Serjeant Daniel Archibald Pennell

Daniel was born in Mitcham in 1891. His mother Emma, and his father Charles already had a large family with some adult children. by 1901 the family were living at 3 Queens Road, Mitcham, and Daniels’s siblings still living at home were Charles 29, Arthur 22, Fred 20, Rose 18 and Daisy aged 7. Daniel himself was 10 years old. He had been baptised at St Peter and Paul Church, Mitcham on 29 March 1906, when he was aged seven, which was a bit later than usual. Daniel’s father was employed as a Floorcloth Printer, probably working at the Harvey and Knight Floorcloth Manufacturers in Morden Lane, Mitcham.

By 1911 the family were still living in Queens Road, but their father Charles had since died, and Emma was now a widow. Daniel aged 20 was still living at home and was employed as a Labeller at a local Varnish Manufacturer.

It is not known when Daniel enlisted, but he initially joined the East Surrey Regiment at Wimbledon. At some point he transferred to the 21st Battalion, London Regiment (1st Surrey Rifles). During the course of the War, this battalion would have seen action at many battles, including in 1915 the Battle of Festubert, and Battle of Loos. In 1916 – Vimy Ridge and Flers-Courcelette on the Somme, and in 1917 the Battle of Messines and Third Battle of Ypres.

In August 1918, the battalion took part in the Second Battle of the Somme around the village of Bray-sur-Somme. The Battalion’s War Diary states that on 24 August they were on the front line and were in position at 1 am, (Zero Hour). It goes on to record: “Enemy trenches northeast of Happy Valley captured. Division on our left failed to capture enemy strong point on our left flank and we suffered heavy casualties all day”. Unfortunately, Daniel was one of the casualties as he was killed in action on that day.

Daniel is buried at the nearby Bray Hill Cemetery and is also commemorated locally on the Mitcham War Memorial.