Alfred Percy Fullick

Pioneer Alfred Percy Fullick of the Royal Engineers was killed in action in France on 30 June 1916 during a night attack immediately before the beginning of the Battle of the Somme which started on the following day. The day he died was the final day of a five day bombardment by 1,500 British guns in which 1.5 million shells had been fired at the German lines to little effect.

He came from a well known local family. A long time resident of Hampton Wick, Derek Shail, recalled in his reminiscences (a copy of which is held at Hampton Wick library) how his maternal grandfather,“Tom” Fullick, a fireman in Hampton Wick, had received the Royal Humane Society medal for saving a woman from drowning and another member of the family, William Fullick, is listed in High Street Traders as having a tobacconist’s shop at 56 High Street in 1899.

More information can be found on Alfred Fullick here, a page from the website of Ted Croucher, a relative. His parents were Alfred Thomas Fullick, a boatbuilder, (1874-1959) and Eliza Fullick (nee Wright) (1871-1944). He apparently started his life in Hampton Wick, being christened at St John the Baptist on 27 October 1895. Subsequently, he migrated across the Thames to Kingston. At the time of the 1901 Census, he is listed as living at 60 Acre Road, Kingston with his Wright family relations, including his grandparents, uncles and aunt. His parents oddly lived a few houses away at 44 Acre Rd. Perhaps his parents simply did not have room for him as they had eight children. Ten years later Alfred Fullick was a boot maker living with his parents and four brothers (Arthur Thomas; Fred Charles; Albert Edward and William Cecil) and one sister, Fifi Louise, in five rooms at 39 East Rd, Kingston.

According to his entry in UK Soldiers who died in the Great War, Alfred Fullick enlisted as a Fusilier (24011) in the 3rd Battalion Special Brigade of the Corps of Royal Engineers at Hampton Hill. By this time his parents had moved back to Hampton Wick and were living at 96 High Street. Alfred gave his place of residence on enlistment as Hampton Wick. He subsequently became a Pioneer (128213) in the Corps of Royal Engineers. Unfortunately, Alfred was killed aged just 21 on 30 June 1916, possibly of gas wounds. He is buried in the Berkshire Cemetery Extension at Hainault in Belgium.

His obituary in The Surrey Comet dated 8 July 1916 gives his occupation as a shoemaker and states that he was the eldest son of Alfred Thomas Fullick who was employed as a foreman of Burgoine’s Boatyard. According to the obituary, his parents lived at 31 High St, Hampton Wick (presumably having moved from 96 High St, Hampton Wick). He had attended the Endowed School in Hampton Wick (as well as, according to his second obituary in The Surrey Comet dated 2 September 1916, the Richmond Road (Kingston) Council School). He was apparently a keen swimmer being a member of the Kingston Institute Swimming Club where he had won many prizes. According to his obituary his father had set him up as a shoemaker at their home in about 1913 and he had “established a nice little trade” by the time he was called up.

He volunteered for the army in December 1915 under the Derby Scheme and was called up in February 1916 originally joining the Fusiliers . He was transferred to the Royal Engineers in April with whom he was serving when he was killed. He was buried at Ploegstoert where a cross was erected to his memory.

He was survived by a younger brother Arthur Thomas Fullick. Apparently, he had two brothers also serving in France: Alfred, attached to the Black Watch who had been in France since the beginning of the war, and Arthur who had joined the Wimbledon Brigade of the Royal Field Artillery in September 1915.