Category Archives: unknown

Commonwealth War Graves, Corporal, Great War, Hampshire Regiment, history, Labour Corps, Lance Corporal, photography, Private, South Africa, story, unknown, war, Wiltshire, Wiltshire Regiment

Corporal Ernest Ritchens

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Corporal Ernest Ritchens

Ernest Ritchens was born in the summer of 1872 in the Wiltshire village of Semington. The youngest of nine children, he was one of seven boys to Isaac and Sarah Ritchens. Isaac was a farm labourer, and this is a job into which Ernest also followed when he completed his schooling.

Farming was not something Ernest wanted to be in for the long term, however, and, after the death of his parents – Isaac in 1895, and Sarah four years later – he joined the army. Details of his military career have been lost to time, but it seems that he joined the Wiltshire Regiment and, as a Private, spent time in South Africa. By the time he was stood down, he had risen to the rank of Lance Corporal.

Back home and, in the summer of 1907, Ernest married Sarah York, a wheelwright’s daughter from Hilperton near Trowbridge, Wiltshire. The newlyweds would set up home in the village, and go on to have four children. The 1911 census found the young family living on Devizes Road, Ernest back working as a farm labourer.

When war broke out, Ernest was again called upon to play his part . He was given the rank of Corporal, and attached to the Wiltshire Regiment (although other records he was assigned to the Hampshire Regiment). He did not appear to have spent any time overseas and, was soon transferred over to the 160th Company of the Labour Corps.

DEATHS

RITCHENS – On February 1st, at No. 1, Australian Hospital, Sutton Veny, Corporal Ernest Ritchens, of the Labour Corps, and formally of the Wilts Regiment, resident of Hilperton…

[Wiltshire News: Friday 7th February 1919]

Ernest Ritchens was 46 years of age when he passed away in 1919. While the cause us not reported, it is likely to have been an illness of some sort. His body was taken back to Hilperton, and he was laid to rest in the village cemetery.

Commonwealth War Graves, Dorset, Dorsetshire Regiment, Egypt, Great War, Greece, history, Labour Corps, photography, Private, story, unknown, war, Wiltshire

Private Ernest Kendall

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Private Ernest Kendall

Ernest George Kendall was born in December 1891 and was the fourth of five children to Charles and Mary Kendall. Charles was a farm labourer from Dorset, and the family were living at Shearstock Farm in the town of Gillingham when Ernest was born.

By the time of the 1911 census, Ernest had found work as a farm labourer, alongside his father. When war broke out, however, Ernest felt the need to serve his country.

Full details of Private Kendall’s military service have been lost to time, but he had enlisted in the Dorsetshire Regiment by the autumn of 1915, and was assigned to the 5th (Service) Battalion. His unit left Britain on 15th October, and headed for the Eastern Mediterranean and Gallipoli.

Over the next few months, Ernest was caught up in fierce fighting. He was evacuated to the Greek island of Mudros in December 1915, and spent the winter in Egypt. By the summer of 1916, his unit had moved to France, and fought at the Somme.

At some point, Private Kendall returned to Britain, and transferred to the Labour Corps. The move was likely to be due to an illness or injury, although there is no documentation to confirm this either way. Attached to the 477th Agricultural Company, he seems likely to have been based in Wiltshire. Ernest was admitted to the Military Hospital in Fovant for reasons unknown, and passed away there on 12th November 1918, a day after the Armistice was signed: he was 24 years of age.

The body of Ernest George Kendall was taken back to Dorset for burial. By this point his family had moved to East Stour, and he was laid to rest in the village’s Christ Church graveyard.

Commonwealth War Graves, Dorset, Great War, history, Ireland, photography, Private, Somerset Light Infantry, story, unknown, war

Private Seth Suter

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Private Seth Suter

Seth Suter was born in the Dorset village of Silton on 8th March 1887. One of five children, he was the son of farm labourer Seth Suter and his wife, Mary. Seth Sr died in 1899, and, by the time of the next census, his son had taken a job as a stable boy at the Silton Farm, next to where the family lived on Waterloo Road.

The 1911 census recorded Seth living with his mother at Church Cottage in the village. Now employed as a domestic gardener, three of his siblings were also living there, and, while Mary was not working, there were four wages coming in to support the family.

At the start of 1916, Seth married Jane Sissons. There is little information about her but, while the couple married in Shaftesbury, she seems to have been born in Driffield, Yorkshire. The couple would not go on to have any children.

