This photo was taken in India about 1945/46 and shows Les and Doris with their children Douglas, Sydney and Audrey.

Dear Colin these my memories of the past and Audry's recollections when she was in India

I tried to phone Arthur today but he must have been at work. I got in touch with Billy, We had a good laugh and it’s a good job we don’t dwell on what’s happened to us. Billy still cant play the Organ, and I know that is some thing he regrets most about his problem and I can relate to that, because I used to be a very good singer.

I won the south east of England contest on a show called stars of tomorrow, It was for the whole of England divided into four parts, north east west and south, it was run by a chap called Carol Levis, he was the fore runner to Hughie Green and his Opportunity Knocks.

Well I won that contest the next stage was the Grand Final to be held in Skegness this was in 1956, the week of the final I was called back into the army as a reservist and was sent to Suez for the crisis there, so I missed out on that. I was asked by the HMV record company to cut a demo disc but I could not be bothered

I won a singing contest while I was out In Malaya it was a competition for the most promising singer and then I went on and won the all winners competition at Christmas.

I was offered a television appearance on Belgium TV but I didn’t take it because I had a good job, and once again I think it was the fact that although I enjoyed singing I did not want to be told when how or where to sing.

I was always singing from early on in my life, Nan (Sarah D’cunha) In Kirkee would ask me to sing to her, I even sang on all India radio one Christmas, I sang Silent night while father Fenandis told the story of the birth of Christ it was great.

Since the stroke I can’t sing hardly at all, I made a tape just before I had the stroke, mind you I was a month away from my sixty fifth birthday, so all the range was not there, but I am glad I did, it gives the grand-children some thing to look at, they are quite proud of it there is no microphone plugged in the lead is tucked under the radio, and I taped some songs and then sang to them at work while I was on nights, working for the prince of Saudi at his mansion. Sylvia always wanted a record and I promise to make her one but time went by I never did so this night I just done it.

Audrey was reading your work on the tree I photocopied your side D’cunha Garrett Mayers. She said that the names long forgotten came back and It was wonderful, because like your mum they were only four or five. Audrey said she can remember the big house, and Syd and her would run round the drive.

She said one game they played, they use to make a parcel of rubbish wrap it in paper then put It in the road, then they would watch as some woman would pick it up unwrap it and find nothing.

There was one lady who they had to call aunty, she used to wear big hats and she would ask Nana how the children were doing at school, Audrey said we hated her and couldn’t wait for her to go, as soon as she got up to leave we used to run to get her hat. Audrey said she can still remember the big hall the marble floor and a big trunk that gran kept her cooking Ingredients in, she said she used to sit on the trunk and tell Nan all that the Auntie’s had said they were going to do.

One day the Aunts came home late from a dance, so Nan burnt all their dance dresses out in the garden. Audrey said it was lovely to read the stuff you have done it brought back a lot of good memories, I can remember going to the railway club with your granddad uncle Jack and aunt Rose and singing there, Tell me what happened to Owen Amor he was older than Basil and as far as I know stayed in India now I have no idea what happened to him. Ask your Mum if she remembers Boosaha a servant Aunt Rosie had, It would be quiet and all of a sudden you would hear BOOSAHA, poor chap he was always doing some thing, Oh what great child hood we had thanks for the memories Colin, god bless keep up the good work

Sharon and her friend Christine winning the Scottish Juniors Old time championship

Here is Granddad Edward Henry Garrett’s service record

Sergeant Edward Henry Garrett

2^nd Battalion Royal West Kent Regiment Nos.3146 and 2783

Introduction

Information provided was that Edward Henry Garrett was a Corporal in the Royal West Kent Regiment when he married Mary Agnes (Nellie) Harold at Woolwich, Kent on 4 January 1897. However, he was known to be out of the army when his first son Stanley Edward William was born in December 1905.

Search Results

As Edward served in the final years of the 19^th Century and possibly the early years of the 20^th Century the archives of Soldier’s Documents for the periods 1883-1900 and 1900-1913 were searched but, unexpectedly, his papers were not found in either. The possibility existed that he later returned to the army to serve in World War 1 when his papers from his previous service would have been carried over to those records. When the WW1 Medal Roll Card Index was examined a soldier named Edward Henry Garrett who served in the Royal West Kent Regiment was found. In the hope that he was the man sought a search was made in the WW1 Soldier’s Documents archive.

Ironically, the man in the medal roll proved not to be the man sought but the papers for the correct Edward Henry Garrett were found. He did not appear in the Medal Rolls because he did not serve abroad during WW1, presumably as a result of his age. He spent the entire war serving in the army at Home. The following is an organised compilation of his periods in the army extracted from his papers and other related items.

