Private Jack Anslow

Born in Walworth in 1898, Jack (christened Jubilee Lewis, also known as Jasler) was the son of Southwark packing case maker Edward Anslow and his wife Julia. The couple had thirteen children, seven of whom tragically died in childhood. Jack’s surviving siblings included Berty, Ernest, Herbert, Blanche, Ellie, Lettice and young Jubilee. In the years before his birth, the family was living in Beresford Street, Stoke Newington, however by 1901 they had moved to Langton Road, Lambeth.

In 1911 the Anslow family was living at 20 Chetwode Road, Balham. Jack, then 14, was still at school. His brother Bert had followed in his father’s footsteps and was working as a packing case maker. Walter was a carman (driver of a horse-drawn delivery wagon ) and sister Lily was a waitress in a restaurant.

When war broke out, Jack enlisted in Wimbledon as a private in the East Surrey Regiment, later transferring to the 11th battalion, Essex Regiment. This was formed in Warley in September 1914 and spent the early war training in Surrey, Sussex and Kent, before embarking for active service in France in August 1915. The regiment fought in many of the key battles on the Western Front, including those at Le Cateau, Ypres, Loos, the battle of the Somme and the battle of Cambrai.

In 1918 Jack’s unit was fighting near the St.Quentin region of France, when the enemy staged a spring offensive. He was injured and died of his wounds on 19 May, aged just 20 years old. His grave lies at the Etaples Military Cemetery near Boulogne (grave ref LXV11.C.32), one of 10,771 Commonwealth burials from the First World War. At the time of his death, Jack’s parents were living at Hall Farm, Lower Mitcham and this may explain why his name also appears on the Mitcham War memorial.