Colonel Sir (William)Alan Gillett T.D.,D.L. [11]

  General Notes:

Lived with his parents in Knight's Hill,Norwood,Lambeth,Surrey in 1881
At Marlborough College 1892-1897,House C3.Prefect.Rugby first team 1896.Gym 8 in 1896/7.
Lived at Colyton,114 St. Julians Road,Streatham,SW,London in circa 1897- 1908.
Started working at Bailey,Shaw and Gillett,5 Berners Street,London in 1902 as per letters from Cedric Longstaff who wrote to him from South Africa during the Boer War.
Lived at Colyton,114 Leigham Court Road,Streatham,SW,London from circa 1909 to 1927.
Applied for membership of the Swiss Alpine Club in 1909 and climbed extensively in the Alps.

Captain in East Surrey Regiment in 1911.
Colonel East Surrey Rifles Regiment,France 1915.
Somerset Light Infantry,Somme 1918.(Note the Memorial plaque to Captain Guy Horsman Bailey who died in the Battle of the Somme in 1915)
Lieutenant Colonel,5th Battalion,East Surrey Regiment.
Officer Commanding in 1920.Colonel 1924 at time of retirement.
Commanded 5th Bn The East Surrey Regiment from August 1920 to 9th April 1924.
He joined the Streatham Detachment of 2nd Vol Bn The East Surrey Regiment renamed in 1908 as 5th Battalion in 1898.
In 1911 he was promoted major and was second-in-command of the Battalion in August 1914.
In September 1914 he was appointed to raise, train and command the 2/5th Battalion. After the Battalion had been disbanded he was attached in May 1918 to the 1st Battalion in France and then commanded 11th Bn The Somerset Light Infantry.
In August 1920 he was appointed to raise and command the reformed 5th Battalion.
He retired on 9th April 1924 having completed his tour of command.
A Trustee of the Whiteley Trust from 11 July 1925 until his death on 18 february 1959.
From 15th October 1927 to 29th January 1935 he held the appointment of Honorary Colonel of the 5th Battalion

Bailey,Shaw and Gillett held their Centenary dinner in London on the 27 June 1927 when reference was made to E Horsman Bailey Esq.(his brother in law), as being the senior partner.
Awarded the Territorial Decoration.(T D)

Lived at Dick Turpin Cottage,Stoney Cross,Lyndhurst as per a letter to his son Gran dated 28 August 1932.
President Law Society 1948/9
Knighted as per the New Years Honours list,January 1949.TD DL.
Deputy Lt for Surrey.

Senior partner,Bailey,Shaw and Gillett with offices at 5 Berners Street,London..
President of the Law Society in 1948/49.Refer portrait in National Portrait Gallery <https://www.npg.org.uk/collections/search/portrait/mw221886/Sir-William-Alan-Gillett?LinkID=mp133293&role=sit&rNo=0>

A Trustee of St John's school,Leatherhead.Viscount Montgomery of Alamein was the Chairman of the Council at the time.
Lived at Hallaton,Garlands Road,Leatherhead and later at Glebe House,Vicarage Lane,Leatherhead.
Hallaton was sold to St Johns school in 1955 and is today a residence for girls.
He died on 18th February 1959 aged 80.

Memorial service held at Leatherhead Parish Church,St. Mary and Nicholas, on 3rd March 1959 at 2.30pm.
Buried with his wife Ella in the grounds of the Parish Church of Saint Mary and Saint Nicholas,Leatherhead.

An appreciation of his service is set out in the Journal of The East Surrey Regiment Vol III No 63 February 1935 page 25.
For obituary see the Journal of The East Surrey Regiment Vol VIII No 4 May 1959 page 120.

Note.
Bailey,Shaw and Gillett merged with Speechly Bircham of Fleet Street on 1 April 1997 after 170 yrs at 5 Berners Street,London..

  Noted events in his life were:

• He worked as a Solicitor,Baileys,Shaw and Gillett,5 Berners St., London.President of the Law Society 1948/9.

• He was educated at Marlborough College 1892-1897, T.D.,D.LHurst Court prep school,Ore,Hastings 1889-1892.

• He was Anglican.

(William)Alan married Lady Ella Mabel Chetwynd-Stapylton JP [12] [MRIN: 6], daughter of Granville Brian Chetwynd-Stapylton [81] and Elizabeth(Kitty) Routledge [82], on 14 Jun 1911 in St.Mary And Nicholas, Leatherhead. (Lady Ella Mabel Chetwynd-Stapylton JP [12] was born on 22 Nov 1889 in Chetwynd, Florida, USA, christened in Holy Trinity Episcopal Mission, Chetwynd, Florida, USA, died on 11 Jun 1974 in Tavistock, Devon and was buried on 17 Jun 1974 in St. Mary And St. Nicholas, Leatherhead.)