Selected Biographies

Willetts, Edward John – Born: Bow, London on 21.9.1885.[1]  Parents: Edward Willetts (Horsehair Drawer) and Ellen [née Sansum] of Long Melford.  Family Connections: Brother to George Willetts [b1891]; also, cousin of Arthur Frederick Sansum [b1893], Basil Walter Sansum [b1886], Jack Sansum [b1889], Sydney Charles Sansum [b1893] and William Charles Sansum [b1891].  Home: Parnell Road, Poplar, London (1891 to 1911).  Occupation: Boot Maker’s Messenger Boy (1901), Coal Merchant’s Clerk (1911).  Married: Matilda Howard in 1914.  Service Record: Edward was conscripted as Pte.495862 with 1/13^th [County of London] Battalion, London Regiment [Kensington] and posted to France on 8.2.1918 as part of 168^th Brigade, 56^th (London) Division.  During his brief time on the Western Front, he saw action at the following battles: Arras on 28 March, Albert on 23 August, the Scarpe 26-30 August, and the Hindenburg Line and the Selle in October.  It was during the pursuit to the Selle that he was fatally wounded.[2]  Died: Private Willetts was killed in action on 11.10.1918 and is buried in Naves Communal Cemetery Extension [grave ref: II.D.7], Naves, Nord-Pas-de-Calais, France.[3]

Willetts, George – Born: Bow, London on 2.8.1891.[4]  Parents: Edward Willetts (Horsehair Drawer) and Ellen [née Sansum] of Long Melford.  Family Connections: Brother to Edward John Willetts [b1885]; also, cousin of Arthur Frederick Sansum [b1893], Basil Walter Sansum [b1886], Jack Sansum [b1889], Sydney Charles Sansum [b1893] and William Charles Sansum [b1891].  Home: Parnell Road, Poplar, London (1901 to 1911), 211 Roman Road, Hackney, London (1939).  Occupation: Labourer (1911), Wallpaper Aerograph Stenciller [1915], Wallpaper Packer (1939).  Married: Maud Russell [d1922] in 1919 and Grace Florence Robertson in 1929.  Service Record: George was conscripted on 10.12.1915, his employer, The Wallpaper Manufacturers Ltd writing to the Bow Recruiting Office applying for his exemption from military service as his skill was vital to the companies export efforts.  The request was refused with Willetts being mobilized as Pte.573491 and posted to France from 10.12.1916 to 18.3.1917 with 1/17^th [County of London] Battalion, London Regiment [Poplar and Stepney Rifles] as part of 141^st Brigade, 47^th (2^nd London) Division.  He was returned to France in April 1918, receiving his discharge in March 1919.[5]

Related Biographies

Sansum, Arthur Frederick – Born: Long Melford, Suffolk on 16.12.1893.[6]  Parents: William Sansum (Coconut Mat Weaver) and Harriet [née Ost] (Horsehair Weaver).  Family Connections: Brother to William Charles Sansum [b1891]; also, uncle of Leslie George Arthur Sansum [b1925], and cousin of Jack Sansum [b1889], Sydney Charles Sansum [b1892], Basil Walter Sansum [b1886], Edward John Willetts [b1885] and George Willetts [b1891].  Home: Hall Street, Long Melford (1901) to [1916], 65 St Katherines Road, Notting Hill, London [1916], 65 Wilsham Street, Notting Hill (1921) to [1931], 37 Whitton Avenue, Ealing, Middlesex (1939), 2 Anglia Cottages, Hall Street, Long Melford [1980].  Occupation: Messenger for London, County and Westminster Bank [1916] to (1939).  Service Record: Arthur was conscripted on 1.12.1916 as Rfn. S/29183 with the Rifle Brigade [The Prince Consort’s Own], transferring as Pte. G/24948 to 2^nd Battalion, The Queen’s Own [Royal West Kent Regiment] sailing for India as part of 17^th Indian Division.  On 27.5.1917 he was posted to Mesopotamia, serving first with 2^nd Royal West Kents, then transferring in the field to the Regiment’s 1/5^th Battalion, as part of 54^th Indian Brigade, 18^th Indian Division.  Private Sansum received his discharge in March 1920 shortly after returning to England.[7]  Died: Long Melford, Suffolk on 15.2.1980.[8]

