Tag Archives: 1919

Able Seaman, Boy, Cambridgeshire, Commonwealth War Graves, Great War, history, illness, Kent, Ordinary Seaman, Petty Officer, photography, Royal Navy, story, war

Petty Officer 1st Class Albert Brooks

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Petty Officer Albert Brooks

Albert Brooks was born in February 1877 in Cambridge. Sadly, a lot of the documentation for his early life is lost to time, but he enlisted in the Royal Navy in July 1893, at the rank of Boy 2nd Class.

He formally enrolled in naval service in February 1895, initially for a period of twelve years. Beginning as an Ordinary Seaman aboard HMS Thunderer, during his initial time in the navy, he was promoted to Able Seaman and then Petty Officer 2nd Class, while serving on vessels including Hawke, Wildfire, Eclipse and Vernon.

In 1904, Albert married Rosina Wise. A couple of years younger than her new husband, she had been born in Camberwell, South London. The couple had a daughter, Gwendoline, and they set up home in Gillingham, Kent, where Albert was based when not at sea.

War was on the horizon, however, and Petty Officer Brooks’ naval service was extended until the end of the conflict.

Albert was promoted to Petty Officer 1st Class, and continued his service on vessels that included Andromache, London and Hibernia. He transferred to what would be his final ship, HMS Agamemnon, in November 1917.

Petty Officer Brooks served aboard Agamemnon for eighteen months, but it was while stationed at the Naval Dockyard in Chatham that he fell ill. He passed away from aortic disease of the heart – more than likely a heart attack or cardiac arrest – on 31st March 1919. He had just turned 42 years of age.

Albert Brooks lies at rest in the Woodlands Cemetery in Gillingham, Kent.

Artificer, Commonwealth War Graves, Great War, history, Kent, Royal Navy, Scotland, story, unknown, war

Chief Artificer James Davidson

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Chief Artificer James Davidson

There are some lives that just don’t want to be discovered, that just hide tantalisingly out of reach. James Davidson’s was one of those lives.

The main two research websites I use – cwgc.org and findagrave.com – only have his initial and surname, which is understandable, as this is what is inscribed on his headstone. Unfortunately, that doesn’t act as a good base on which to carry out further research.

HMS Gunner was the wartime moniker for Granton Harbour, near Edinburgh. A naval history website managed to identify Chief Artificer Davidson’s first name – James – but again, with no other information to go on, this is still too common a name – particularly in Scotland – to narrow down any real results.

Sadly, then, the story behind James Davidson is destined to remain a mystery. All that can be confirmed for certain is that he passed away on 23rd January 1919, though the cause of his passing is lost to time, as is his age.

James Davidson lies at rest in the Woodlands Cemetery in Gillingham, Kent.

Captain, Commonwealth War Graves, Great War, history, Isle of Man, Kent, photography, Royal Engineers, story, unknown, war

Captain Francis Cowley

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Captain Francis Cowley

Francis Llewellyn Cowley – also known as ‘Frank’ was born in July 1877 on the Isle of Man. He was one of ten children to Thomas and Ann Cowley, farmers who owned 133 acres on the northern tip of the island.

Frank’s trail goes cold for a few years; he was still living on his father’s farm in 1891, but by 1913, had moved to to the mainland, settling in Kent.

It was here, in Gillingham, that Frank married Lily Matilda Carrington in the summer of 1913. Sadly there is little information about Lily, but the couple do not appear to have had any children.

Frank enlisted shortly after war broke out; he joined the Royal Engineers on 27th October 1914, and within a couple of years has reached the rank of 2nd Lieutenant.

Sadly again at this point Frank’s trail goes cold. He next appears in a newspaper article from 1st March 1919, when he is listed as having attended the funeral in Rainham, Kent, of Air Mechanic Herbert Holdstock. He is now listed as Captain F Cowley RE.

