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Edgar Minnett

Rank: Private

Lifetime: 1890-1925

Reference: 149047

Private Edgar Minnett of 44 High Street, Hampton Wick, served with the Army Service Corps (MT Depot).

Born in March 1890 (Find a grave) in Kingston upon Thames, he was the son of John and Clara. The family lived at 58 Park Road, Kingston Hill in 1901. His father (37), whose name is given as “Minett”, had been born in Chessington and worked as a stonemason. His mother (36) had been born in Sutton. All the children were born in Kingston and included: James (12); Edgar (11); Hilda (6) and Walter (2).

He married Rose Scott at a registry office on 4 October 1910 and by the time of the 1911 Census the couple had moved to Woking where they were living at 4 Bunday Villa, Bunday Road with their daughter, Betty, aged 3 months who had been born on 9 January 1911 in Woking. Edgar was still spelling his name as Minett and was working as a motor engineer.

His Attestation Form survives(in which his name is given as “Minnett”) and provides some information on his service career. By the time he attested on 12 November 1915, he was 25, living at 44 High Street, Hampton Wick and working as a motor mechanic. He was 5 feet 6 1/2 inches tall with a chest of 38 inches. He joined at Grove Park on 12 November 1915 and remained in England until 26 November.

Posted to the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force, he embarked at Southampton on 27 November 1915, disembarking the next day at Le Havre, he must have travelled overland to Italy arriving in Rome on 10 December 1915. Having served for almost two months in the British Headquarters in Rome, he was despatched to Brindisi on 3 February 1916 where he was posted to the British Mission with the Royal Serbian Army at Brindisi on 21 March 1916. His service with the Mission was extremely short ending after just nine days on 30 March 1915 when he was sent home to Britain, presumably for treatment. No details are given of the circumstances or nature of his injuries on the Casualty Form but his service record states that he was discharged as being “no longer physically fit for war service” on 29 May 1916. According to his Casualty Form he was discharged at Catterick.

Private Minnett’s injuries must have been extensive and, presumably, were responsible for his early death on 3 May 1925 at the Middlesex County Sanatorium, Harefield, Hillingdon. According to the Probate Notice, his permanent address at the time of his death was still 44 High Street, Hampton Wick and his estate went to his widow, Rose. He was buried in Kingston Cemetery. It is not clear whether he was related to Charles Thomas Minnett who was commemorated on the war memorial in St Mark’s Church, Teddington and who has an entry on the “Others who served section” of this Online War Memorial.

Edgar Minnett

Rank: Private

Lifetime: 1890-1925

Reference: 149047

Private Edgar Minnett of 44 High Street, Hampton Wick, served with the Army Service Corps (MT Depot).

Born in March 1890 (Find a grave) in Kingston upon Thames, he was the son of John and Clara. The family lived at 58 Park Road, Kingston Hill in 1901. His father (37), whose name is given as “Minett”, had been born in Chessington and worked as a stonemason. His mother (36) had been born in Sutton. All the children were born in Kingston and included: James (12); Edgar (11); Hilda (6) and Walter (2).

He married Rose Scott at a registry office on 4 October 1910 and by the time of the 1911 Census the couple had moved to Woking where they were living at 4 Bunday Villa, Bunday Road with their daughter, Betty, aged 3 months who had been born on 9 January 1911 in Woking. Edgar was still spelling his name as Minett and was working as a motor engineer.

His Attestation Form survives(in which his name is given as “Minnett”) and provides some information on his service career. By the time he attested on 12 November 1915, he was 25, living at 44 High Street, Hampton Wick and working as a motor mechanic. He was 5 feet 6 1/2 inches tall with a chest of 38 inches. He joined at Grove Park on 12 November 1915 and remained in England until 26 November.

Posted to the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force, he embarked at Southampton on 27 November 1915, disembarking the next day at Le Havre, he must have travelled overland to Italy arriving in Rome on 10 December 1915. Having served for almost two months in the British Headquarters in Rome, he was despatched to Brindisi on 3 February 1916 where he was posted to the British Mission with the Royal Serbian Army at Brindisi on 21 March 1916. His service with the Mission was extremely short ending after just nine days on 30 March 1915 when he was sent home to Britain, presumably for treatment. No details are given of the circumstances or nature of his injuries on the Casualty Form but his service record states that he was discharged as being “no longer physically fit for war service” on 29 May 1916. According to his Casualty Form he was discharged at Catterick.

Private Minnett’s injuries must have been extensive and, presumably, were responsible for his early death on 3 May 1925 at the Middlesex County Sanatorium, Harefield, Hillingdon. According to the Probate Notice, his permanent address at the time of his death was still 44 High Street, Hampton Wick and his estate went to his widow, Rose. He was buried in Kingston Cemetery. It is not clear whether he was related to Charles Thomas Minnett who was commemorated on the war memorial in St Mark’s Church, Teddington and who has an entry on the “Others who served section” of this Online War Memorial.

The first phase of this Project is to gather information about the men commemorated on the Hampton Wick War Memorial who fought in the Great War, also known as World War I, WWI or the First World War.

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