Metal merchant, Alfred Dandridge, lived at Brooksleigh, 38 Albemarle Rd. His sons, Harold Charles, Alec Horton, William and Alfred Percy all assisted their father in his rag and metal business but joined the army when the war started.
Their brother, William Alfred, had married Ellen and was living at 49 Engleheart Rd, Catford.
Harold was a Corporal in the Royal Garrison Artillery, Alec was a Capt in the 4th London Brigade Royal Artillery and Percy a Lance Corporal in the Kings Royal Rifle Corps 20th battalion.
Percy wrote from the trenches in July 1916 speaking of his experiences in joining the army and finding himself out in the trenches all in the space of one week. ‘The weight of the pack that has to be carried on all occasions when the Regiment moves leaves a lasting impression, consisting of a belt, pouches, valise, haversack, blanket and gas and shrapnel helmets.
A long march on a hot day becomes a very poor pastime. Nearly all our time is taken up with cleaning and finding our equipment. Ruin and desolation abounds, villages in a mass of ruins, churches desecrated, old trenches full of thick evil smelling mud and enough broken German implements to stock a museum.
The best souvenir to take home is one’s head. It is not easy to get accustomed to the din and clatter of bursting bombs, popping machine guns, sizzling shrapnel, ping of rifle bullets and explosion of trench mortars. To see a company of soldiers rigged out in gas helmets is enough to boggle the imagination. We have our cheery times with many a concert (Percy was well known in local music circles) with songs, ballads, choruses and recitations.
Pack up your troubles in your old kit bag goes very well until Fritz find the top of the dugout with his shell when one’s smile changes to an anxious look of who can get out first before it all collapses.
Life up near the line is of continual excitement, daily air attacks, artillery duels, attacks and counter attacks but overall there is a longing for peace, which our enemies must wish for even more than we do.’
Sadly Percy died at Abbeyville aged 29 on 6/8/1916 shortly after he wrote this letter and his grave is in the SOMME COMMUNAL CEMETERY.