That was resolved to be a tantalising glimpse into Captain Cowley’s final few weeks. From this point, all the documents tell us is that he worked at the School of Military Engineering in Chatham.

Frank passed away on 18th March 1919, although no cause of death is recorded. He was 41 years old.

Francis Llewellyn Cowley lies at rest in the Woodlands Cemetery close to his home in Gillingham, Kent.

Commonwealth War Graves, Great War, history, illness, injury, Kent, London, Middlesex Regiment, photography, Private, story, war

Private Alfred Lewis

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Private Alfred Lewis

There are some people whose stories just don’t want to be unearthed. It’s rare, but occasionally the brick walls come up and you just can’t find a crack through them.

Private A Lewis seems to be one of those people.

The gravestone is in Woodlands Cemetery in Gillingham, Kent. The inscription reads:

G/39918 Private

A Lewis

Middlesex Regiment

11th April 1919

Military records for the service number are scarce, which is not unusual, but unearth two things. Private Lewis’ first name was Alfred, and he was married to a woman called Amelia.

Further research leads to his wife’s full maiden name, Amelia Florence May Courtney, and that she was the daughter of a draper’s assistant, born in London. The couple married in December 1909.

Frustratingly at this point, the trail goes cold. There is a record for an Alfred and Millie Lewis living in Gillingham in the 1911 census, but I am not convinced that they are the same couple.

Alfred Lewis is too common a name to be able to pinpoint any life before his marriage with any certainty, particularly as their marriage record does not give his parents’ names.

All I can say is that Alfred Lewis enlisted in the Middlesex Regiment, although there is no confirmation of when he enrolled. He gained both the Victory and British Medals, but there is nothing to confirm whether he service abroad or part of a territorial force.

Alfred was admitted to the War Hospital in Whitchurch, which was a psychiatric hospital to the north of Cardiff. He was recorded as suffering from paralysis, though whether this was the result of a physical or mental trauma is not clear.

Sadly, Private Lewis passed away on 11th April 1919; his age is unknown. He lies at rest in the Woodlands Cemetery in Gillingham.

Commonwealth War Graves, Devon, Great War, Hampshire, history, Kent, Lieutenant Commander, photography, Royal Navy, story, unknown, war

Lieutenant Commander William May

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Lieutenant Commander William May

William Henry May was born on 10th August 1854, the oldest of three children to James and Selina May. James was a carpenter’s mate from Plymouth, and the family lived in the Stonehouse area of the city, right next to the dockyard.

Maritime adventure was obviously going to be in William’s blood; by the time of the 1881 census, at the age of 25, he is working as a gunner’s mate and instructor for the Royal Navy. He married a Mary Jane Channing, the daughter of a labourer and fishmonger, in 1879; the coupe were living in their home town of Plymouth.

There are definite gaps in the William’s trail; this may be because he was abroad, or because the documentation relating to him has been lost or destroyed. He next appears on the 1901 census.

By this point, William was a Warrant Officer in the Royal Navy. He is married to Kate Doling, from Gosport in Hampshire, and the couple were living in Sheerness, Kent.

William continued to live close to port; ten years on, and aged 56, he and Kate had moved along the Kent coast to Gillingham, not far from the dockyards at Chatham. The couple had been married 23 years by this point, but had had no children.

By this point, William’s naval service had come to an end. He had served for twenty years, and had reached the rank of Lieutenant, but the census lists him as retired.

War arrived, however, and William’s services were called upon once more. He was assigned to HMS Pembroke, the shore-based naval barracks in Chatham, and served with the rank of Lieutenant Commander.

From this point, however, William’s trail goes cold. His gravestone confirms that he passed away on 23rd March 1919, at the age of 64, but I have been unable to find a cause of death. His entry on the Commonwealth War Graves Commission site confirms he was the husband of the late Kate Emily May, so she too must have passed away at some point after 1911.

William Henry May lies at rest in the Woodlands Cemetery in his adopted home of Gillingham, Kent.

