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Alwyn Wilson Ball - not on MIC, CWGC or SDGW ?!


Guest Pete Wood

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I am trying to find information on Alwyn Ball. He was a London architect, born in around 1891.

The only Alwyn Ball I could find is:

Name: BALL, ALWYN LANCASTER

Initials: A L

Nationality: United Kingdom

Rank: Sub-Lieutenant

Regiment: Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve

Unit Text: Nelson Bn. R.N. Div.

Date of Death: 13/11/1916

Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead

Grave/Memorial Reference: Pier and Face 1 A

Cemetery: THIEPVAL MEMORIAL

I have two post-war notices saying the architect Alwyn Ball was killed in action in the Great War.

Is this my man....?? Is the Wilson part of his name, wrong? To be the right man, Alwyn Lancaster Ball would have to be an architect born in around 1890.

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Auckland Weekly News 5 dec 1918

New Zealand Air Fighters

Some interesting information is now available concerning the part which New Zealanders have played in air fighting against the enemy on the west front. A famous fighting squadron was the 74th, and during the last 7 months of the war it was composed entirely of New Zealanders.

Previous to that time it was commanded by

Captain A.BALL, V.C., D.S.O., M.C.,

who was accounted the best single air fighter in the British service. He was killed, and Major CALDWELL, a New Zealander, succeeded to the command.

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Previous to that time it was commanded by

Captain A.BALL, V.C., D.S.O., M.C.,

who was accounted the best single air fighter in the British service. He was killed....

Thanks, Christine. But that man, one of my heroes, was Albert Ball.

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Well, It was just luck that I found that reference anyway, but I thought it might be him :D

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We are co-ordinating a database of the men commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial. The database will be available on computers which are in the new visitor centre.

As a result of our researches the database includes the following information (but no picture) on Alwyn Lancaster Ball which we got from the University College Roll.

Sub-Lieutenant, Nelson Battalion, Royal Naval Division, Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve

Died 13th November 1916, aged 32

Second son of W E Ball LL.D of 3 Pump Court, Temple, Barrister-at-Law.

He took a course in Law at UCL, 1901-4, passing Intermediate in his second year; afterwards he practiced as an architect at 29b Lincoln’s Inn Fields.

So he seems to fit the bill although born in 1884 not 1890/1.

If this is the right one and you have any further information or a picture we would be happy to add it to the database record in a subsequent update.

Regards

Pam and Ken Linge

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Pam/Ken

The address at 29b Lincoln's Inn Fields confirms this is my man.

I'll add some info to this post this afternoon, and give you a few more details on him.

Thank you so much. The age you've given him also helps me enormously. I was confused at how he could have achieved so much, so young.

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The family home was at Hardenfoot, Brasted (Kent).

His father's name was William Edward Ball.

Alwyn worked at 12 South Square London, before moving to Lincoln's Inn Fields and was a member (on the outer fringes) of The Bloomsbury Group. He was also friends with the maritime artist, and inventor of 'Dazzle camouflage for ships, Norman Wilkinson RNVR.

Here is the bit of info (never trust an estate agent), from The Times (dated 1971) that you have so kindly put right. The relevant part is highlighted.....

post-1-1094419997.jpg

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Here's yer man on the 1891 census, aged 6.

SN

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