Details of Seth’s military life are sparse. With the war entering its final months, he enlisted in the Somerset Light Infantry on 13th May 1918. Assigned to the 3rd (Reserve) Battalion, he was sent to Ireland for training. Private Suter’s time there was not to be lengthy: he passed away through causes unknown just a month after joining up, on 12th June 1918. He was 31 years of age.

The body of Seth Suter was taken back to Dorset for burial. He was laid to rest in the quiet graveyard of St Nicholas’ Church in his home village of Silton.

Seth’s younger brother Richard also served in the First World War. He joined the 7th (Service) Battalion of the Duke of Edinburgh’s (Wiltshire Regiment), and rose to the rank of Lance Corporal.

He was injured during the fighting to the south of Valenciennes in France, dying of his wounds on 4th November 1918, one week before the end of the war. He was laid to rest in Busigny Communal Cemetery.

Commonwealth War Graves, Great War, Gunner, history, photography, Private, Royal Horse Artillery, story, unknown, war, Wiltshire, Wiltshire Regiment

Gunner Ernest Prince

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Gunner Ernest Prince

Ernest Harold Prince was born in the spring of 1891 in Warminster, Wiltshire. The eighth of eleven children, he was one of five boys to William and Mary Prince. William was a quarry worker, and the family lived at 33 Brook Street to the south of the town.

Ernest followed his father into quarry labouring. William was working in Abercarn, Monmouthshire, at the time of the 1901 census, and had returned to Wiltshire by 1911. Ernest, on the other hand, had sought work in Wales himself by this point, and is recorded as boarding with the Courtney family at 39 Rhyswg Road. The document notes that he was employed as a labourer below ground in a local colliery.

When war broke out, Ernest stepped up to play his part. Full details of his service have been lost to time, and it is unclear whether he was still working in the colliery, and therefore exempt from joining up initially because of his reserved occupation. What is certain, however, is that he had enlisted by the spring of 1918, and, as a Gunner, had joined the Royal Horse Artillery A Battery.

The next record for Gunner Prince relates to his passing. He is recorded as having died of disease on 29th October 1918. His death was recorded in Warminster, so it is safe to assume that he had been at home, or at least in his home town, when he passed. He was 27 years of age.

The body of Ernest Harold Prince was laid to rest in the graveyard of Christ Church in Warminster.

Ernest’s younger brother, Walter, also fought in the First World War. A Private in the 2nd Battalion of the Wiltshire Regiment, he had served on the Western Front during 1915.

Private Prince fought at Loos and was killed on 26th September 1915. He is commemorated on Panel 102 of the Loos Memorial.

Commonwealth War Graves, Devonshire Regiment, Great War, history, photography, Private, Somerset, story, unknown, war, Wiltshire

Private John Adlam

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Private John Adlam

John Adlam was born in the spring of 1883 in Warminster, Wiltshire. The youngest of seven children, his parents were William and Emily Adlam. William was a maltster’s labourer, and the family lived in a small cottage at 66 Pound Street, to the south west of the town centre.

When John finished school, he found work as a garden labourer. By this point the Adlam family had moved, and home was 29 Chapel Street. William himself wasn’t recorded there, however. Work had taken him away and he was living at Holcombe Malthouse, on the outskirts of Kilmersden, Somerset.

On Christmas Day 1906, John married Ethel Brown, a plasterer’s daughter from Westbury, Wiltshire. The couple would go on to have three children, and 1911 census shows them living at 24 Chapel Street, Warminster with John’s recently widowed mother.

When war broke out, John stepped up, or was called upon, to play his part. His service records no longer exist, although it is clear that he served as a Private in the Dorsetshire Regiment as a Private. He was based at on of the regimental depots, and served through to the end of the war.

The only other record for John are those relating to his passing. He died on 29th November 1918 and, as his death was registered in Warminster, it seems likely that he died at or close to home. He was 35 years of age.

The body of John Adlam was laid to rest in the graveyard of Christ Church in his home town of Warminster.

Interestingly, while an initial grant was paid to Ethel, John’s entry on the Pension Ledger stated that they had been “instructed to cease [temporary] payment as widow not eligible for pension in respect of her late husband.” There is no indication as to whether this was later overturned.

Commonwealth War Graves, Devon, Great War, history, Norfolk, photography, Royal Garrison Artillery, Sergeant, story, unknown, war

Serjeant William Low

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Serjeant William Low

In the graveyard of St John the Baptist Church in Marldon, Devon, is a headstone commemorating Sergeant William Low of the Royal Garrison Artillery. The marker notes his parents as being Thomas and Mary Low, and that he was their eldest son.