William May (from of ancestry.co.uk)
Commonwealth War Graves, East Surrey Regiment, Great War, history, illness, Kent, Manchester Regiment, photography, Private, story, war

Private John Friday

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Private John Friday

John Francis Friday was born in June 1898 to John and Laura Friday from Gillingham in Kent. Laura passed away when John Jr was only ten years old, and his dad remarried, meaning John Jr had eight full and half siblings. John Sr was a farm labourer, and the family lived on the river front in Gillingham, Kent.

John’s military service seems a bit of a challenging one. A letter to Gillingham Police Station dated November 1916 stated that he had not received his call up papers, but that he would present himself that day for enlistment.

John eventually enlisted on 27th December 1916; his joining records show that he was 18 years and six months old, and stood at just under 5ft 3ins (1.57m) tall. He also noted that his preference was to be assigned to the Royal Engineers.

Private Friday initially joined the Manchester Regiment, and, while serving on the Western Front, seemed to have a bit of a rebellious streak in him. He was pulled up on misdemeanours such as neglect of duty on at least five occasions before being admitted to hospital in Calais in December 1917, suffering from trench foot. After serving some further time in England, he again found himself in France in the summer of 1918.

On 11st March 1919, he was transferred to the East Surrey Regiment, and was shipped back to England at the beginning of April. Sadly, it looks like John was stricken by poor health; he passed away on 6th July 1919, having contracted pneumonia. He was just 21 years old.

John Francis Friday lies at rest in the Woodlands Cemetery in his home town of Gillingham in Kent.

Commonwealth War Graves, Corporal, Great War, history, illness, photography, Somerset, Somerset Light Infantry, story, war

Corporal Walter Tottle

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Corporal Walter Tottle

Walter James Tottle was born in September 1892, one of fourteen children to Charles and Ellen Tottle from Somerset. Charles was a boatman, and they family lived in Salmon Parade along the riverfront in Bridgwater.

When Walter left school, he became an assistant at a market garden; by the 1911 census, he was living with his parents and eight of his siblings, whose jobs included carpentry and laundering. Walter’s younger brother Henry was listed as a ‘rink boy’, helping with skating at the local ice rink.

Walter’s life beyond this is a bit of a mystery. He enjoyed sports and, before the war had been a regular player for Bridgwater Rugby Football Club. He married a woman called Ruth, although I have been unable to track down who she was or when they couple wed.

When war came, Walter enlisted in the Somerset Light Infantry and, according to contemporary newspaper reports, Corporal Tottle had served on both the Eastern and Western Fronts. He was discharged from the army on 13th February 1919, following a severe attack of influenza, but it appeared to get the better of him. He passed away on 5th May 1919, aged just 26 years old.

Walter James Tottle lies at rest in St John’s Cemetery in his home town of Bridgwater, Somerset.

Walter’s ‘rink boy’ brother Henry also served in the First World War. He had also enrolled in the Somerset Light Infantry and, as a Corporal in the 1/5th Battalion, he was involved in some of the fierce fighting in the Middle East. He was injured, either in Gaza or Jerusalem, but sadly Henry died of his wounds on 22nd November 1917; he was buried in the War Cemetery in Jerusalem.

Commonwealth War Graves, Devonshire Regiment, Great War, history, illness, India, Lance Corporal, photography, Somerset, story, war

Lance Corporal Albert Adams

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Lance Corporal Albert Adams

Albert James Adams was born in Somerset in September 1878, the fifth of ten children to Robert and Mary. Robert was a mason, who sadly passed away when Albert was only 11 years old. Mary lived on as the head of the household, and by the 1901 census, she had four of her five sons living with her, three of them also stone masons.

Albert had taken a different route in life, and found work as a postman. He married Annie King, a young woman from Taunton, in 1910, and they set up home in the village of Selworthy near Minehead. Albert was the village postman, and the young couple lived there with their sons – Albert and Robert – and Mary.

