Tag Archives: 1916

Commonwealth War Graves, Devon, Essex, Great War, history, illness, photography, Private, Royal Army Ordnance Corps, story, war

Private Walter Mitchell

Leave a comment
Private Walter Mitchell

Walter Soper Mitchell was born in the summer of 1878 in Newton Abbot, Devon. The fourth of nine children, his parents were Frederick and Mary. Frederick was a house painter and handyman, and records seem to suggest that he took the family to where the work was. The 1881 census found the family living in Chelsea, West London, and it seems that they stayed in London until 1890.

By the time of the 1891 census, the Mitchells were back in Devon, living at 10 Orchard Terrace in Paignton. Frederick was now working as a plumber, while Walter’s older siblings – brothers Frederick Jr, William and Alfred – were variously employed as a sailor, a painter and a plumber.

Walter, who was 12 years old by this point, was nearing the end of his schooling. When he left, he followed the family trade, and as soon employed as a house painter. The 1901 census found him as the oldest sibling still to be living with Frederick and Mary, although his circumstances were about to change.

In September 1903, Walter married Emily Jeffery. She was a couple of years younger than her new spouse, but, sadly, there is little information about her parents. The 1891 census found her living with her grandparents, while the 1901 return noted her boarding with her aunt and uncle.

Walter and Emily went on to have three children. By the time of the 1911 census, the family were living at 25 Norton Terrace in Paignton, Walter being employed as a house painter by this point.

War came to Europe in the summer of 1914, and Walter was called upon to play his part. Full details of his military service have been lost in the mists of time, but from what remains it is clear that he enlisted in the Royal Army Ordnance Corps at some point after July 1915. He was attached to the 67th Coy., but it is unclear whether he saw any action overseas.

Private Mitchell’s time in the army was not to be a lengthy one. He seems to have been based in Essex, and a later record confirms that he contracted bronchitis and anaemia. This would prove to be his undoing: he passed away in Colchester on 17th February 1916, aged 36 years old.

The body of Walter Soper Mitchell was brought back to Devon for burial. He was laid to rest in what would become the family plot in the sweeping Paignton Cemetery.

Commonwealth War Graves, Devon, Great War, Gunner, history, illness, Isle of Man, photography, Royal Garrison Artillery, story, war

Gunner Francis Carter

Leave a comment
Gunner Francis Carter

An inquest was held at Plymouth on Monday on Francis Albert Carter, 27, [Royal Garrison Artillery], late of 45 Lang-road, Paignton, auctioneer and valuer. Deceased was visiting his wife, who was staying with friends at St Hilary-terrace, St Jude’s, Plymouth, on the 8th inst., and died suddenly. Dr Ward said death was due to valvular disease of the heart. Deceased had only been in the artillery about three weeks. Deceased… was formerly in business with his brother as a house and estate agent…

[Western Times: Friday 15th December 1916]

Tracing the details of Francis Albert Carter’s life is a bit of a challenge, although the 1911 census records him living at 11 Shirburn Terrace, Torquay, Devon. At 21 years of age, he is noted as having been born in Lezayre, on the Isle of Man. He was living with his mother – the widow Sarah Carter, who was living on independent means – and his brother, 14-year-old Louis, who had been born in Halifax, Yorkshire. Francis was employed as a house agent, while Louis seems to have been his apprentice.

The previous census had recorded the family of three living in Torquay, and confirms that Sarah had been widowed by the time her youngest was four years old.

There is no information about Francis’ marriage, nor any indications as to who his wife might have been.

With regard to his time in the army, it is clear that he enlisted in the Royal Garrison Artillery as a Gunner in November 1916, and was on a break from his training when he visited his wife and her friends on the day he died.

There is little more detail available for Francis Albert Carter. He was laid to rest in Paignton’s sweeping cemetery, not far from where his mother and brother were still living.

Able Seaman, Commonwealth War Graves, Great War, Hampshire, history, illness, Kent, Ordinary Seaman, photography, Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve, story, Sussex, war

Able Seaman Russell Engleback

Leave a comment
Able Seaman Russell Engleback

The life of Russell Engleback seems destined to remain lost in the mists of time and the only concrete information for him relate to his military service.

