A triple tragedy of the First World War
Amongst the names on the Stockwell War Memorial are three brothers, Ernest, Frederick and Alfred Desaleux. They all died in 1917 - Frederick in February, Ernest in April and Alfred in May. The
brothers joined different brigades, although two, Ernest and Frederick,
were riflemen. Alfred may have moved to Canada before the war: he
joined the Canadian Field Artillery and his widow, Alice, is listed as
listing in Winnipeg in 1917. She was certainly in London during 1911.
In 1911 the Desaleux family were living at Fountain Street (now gone), Stockwell.
Amongst the names on the Stockwell War Memorial are three brothers, Ernest, Frederick and Alfred Desaleux. They all died in 1917 - Frederick in February, Ernest in April and Alfred in May. The
brothers joined different brigades, although two, Ernest and Frederick,
were riflemen. Alfred may have moved to Canada before the war: he
joined the Canadian Field Artillery and his widow, Alice, is listed as
listing in Winnipeg in 1917. She was certainly in London during 1911.
In 1911 the Desaleux family were living at Fountain Street (now gone), Stockwell.
E. W. Desaleux
(Ernest William Desaleux)
(Desaleux, Ernest William)
Service no S/14522
Rifleman, Rifle Brigade, 1st Battalion
Died age 23 on 15 April 1917
Son of Son of Jules B. and Edith Desaleux
Remembered at Arras Memorial and at Stockwell War Memorial, London SW9
F. J. Desaleux
(Frederick Desaleux)
Rifleman, London Regiment (First Surrey Rifles), 21st Battalion
Service no 653511
Died age unknown on 25 February 1917
Remembered at Railway Dugouts Burial Ground, near Ieper, Belgium and at Stockwell War Memorial, London SW9
J. B. A. Desaleux
(Jules Benjamin Alfred Desaleux)
Service no 1250216
Gunner, Canadian Field Artillery, 76th Bty. Reserve Bde.
Died age 29 on 25 May 1917
Son of J. B. A. and Edith Desaleux, of London, England; husband of Alice E. Desaleux, of 1399, Winnipeg Avenue, Winnipeg, Manitoba.
Remembered at Shorncliffe Military Cemetery and at Stockwell War Memorial, London SW9
Shorncliffe Barracks, on the Kent coast close to Folkstone and Dover, was inhabited mainly by Canadian troops, and subject to airborne attacks by German bombers. The most devastating came on 25 May 1917 when two bombs fell on the huts occupied by 18 soldiers, of whom 16 were Canadian. There were 71 military and civilian casualties, including Jules Benjamin Desaleux.
Jules had emigrated with his wife to Canada and lived with at 253 Park View Street, St. James, Winnipeg. He attested on 8 January 1917, stating that he had previously served in the Territorials with the Royal West Surreys. Jules was described as brown-eyed with dark brown hair and a fair complexion, and 5 feet 9 inches tall, with a 36-inch chest.
"You might like to know that my grandfather Reginald Desaleux is one of the children of Albert Desaleux who you have listed above. He too was born in Lambeth, as was my father, Barry.
"I do have some more information on Albert Desaleux: Volunteering in March 1915 he embarked for France six months and served throughout the war. During this period he was engaged on light railway construction and in laying tracks for guns, and was present in the Battles of Arras, Albert and Vimy Ridge. He was buried by a shell explosion in the course of operations and on recovery served with the signal section until hostilities ceased. Demobilised in May 1919, he holds the 1914-15 Star, and the General Service and Victory Medals.
"Jules Desaleux was a map publishing assistant who lived in 73 Tavistock Street, Westminster and married Edith (unknown maiden name). This information is from a census page. However, we have no information of what year the page is actually from."
Information from the 1911 census
In 1911 the Desaleux family lived at 20 Fountain Street, Stockwell.
Jules Desaleux, the father, is listed as a 45-year-old warehouseman born at "St George, Hanover Square", London. His wife, Edith Desaleux, was born in Dover, Kent.
Living with them were nine of their many children:
Albert Desaleux, 18, a general labourer with the railway, born at Pimlico (more details below)
Ernest Desaleux, 17, a warehouseman, later to die in the war
Frederick Desaleux, 14, also a warehouseman and also to die in the war, born in Lambeth
Bertha Desaleux, 12, still at school, born in Lambeth
Henry Desaleux, 11, born in Lambeth
Hilda Desaleux, 8, born in Lambeth
Emma Desaleux, 6, born in Lambeth
Ethel Desaleux, 4, born in Lambeth
Gertrude Desaleux, 2, born in Lambeth
Ernest Desaleux, 17, a warehouseman, later to die in the war
Frederick Desaleux, 14, also a warehouseman and also to die in the war, born in Lambeth
Bertha Desaleux, 12, still at school, born in Lambeth
Henry Desaleux, 11, born in Lambeth
Hilda Desaleux, 8, born in Lambeth
Emma Desaleux, 6, born in Lambeth
Ethel Desaleux, 4, born in Lambeth
Gertrude Desaleux, 2, born in Lambeth
Also, in the 1911 census, at 8 Pownall Terrace, Stockwell, Alice Eleanor Desaleux, 20, wife of Jules Benjamin Alfred Desaleux and her six-month-old son Alfred Hugh were listed as visiting Henry James Kemp (described as an "attendant") and his wife Alice and their five children.
Information from the 1901 census
Ten years previously, in 1901, the family were living at 186 Upper Kennington Lane, in the parish of St Peter's, Vauxhall, with eight children (the other four were not yet born), including:
Louise Desaleux, born 1886, then aged 15 (listed in the 1891 as 'Edith')
Alfred Desaleux, born 1888, aged 13 (listed in the 1891 census as 'Jules')
Ellen Desaleux, born 1890, aged 11
All were listed as having been born in Holborn.
Jules Desaleux's parents Benjamin, born 1815, a journeyman lamp-maker and Maire (or possibly Eliza), born 1821, a corset-maker, came from France. In 1881, according to that census, they were living at 36 South Molton Street, "St George, Hanover Square" with their 24-year-old daughter, also called Maire and also a corset-maker. They had lived at this address for at least 20 years (they are there on the 1861 census). Meanwhile, Jules, then 22, was a Private in the Army Hospital Corps and living at the South Camp at Aldershot.