Edward George Tyler

Name

Edward George Tyler
23 April 1899

Conflict

First World War

Date of Death / Age

12/08/1918

Rank, Service Number & Service Details

Private
78575
Royal Fusiliers *1
9th (County of London) Bn.

Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards

British War and Victory medals

Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country

DIVE COPSE BRITISH CEMETERY, SAILLY-LE-SEC
III.H.1
France

Headstone Inscription

None

UK & Other Memorials

Not on the Baldock memorials, Not on the Letchworth memorials

Pre War

Edward George Tyler was born in Baldock, Herts on 23 April 1899, the son of Edward George and Nellie Tyler (nee Kitchener) and one of five  children, although one died in infancy. His parents had married on 23 December 1894 at Baldock and Edward was baptised on 21 May 1899 at Baldock. 

On the 1901 Census the family were living at 4 Tramway Avenue, Edmonton, Middlesex, where his father was working as a lightman in a tram yard. 

His mother died in September 1903, aged 29,  following the birth of his sister Lilian on 2 September (who also died the following month), and in 1911 Edward, and siblings Nellie, John and Charles were living at the home of his grandparents, George and Hannah Kitchener, in Hitchin Street, Baldock, along with his father Edward, who was listed as a widower and was working as a furnace stoker at an iron foundry. Edward (junior) was then a ten year old scholar. Meanwhile, his younger sister Bessie was living with aunt and uncle George and Eliza Vickers who ran a boarding house at 20 Lockwell Road, in South West Hackney. 

At the time of enlistment, Edward was living at 17 Green Lane, Letchworth and working at the Heatly-Gresham Engineering Works. 

Wartime Service

Edward initially enlisted at Hitchin on 15 March 1915 and was posted to the Bedfordshire Regiment under reg. no. 20036 but was discharged on 10 July 1915 for being under age as he was only 16 years at the time of enlistment, but had claimed to be 19 years and 1 month. 

He re-enlisted when he was old enough and was then posted to the Duke of Cambridge's Own (Middlesex) Regiment, 16th T R Battalion, under reg. no. 57301, but later transferred to the 9th Battalion, Royal Fusiliers under reg. no., GS/78575.

He was killed in action on 12 August 1918 and is buried in Dive Copse British Cemetery, Sailly-le-Sec, France. 

An article in the Hertfordshire Express dated 28th September 1918 reads; "News has been received of the death in action of Private E G Tyler, Royal Fusiliers, of 17 Green Lane, Letchworth, who was employed at the Heatly-Gresham Engineering Works. He joined the Bedfordshire Regiment, but was afterwards transferred to the Fusiliers."

Additional Information

*1 Probably more correctly (County of London) Bn. London Regiment (Queen Victoria’s Rifles).

Edward's father received a war gratuity of £3 and pay owing of £6 0s 9d. 

Edward's aunt, Mrs Alma Page, of 17 Green Lane, Letchworth, claimed a dependant's pension which was refused but she was awarded a gratuity of £31 9s. 

Edward's father also enlisted at the age of 44 on 5 June 1915 to serve with the Army Service Corps, giving his address as 3 Hill Path, Pixmore Avenue, Letchworth and his trade as 'horsekeeper'. He joined at Romsey, Hants on 16 June 1915 and served until discharged on 9 August 1919 at the end of the war.

Acknowledgments

Brenda Palmer
Adrian Pitts, Paul Johnson