Third of the Old Boys of my school to die in WW1.
Driver, 45704, Royal Horse Artillery and Royal Field Artillery
Born in Scaynes Hill, Sussex, in 1885 son of Philip and Annie Botting who ran the grocer’s and draper’s shop in the village. His mother had also attended St Wilfrid’s school as a girl (as Annie Maria Gaston) and started first as a pupil, then a monitor and worked her way up to become a teacher there. Allen had also attended Scaynes Hill school, and had some private education at Belvedere School.
By 1911 Allen was already in the Army having joined in 1906, serving in India with the 76th Battery Royal Field Artillery.
Allen entered the European war on 16 August 1914 and died of wounds at Wimereux, France, on 3 Nov 1914. He is buried at Wimereux Communal Cemetery, grave I. A. 10A.
This is the War Memorial from Scaynes Hill church with his name on, he was also a choirboy here