Wimbledon Wartime Marriage

On the 4th August 1918 Alfred Ernest Bush (My first cousin three times removed) aged 23 married Ellen Elizabeth Rose Scott in Wimbledon, Surrey.

Alfred was the second oldest son of Edwin Ernest and Ada Bush (nee Searle). He was born in 1895 in Wimbledon, Surrey and in 1911 the family were living at 41a Cowper Road, Wimbledon. Alfred was working as an Errand boy, his mother Ada had passed away in 1910. His three younger brothers, Arthur (born 1900, Wimbledon), Albert (born 1903, Wimbledon) and George (born 1908, Mitcham) were all at school. Another younger brother Frederick (born 1896, Wimbledon) was attending Holme Court Industrial School for Boys, Twickenham Rd, Isleworth, which was a certified truant industrial school. His older brother Edwin Maurice Bush (born 1893, Wimbledon) also an errand boy in 1911 was lodging with the Turner family at 49 Cowper Road, Wimbledon.

In 1918, Alfred was serving as a Driver with the Royal Field Artillery whilst his brother Frederick, who had joined the Royal Navy in April 1915 and had been mainly serving on the vessels patrolling the Humber estuary, but had now transferred to HMS Latona on duty in the Mediterranean.

Alfred’s father Edwin Ernest Bush (passed away between 1911 and 1918) had served in the Royal Navy between 1884 and 1892 serving onboard many ships the last one being HMS Helca.

Alfred’s older brother Edwin had married Rosetta Turner in 1915

Ellen Elizabeth Rose Scott was born in 1893 at St. Saviours, Croyden, Surrey. The daughter of William Scott.

One can only assume the marriage took place during Alfred's leave from the front.

New Posting and the birth of the RAF

For three ancestors in the Great War, the 1st April 1918 saw a day of change.

On the 1st April 1918 Frederick Charles Bush, my first cousin three times removed was serving in the Royal navy. He had enlisted in 1915 aged 18 and had been serving on a trawler HMT Wallington protecting the approaches to the Humber estuary until July 1917. After a period of training at the shore depot Pembroke II and a short month-long deployment back on board Waveney St. George, Frederick was posted to HMS Latona.

HMS Latona

HMS Latona was an Apollo class second class Cruiser and was one of 21 cruisers of the class.  Considered to be poor sea going ships and in poor sea conditions their fighting capability would be decreased severely with the waist guns not being able to cope with the conditions to be used successfully.  sometime between 1907  HMS Latona along with her sister ships HMS Apollo, HMS Intrepid, HMS Iphigenia, HMS Andromache, HMS Naiad and HMS Thetis were converted to minelayers.  During the initial years of the war Latona operated  from Dover and Sheerness but in 1915 became a depot ship in the Mediterranean.



The 1st April 1918 also saw the birth of the Royal Air Force, with headquarters located in the former Hotel Cecil, by the amalgamation of the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and the Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS). As part of this new service, both William J Wraight (Grand Uncle) and Maurice Edwin Bush (1st Cousin 3 times removed) were transferred from the RNAS to the newly formed Royal Air Force.

William Wraight had been serving as an Aviation Carpenters Mate, and Maurice Bush as a Air Mechanic, both were transferred to the same roles the newly formed Royal Air Force.

William’s older brother Solomon had recently joined the United States Army

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).

5 Cousins at War

On the 27th October 1915, Maurice Edwin Bush (my 1^st Cousin 3 times removed) aged 23, enlisted with the Royal Flying Corps as an armourer / mechanic (85 Squadron?).

Maurice was born in 1892 in Paddington, Middlesex. He was the son of Alfred and Caroline Bush (nee Searle) and had 3 older sisters Ethel (born in 1880), Mabel (born in 1883) and Daisy (born in 1885). 

In 1911 the family were living at 119a Allfarthing Lane, Wandsworth. Maurice was employed as a clerk with the Bombay Gas Company, Mabel and Daisy were both working as shop assistants, Ethel had married Alfred Fox in 1907 and were living in Kingswood Road, Clapham Park. Maurice’s father Alfred was a Jewellers assistant.

Maurice joined his cousins in answering his Country's call. Charles Henry Bush and Alfred Charles MorrisBush were both serving with the Royal Army Medical Corps, Alfred having just been posted to Egypt. Another cousin Frederick Charles Bush had just joined the Navy and another cousin William Alfred Bush was serving in France with the Army Service Corps.

Maurice’s cousin Edwin Maurice Bush had recently married Rosetta Turner and were now celebrating the birth of their first child Edwin PJ Bush (born between April – June 1915). 

Wimbledon Home Front

Between January and March 1915, Edwin Maurice Bush (my first cousin, 3 times removed) married Rosetta Turner in Wimbledon, Surrey.

Edwin, aged 21, was born in Wimbledon on the 22^nd November 1893 the son of Edwin Ernest and Ada Bush (nee Searle). His father, Edwin Snr. was a bricklayer by trade and Ada his mother had passed away in 1910. 

He was the oldest of six brothers Alfred, Frederick, Arthur, Albert and George. He also had two brothers who had died as infants (Horace and John). 

In 1911 the family were living at 41a Cowper Road, Wimbledon. Frederick was away at an Industrial School for Boys in Isleworth, Middlesex and Edwin who was working as an errand boy was lodging at No. 49 Cowper Road, Wimbledon with the Turner family, just a minute’s walk away.

His wife Rosetta Ada Phyllis Janet Turner, was aged 17, born on the 25^th November 1897 also in Wimbledon and was the daughter of William and Emily Turner. Rosetta had two brothers (Phillip and Martin) and three sisters (Frances, Edith and Alice). Her father had passed away in 1909 and her mother died in 1912 when she was aged just 14.