Eric Leslie Mellersh

Eric was brought up at 34 Nicoll Road, Harlesdon, London, NW, and in St Albans, Hertfordshire - initially at "Sherley," Clarence Road, then "Bridlemere," also in Clarence Road. For secondary schooling, from abt 1904 to abt 1909, he went to Berkhamsted School. He went to Cambridge University (Selwyn College), from abt 1909 to 1912, starting off studying maths but apparently later changing to geography. Eric became a teacher in 1912, teaching at: Rossall School, Yorkshire; St Saviour's, Ardingly, Sussex; and Monmouth Grammar School. He was an army officer from 11 December 1916 (from Officers Cadet Unit to 2nd Lieutenant (on probation) - ref: London Gazette, 20 Dec 1916, Supplement, page 12428) to about 1919 in the Royal Garrison Artillery (58th Army Brigade). On 24 January 1917 he entered the theatre of war. In 1918 Eric was mentioned in dispatches, as Lt (A./Capt) (ref: London Gazette, 20 Dec 1918, Supplement 23 Dec 1918, page 15036). Later he was awarded the Victory and British medals. Upon Marriage (1918) Eric lived at 17 Edenbridge Road, Bush Hill Park, Enfield, Middlesex, and from 1923 for about 50 years at 55 Abbey Road, Enfield. Eric was a schoolmaster at Enfield Grammar School, Middlesex, from 1921 until his retirement in 1957. Between about 1925 and 1927 he was in Switzerland, recuperating from TB. Eric was one of the first teachers nationally to take school parties abroad; from 1930 taking schoolboys to Germany (and including his own son Gareth). Interests included: chess (gained half-blue at Cambridge); crossword puzzles (won a Ximines prize from Observer newspaper); classical music (mostly on the wireless); travel (Britain & Europe); and architecture (esp ecclesiastical). After his wife Una died in 1974, Eric moved to a residential care home in Minehead, Somerset, in the same town where his daughter Barbara & son-in-law Alex lived.