Sansum, Basil Walter [DCM] – Born: Long Melford, Suffolk on 29.11.1886.[9]  Parents: Charles George Sansum (Horsehair Presser) and Beatrice Mary [née Chinnery) (Horsehair Weaver).  Family Connections: Cousin of Jack Sansum [b1889], Sydney Charles Sansum [b1893], William Charles Sansum [b1891], Arthur Frederick Sansum [b1893], Edward John Willetts [b1885] and George Willetts [b1891]; also, brother-in-law of James Francis Woollcott [b1876].  Home: Living with William Stearns (uncle) in Hall Street, Long Melford (1891), 184 Usher Road, Bromley-by-Bow, London [1894],[10] 57 Oban Street, Bromley-by-Bow (1901), 227 Bow Road, Bow [1904], recorded as Walter Sansum [sic] at Royal Artillery Barracks, Bull Yard, Hertford Street, Coventry, Warwickshire (1911), Union Row, Military Hill, Dover, Kent [1919] to (1939).  Occupation: Painter’s Layer On (1901), Kitchen Porter [1904], Costermonger [1909], Clerk (1921), General Labourer (1939).  Married: Ethel Anne Roberts in 1908.  Service Record: Basil enlisted in 1904 as Pte.3777 with 7^th Battalion, Royal Fusiliers [Militia] transferring as Pte.7958 to The Queen’s Own [Royal West Kent] Regiment, being discharged in 1909.  He re-enlisted in 1909 as Gnr.60342 with the Royal Field Artillery and was posted to India from 1911 to 1914.  Following the outbreak of war, he was transferred to 97^th Battery, RFA and posted to Gallipoli from 25.4.1915 as part of CXLVII Brigade, RFA, 29^th Division.  Basil was commended by being Mentioned in Despatches on 5.11.1915 and on 16.11.1915 and was awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal.  The citation reads: For conspicuous gallantry in the attacks of the 2^nd May, 4^th and 28^th June, 6^th and 7^th August, 1915, on Cape Helles.  Gunner Sansum displayed the greatest bravery and resource in repeatedly repairing telephone lines under heavy shell and rifle fire.  No work was too hazardous for him to undertake, and he showed throughout the greatest devotion to duty.[11]  With his division he was evacuated from Gallipoli in January 1916 and the following month was posted to France where he saw action during the Somme Offensive of 1916 and at the Battles of Arras the following year.[12]  Rising to the rank of Corporal, he was placed on the Army Reserve in June 1919.  He was mobilised briefly in 1921 and enlisted for a further period in 1923 as L/Sgt.1004539.[13]  Died: Dover, Kent in 1968.

Sansum, Jack – Born: Long Melford, Suffolk on 4.10.1889.[14]  Parents: Frederick Sansum (Coconut Mat Weaver) and Isabella [née Chatters] (Horsehair Weaver).  Family Connections: Brother to Sydney Charles Sansum [b1893]; also, cousin of Basil Walter Sansum [b1886], William Charles Sansum [b1891], Arthur Frederick Sansum [b1893], Edward John Willetts [b1885] and George Willetts [b1891].  Home: Little St Marys, Long Melford (1901 to 1911), 16 North Road, Wolverhampton, Staffordshire (1921), 32 Clifton Road, Wolverhampton (1939).  Occupation: Unemployed (1911), Platelayer for the London and North-Western Railway (1921 to 1939).  Married: Dorothy Florence Alice Bowkett in 1923.  Service Record: Jack was conscripted in or after 1917 as Pte.240779 with 5^th Battalion, Suffolk Regiment.  Without an extant Service Record, it is not known if he was posted to Palestine with 1/5^th Suffolk’s or remained in England on home defence duties.[15]  Died: Wolverhampton, Staffordshire in 1972.

Sansum, Sydney Charles – Born: Long Melford, Suffolk on 19.9.1893.[16]  Parents: Frederick Sansum (Coconut Mat Weaver) and Isabella [née Chatters] (Horsehair Weaver).  Family Connections: Brother to Jack Sansum [b1889]; also, cousin of Basil Walter Sansum [b1886], William Charles Sansum [b1891], Arthur Frederick Sansum [b1893], Edward John Willetts [b1885] and George Willetts [b1891].  Home: Little St Marys, Long Melford (1901 to 1911).  Married: Rose Lily Smith in 1916.  Service Record: Sydney enlisted as Pte.4318, later Pte.30406 with 9^th [Service] Battalion, Suffolk Regiment, being posted to France and transferring as Pte.40566 to ‘B’ Company, 9^th [Service] Battalion, The Loyal North Lancashire Regiment, as part of 74^th Brigade, 25^th Division.[17]  He was captured and sent to a German Prisoner of War camp at Lamsdorf in Silesia.[18]  Died: Private Sansum died at Lamsdorf on 29.10.1918 and was re-buried in Berlin South-Western Cemetery [grave ref: XVIII.C.3], Brandenburg, Germany and is commemorated on the Long Melford War Memorial.[19]