Ordinary Seaman Engleback joined the Royal Naval Volunteer Service on 3rd July 1914, just weeks before the declaration of war. His records confirm his date of birth – 11th August 1896 – and his occupation, which was a printer. He was 5ft 5ins (1.64m) tall, and had dark brown hair, brown eyes and a dark complexion.

Russell was sent to HMS Victory – the Royal Naval Dockyard in Portsmouth, Hampshire – for training, before being assigned to the battleship HMS Commonwealth in October. He remained on board for the next two years, rising to the rank of Able Seaman during this time.

Able Seaman Engleback returned to HMS Victory in August 1916, but may have moved to another naval base, HMS Pembroke in Chatham soon afterwards. Certainly he was at the Kent dockyard when he fell ill in November, as he was admitted to the Royal Naval Hospital around this time.

Russell was suffering from nephritis – kidney disease – by this point, and it was a condition that was to ultimately kill him. He passed away on 23rd November 1916, while still admitted in hospital: he was just 20 years of age.

Russell Engleback was laid to rest in Woodlands Cemetery, Gillingham, not far from the Chatham dockyard. His pension records give Fred and Amelia Tiffin – Russell’s Sussex-based mother and stepfather – as his next-of-kin.

Commonwealth War Graves, Great War, history, illness, Kent, Middlesex, photography, Royal Navy, Stoker, story, war

Stoker 2nd Class John Gearing

Leave a comment
Stoker 2nd Class John Gearing

John Gearing was born in Paddington, Middlesex, on 12th August 1894. There is little concrete information about his early life, although a later document confirms he was the son of Mrs E Gearing, of 5 York Place, Hammersmith.

John was working as a fireman when war was declared. When he was called upon to serve his King and Country, he chose to enlist in the Royal Navy, joining up on 5th January 1916. His service records show that he was 5ft 9.5ins (1.76m) tall, with brown hair, blue eyes and a fresh complexion.

Stoker 2nd Class Gearing was initially sent to HMS Pembroke, the Royal Naval Dockyard in Chatham, Kent, for his training. He would remain attached to the base, and was assigned to HMS Victorious, the dockyard’s repair ship, from April 1916.

John’s time in the navy was not to be a lengthy one. Transferred back to HMS Pembroke in September, it seems that his health was becoming affected by the work he was doing. He was admitted to the Royal Naval Hospital in Chatham, suffering from what was later identified as carcinoma of the intestines. He passed away from the condition on 22nd December 1916, aged just 22 years old.

John Gearing was laid to rest in the Woodlands Cemetery, Gillingham, not far from the naval base he had come to call home.

Able Seaman, accident, Boy, Commonwealth War Graves, Great War, history, Kent, London, Middlesex, Ordinary Seaman, photography, Royal Navy, story, war

Able Seaman Horace Freeman

Leave a comment
Able Seaman Horace Freeman

Horace James Freeman was born in Hackney, East London, on 16th September 1879. The second of five children, his parents were Archibald and Mary Freeman. According to the 1891 census, Archibald was employed as a carman, but the next document had him listed simply as a ‘traveller’.

When he completed his schooling, Horace found work as a baker’s assistant. He sought bigger and better things, however, and, on 13th February 1897, he enlisted in the Royal Navy. His service records show that he was 5ft 5.5ins (1.66m) tall, with brown hair, hazel eyes and a fresh complexion.

A few months under full age, Horace was initially given the rank of Boy 2nd Class. He was sent to the training ship HMS Northampton, and seemingly impressed his superiors, rising to Boy 1st Class within a couple of months. He moved to another training vessel, HMS Calliope, in July 1897, and was serving on board when he came of age that September.

Now formally inducted into the Royal Navy, Ordinary Seaman Freeman began what was to be an eighteen year career at sea. He would become based at HMS Pembroke, the Royal Naval Dockyard in Chatham, Kent, and went on to serve aboard nine ships during his time.

Promoted to the rank of Able Seaman in October 1899, Horace’s time in the navy was not to be without incident. He spent eight separate periods of time in the cells, 158 days in total. Full details of his misdemeanours are lost to time, but at least on at least one occasion he was placed in the brig for refusing orders.

On Christmas Day 1911, Horace married Sarah Byatt. She was a bricklayer’s daughter from Tottenham, and the couple went on to have two children: Clifford, born in 1913, and Leslie, born two years later.