Details of William’s early life are a challenge to piece together. Born early in 1872, he was the oldest of eight children. The 1881 census found the Low family living in the village of Compton, just to the north of Marldon. Thomas was working as a farm labourer and his children were still at school.

At this point, William falls off the radar. Thomas and Mary continued to live in Compton until their deaths in 1906 and 1907 respectively, but their eldest son is nowhere to be seen. It is possible that he had sought a better life for himself and enlisted in the army when he came of age, but there are no military records to back this up.

The only other available document relating to him is his entry on the British Army Register of Soldiers’ Effects. This confirms that Sergeant Low had passed away in Lakenham Military Hospital, Norfolk, on 21st February 1916. His next of kin was recorded as being his executor, Edward A Harper, and his effects were recorded as being £24 6s 9d (around £2700 today), with a war gratuity of £8 10s (approx. £950).

The body of William Low, who was 44 years old when he passed away, was taken back to Devon for burial. He was laid to rest in the graveyard of his childhood parish church.

Commonwealth War Graves, Corporal, Great War, history, Lancashire, Lance Corporal, Lance Serjeant, Loyal North Lancashire Regiment, Monmouthshire, photography, Private, story, unknown, Wales, war, Wiltshire

Lance Sergeant Henry Lewis

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Lance Sergeant Henry Lewis

The early life of Henry Watkin Lewis is a challenge to piece together, and a lot of the detail comes from his later service records.

The document confirms that Henry was born in Pontypool, Monmouthshire, in December 1885. It gives his next of kin as his aunt, Ann Dunning, and there are no details about his parents.

Henry joined up in the days after war was declared. He was working as a plumber by this point, and enlisted in Preston, Lancashire, although it is not clear whether he was living in the area at this point. His records showing that he was 5ft (1.52m) tall and weighed 116lbs (52.6kg). With brown hair, blue eyes and a fresh complexion, he had a scar across the bridge of his nose and another on his lower lip.

Henry’s military career is an intriguing one. Assigned to the Loyal North Lancashire Regiment, he was initially given the rank of Private. He was promoted to Lance Corporal on 5th September 1914, just two weeks after enlisting. Four days later his rank was increased to Corporal, and by 14th October he had been promoted again, this time to Lance Sergeant. There is no evidence of any previous military background for him, and the cause of this rapid rise is unclear.

With any rapid rise, a rapid fall is often likely to follow, and Henry’s case was to be no different. He service records note that he was discharged from the army on 16th January 1915, as he was ‘not likely to become an efficient soldier’. Again, there is no further record as to why, although his papers do not suggest the cause was anything medical.

Lance Sergeant Lewis’ unit was based in Tidworth, Wiltshire, by this point, but he must have moved to Warminster following his discharge. It was here that he died on 23rd April 1915, the cause of his passing unknown. He was 29 years of age.

Henry Watkin Lewis was laid to rest in the graveyard of St Denys’ Church, Warminster.

Commonwealth War Graves, Corporal, Great War, history, Pembrokeshire, photography, Royal Garrison Artillery, story, unknown, war

Corporal James Davies

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Corporal James Davies

James Lloyd Davies was born in Dyffryn, Llanwnda, Pembrokeshire, early in 1897. One of six children, his parents were Hugh and Margaret Davies. Hugh was a farm worker, but when he died in 1907, Margaret was left to raise the family on her own.

The 1911 census found the family living in a 4-roomed house on Cross Street. Margaret had found work as a charwoman, while James was employed as a butcher’s errand boy. His three younger siblings were still at school.

When war broke out, James stepped up to play his part. He enlisted in the Royal Garrison Artillery, but from here on in his trail goes cold. All that can be confirmed is that he had risen to the rank of Corporal by the end of the conflict.

James Lloyd Davies returned home after the war, and passed away on 7th February 1920. He was 23 years of age. He was laid to rest in the Hermon Baptist Burial Ground in Fishguard, Pembrokeshire.

James was only accepted for commemoration as war dead in 2012. It was at this point that the Commonwealth War Graves Commission erected a headstone in his honour.

Commonwealth War Graves, Glamorganshire, Great War, history, Pembrokeshire, photography, Private, story, Surrey, unknown, war, Welsh Guards

Private William Mathias

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FishguPrivate William Mathias

William George Mathias was born in the Pembrokeshire village of Littleston early in 1885. The oldest of five children, his parents were John and Sarah Mathias. John was a farm worker, but when he finished his schooling William found work as a rabbit trapper. This meant a move from home, and the 1901 census found him as a servant for the Evans family, in nearby Mathry.