Sansum, William Charles – Born: Long Melford, Suffolk on 4.9.1891.[20]  Parents: William Sansum (Coconut Mat Weaver) and Harriet [née Ost] (Horsehair Weaver).  Family Connections: Brother to Arthur Frederick Sansum [b1893]; also, uncle of Leslie George Arthur Sansum [b1925], and cousin of Jack Sansum [b1889], Sydney Charles Sansum [b1892], Basil Walter Sansum [b1886], Edward John Willetts [b1885] and George Willetts [b1891].  Home: Hall Street, Long Melford (1901) to [1974].  Occupation: Boot Repairer (1911 to 1939).  Married: Ella Ruth Hume in 1917.  Service Record: William was a member of the Long Melford Volunteer Training Corps in 1915.[21]  In 1922 he is recorded as a committee member of the Long Melford Ex-Service Men’s Club.  Died: Sudbury, Suffolk on 5.10.1974.[22]

Notes – [1] Admission’s Register for 1888 Atley Road School, Old Ford, Bow, London.  [2] Pension Ledgers and Index Cards, 1914-1923 [ref: 11/APW/12916] and Service Medal and Award Rolls 1914-1918 [WO 329].  [3] Commonwealth War Grave Commission record and British Army Registers of Soldiers’ Effects, 1901-1929 file [ref: 786934].  [4] 1939 Register.  [5] Soldiers’ Documents, First World War ‘Burnt Documents’ [WO 363], Service Medal and Award Rolls 1914-1918 [WO 329], and Service Medal and Award Rolls Index Cards 1914-1922 [WO 372].  [6] Date of birth from the Baptism Register 15.2.1894, St Catherines Mission Church, Long Melford, recorded as Sansom [sic]. [7] For details of 2^nd and 1/5^th Royal West Kent’s movements in Mesopotamia see War Diaries [WO 95/5208/4] and [WO 95/5227/4].  See also his Soldiers’ Documents, First World War ‘Burnt Documents’ [WO 363], Service Medal and Award Rolls 1914-1918 [WO 329], and Service Medal and Award Rolls Index Cards 1914-1922 [WO 372]. [8] Date of death from the National Probate Calendar.  [9] Date of birth from the Baptism Register 30.12.1886, Holy Trinity Church, Long Melford. [10] Address taken from the Monteith Road School, Admissions and Discharges Register of 1894. [11] For notification of the award of his being Mentioned in Despatches and his DCM see Supplement to the London Gazette 5.11.1915, p.10996 and the London Gazette 16.11.1915 respectively.  It should be noted that the Distinguished Conduct Medal ranks just below the Victoria Cross in British Army’s awards for gallantry.  [12] For details of 47^th Brigade’s movements in Gallipoli see [WO 95/4308] and on the Western Front see War Diaries [WO 95/2292/2 and WO 95/203/7]. [13] Chelsea Hospital British Army Service Record [WO 97] op to 1909, Service Medal and Award Rolls 1914-1918 [WO 329], Service Medal and Award Rolls Index Cards 1914-1922 [WO 372], and Royal Artillery Record [1004539].  He is recorded as Walter Sansum on all military documents.  [14] Date of birth from the Baptism Register 21.11.1889, St Catherines Mission Church, Long Melford. [15] Service Medal and Award Rolls 1914-1918 [WO 329] and Service Medal and Award Rolls Index Cards 1914-1922 [WO 372].  [16] Date of birth from the Baptism Register 1.12.1892, St Catherines Mission Church, Long Melford; his International Committee of the Red Cross Record [see below] records his birth date as 19.9.1893. [17] For details of 9^th North Lancashire’s movements see War Diary [WO 95/2246/1].  See also his Pension Record Card, Service Medal and Award Rolls 1914-1918 [WO 329], and Service Medal and Award Rolls Index Cards 1914-1922 [WO 372].  [18] POW records with the International Committee of the Red Cross [file refs: PA40935 and PA42753],  [19] Commonwealth War Graves Commission record and British Army Registers of Soldiers’ Effects, 1901-1929 file [ref: 833112].  [20] Date of birth from the 1939 Register for Long Melford. [21] For Training Corps article see Suffolk and Essex Free Press 10.3,1915. [22] Date of death from the National Probate Calendar.