During this Covid-19 crisis politicians and newscasters are telling us we are living in unprecedented times the like of which have not been experienced since the Second World War.
There are more than 100 Commonwealth War Graves in Radnor Street Cemetery. These are the graves of servicemen who survived the conflicts of 1914-18 and 1939-45 and returned home but sadly died as a result of their military service. Many died from respiratory illnesses, such as tuberculosis and some from the after effects of being gassed. It is therefore fitting that on our virtual walk today we visit just two of these graves.
William and Arthur Wall
I’ve looked at this headstone many times and pondered on the coincidence of a father and son who died on the same day. At first I had wondered if it had been some awful accident in which they had both been killed. Or perhaps they had both contracted an illness, but 1922 was too late for the Spanish influenza pandemic. I did consider the war but thought that William was probably too old and Arthur too young to have served. Well I was wrong on both counts.
United in Death
Father and Son Buried at the Same Time
The burial of a father and a son who died on the same day took place at Radnor Street Cemetery, Swindon. The deceased were Mr William Wall, 35 Linslade Street, Swindon, and his son, Mr Arthur Henry Wall, 36 Jennings Street. Both had served in the war, and their death was directly attributable to the hardships endured on active service. The father, who was 53 years of age, served in the Army for 12 years, and during the war he was in Egypt, Greece, Serbia and Italy – first with the Wilts Regiment, then the Rifle Brigade and was later Attached to the Royal Engineers. In August, 1918, he was discharged as unfit for further service. His death occurred on May 22nd, just a few hours before his son passed away.
The latter was 23 years of age. When only 16 he joined the Wilts Regiment, and was later transferred to the Bedfords, and then to the 1st Herts. He saw service in France and Belgium, and was badly gassed in May, 1918. In November of the same year he was discharged.
It is a pathetic fact that although he did not know his father was so ill he had a sort of premonition that they would die at the same time, and expressed a wish that they might be buried together.
Wiltshire Times and Trowbridge Advertiser June 17, 1922.
The newspaper article provides a pretty comprehensive account of William's service. His military records reveal that he enlisted in the 4th Wilts on September 14, 1914 aged 46 and served at home until January 2, 1916. On January 3, 1916, having transferred to the 22nd Wessex & Welsh Btn the Rifle Brigade, he was sent to the Western Front where he served for 325 days. On November 24, 1916, he was posted to Salonika where he served for 1 year and 215 days before being posted home on June 27, 1918, having previously transferred to the Royal Engineers.
William was discharged on August 10, 1918 as being no longer physically fit for War Service. He was 49 years and 11 months old and suffering from valvular disease of the heart.
He was awarded a weekly pension of 27 shillings for four weeks after which it dropped to just over 13 shillings, to be renewed after 48 weeks.
William had previously worked for more than twenty years as a Rivetter's Holder Up in the GWR Works, a physically demanding job that he was no longer strong enough to do.
His son Arthur was born in 1899, one of six children of whom only three sons survived childhood. He grew up in Rodbourne living at addresses in Redcliffe Street, Drew Street, Linslade Street, Montague Street and Jennings Street. William worked as a boiler maker in the railway factory and when young Arthur left school he followed him into the GWR Works and the same trade.
Following the outbreak of war in 1914 Arthur was keen to join up and enlisted in the 2nd Wiltshire Battalion on January 12, 1915. He said his age was 19 but in fact he was not yet 16. Recruiting officers were apt to turn a blind eye to fresh faced, eager young volunteers.
He was posted to France on June 1 where his age was quickly detected and on July 7, 1915 he was sent back to England as being 'under age and physically unfit for service at the front.'
He spent the following year in service on the home front before returning to France in June 1916, this time in the 1st Hertfordshires.
His service records reveal that on May 12, 1918 he was gassed. His medical records state that his capacity was lessened by 40% and that he was left with defective vision and suffering from headaches. He was discharged on November 23, 1918 as being no longer physically fit for war service. He received a pension of 11s and returned to Swindon where he married Mabel Pinnegar in 1919.
In 1920 he wrote to the Infantry Record Office asking if he was entitled to anything under Army Order 325/19 concerning the Territorial extra allowances. He received this reply:
'I regret to inform you that you are not entitled to any extra pay or allowances under Army Order 325 of 1919 as you were discharged on 23rd November, 1918.
