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James WICKENDEN 7 Battalion, The Queen’s (Royal West Surrey Regt.)
1899-24th October 1918

James was not quite 15-years-old when war was declared. He lived in one of the tiny Rose Cottages
with his mother and young sister and was an enthusiastic member of 1st North Cray Troop of Boy
Scouts. The cottages were one-up/one-down dwellings, with small, single storey sculleries at the back.
There was a range in the main room, but no electricity.

Early in 1917, James seems to have felt it was his duty to make his contribution towards the war effort
as soon as he was old enough and he enlisted with the Queen’s, Royal West Surrey Regiment, just a few
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months after his 17 birthday. By now the public had no illusions about how horrific the war was, and
it is not hard to imagine just how much his widowed mother must have agonised over his decision.

Going into Battle - All Battalions meticulously kept a War Diary with each day’s entry usually
undertaken by a senior officer. On 22nd October, 1918, just a very few weeks before the official end of
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hostilities, 7 Battalion, The Queen’s, Royal West Surrey Regt., penned the following:

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“22 October 1918: 1.30am

C.O. held a Conference at Btn. HQ which was attended by company commanders.

14.30pm Orders issued for forthcoming operations:

1. Men will carry unexpended portion of rations (cooked) and iron rations. Hot tea, rum and cooked food
will be carried on limbers and served in Concentration Area. Water bottles will be filled and must be used
sparingly.
2. Lewis guns. These will be carried by Transport to concentration Area, then by the men.
3. Shovels will be carried in the proportion of 50%.
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4. Fighting order: each man to carry one rifle Grenade and One Egg bomb. The attack of the 55 Brigade
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will be carried out by the 7 Queens. 8 East Surrey Regt will be in close support, and the 7 Buffs in
Brigade reserve.

It is recognised that the 7th Queens are given a very large area to clear, but the enemy appear to be in such
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a demoralised condition that the task should be easy. The 8 East Surrey Regt., however, will hold
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themselves in readiness to go through the 7 Queens at short notice if the situation demands.

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24 October 1918 - 05.45am

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2 Lt Hoile reported that Machine guns and snipers were troublesome along hedges parallel to the line of
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advance. 2 Lt Hoile was reported wounded.

Casualties: Officers 7; other ranks: 105”

Private James Wickenden was one of the 105 casualties. The whole battle had achieved nothing but
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death and injury, and the war was to be over in just a few short weeks. On 9 November, (just two
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days before the official ending of the war) the Platoon Officer, 2 Lt Arthur J. Breen, wrote the
obligatory letter of condolence to James Wickenden’s mother.

In Memoriam: Buried at the Cross Roads Cemetery, Fontane-au-Bois, France.