Serjeant Wallace James Howse
| Date of Birth | c. 1890 |
|---|---|
| Age at Death | 23 |
| Date of Death | 2 October 1914 |
| Service Number | |
| Military Service | 2nd Battalion Worcestershire Regiment |
| Merton Address | 9 Sarah's Place, Mitcham |
| Local Memorial | Mitcham War Memorial |
Additional Information
Wallace was born in late 1890 to Alfred and Louisa Howse, but wasn’t baptised until the 7th of April, 1895, at Mitcham Parish Church along with two of his siblings, although the family was living in Dulwich at the time. His official name, per his baptismal record, was James Wallis, rather than Wallace James, but going by censuses and his military record, he appears to have gone by Wallace. His father worked as a paperhanger and plasterer, and he had at least five siblings, including older brother William, who joined the Army in 1915 and survived the war; and younger siblings Ruby, Elsie, Gladys and Percival. The family moved from Dulwich to 9 Sarah’s Road in Mitcham by 1901.
Wallace worked as a telegraph messenger before joining the Army, enlisting on the 15th of January, 1908. He was also apparently a keen cricketer, and a member of the Mitcham Cricket Club. He was living in barracks in Carisbrooke on the Isle of Wight at the time of the 1911 census, and was then a Lance Corporal.
He was killed at Le Mans.
According to an article in the 16 October 1914 issue of the Mitcham Advertiser: “[He] was a telegraph boy at Mitcham Post Office, leaving that to join the Army. He was also a member of the Mitcham C.C. and was a very promising cricketer. His success in the Army was rapid, and he would shortly have become Colour Sergeant but for his untimely death. He was hit by shrapnel in the spine, and he was buried in the cemetary [sic] at Lemans [sic] by the Army Chaplain. Howse was offered a position at the Army base, but preferred to be in the fighting line. The sympathy of all will be extended to the relatives of the gallant young soldier who died a hero's death.”