Name
Amos Wilfred Pryor
22/04/1883
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
14/09/1914
33
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
L/8075
Royal Fusiliers
4th Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
1914 (Mons) Star, British War and Victory Medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
LA FERTE-SOUS-JOUARRE MEMORIAL
France
Headstone Inscription
He has no Headstone. He is commemorated on the La Ferte-Sous-Jouarre Memorial in France to the missing.
UK & Other Memorials
Cheshunt Town Memorial, Church of St Mary the Virgin Memorial Cheshunt
Pre War
Amos William Pryor was born in Waltham Abbey, Essex, on 22nd April 1883, son of John Pryor a, Hay Binder and Elizabeth Pryor (nee Hasler). The eighth of nine children.
He was Baptised at the church of St Lawrence & Holy Cross, Waltham Holy Cross, Essex, on 20th May 1883.
1891 Census records Amos aged 8, living with his parents, sister Edith (18), brothers Alfred (16) and Albray (10) at, 4 Paternoster Hill, Waltham Holy Cross, Essex.
His father John Pryor died in 1893, aged 55, the death was registered in Edmonton, Middx.
On 23rd April 1900, aged 18, Amos enlisted in the 5th Royal Fusiliers Militia, embodied on 23rd May 1900, to the Royal Fusiliers with the service number 2678.
Amos married Florence Izzard of Weedon, Northamptonshire, the daughter of James and Betsy Izzard, on 19th March 1910, at Waltham Cross, Herts.
1911 Census records Amos, married to Florence, they are living at 23 Cecil Road, Cheshunt, Herts. He is employed as a Nursery Hand.
Wartime Service
At the outbreak of war the 4th Battalion, Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regiment) was stationed at Parkhurst Barracks on the Isle of Wight (Later Albany Barracks) they were mobilized for war on 8th August 1914. Amos and the Battalion landed at Le Havre, France, on 13th August 1914.
The Battalion moved on to La Longueville, arriving on the 20th August 1914, some 20 miles from Mons. On 22nd they advanced to Nimy and the Canal, the Battalion was located between the Rail and Road Bridges over the canal. The Germans attack came on the 23rd August, (Battle of Mons 23rd August 1914), The attack was too strong and in the early afternoon the Battalion was forced to fall back, starting the retreat from Mons (Retreat from Mons 24th August – 28th September 1914). (The Royal Fusiliers were awarded 2 VCs for acts of Gallantry that day).
Amos was Killed in Action on 14th September 1914, during the Battle of the Aisne, he has no known grave, he is commemorated on the La Ferte-Sous-Jouarre Memorial to the Missing (a Memorial to those killed with no known grave in the Retreat from Mons, the Battles of the Marne and Aisne).
Additional Information
Florence was awarded a widow’s pension of 10/- a week from 31st May 1915, and his effects of £3-00-10, pay owing and his war gratuity of £5.
His Militia service record is available On-Line.
Acknowledgments
Stuart Osborne
