Born in November 1897, Cyril William Cumner was the son of Ethel Anne and William H. Cumner, manager of Ilford Celluloid Company. In 1911, they were living at 53 Endsleigh Gardens, The Drive, Ilford. He attended Coopers Company School in Bow from 1907 to 1912, after which he became a celluloid goods manufacturer for The Ilford Company.
Cyril served in the London Regiment and was killed in action on 24th April 1918 at the Second Battle of Villers-Bretonneux, during the Battle of Lys. Four friends who were with him at the time of his death told his mother that the only thing they could find was his identity tag. Cyril was 20 years of age at the time of his death.
Cyril Cumner is buried in Adelaide Road Cemetery in France.
Some information / extracts have been reproduced with kind permission of Karen Pack from her book ‘Coopers’ Boys & Coborn Girls: Their Part in the Great War’ © Karen Pack, 2015
Sources:
Ancestry.com
ICHS school records and magazines
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
The following account, passed down through the generations, was sent to Redbridge Museum from one of Cyril’s descendants:
Cyril Cumner was from a family of Quakers, who opposed war, however, Cyril went against their wishes and joined the forces, where he eventually rose up the ranks to second lieutenant. When Cyril first left by train, his family turned their back on him as the train was leaving, since his decision to enlist was against their faith. It is something the family later deeply regretted.