W+E+Else

Else, William Edwin, Acting Captain, Officer Commanding D Company, 17th Battalion, Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire Regiment Born Crich, Derbyshire Killed in action 3rd January 1918 aged 24 Husband of Ada Evelyn Else, of “West Leigh”, Ambergate, Derbyshire. Native of Fritchley, Derbyshire Buried in Vlamertinghe New Military Cemetery, XIII, H, 7

1911 Census A bank clerk Son of Charles Joseph, a farmer and gentleman, and Hannah Scott Else, of Park Lodge, Fritchley, Derbyshire

Article in Derbyshire Courier, 10th January 1918:

**FRITCHLEY LIEUTENANT’S DEATH** **Striking Tributes by Brother Officers** Mrs. W. E. Else, of West Leigh, The Chase, has received since our last issue full particulars of how her husband, Lieutenant Wm. E. Else, made the supreme sacrifice. From Lieutenant Reece, Sherwood Foresters, the following letter was received:- “I write to tell you of our great appreciation of the loss to us by the passing of Lieutenant Else, and to send you our united sympathy and our congratulations on his splendid behaviour and services. He was shot through the head during a small action in which he took a brave part, and I remember hearing him say that he would stay at the place till he saw the affair through. He died quite quickly, and by his departure we have all lost a good officer, excellent at work and play, and a staunch companion.” Fully endorsing the fine qualities attributed to Lieutenant Else in the foregoing was a letter written by Lieutenant-Colonel J. A. Methuen, the commanding officer, as follows:- “I am very sorry to say your husband was killed last night. We all miss him terribly; he was loved by everyone in the battalion, a splendid soldier with an excellent record, a first-class sportsman, and a thorough gentleman. He was shot through the head, so never suffered the slightest pain. Only the day before he had done very good work and captured a prisoner. Please accept my deepest sympathy, and may God bless you in your time of sorrow.” The same officer had complimented Lieutenant Else on his work, for amongst the papers found on him, and afterwards sent home, was one from Lieutenant-Colonel Methuen, which had been sent up the line and received by Lieutenant Else shortly before he fell in action. This read: “I congratulate you on your success in capturing the first German prisoner this year.” A further letter, written on Thursday, sent by a brother officer of the Sherwoods to Mrs. Else, stated:- “I have deferred writing to you to say how very sorry I am about the death of your husband until I had seen him buried. We wanted to bury him some little way behind the lines, so we laid him to rest yesterday in the military cemetery at Vlamentighe, a place about four miles from Ypres. As one who was with him all the time he was in France, I feel his death very keenly indeed. We had always been together, being the only two officers of our company who came through 31 July. He was extremely popular with the men, especially on account of taking such an interest in all the sports, and I am sure I am speaking for the whole company when I say that we one and all sympathise most deeply with you in your great loss. Yours very sincerely, M. A. Ellison. Letters in similar terms have been from various officers by Mr C. J. Else, of Park Lodge, deceased’s father. At the St. Anne’s Church, Ambergate, where the deceased was married just over a year ago, a requiem service was held on Sunday at 8, and a memorial service, at which a crowded congregation assembled, was held later. Both were conducted by the Rev. H. Eardley Field, who paid a high tribute to the memory of Lieutenant Else, and based his address on, “Wist ye not that I must be about My Father’s Business?”






 * Ambergate**
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 * Crich (St. Mary's Church) **
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 * Derby School**
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