Category Archives: accident

Able Seaman, accident, Boy, Commonwealth War Graves, Great War, history, Pembrokeshire, photography, Royal Navy, Somerset, story, war

Able Seaman Percy Strong

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Able Seaman Percy Strong

Percy William Strong was born in April 1897, the youngest of five children to Albert Strong and his wife Elizabeth. The family lived in Shepton Mallet, Somerset, where Albert worked as a mason’s labourer.

Percy was keen to make his own way in the world. By the 1911 census, and having left school, he was working as a farm boy on Kingsdown Farm in Shepton, alongside a couple of other paid, and boarding, employees.

He seemed to have been after adventure in his life too; in January 1913, he enlisted in the Royal Navy, getting his training on a number of vessels, even before the start of the Great War. In his six years of service, he was promoted from Boy to Able Seaman, and served on nine ships.

Able Seaman Strong’s final assignment was at HMS Idaho, the naval base in Milford Haven, Pembrokeshire, which he joined in May 1918. It was while he was stationed at HMS Idaho that tragedy would strike.

A boat belonging to a Government Patrol-boat capsized in Milford Haven, when three members of the crew lost their lives. They were Sub-Lieutenant Lever (20), Birkenhead; Leading Seaman Thomas Palmer (30) Shepton Mallet; and AB Percy Strong (21), Shepton Mallet.

The boat, containing six men, had come ashore in a rough sea. It left Milford Haven Naval stage on return to the ship at eleven am. A sharp squall caught the men when well out on their return journey, and this the craft failed to weather, and was capsized. The six occupants were cast into the sea, and despite the efforts of men in boats from other vessels, the three named were drowned, and the others had a narrow escape.

Western Mail: Friday 11th October 1918

Able Seaman Strong has lost his life on 9th October 1918. He was just 21 years old.

Percy William Strong’s body was returned to Shepton Mallet, the town of his birth, and lies at rest in the cemetery there.

accident, Commonwealth War Graves, Great War, history, Kent, photography, Royal Air Force, Second Lieutenant, Somerset, story, war

Second Lieutenant Frederick Pullen

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Second Lieutenant Frederick Pullen

Frederick John Edward Pullen was born in May 1899, the only son to Albert and Bessie Pullen from Shepton Mallet in Somerset. Albert worked at the local prison, acting as clerk, warden and school master to the inmates.

Little else survives to expand on Fred’s military life; his gravestone confirms that he had enlisted in the Royal Flying Corps and, although no date can be attributed to this, it is likely to have been almost as soon as he turned 17.

A report of the young man’s funeral does give a little insight into the young man.

…before entering the service of his country, Lieutenant Pullen was in the Civil Service, and a letter from his late surveyor at Oxford, speaks in high terms of his character and abilities.

He graduated to the rank of Service Pilot in February last, and was gazetted in March. By the Naval authorities he was considered a very good pilot, and was graded as Class A (exemplary).

Shepton Mallet Journal: Friday 5th April 1918

Alongside the Edwardian trait of listing the chief mourners and floral tributes, the newspaper also gives an in-depth report of the cause of Second Lieutenant Pullen’s demise.

The brave young office, who was at a war school [Manston Airfield, Kent], was engaged in ‘stunting’ or trick flying, absolutely necessary in warfare, when from some unknown cause, he fell into a field, and was instantly killed.

A farmer who was ploughing near the spot said he was not conscious of the presence of an aeroplane in the vicinity till this one seemed to drop from the clouds. It nose-dived, but righted on coming near the earth, and seemed to swoop up again, but before going far turned turtle and fell, upside down.

The poor lad was found crushed beneath his gun, and had met instantaneous death. Letters received from witnesses of the accident stated that people living in the neighbourhood hurried to the spot with remedies of all sorts, and were much saddened to find that nothing that they could do was of any avail.

Shepton Mallet Journal: Friday 5th April 1918

Second Lieutenant Pullen met his death in a flying accident on 26th March 1918. He was just 18 years old.

Frederick John Edward Pullen lies at rest in the cemetery of his home town of Shepton Mallet.

Second Lieutenant Fred Pullen (courtesy of findagrave.com)
accident, Air Mechanic, Commonwealth War Graves, Great War, history, Oxfordshire, Royal Air Force, Somerset, story, war

Air Mechanic 2nd Class Eustace Bourne

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Air Mechanic Eustace Bourne

Eustace Lionel Bourne was born in 1897, one of six children to Robert and Eve, from Westonzoyland, Somerset. Robert was a wheelwright and carpenter and, after leaving school, Eustace followed in a similar vein, becoming an apprentice to an ironmonger.

When war broke out, Eustace’s interest in engineering led him to join the Royal Flying Corps, where he was appointed as an Air Mechanic. His enlistment papers – dated November 1915 – give his trade or calling as “motor cyclist”, so it is obviously a passion that he had.

Air Mechanic Bourne was assigned to Milton Airfield near Abingdon, Oxfordshire and it was there that he served for nearly eighteen months. He seems to have enjoyed his time off as much as his time working, and boating on the Thames nearby was a hobby. Sadly, it was also to be his undoing.

On 2nd May 1917, he was out on the river at Culham Reach; the local newspaper account picked up the story.

Accidentally drowned was the verdict returned at the inquest last Saturday on Eustace Lionel Bourne, 21 [sic], attached to the mechanical department of the RFC, stationed at Milton.

It appeared that while sculling with a colleague in Culham Reach on May 2nd, he lost a scull. His companion, who had dropped a rudder-line, was turning round at the time. Deceased, in leaning over to pick up the scull, fell into the river and disappeared. It was twilight at the time, and a search was unavailing.

The other man, who could neither swim nor scull, was left in the boat, which was half filled with water.

The body was discovered on Friday morning near Sutton Weirs.

Reading Mercury: Saturday 19th May 1917

Eustace Lionel Bourne was just 20 years old when he drowned. He lies at rest in the cemetery of Westonzoyland, his home village.