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1895 - 13/07/1918

Last known address in Bromley: Ripstone Lower Gravel Road

Military information

Regiment/Service: Royal Field Artillery
Battalion/Ship: 390th Bty 37th Bde
Rank: Bombardier
Number: 731088

Family information

Parents: Charles William & Mary Filtness (nee Smith)
Parents' occupation: Gardener
Siblings: Gladys Naomi, Gerald Vernon
Wife: Florence Emily Westbrook
Marriage date: 1918
Children: Dorothy G

Census information

1901
Address: Upper Church Road, Godalming
1911
Address: 28 Bourne Road
Occupation: Mercantile clerk

Extra details

Eric was the second of Charles and Mary Filtness's three children. By 1905 the family had settled in Bromley where Eric attended Raglan Road School. On leaving school he took employment as a clerk at the Wool Exchange.

Eric was a member of the Society of Bromley Youths, bell-ringers at Bromley Parish Church and also a member of the Kent County Association of Change Ringers. He had learnt to ring at the age of 16 and made rapid progress, ringing a number of peals in Kent and Sussex in a variety of methods. His first peal as conductor was at Bromley on 30 June 1914. He had been in the choir at St Luke's prior to taking up bell-ringing.

Eric enlisted in 1915 in the Welsh Royal Field Artillery, but transferred to another battery in November 1916 and went to Palestine in May 1917. Eric had special leave in early 1918 to return home to marry Florence Emily Westbrook, their daughter was born shortly after.

Eric died on 13th July 1918, Florence never remarried.

Thank you to the Kent County Association of Change Ringers Archive for their assistance.