Co-partner or employee of the South Suburban Gas Company. Served but did not die in WW1.
Victor Ralph Farley Chipperfield was born on 21 August 1897, a son of Henry William Chipperfield (b. circa 1867) and Bessie Chipperfield née Farley (b. circa 1866). His birth was registered in the 3rd quarter of 1897 in the Lambeth registration district.
In the 1901 census he is shown as living at 34 Rommany Road, Norwood, South London, with his parents. His father was described as a gardener. Baptismal registers show that when his brother, Henry William Chipperfield (b.1904), was baptised on 25 January 1905 the family was still residing at this address.
When his father completed the 1911 census return form he was shown as living in a four roomed property at 64 Woodlands Road, Upper Norwood, London SE, with his parents and younger brother. The census return also discloses that his parents had by then three children but that only two were still alive and that his father was still a gardener.
During WW1 he served in the Royal Engineers, service number 70680, and he entered France on 7 October 1915. He was discharged on 24 March 1919 and was awarded the 1914-1915 Star, the British War Medal 1914-1918 and the Victory Medal. The medal roll for his 1914-1915 Star showed him as a Pioneer, but the roll for his War and Victory medals described him as a Sapper.
Electoral registers from 1920 continued to show him listed at 64 Woodlands Road, Norwood. He married Suzette Pauline Ricks (1918-2003) in the 3rd quarter of 1939 in the Lambeth registration district. The 1939 England and Wales Register shows them both residing at 64 Woodlands Road but it incorrectly gives his date of birth as 21 August 1895. His occupation was recorded as a plumber & general builder's foreman but also shows he also served in the Demolition & Rescue Section of the Air Raid Precautions service. His wife was described as a telephone operator. She had been appointed as a telephonist in the London Telephone Service in June 1936 and she used her work experience to also serve in the Air Raid Precautions service as a telephone operator.
Telephone directories show him listed until 1944 at 64 Woodlands Road, London, SE19, but from 1946 he was listed as V. Chipperfield, Builder & Decorator, 26 Beach Road, Clacton-on-Sea, Essex.
He died, aged 58 years, his death being registered in the 4th quarter of 1955 in the Colchester registration district, Essex.
Credit for this entry to: Andrew Behan.