While Sarah was looking after their young family, Horace spent a lot of his time at sea. As time moved on, however, he was based at HMS Pembroke for longer spells, and it was while he was in Chatham early in 1916 that fate befell him.

The body of Horace J Freeman, an able seaman of the RFR, who had been missing from his ship since February 25th, was found floating in South Lock at Chatham Dockyard on Saturday.

[South Eastern Gazette: Tuesday 11th April 1916]

Little additional information is available about Horace’s death, and it is unclear how he had fallen into the lock. He was 36 years of age.

The body of Able Seaman Horace James Freeman was laid to rest in Gillingham’s Woodlands Cemetery, not far from the naval base he had called home for so long.

Commonwealth War Graves, Great War, history, Kent, photography, Royal Naval Reserve, Scotland, Stoker, story, unknown, war

Stoker James Clark

Leave a comment
Stoker James Clark

In the regimented Woodlands Cemetery in Gillingham, Kent, stands the headstone dedicated to Stoker James Clark of the Royal Naval Reserve. The grave marker, and associated documents, confirm James’ age at the time of his passing as 48 years, but gives no details of next of kin or any relatives.

Stoker Clark’s service records are sparse, but confirm a date and place of of birth – 13th December 1867 in Glasgow, Scotland – and his parents’ names, William and Catherine. Sadly, while the document also gives the names of two of James’ siblings – Mary and William – it has not been possible to match these with any census documents from the Glasgow area.

James’ service records state that he joined the Royal Naval Reserve on 1st October 1897. He was 5ft 8.5ins (1.74m) tall, with grey eyes and a fresh complexion. He was also noted as having a number of tattoos on his right arm, including a sunrise and a heart.

Stoker Clark’s time in the Royal Naval Reserve are a bit patchy, but it seems that he was called into full duty in 1914. Over the next couple of years he served on three different ships, each time returning to HMS Pembroke, the Royal Naval Dockyard in Chatham, Kent.

While his overall service seems to have gone well, in July 1915, he deserted. Full details are not evident, but he was captured, and seems to have returned to duty by the end of the month.

The next record for Stoker Clark is that of his passing. His service records state that he “died suddenly at [Royal Naval Barracks] Chatham on 2nd May 1916 (cause of death at present unknown)”. There is no other information about his death, and, while his siblings were informed of his death, it appears they were unable – or unwilling – to bring his body back to Scotland for burial.

Instead, James Clark was laid to rest in Woodlands Cemetery, Gillingham, not far from the dockyard he had called his home.

Commonwealth War Graves, Great War, history, illness, Kent, Middlesex, photography, Private, Royal Marines, story, war

Private John Roche

Leave a comment
Private John Roche

In the middle of the military section of the Woodlands Cemetery in Gillingham, Kent, is a headstone commemorating the life of John David Roche.

Details of John’s life are a challenge to piece together, although a later document gives his next-of-kin as Mrs E Roche of 108 Osnaburgh Street, Regent’s Park, London. There is a baptism record from 1897 for John David Roche, whose mother’s name was given as Lizzie. John’s father is listed as David, and the christening took place in Chelsea. There are no other records or census returns to give any further family background.

John’s time in military service is also hard to determine. That he joined the Royal Marine Light Infantry is clear, although when he enlisted and where he served are sadly lost to time.

Details of Private Roche’s passing are also unclear. He is noted as having died of disease, although the specific cause is not detailed. Given the location of his burial, it seems likely that he passed either at the Royal Naval Dockyard in Chatham, Kent, or at the hospital in the town connected to it.

John David Roche passed away on 2nd June 1916. If the baptism was correct, he was a day short of his 19th birthday.

Able Seaman, Commonwealth War Graves, County Antrim, Great War, history, illness, Ireland, Kent, Northern Ireland, Ordinary Seaman, photography, Royal Navy, story, war

Able Seaman Charles Dorman

Leave a comment
Able Seaman Charles Dorman

Charles Columbus Dorman was born on 21st October 1892, and was the middle of three children to James and Margaret Dorman. Charles’ parents both hailed from Belfast, Country Antrim, but the 1901 census records his and his older sister’s birthplace as America. No baptism documents are available and no later information supports this, so, while his unusual middle name may suggest the place of his birth, it seems destined to remain unclear.

