Ronald William Aspden

Rank 
Second Lieutenant
Regiment 
Royal Fusiliers
Date of death 
8 August 1917
Age of death 
23
Address 
6 Derby Villas
Derby Road
South Woodford
Woodford
E18 2PU
Address source 
1911 Census
Cemetery / Memorial 
Belgium
Biography 

Born 5th September 1893 at Walthamstow, son of William James (Carpenter Journeyman) and Jane Sophia Aspden. William died in 1896 from a brain tumour. In 1901 Jane had married Robert Alloway Legg (Deputy Overseer in Print Industry) in 1900, and they plus Ronald and his brother Harold were living with them at 6 Derby Villas, Derby Road, South Woodford. Ronald was educated at Chigwell Grammar School. In 1911 he is listed as a Junior Clerk to Blagdon Waugh & Co Chemical Merchants, still living at 6 Derby Villas, Derby Road with his brother and step siblings. By 1917 the family home was at “Ruswarp” 69 Malmesbury Road, South Woodford.

He initially joined the 6th Battalion London Regiment (Royal Fusiliers) one month after the war began, and was sent to France with them on 1st August 1915. As a Lance Corporal he was awarded the Military Medal for bravery in the field, and later became a Corporal in machine gun section.

After training in 3 Officer Cadet Battalion at Bristol he was commissioned into 5 Royal Fusiliers on 25th April 1917, later joining 2 Royal Fusiliers. He was wounded when this Battalion relieved the Grenadier Guards in the trenches at Boesinghe, Ypres, in Belgium, and he died of those wounds on 7th August 1917 at Ypres. His mother inherited his personal possessions.

Research by Adrian Lee, Local Historian

Sources:

Ancestry.com