Jill
25-08-14, 09:12
21st of the Od Boys of St Wilfrid's, Haywards Heath to give his life in WW1.
Edward was born on 8th Jul 1894 in Haywards Heath, Sussex to Herbert EJ Prevett, a house painter, and his wife Alice. In 1901 they lived near South Road and in 1911 were at Firbank, 23 Western Road with Edward’s 5 siblings and a cousin. Edward’s father died the following year.
Edward died aged 21 on 15 Sep 1915 in hospital at Valetta, Malta after falling ill at Gallipoli and is buried in Pieta Military Cemetery, Malta, grave B X 1.
This piece appeared in his hometown newspaper:
MID SUSSEX TIMES 5th OCT 1915
DIED OF ILLNESSPRIVATE E J PREVETT HAYWARDS HEATH
Private Edward James Prevett, 1/4th Battalion Royal Sussex Regiment, second son of the late Mr Herbert James Prevett and of Mrs Prevett of Firbank, Western Road, Haywards Heath, succumbed to typhoid fever and bronchial pneumonia on September 14th at the Military Hospital, Valetta, Malta. He had been invalided there from the Dardanelles. He was a signaller, and belonged to “A” Company. An Old Boy of St Wilfrid Schools, he was a gardener by occupation. After leaving school he was first employed at St Wilfrid’s Parsonage, then at Lucas Grange by Mr C G O Bridgeman, and latterly, and latterly at The Dell by Mr J A Moore. He joined the Territorials at the end of August, 1914. Previously he rose to the rank of Sergeant in the St Wilfrid’s Company of the Church Lads’ Brigade. He was 21 years of age. The information has reached England that he and others in the cemetery at Pietà, and wreaths, in accordance with the custom in Malta, were placed on all the coffins, bearing the inscription “Malta’s tribute to dead heroes. With deepest sympathy from the Daily Malta Chronicle Fund,” Much sympathy has been expressed with Private Prevett’s relatives in their sad loss.
His brother Herbert was then the sole provider for their sisters and widowed mother and according to the Sussex Agricultural Express appeared before a local tribunal in March 1917 for exemption from war service:
Herbert Prevett, aged 23, and single, and employed as a chemist's assistant, had his case adjourned for a fortnight. It appeared he was the sole support of a widowed mother and had three sisters aged 9, 13 and 15 years dependent upon him. The Tribunal wished to ascertain what grant the mother would receive were the son called up.
Their uncle, Robert Prevett, who was only 6 years older than Edward and was another St Wilfrid’s Old Boy, also died in the war.
Edward's mother was sent his effects of 12s 3d on 28 Dec 1915 and a War Gratuity of £3 10s on 30th July 1919.
Edward was born on 8th Jul 1894 in Haywards Heath, Sussex to Herbert EJ Prevett, a house painter, and his wife Alice. In 1901 they lived near South Road and in 1911 were at Firbank, 23 Western Road with Edward’s 5 siblings and a cousin. Edward’s father died the following year.
Edward died aged 21 on 15 Sep 1915 in hospital at Valetta, Malta after falling ill at Gallipoli and is buried in Pieta Military Cemetery, Malta, grave B X 1.
This piece appeared in his hometown newspaper:
MID SUSSEX TIMES 5th OCT 1915
DIED OF ILLNESSPRIVATE E J PREVETT HAYWARDS HEATH
Private Edward James Prevett, 1/4th Battalion Royal Sussex Regiment, second son of the late Mr Herbert James Prevett and of Mrs Prevett of Firbank, Western Road, Haywards Heath, succumbed to typhoid fever and bronchial pneumonia on September 14th at the Military Hospital, Valetta, Malta. He had been invalided there from the Dardanelles. He was a signaller, and belonged to “A” Company. An Old Boy of St Wilfrid Schools, he was a gardener by occupation. After leaving school he was first employed at St Wilfrid’s Parsonage, then at Lucas Grange by Mr C G O Bridgeman, and latterly, and latterly at The Dell by Mr J A Moore. He joined the Territorials at the end of August, 1914. Previously he rose to the rank of Sergeant in the St Wilfrid’s Company of the Church Lads’ Brigade. He was 21 years of age. The information has reached England that he and others in the cemetery at Pietà, and wreaths, in accordance with the custom in Malta, were placed on all the coffins, bearing the inscription “Malta’s tribute to dead heroes. With deepest sympathy from the Daily Malta Chronicle Fund,” Much sympathy has been expressed with Private Prevett’s relatives in their sad loss.
His brother Herbert was then the sole provider for their sisters and widowed mother and according to the Sussex Agricultural Express appeared before a local tribunal in March 1917 for exemption from war service:
Herbert Prevett, aged 23, and single, and employed as a chemist's assistant, had his case adjourned for a fortnight. It appeared he was the sole support of a widowed mother and had three sisters aged 9, 13 and 15 years dependent upon him. The Tribunal wished to ascertain what grant the mother would receive were the son called up.
Their uncle, Robert Prevett, who was only 6 years older than Edward and was another St Wilfrid’s Old Boy, also died in the war.
Edward's mother was sent his effects of 12s 3d on 28 Dec 1915 and a War Gratuity of £3 10s on 30th July 1919.