When he left school, Charles found work as a printer’s apprentice. He sought more, however, and was drawn to a life at sea. On 29th November 1910, he enlisted in the Royal Navy as an Ordinary Seaman. His service records confirm that he was 5ft 3.5ins (1.61m) tall, with brown hair, hazel eyes and a fresh complexion.

Charles was sent to HMS Pembroke – the Royal Naval Dockyard in Chatham, Kent – for his training. In January 1911, he was assigned to the ill-fated HMS Bulwark, before moving to the battleship HMS Implacable three months later. He would remain on board until the summer of 1914, gaining a promotion to Able Seaman during his three year stint there.

Charles was serving on Implacable when war was declared. At the beginning of September, after a week back in Chatham, was assigned to the sloop HMS Cormorant. After six months aboard, the cruiser HMS Blenheim became his home, and he spent the next month supporting troops who were being sent to Gallipoli.

By this point, Able Seaman Dorman had become unwell. He had contracted the autoimmune disease pemphigus, resulting in blistering to his skin and body. He returned to HMS Pembroke, and was stood down from the service on medical grounds 9th July 1916.

It is unclear whether or not Charles was admitted to hospital for his condition. Either way, he succumbed to the illness on 31st August 1916. He was just 23 years of age.

Charles Columbus Dorman’s family appear to have been unable to bring their boy back to Ireland for burial. Instead, he was laid to rest in Woodlands Cemetery, Gillingham, not far from the Kent naval base he had come to call home.

Commonwealth War Graves, Great War, history, illness, Kent, photography, Royal Naval Reserve, Seaman, story, Suffolk, war

Seaman Charles English

Leave a comment
Seaman Charles English

Charles William English was born on 30th August 1895 in the Suffolk town of Southwold. According to his later naval service records, his parents were Ellis and Sarah English, although there is little other information available to back this up.

Charles evidently had a draw to the sea and, when he enlisted in the Royal Naval Reserve on 10th January 1914, he was working as a fisherman. His service records confirm that he was 5ft 9ins (1.75m) tall, with grey eyes and a fresh complexion.

Over the next few years, Seaman English served off the east coast, and was attached to HMS Mantua, a former cruise ship taken over by the Royal Navy to patrol the North Sea. In between trips, Charles made HMS Pembroke, the Royal Naval Dockyard in Chatham, Kent, his home and it was to here that he returned in the autumn of 1916 when he fell ill.

Charles was admitted to the Royal Naval Hospital in the town, tests showing that he was suffering from lymphatic leukaemia. This was to prove fatal, and Seaman English passed away on 26th September 1916, aged just 21 years of age.

It seems likely that Charles William English’s family were unable to foot the bill for bringing their son back to Suffolk. Instead, he was laid to rest in Woodlands Cemetery, Gillingham, not far from the base he had come to call home.

Boy, Commonwealth War Graves, Devon, Great War, history, illness, photography, Royal Navy, Somerset, story, war

Boy 1st Class Sidney White

Leave a comment
Boy 1st Class Sidney White

Sidney James White was born on 9th April 1899 in Bath, Somerset. The second of six children – and the oldest son – his parents were Sidney and Ann White. Sidney Sr was a butcher by trade and, by the time of the 1911 census, the family were living in Walcot Buildings in the city.

Sidney Jr was only 15 years of age when war came to Europe. However, he was still keen to do hit bit and, on 13th October 1915, he gave up his job as a fitter’s mate and enlisted in the Royal Navy. As he was underage, he was given the rank of Boy 2nd Class, his service records showing that he was 5ft 7.5ins (1.61m) tall, with brown hair, blue eyes and a fresh complexion.

Boy 2nd Class White was dispatched to the ship HMS Impregnable for his initial service. Moored in Devon, she was a training vessel, used to school young recruits in the art of seamanship. In May 1916, Sidney was promoted to the rank of Boy 1st Class, but his time in the Royal Navy was to be cut tragically short.

Holed up in cramped billets, disease often ran rife in military barracks, and Sidney was not to be immune. He contracted meningitis, and was admitted to the Royal Naval Hospital in Plymouth. While initially appearing to recover, the condition was to prove too severe, and his young body succumbed on 18th June 1916: he was just 17 years of age.

Sidney James White’s body was brought back to Somerset for burial. He was laid to rest in a shady spot in Bath’s sweeping Locksbrook Cemetery.