Strickland, Eugene

Eugene was born at Ashwell, Hertfordshire on 20 December 1880, the second son of Charles and Annie (nee Stamford) Strickland.  He was a pupil at the Merchant Taylor School in Ashwell.

Eugene enlisted with the Royal Army Service Corps on 3 May 1916, Private, Regimental Number 214960.  On 8 December 1916 he was posted to the Royal Army Service Corps Remounts Division, Lance Corporal, Regimental Number RX4/214960.  The ASC Remounts Service was responsible for the provisioning of horses and mules to all other army units.  Eugene embarked with the Expeditionary Force for the Western Front, France and Flanders on 28 November 1917 and was promoted to Acting Corporal.  On 1 January 1918 he was promoted to Corporal.  He survived the War and was demobbed on 13 June 1919.

Eugene was awarded the British War Medal and the Victory Medal.

He is commemorated on the St Mary’s Church Ashwell Roll of Honour, and on the Mobberley, Cheshire, Parish Roll of Honour.

The 1901 census shows Eugene living in Troutbeck, Cumbria, a groom on the Langdale Chase Estate.  There he met his wife, Edith Greenup, who was also working on the estate.  The 1911 census shows they had moved to the Knutsford/Altrincham area of Cheshire.

Eugene and Edith married at St Mary’s Church, Ashton-in-Mersey, Sale, Cheshire on 16 November 1912.  The 1914 Slaters Directory shows Eugene living in Altrincham, Cheshire.

The 1939 census shows them again living in Cockermouth, Cumbria where Eugene was the caretaker of the Whinlatter Isolation Hospital.  It is not known if they had children.

Eugene died in Cumbria, the Carlisle District, on 27 December 1965.

Eugene’s brothers Bertie Charles, Percy, Victor and William all served and survived the War.  His brother Oben died of wound on the Western Front in December 1917.