​Colin Archibald Russell died on this day 17 May 2013

A chemist and historian of science born at 72 Pendennis Road, Streatham. On 1 September 1954 he married Shirley Pickering Sinclair (b. 1929), a schoolteacher, in the parish church of Immanuel, Streatham.

With his colleagues Russell produced three major interdisciplinary courses at the Open University, 'Science and the Rise of Technology', 'Science and Belief: From Copernicus to Darwin', both in 1973, and 'The Rise of Scientific Europe' in 1992.
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On This Day 16th May 1915 George Leslie Pratt was killed

Eldest son of George Pratt who owned a department store in Streatham, George Leslie Pratt was tragically killed in WW1

He attended Dulwich 1903-1906 and the address given for him is Camden House, Bank Buildings, 426-450 Streatham High Road

Born on May 28th 1890, George was the eldest of four children of George and Florence Pratt; his father ran George Pratt & Co., a gentleman’s outfitters and early department store on Streatham High Road which was, at the time, the largest shop in Streatham and later became part of the John Lewis Partnership.

In September 1914, the month after Britain declared war, he volunteered for military service, at first as a member of the University and Public Schools Battalion of the Royal Fusiliers. That December George was granted a commission in the 3rd Battalion of The Queen’s and spent the next four months stationed at Chatham before, in March 1915, being attached to the 2nd Battalion with whom he went over to the front for the first time. After just two months in France however he was dead, having been killed in action near Festubert on May 16th.
​(Source Dulwich College)

Lance Corporal William Stirling Claridge was killed On This Day 13th May 1915. Resident of 24 Becmead Ave

William was born in Tulse Hill on June 10th 1895, the second child of John Claridge, a linen company manager, and his wife Anne. After he had left Dulwich he remained a keen member of the Old Alleynians, regularly turning out for the team.
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Once hostilities commenced William joined up, becoming a member of the London Rifle Brigade and subsequently going over to France on 8th November; during the subsequent winter he spent a significant amount of time in the front line trenches. On May 13th 1915 he was fighting at the second battle of Ypres when he passed away, a month short of his 20th birthday.