IN SEARCH OF UNCLES

CPL WILLIAM TALLETT 1885-1917

Introduction

When performing Great War research I have always said, prepare for the unexpected, unexplained and the downright shocking, I have experienced all three!!!!. I studied the Great War in the knowledge that my family wasn't affected by it, whereas my wifes family has suffered horribly in two World wars. The reason for my confidence was in the course of studying my family tree I found a census return for 1881 which listed my Great grandfather and his siblings. It appeared that my great grandad was the youngest by some margin and by this dating was 37 on the outbreak of WW1. This made him and his siblings too old for action. Other complications were tha fact that as my family were illiterate farm hands the spelling of my surname changed plus they moved around alot finding work on farms. My family name is originally Tullett, very common in Sussex where my family was, but became corrupted to Tallett in 1880's. Tallett is a French name and found in the Midlands, not the south, so all Talletts in Kent are related ( And i have proved it). So around the turn of the century the Tallett family was living at Highcroft Villas in Swanley with some others living at Bath Villas in Swanley.

The Surprise

On release of the "Soldiers died" Cd ROM I had one delivered immediately as it would be a boon to my research. Curious to look for anything as ever, I typed in my family name. The search revealed a few Talletts, I started to look through their details and on the last one, William Tallett my jaw dropped.There was this Tallett who lived and enlisted in Swanley Kent, where my family settled to after leaving Sussex, but he was Born in Brighton, the same place as my Great Grandad. This man had to be a realtive, right birth place, right residence. It also added that he was formally of the RW.Kent Regt with a terratorial number. The Unit he was killed with was 17th Middlesex and he was killed on 2nd December 1917. This unit was part of 2nd Division, I knew their movements as my friend had a grandfather in the division and i had done some study with him, also 2nd Division were usually neighbours to the RND. So now I knew my Great Uncle had been killed in the German Counter Attack at Cambrai.

Apart from the basic military facts i knew nothing. So i applied to the MOD for service papers, and asked my friend Gethyn from Dartford to check the local papers for any entries. Gethyn has written a book on Dartford Casualties, worth a read if you get the chance!!!!. He came back to me with a good result and something totally unexplained!!!. The Dartford Chronical 14-12-17 had an entry for Cpl C.Tullett of Middx Regt kia on 2nd December, the entry went as follows:

" Mrs Tullett of 2 Bath Cottages, Main rd, Swanley Junction, on monday evening recieved a letter from Capt R.A.Hornby officer commanding stating that her husband , Corporal Cornelius Tullett aged 32 Middlesex regt had been killed in action on the 2 inst. Corporal Tullett was for 5 years before the war in the Swanley District terratorials and was in camp when the mobilisation took place in August 1914. He leaves a widow with 4 children and was the son of Mr a