Worked at Willesden Garage and killed in a WW1 air raid. The war memorial outside Willesden Bus Garage shows his name as F. Kreppell. However, most records show his surname spelt as Kreppel, including his entry in the marriage register at Christ Church, Camberwell where his signature is clearly decipherable as Frank Kreppel.
The book Zeppelin Onslaught: The Forgotten Blitz, 1914–1915 By Ian Castle and our Picture Source (in which Frank Kreppel is shown on the far right of the group of people) give much information about this man and his death.
Frank Kreppel was born on 11 November 1888 in Bermondsey, Surrey, the eldest of the seven children of Franz Kreppel (b. circa 1866-1939) and Ellen Kreppel née Fryer (1869-1945). His birth was registered in the 4th quarter of 1888 in the Camberwell registration district.
On 22 May 1890 both he and his brother, Alfred Thomas Kreppel (1890-1965), were baptised at the church of St Philip the Apostle, Camberwell. He was shown as living at 71 Bermondsey New Road, Southwark in the 1891 census, together with his parents and his brother. His father, who had now anglicised his forename to Frank, was described as a butcher's manager. (Part of Bermondsey New Road was renamed as Tower Bridge Road and the remainder as Bermondsey Street at some point prior to 1912).
School admission registers show that on 17 September 1894 both he and his brother were admitted to the Webb Street School, Southwark, their home address being recorded as 65 Bermondsey New Road. On 1 October 1896 he was moved to the Rolls Road School, Southwark and his address was now given as 457 Old Kent Road, Southwark.
The 1901 census confirms that he was still residing at 457 Old Kent Road, with his parents, four siblings: Alfred Thomas Kreppel, Ada Louise Kreppel (1895-1960), Charles Royal Kreppel (1897-1984) and Frances Kreppel (1900-1968), together with his maternal grandparents, Thomas & Louisa Fryer. His father was again described as a butcher. Another sibling, Ruby Ellen Kreppell (1898-1900), had died, aged 16 months, and was buried on 2 February 1900.
In the 1911 census he was listed as boarder living in a 5 roomed property at 14 Crofton Park Road, Brockley, the home of Mr Charles & Mrs Harriet Couture, together with their four children. Mr Couture described himself as a butcher.
His youngest sibling, Diana Josephine Sybil Kreppel (1914-1999) was born on 23 April 1914 and when she was baptised on 31 May 1914 at the church of St Nicholas, Sutton, Surrey, the baptismal register shows her parents were living at 14 Holmwood Villas, Gander Green Lane, Sutton and that her father was still a butcher.
On 25 December 1914 he married Edith Lilian Reynolds at Christ Church, Camberwell, where the marriage register shows him to have been a bachelor and stage coach driver living at 57 Peckham Park Road, Camberwell whilst his wife was recorded as a spinster residing at 38 Leyton Square, Camberwell.
He and his wife were to have one son, Frank Brayham Kreppel (1915-1989) who was born on 28 October 1915, seven weeks after he was killed, aged 26 years, on 8 September 1915 as a result of enemy action when a bomb from a German Zeppelin airship fell onto the route No.8 omnibus he was driving at Norton Folgate, Shoreditch.
He was buried on 15 September 1915 in Square 26, Grave 16873, in the Camberwell Old Cemetery, Forest Hill Road, London, SE22 0RU.
Credit for this entry to: Andrew Behan.
