royal Fusiliers had been killed on the 19th August in Flanders, leaving her with three young daughters. One can only wonder at her emotions that day -still grieving for husband, her nephew who had been living with them since the death of Arthur’s father Edwin was now called up to fight.

A successful attack but a heavy cost

On the 19th August 1918, Private Alfred Sidney Searle, serving with the 2nd Battalion Royal Fusiliers was killed in action

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). Both his parents had passed away by the time Alfred was 17 and in 1901 he and two brothers Edward Horace and Thomas Ernest were living with his sisters (Ada) family in Leyton Road, Wimbledon.

Alfred married Harriet Rachel Harman in 1907 in Wandsworth, Surrey and had 3 daughters Minnie (born 1908), Queenie (born 1912) and Constance (born 1916). Before the War Alfred had worked as a house painter along with many of his cousins and was living with Harriet and his young family at 6 Abbey Terrace, Abbey Road, Merton

Following the success of the Battle of Amiens (8th – 12th August 1918), the allies launched a number of new offences to keep the pressure on the German forces whose moral was weakening after four long years of conflict.

The attacks by the British Army extended all the way along the line from the Somme up to Ypres in Belgium and on 18th August, they attacked and captured the Outtersteene Ridge near the town of Bailleul in northern France, close to the Belgian border. Although only 120 feet above sea level the Outtersteene Ridge afforded the enemy a good observation of the low lying country around it and its capture was deemed important. 27 Brigade of 9th Division  attacked behind a powerful artillery barrage and within an hour the ridge was in British hands. At 5pm on the following day, 19th August, the 12th Norfolk battalion of 94th Brigade, 31st Division, and the 2nd Royal Fusiliers of 86 Brigade, 29th Division continued the attack and in less than an hour and a half gained the further objectives of Lyndé Farm and The Trucks. They then went on to reach the Vieux Berquin-Outtersteene road
Alfred was serving as a Private with the 2nd Battalion Royal Fusiliers and on the 19th August 1918, Alfred went over the top.

War Diary - 2nd Battalion Royal Fusiliers 19th August 1918

At 5.00 pm the battalion attacked (W Coy on the right, X Coy on the left, 2 platoons of Z Coy in support on the right) under a barrage and captured the line of trucks, LYNDE, ASSET and LESAGE FARMS, also assisting in the capture of LABIS FARM, which formed part of the objective of the 12th Norfolks, who attacked in conjunction with us on our right. The operation was completely successful and the line was established in front of the road running from F 13 A7,2 – F.6.C.6.G. 
We captured 111 prisoners, including 1 officer, 10 machine guns, and 2 trench mortars. In addition several casualties were inflicted on the enemy as he fled in confusion. No counter attack was delivered. Narrative attached Appendix No.

Our Casualties were :-

Killed 2/LT Whyte & 2/LT Brown and 16 other ranks
Wounded 2/LT Adams & 2/Lt Walton and 63 other ranks.

After dusk the remaining 2 platoons of Z Coy went into the line and CAPT. CLARKE took over command of the right sub-sector, the inter-company boundary being the cross-roads at F.13b.8.8.

It is during the main attack on the 19th August that Private Alfred Searle, aged 38, lost his life.

Private Alfred Sidney Searle has no known grave and is commemorated on the Ploesteert Memorial (Panel 3) along with 11 of his comrades who also died that day

Pte. Ernest Phillip Ray aged 18
Pte. William Sidney Rix aged 20
Pte. Charles Dawson aged 26
Pte. Alfred Wilcox
Pte. Samuel Charles Wing
Lance Corporal Albert Wood aged 19
Pte. Frank Herbert Rogers aged 18
Pte. Leonard Shelley
Lance Corporal William Ratcliff Mason aged 23
Corporal Reginald Hickox
Lance Corporal Charles Herbert Holliday

Ploegsteert Memorial is located in Hainaut, Belgium 12.5 Km south of Leper (Ypres)

Ploegsteert Memorial

Alfred left behind his widow Harriet whom he had married in 1907 and his three daughters, Minnie (aged 10), Queenie (aged 6) and Constance (aged 2).

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).