When war came, Albert enlisted, joining the 6th Battalion of the Devonshire Regiment. While his military records are scattered, his battalion served in India and Mesopotamia; during their three years in the Middle East, the 6th Battalion lost twice as many men to illness – influenza, pneumonia, malaria – as to enemy action.

Lance Corporal Adams was not immune to sickness; while I have been unable to unearth exact dates for his military service, his cause of death is recorded as malaria and pneumonia. He passed away on 9th February 1919, at the age of 40 years old.

Albert James Adams lies at rest in St John’s Cemetery in Bridgwater, Somerset.

Albert James Adams from Ancestry.com
Commonwealth War Graves, Great War, history, photography, Private, Royal Army Service Corps, Somerset, story, unknown, war

Driver Ernest Wood

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Driver Ernest Wood

Ernest James Wood was born in 1891, one of ten children to Alfred and Charlotte Wood. Alfred was a carpenter and machinist for a timber merchant, and, by the time of Ernest’s birth the family lived in Bridgwater, Somerset.

When hostilities broke out, Ernest was quick to enlist. He joined the Royal Army Service Corps in September 1914. Driver Wood was assigned to the Horse Transport Depot Company at Park Royal in London, and there is a note of him being injured on 29th July 1916. Sadly, little else of his military service remains.

In January 1916, Ernest married Hilda Williams. She was the same age as her new husband, and was the daughter of Thomas and Elizabeth, who were also from Bridgwater.

The trail of Driver Wood goes a little cold after that. He was demobbed om 6th January 1919 and on the release form declared that he was not medically unfit as a result of his military service.

Frustratingly, the trail goes totally cold at that point. All we know for certain is that Ernest died on 2nd March 1919, two months after leaving the army. There a no records confirming a cause of death but, as he does not appear in any contemporary newspapers, it is likely that the cause was not unusual; perhaps one of the respiratory conditions going around at the time, such as influenza or pneumonia. Whatever the cause, Ernest was just 28 years old when he died (his headstone is based on an incorrect date of birth).

Ernest James Wood lies at peace in the St John’s Cemetery in his home town of Bridgwater, in Somerset.

Commonwealth War Graves, Great War, history, illness, Kent, photography, Private, Royal Defence Corps, Somerset, Somerset Light Infantry, story, war

Private Henry Frampton

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Private Henry Frampton

Arthur Henry “Harry” Frampton was born in 1882, the oldest of six children to Henry and Alice. Henry Sr worked as a clerk and cashier in a shoe factory in Bridgwater, while Harry and his brothers also initially followed that line of work.

In the autumn of 1908, Harry married Emma Jane Lee, who was originally from Crediton in Devon. The couple went on to have two children, Rose and John, and, by the time of the next census, the family were living in a small house in the middle of Bridgwater. Harry, by this time, was working as a general labourer.

War broke out, and Harry was quick to enlist. Initially assigned to the Somerset Light Infantry in December 1914, Private Frampton was transferred to the Royal Defence Corps after two years’ service.

He was part of the army’s territorial force, and it seems likely that his transfer to the RDC may have been on medical grounds. He had been admitted to Castlemount Military Hospital (in Dover) a couple of times, suffering from “rheumatism and debility”.

Private Frampton’s later medical report stated that he was a frail man, with an accentuated heartbeat, which gave rise to fainting. He had no appetite and suffered from insomnia, and, according to the report, was “quite unfit to perform the duties of a soldier”.

Ultimately, this led to Harry being medically discharged from the army, and he was demobbed on 10th March 1917, after just over two years’ service.

Little is known about Harry after his discharge form the army. His pension record confirms that he passed away on 26th October 1919, having suffered from dyspepsia (indigestion) and debility. He was 37 years old.

Harry Frampton lies at rest in the St John’s Cemetery in his home town of Bridgwater, Somerset.