War Memorials – WW1 – Surnames Z

Back to our main war memorials page

Index

Click on the name to jump to the relevant entry.

ZANDER, Arthur Charles (Revised 07/05/2013)

Please contact us if you have information or pictures that can extend this entry.

If you are looking for someone whose name starts with a different letter please try:

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

ZANDER Arthur Charles, Lance Corporal. 279.
7th Battalion East Surrey Regiment.
Killed in Action 9 April 1917, aged 22.

Arthur’s headstone in Ste. Catherine British Cemetery
Image courtesy of Clive Gilbert ©2009

Note: Arthur’s headstone shows his initials as AE rather than AC. The CWGC has acknowledged that AE is incorrect and will amend their records accordingly. On 2 January 2025 the Commission wrote:

Dear Mr Gilbert,

Thank you for your enquiry.

Upon review of the evidence you’ve provided, as well as that which we hold in our records, I can confirm Lance Corporal A C Zander’s initials are incorrectly listed on our website and should be amended from ‘A E Zander’ to ‘A C Zander.’ This inaccuracy is likely due to a historic scanning error. Seeing as these documents also show ‘A C Zander’s’ forenames to be ‘Albert Charles,’ I have added these as well. These changes have now been made on L/Cpl Zander’s casualty profile, and this should appear on our website in the coming days.

The Commission is committed to ensuring correct and fitting commemoration for all Commonwealth war casualties, so I’d like to thank you for taking the time to submit this query and helping us to fulfil this commitment.

Best of luck with your future research.

Kind Regards
Megan Dalgleish
Commemorations Support Coordinator

Arthur Charles Zander was born in Haigh Street, Liverpool in 1895 (GRO reference: Mar 1895 West Derby 8b 288) to Albert James and Jane Florence Zander. His mother had been born in Burgh Heath, Surrey and his father in Rotherhithe, London. His father was of Polish descent, and was aged 21 when he married 28-year-old spinster Jane Florence Farley in Christ Church, Watney Street, Tower Hamlets, Middlesex on 22 December 1888.

None of the Zander family have been found in the 1891 census. After their son Arthur Robert’s birth in 1892, the family moved to Liverpool where, in 1894, Charles and Arthur Robert both died within a week of each other in the city hospital. It would appear that Arthur Charles was named in remembrance of his two deceased brothers when he was born the following year. The family returned south where, on 13 December 1897, Arthur’s sister Alma Amelia was born in the Epsom registration district; she was baptised 26 June 1899 in All Saints church, Saint Pancras, Camden, London. Her death was registered in the Pancras registration district in 1899.

Arthur’s sister Minner Florence was born in 1900 in Diceland Road, Banstead and the family were still living there when the 1901 census was taken. Arthur’s father Albert was a 33-year-old journeyman upholsterer working on his own account from home, and his mother Florence was 40. His brother Ernest Albert was aged 11, Arthur himself was aged 6 and his sister Minner, who was recorded as Mina, was aged 11 months. The following year while living in the High Street, Walton-on-the-Hill, another sister, Clara, was born.

In August 1903, with the exception of Arthur’s father, the family, having come from Leatherhead, were recorded as inmates of the Epsom Union Workhouse. Twelve-year-old Ernest, seven-year-old Arthur and three year old ‘Minnie’ [Minner] were admitted on 7 August, while their mother and one year old sister Clara were admitted the following day. Records show that due to a ‘Police Order’, Arthur’s mother and sister Clara were discharged two days later on 10 August but returned again on 17 August.

On 26th August 1903, Clara aged 1, Minna (sic) aged 3, Arthur aged 9, and Ernest aged 12, were all baptised in the Epsom Union Workhouse Chapel. Their parents were recorded as Albert James, upholster, and Florence Jane Zander of Walton-on the-Hill. Jane and her children were all discharged on 31 August 1903 at Jane’s request.

There is also a record for Ernest Zander, a 31 year old upholster from Ashtead, being admitted on 8 January 1911 and being ‘Discharged to father’ on 8 March 1911. Ernest’s age would seem to be a transcription error and should have been aged 21.

By 1911 the family had moved to 7 Park Walk, Ashtead where Arthur’s father was working from home as a ‘Stuffer to the upholstery trade’. His parents had been married for 23 years and had had 7 children, three of which had died. Arthur’s mother occasionally worked as a laundress, while brother Ernest was an improver in the upholstery trade and sister Minia (sic) [Minner] was aged 10 and sister Clara was aged 8. 16-year-old Arthur was working as a gardener’s assistant in Ashtead Park. His father however has misrecorded his son as Arthur Robert.

Arthur served in 7th Battalion East Surrey Regiment, which was in the 37th Brigade, 12th Division. He left England on 1 June 1915, and disembarked at Boulogne at 2a.m. on 2 June.

Trench Map of the Arras Area – Click image to enlarge.

Arthur fought in the battle of Arras, which commenced on 9 April 1917. The East Surrey History tells us that at 5.30a.m., about a mile east of Arras near the Cambrai Road, the 7th East Surreys commenced their attack. They captured their objective, the ‘black line’ by 6.15a.m. Capturing their objective cost the lives of 41 men killed in action, including Arthur.

Arthur is buried in plot G.6. Ste. Catherine British Cemetery.

The St Martin’s Church Roll of Honour states that:

ARTHUR CHARLES ZANDER, was killed in action at Arras on the 9th April 1917.

He was awarded the 1915 Star, British War medal and the Victory medal.

After Arthur’s death his brother Ernest Albert enlisted on 29 June 1917 into the Labour Corps and was later discharged on 13 December 1919. He was not a very robust man; on enlistment he was classified as medical grade C2. He died, aged 32, in the Kingston district in 1922.

Arthur’s mother died at home in ‘Briar Cottage’, Rosebery Road, Epsom Downs and was buried on 10 July 1934 in grave K400 in Epsom Cemetery. His 70-year-old father Albert also died at the same address and was buried in the same grave space as his late wife on 7 June 1938.

EP SM

Back to the index

Please contact us if you have information or pictures that can extend this entry.

Please Note: We believe that the information on this page is accurate however users should satisfy themselves that the information is correct before incurring any expense or undertaking any journeys. This is particularly important when purchasing certificates from other bodies, for example the General Register Office. You might like to use the following links to Freebmd and Find My Past (Links open in a new window).