Personal Details

Edward enlisted in October 1891 stating that he was born in Woolwich, Kent. He gave his age as 21 years 10 months that, if correct, would place his birth in November or December 1869. His physical description was 5ft 7½ins in height, weighing 140lbs with a fresh complexion, grey eyes and dark brown hair. He was a Labourer in a Telegraph Works by trade and his religious denomination was Church of England.

As he was unmarried he gave his mother, Harriett living at 1, Godfrey Street, Woolwich, Kent as his next-of-kin since his father was already dead at that time. He also gave the name of his sister, Mrs. Ife, living at the same address. The record of his Discharge Proceeding when he left the army in 1907 records that he subsequently married Nellie Alberta Mary Agnes and that his ’Intended Place of Residence’ was to be 9, Agnes Street, Silvertown in the east end of London. He was considered to be suited for future occupation as a telegraphist.

Service Details

Edward attested as a Private in the Royal West Kent Regiment at the Regimental Depot on 22 October 1891. His service commitment was 7 years with the Colours and 5 years in the Reserve. He was promoted to Lance Corporal in March 1893 and after two years service was awarded his first Good Conduct pay of an additional penny a day. In March 1894 he was promoted to Corporal and in September of that year was appointed Orderly Room Clerk. In July 1894 he was further promoted to Lance Sergeant but seven weeks later apparently chose to revert to Corporal in order to remain as Orderly Room Clerk.

On 10 March 1897 he apparently exercised an option to prematurely transfer to the Army Reserve before completing 7 years with the Colours. It is possible to speculate that this was motivated by his marriage two months earlier. However, with the onset of the Boer War he was recalled from the Reserve to his Regiment and rejoined as a Corporal on 26 December 1899. He served in the campaign from March 1900 until a few months after its conclusion, returning home in September 1902. On 6 May 1903 he was retransferred back to the Army Reserve and was finally discharged on 21 October 1907 having completed exactly 16 years of service

During the course of the Boer War he was promoted firstly to Lance Sergeant and later to full Sergeant. For his service in the war he was awarded the Queen’s South Africa Medal with three clasps for Cape Colony, Orange Free State and Transvaal. He was also later awarded the King’s South Africa Medal with 1901 and 1902 Clasps.

On 23 October 1914 at the outbreak of World War 1 and at the age of 44 years Edward volunteered a second time when he enlisted as a Private in the 24^th Battalion of the City of London Regiment, a Territorial unit. He was immediately promoted to Colour Sergeant but was reduced to Sergeant in September 1915 after returning drunk to Barracks in Chingford. At the same time he was transferred to the 7^th Battalion of the City of London Regiment.

The following year, in April 1916 he was again transferred, this time to his old regiment, the Royal West Kent and served at Home for the duration of the war. In November 1918 at the end of the war he was briefly posted as Orderly Room Clerk at the camp for repatriated prisoners of war at Old Park, Canterbury. However, this only lasted for a month until he was confined awaiting trial from 25 December 1918 to 13 January 1919 for absenting himself without leave on Christmas Day morning. His sentence was to take rank and precedence as if his appointment as Sergeant only took effect from 19 December 1915. This probably had the effect of a reduction in the pension he was eventually awarded.

He was finally discharged on 31 May 1919 when his home address was 75 Leyes Road Custom House in East London.

Harold Family Details

In order to check that no children had been born prior to 1901, the Population Census Returns were checked for that year and Mary Agnes Garrett was found to be Ellen M A Garret born in Hackney, the 29 years old married daughter living with her parents, Jesse & Ellen Harold.

The 1891 the Population Census Return showed that Jesse and Ellen Harold had 6 children, namely Harley E 17, Ellen M A 19, Jesse E 13, Ernest E 11, Stanley G 7 and Ruby E aged 6 months. Also with the family was his mother in law, Mary E Harley aged 63 years.

The 1881 the Population Census Return showed that Jesse Harold was not only a Clerk but also an Army Pensioner aged 41 years born in Suffolk.

A check on the 1871 Population Census Return showed that Jesse Harrold (sic) was living at Aldershot with wife Ellen. They were living at the Infantry Barracks for the 94^th and 45^th Regiments of Foot. An error with the imaging of the census prevented further information being obtained.

Patricia E Martin

January 2005

Documents Search

WO 97/4911 1883-1900 Soldier’s Documents Garo - Garre

WO 97/4911 1900-13 Soldier’s Documents Garratt – Garrity

WO 100/194 Royal West Kent Regiment Queen’s South Africa Medal Roll

WO 100/338 Royal West Kent Regiment King’s South Africa Medal Roll

WO 363/G209 WW1 Soldier’s Documents Garrett Archer – Ernest H

WO 364/1316 WW1 Soldier’s Documents Garratt Harry – Garrett John

1871 British Population Census

1881 British Population Census

1891 British Population Census

1901 British Population Census