Edward Still was born in Chailey around 1893.  The 1901 Census of England & Wales records the family living at North Common, Chailey.  Albert Still (37), headed the family and gave his trade as an ordinary agricultural labourer.  The rest of the family comprised Albert’s 37 year old wife Fanny and their eight children: Alice (aged 15 and working as a laundry maid), Albert (aged 13, working as a telegraph boy), Alfred (12), Arthur (nine), Daisy Maud (seven), Edward (seven), Ernest (four) and George Henry (nine months).

Chailey Parish Magazine first records Edward Still in its September 1916 edition, reporting: Still, Private E, 2nd Queen’s Royal West Surrey Regt, England.  Two months later, it notes that Edward Still is now a lance-corporal and is in France.

Given the inevitable delay in publishing information received, it is likely that Edward Still went to France in September or October 1916 as part of a draft reinforcement.  The 2nd Queens was a regular battalion which had been based in Pretoria, South Africa, when war was declared.  On 19th September 1914 it had landed at Southampton and joined the 22nd Brigade in the 7th Division at Lyndhurst.

The division remained on the Western Front until November 1917 when it was transferred to the Italian Front.  By this time though, Edward Still had been transferred to The Labour Corps possibly as a result of wounds or sickness (although Chailey Parish Magazine mentions neither of these).

The National Archives in London records Edward Still’s rank as Corporal (both with the 2nd Queens and The Labour Corps) and his army numbers as 19379 and 57356 respectively.

Four of Edward’s five brothers: Albert Still, Arthur Still, Ernest Still and George Henry Still, also served their King and Country during the First World War.

Sources & Acknowledgements:

• 1901 Census of England & Wales
• Chailey Parish Magazine
• British Regiments, 1914-18 by Brigadier E A James, OBE, TD (Samson Books, 1978)
• Your Country Needs You by Martin Middlebrook (Leo Cooper, 2000)