Thanks to contributions from Hazel Ballan of Epsom and Ewell Local and Family History Centre and Ann Williams, it has become possible to identify Albert Ansell (b. reg. Epsom 6/1896) as the third of ten children in the family of George Ansell (born Clandon - reg. Guildford 3/1874), a contractor’s foreman, and his wife Amelia, born at Hook, Surrey.
In 1911 they all resided at The Evergreens, Maple Road, Ashtead. Albert Ernest was then already in employment as a ‘domestic garden boy’.
Having attained the age of 18, he enlisted at Kingston upon Thames with 2nd Battalion, East Surrey Regiment as Private 10948. By 6 March 1915 he had been sent to France and probably arrived at Battalion HQ on 10 March 1915 in a draft of 125 men under 2nd Lieutenant H. G. H. Fardell.
Throughout March and April his unit was in and out of the lines around Dickebusch and Zonnebeke suffering attritional losses. A bombardment of Ypres began on 19 April and 2nd Lieutenant Fardell was killed 4 days later.
The 2nd Battalion East Surrey Regiment was in the 85th Brigade 28th Division. Between 24th April and 4th May 1915 they fought in the ‘Battle of St Julien’, part of the ‘Second battle of Ypres’.
From the East Surrey’s History:
"on the 25th April at 5 a.m. the enemy opened shrapnel fire which continued till 9 a.m., when the trenches were heavily bombarded. The fumes from the shells, against which no protection had as yet been devised, again affected the men and in some cases rendered them unconscious. The casualties to noon had been 4 killed and 18 wounded.
At about 1 p.m. the enemy attacked the whole line held by the Battalion, breaking through Trench 23, the garrison of which had been rendered helpless by the fumes. About fifty Germans occupied a small trench in rear of this, but were dislodged, and eight were captured. The remainder of these men made for the railway, but A Company, which was in the dugouts there, attacked them and captured one officer and twenty-eight men, disposing of the remainder. A Company then advanced to Trench 23 and left an officer and twenty men as reinforcements there.
The enemy had also succeeded in occupying the central position of Trench 24, but were speedily driven out by the Middlesex company at the point of the bayonet. Trench 25, on the left, was also pierced by a strong force of the enemy, who gained possession of the centre of the trench and defeated all attempts to dislodge them.
The enemy in attacking were careful not mask the loopholes of their own trenches, and the fire from these loopholes caused heavy casualties among our men, who, having no loopholes, were obliged to fire over the parapet. Two companies of the Shropshire Light Infantry , arrived at 9.15 to endeavour to drive the enemy out of Trench 25, but two attacks made at 12.30 a.m. and 3.30 a.m. on the 26th April were unsuccessful."
In action to the south of Ypres the 2nd Battalion lost many men, some by poison gas. During the Battle of St Julien, it suffered 141 killed and 256 wounded. A week later a further 100 men were killed and 133 wounded. Albert was one of 103 men from the 2nd East Surrey Regiment who lost their lives on 25th April 1915. He has no known grave but is commemorated on the Ypres Menin Gate Memorial, Panel 34.
The Ansell family were still living in their Ashtead home at the end of the Great War.
ANSELL AE Pte 2nd E Surrey Regt" is an entry on the brass memorial in St Giles Church, Ashtead. He is also on the St Georges Church War Memorial as Pte AE Ansell.
Among the names of those born or resident in Leatherhead but apparently without memorial there is:
ANSELL, Albert, (according to Soldiers Died in the Great War 1914-19) born Leatherhead, Surrey, enlisted Kingston-on-Thames Surrey, 10948, PRIVATE, Killed in action, France & Flanders, 25/04/15. CWGC next of kin is blank.
text by Brian Bouchard: if you can add to this page please contact the editor
page added 16 Jul 2010