IWM Collections

Lieutenant Charles Otway Alexander, born 1 January 1888 in Newark, Nottinghamshire, England. If taken during World War 1, this photo will not be past the summer of 1916, when Alexander was promoted to Lieutenant Commander. He eventually reached the rank of Rear-Admiral on 10 January 1939. Alexander died on 13 April, 1970, aged 82.

GRATWICKE, PHILIP CHARLES
Rank:Lieutenant
Date of Death:30/03/1918
Age:23
Regiment/Service:Army Cyclist Corps
IX Corps Cyclist Bn
Panel ReferencePanel 90.
MemorialPOZIERES MEMORIAL
Additional Information:
Son of Charles J. and Mary Gratwicke, of 76, Ballater Rd., Brixton, London.

Name: Philip Charles Gratwicke
Death Date: 30 Mar 1918
Rank: Lieutenant
Regiment: Army Cyclist Corps
Battalion: 9th Battalion
Type of Casualty: Killed in action
Comments: [Territorial]

In the 1911 Census he is recorded as being born in Lambeth, London. He was living at 76 Ballater Road, Stockwell, London with his parents Charles J & Mary and a brother Walter age 23 and sister Florence age 18. The address is still standing and is just off the A2217 Acre Lane

Help piece together the Life Stories of more than 8 million men and women who made a contribution during the First World War at www.livesofthefirstworldwar.org/

The photo below at the NLI was taken by his brother Walter in Dublin (Walter took many photos of trams). It looks like Philip in uniform:

Alfred Frank Jolly was Commissioned as a Temporary Second Lieutenant (Service) on 22nd September 1914. [London Gazette 28910 dated 22 Sep 14]. It looks as though he was appointed to the 2nd Battalion The Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regiment) in the Supplement to the London Gazette dated 26th October 1914 at Page 8613. Alfred F. Jolly was confirmed as a Temporary Second Lieutenant in The Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regiment) from Temporary Second Lieutenant in a Service Battalion effective from 5 September 1915 but with seniority from 27 October 1914. [London Gazette 29310 dated 28 September 1915]. This may be Alfred Frank Jolly; b. 1895, in Bedford. 2nd Battalion Royal Fusiliers returned to England from Calcutta, India in December 1914. The Battalion landed at Gallipoli on 25th April 1915 as part of 86th Brigade 29th Division. Reduced by casualties and sickness to 11 officers and 105 ORs they were evacuated from 'W' Beach in a trawler to Egypt over 7/9 January 1916; landed in France in March 1916 and fought on the Western Front through to 1918.//

There is a record of the marriage on 28 June 1918 at St Stephen's Church, Kingsclere, Hampshire, of Mr A F Jolly MC Royal Fusiliers to Enid Constance Steggall, [b.c 1895 at Pamber Heath, Basingstoke, Hampshire] youngest daughter of Rev and Mrs W S Steggall of Baughurst Rectory, Basingstoke. Reported in The Times of Wednesday 3 July 1918. Lt A F Jolly MC relinquished his commission on 18 Mar 1920 on completion of his service. [LG 31878 dated 23 Apr 1920]. Captain A F Jolly MC was restored to the Regular Army establishment on 16th April 1933 [LG 33937 dtd 5 May 1923] to Captain in the East Yorkshire Regiment on 15th September 1923, [LG 32899 dtd 18 Jan 1924]; and then seconded from his battalion to be Adjutant of the Auxiliary Forces, India on 7th October 1929. Captain A F Jolly MC was placed on Half Pay as a consequence of ill health wef 18 Mar 1934 [LG 34034 dtd 20 Mar 1934] and retired from the Regular Army on 4 April 1935 [LG 34148 dtd 5 Apr 1935].//

Major Alfred Frank Jolly MC is buried in the military cemetery at Wyke Regis New Burial Ground, Dorset, [Section E Grave 296], having died on 3 April 1942 aged 47 while serving with 5th Dorset (Weymouth) Battalion of the Home Guard. He is further shown as a former Captain in the East Yorkshire Regiment. Wife of Enid Constance Jolly of Weymouth, and the son of Frank and Ellen Alice Jolly of Sutton, Surrey. See twgpp.org/information.php?id=1370947 . //

There is an entry for Alfred Frank Jolly in the Cambridge Review War List under 'Magdelene College' annotated '>V for 20 May '16 Jolly A. F. Royal Fusiliers 2 Lieut' which might be for the award of his Military Cross.//

The entry from Gary Donaldson 2 above relates to the entry on the Commonwealth War Graves Commission site www.cwgc.org and a photo of his headstone is online at www.twgpp.org (The War Graves Photographic Project)