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Spr. Edward "Teddy" Denney
British Army 4th Signals Coy. Royal Engineers
from:London
My Grandfather, Edward Denney, was born 1st April 1882, in Earls Road, Camberwell, South London. The 1901 census has him living in East London with his Mother and is listed as a Horse Keeper and Groom. He joined the 15th Hussars circ.1902 as a Private, Groom, Reg 4497.I know that on 3rd June 1908, he was based in Ampala, India, he was doing a Military course in Telegraphy, apparently he could do 20.4 words in Open circuit, 20.8 in Closed circuit and send 20.9 words by Morse code, no idea if that's good but he passed. He was also trained as a Linesman and telephone operator. On 16 Apr 1909, he was in Dehli, India, taking a Signalling test, this is according to his Pay Book, which has the 15th lined through and replaced with the 13th Hussars at some unknown time. Sometime during his time aboard with the regular Army, he contracted Malaria. In the early part of the 20th Century both the 13th Hussars and the 15th Hussars were stationed in India. The 15th left for South Africa on October 30th 1909,it is possible that grandfather either remained in India with the 13th or more likely returned from South Africa around March 1911. His Pay book is missing entries from Oct 1909 to April 1911 and my Mum remembered having a pressed flower, which only grows on Table Top Mountain, SA. The 15th returned to England from SA, Jan 1913. On the 20 Aug 1910, he was in Trimulgherry, India. (from his Telegraphy Instruction Certificate. In the 8th of Mar 1911 he was in Meerut, India with 13th Hussars, Reg. No.4838. On the 2nd Apr 1911 in Meerut he is recorded on the Census as with the 13th Hussars. On the 3rd of Jun 1911 he is at Roorkee, India.
Grandfather is not listed with the 13th in 1914; His RE service number 23697, would suggest he joined the Royal Engineers in late 1912. On the 22nd Aug 1914 he was with the BEF, 4th signals Coy Royal Engineers Reg No.23697 and on the 8th of Sep 1915, he was discharged after thirteen years service.
Abt. 1916 he re-enlisted with the Royal Engineers, his new Reg No.165507 On the 3rd of Mar 1917, wearing his Royal Engineers Uniform, he married Ethel Foster, a Postwoman from Hornsey, in Christ Church, Hornsey, North London. They had first met around 1912 and Ethel always said she had fallen for his very smart Hussars uniform, I have photos of him in Dress Blue and White Tropical uniforms and I can see why. In August 2010 one of their wedding photos appeared in The Daily Mirror newspaper as an example of 1910s wedding fashions.
After the war he joined the GPO as a telephonist, well, being a signaller, I suppose that would be a good move. Edward was one of the lucky ones, in so much as he lived through the war and died in Romford, December 1950. I say this but he was never really a well man after the war.
He was a member of the Old Contemptibles Association. The "Old Contemptibles" title was adopted by the men of the BEF who saw service before 22nd November 1914. The honourable title comes from the "Order of the Day" given by Kaiser Wilhelm to exterminate first the treacherous English; and walk over General French's contemptible little Army." Unfortunately, unless someone knows better, his records must have been destroyed during the bombing of London in WW2 as I cannot trace either service or pension records for him.