Agricultural work was not employment that William wanted to dedicate his life to, and he soon found a new opportunity. He took a job as a police constable in Glamorganshire. There is little information about this part of his life, but the 1911 census recorded him as being one of 26 police officers boarding in the village of Gilfach Goch. Interestingly the census includes the annotation “The above are police quartered at the Ogmore Arms, Gilfach Goch, temporarily during the coal strike.”

The Miner’s Strike of 1910/11 resulted in the temporary closure of South Wales mines. Police were shipped in, but this only resulted in riots breaking out. In November 1910 disorder broke out in Tonypandy, Pontypridd and Gilfach Goch, amongst other locations. Nearly 80 police and more than 500 civilians were injured, although the exact number of miners wounded is unclear, as many refused to seek medical treatment for fear of being singled out.

As the strike moved into 1911, the army was called in, with four detachments of the Somerset Light Infantry being called into Penygraig, Llwynpia, Clydach Vale and Gilfach Goch. Stones were thrown by the rioters, and a number of William’s police colleagues were injured: thirteen of the Gilfach miners were arrested and prosecuted for their involvement in the unrest.

The decision to send troops in was contentious, and anger became directed at the then Home Secretary, Winston Churchill, for the decisions he took. Ultimately, the miners were defeated, their calls for better living conditions and higher wages went unanswered.

William continued in the police force until war broke out. His time in the army is lost to history, but it is clear that he enlisted in the Welsh Guards as a Private. Sent to Caterham, Surrey, for his training, his time serving King and Country was not to be a lengthy one. In May 1915 he was admitted to a military hospital, though the cause is not clear. He passed away on 20th May 1915: he was 30 years of age.

The body of William George Mathias was taken back to Pembrokeshire for burial. He was laid to rest in Fishguard’s Hernon Baptist Burial Ground.

Private William Mathias
(from findagrave.com)
Berkshire, Commonwealth War Graves, Drummer, Great War, history, Lincolnshire, photography, Sherwood Foresters, story, unknown, war, Wiltshire

Drummer Malcolm Vacher

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Drummer Malcolm Vacher

Born at the start of 1902, Malcolm Edward James Vacher was the younger of two children to James and Alice Vacher. James was a domestic coachman and both he and Alice were born in Milton Abbas, Dorset. By the time Malcolm was born, the family had relocated to the village of Mortimer, Berkshire.

Alice died when her youngest was just five, and James moved the family to the village of Kelstern in Lincolnshire, possibly for work. Sadly, James passed away in 1916, leaving Malcolm and his older sister, Gladys, as orphans.

By this point war was raging across Europe, and it seems that Malcolm looked to the army as a new family. He enlisted in the Sherwood Foresters (Notts and Derby Regiment), although his service papers have been lost to time.

It is unclear how or where Drummer Vacher served. He survived the war, however, and by the autumn of 1919, found himself on furlough in Wiltshire. His death certificate records that died on 26th October, from a combination of appendicitis and heart failure. Just 17 years of age, his sister was by his side when he passed.

Malcolm Edward James Vacher was laid to rest in St John’s Churchyard, Warminster. The Grave Registration Form notes that the headstone was paid for by his uncle.

By this point, Gladys had lost her parents and her brother. Twenty-one years of age when her sibling died, she nonetheless found the resilience to carry on.

The 1921 census recorded Gladys living at 1 Corporation Street, Kidderminster. Boarding with Jane Smith, she was working as garage assistant for the motorcycle department of the Castle Motor Co Ltd on Vicar Street.

In the spring of 1925, Gladys married radio engineer and dealer George Whitford. By the time of the 1939 Register, the couple were living at 81 New Road, Kidderminster. Gladys was helping her husband with the business, and was recorded as being a radio dealer and travel agent.

Gladys Whitford, née Vacher, passed away in the spring of 1960. An obituary outlined the life she had forged for herself after losing her brother:

Mrs Gladys Mary Whitford, who has died at her home in New Road, Kidderminster, aged 63, had conducted one of the oldest travel agencies in the Midlands for 30 years. The firm, founded by her husband’s grandfather in 1856, arranged emigration for many families seeking a new life in the Commonwealth.

Mrs Whitford joined the Women’s Legion in 1916 and was one of the first motor-cycle despatch riders attached to the Royal Army Service Corps. She was a member of the Kidderminster Chamber of Commerce and of the committee of the Kidderminster Retail Traders’ Association. She is survived by her husband, Mr George Whitford, a radio and television dealer.

[Birmingham Daily Post – Tuesday 12 January 1960]

My thanks go to Peter Calver and the members of the Lost Cousins website for their help in filling in details of Gladys’ life after the loss of her family.