Private Herbert Charles Guilleret
| Date of Birth | c. 1884 |
|---|---|
| Age at Death | 33 |
| Date of Death | 5 September 1918 |
| Service Number | 44252 |
| Military Service | 1 Battalion, Cambridgeshire Regiment |
| Merton Address | 18 Whatley Avenue, Merton Park |
| Local Memorial | St. Mary's Church, Merton Park |
Additional Information
Born in late 1884 at a Barnes property in Castelnau, Herbert was the son of Alexandre Guilleret de la Braulle and his wife, Mercy. The “de la Braulle” part of the family surname seems to have been dropped when Herbert was baptised. He was one of seven children - two of his sisters died in childhood but his three brothers survived the First World War.
Herbert married May Baily of 18 Whatley Avenue, Raynes Park in 1909. The couple went on to have two sons, James and Harold.
When war broke out, the family were living at 64 Sportsbank Street, Catford and Herbert was working as a poor law clerk for the Lewisham board of Guardians. He enlisted in the army and initially joined the Leicestershire Regiment. He subsequently became a private in the 1st Battalion of the Cambridgeshire Regiment.
The battalion was involved in the Battle of Albert and on 5 September 1918 they were fighting at Nurlu, in the French region of Picardie. Herbert was killed, possibly when his unit came under fire whilst passing through Vaux Wood, or at around 7.30pm when they suffered heavy machine gun casualties on a ridge west of Nurlu.
Herbert is buried in the Peronne military cemetery, France. He is also commemorated on the Vis en Artois memorial and his name also appears on an oak memorial panel at St.Mary the Virgin Church, Merton Park.