The increase of pay authorised under the Army Order in question was only granted from 1st July, 1919 to soldiers who were actually serving on the date of the order, viz 13th September 1919.'
Arthur died on May 22, 1922 aged just 23 years. William had died a few hours earlier.
Such tragedy for one Swindon family.
Stanley William Ashton
Stanley William Ashton is buried here in plot C3524 with Frederick Loveday, his father in law. Frederick died during the First World War, Stanley during the Second World War.
Stanley Ashton was born August 22, 1911 in Burderop, the son of William, a labourer, and his wife Ada.
He served an apprenticeship as an electrician before joining the RAF and gained his pilot wings in November 1938. In 1939 he was serving with 59 Squadron in France where they were using Blenheim MIV aircraft. As the Germans pushed through France in 1940 the squadron was withdrawn to England and based at RAF Odiham, Hampshire. They continued to fly missions over France, mainly reconnaissance operations.
On Tuesday June 4, 1940 Pilot Officer Ashton and his crew were flying R3697. They took off from RAF Eastchurch on the Isle of Sheppey, Kent. There are two theories as to what they were doing. One is that they were on a transit flight to head back to their base in Hampshire. The other is that they were on an operational mission.
Neither were confirmed, but during take-off as the aircraft banked, one of the wings clipped the ground and the plane crashed, killing all on board. Among those killed were Observer Sgt William John Wilson and Wireless Operator/Air Gunner Sgt Roland Wilson (no relation). Stanley Ashton had been married just six months. He was 28 years old.
His wife, Josephine Loveday was born in 1914, the daughter of Adeline Loveday and her husband Frederick, a casualty of the First World War.
Frederick was born in 1889 and grew up in Rodbourne where his father John ran a grocery shop. Frederick served as an Air Mechanic First Class during the First World War. He died in the King George Military Hospital in Stamford Street, South London on November 6, 1918 and was buried in Radnor Street Cemetery on November 11. He was 29 years old and left a widow and two small daughters.
Adeline never remarried. She died in 1968 and was buried with her husband and son in law on February 2. Josephine eventually remarried in 1955 and was buried elsewhere when she died in 1982. Although Radnor Street Cemetery was closed by then the burial registers indicate that there was room for one more burial in the plot where her parents and Stanley were buried.
The Commonwealth War Grave Commission cares for the maintenance of the headstones and a group of dedicated Radnor Street Cemetery volunteers keep the grass around the graves mown.
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There are more than 100 Commonwealth War Graves in Radnor Street Cemetery. These are the graves of servicemen who survived the conflicts of 1914-18 and 1939-45 and returned home but sadly died as a result of their military service. Many died from respiratory illnesses, such as tuberculosis and some from the after effects of being gassed. It is therefore fitting that on our virtual walk today we visit just two of these graves.
William and Arthur Wall
I’ve looked at this headstone many times and pondered on the coincidence of a father and son who died on the same day. At first I had wondered if it had been some awful accident in which they had both been killed. Or perhaps they had both contracted an illness, but 1922 was too late for the Spanish influenza pandemic. I did consider the war but thought that William was probably too old and Arthur too young to have served. Well I was wrong on both counts.
United in Death
Father and Son Buried at the Same Time
The burial of a father and a son who died on the same day took place at Radnor Street Cemetery, Swindon. The deceased were Mr William Wall, 35 Linslade Street, Swindon, and his son, Mr Arthur Henry Wall, 36 Jennings Street. Both had served in the war, and their death was directly attributable to the hardships endured on active service. The father, who was 53 years of age, served in the Army for 12 years, and during the war he was in Egypt, Greece, Serbia and Italy – first with the Wilts Regiment, then the Rifle Brigade and was later Attached to the Royal Engineers. In August, 1918, he was discharged as unfit for further service. His death occurred on May 22nd, just a few hours before his son passed away.
The latter was 23 years of age. When only 16 he joined the Wilts Regiment, and was later transferred to the Bedfords, and then to the 1st Herts. He saw service in France and Belgium, and was badly gassed in May, 1918. In November of the same year he was discharged.
It is a pathetic fact that although he did not know his father was so ill he had a sort of premonition that they would die at the same time, and expressed a wish that they might be buried together.
Wiltshire Times and Trowbridge Advertiser June 17, 1922.
The newspaper article provides a pretty comprehensive account of William's service. His military records reveal that he enlisted in the 4th Wilts on September 14, 1914 aged 46 and served at home until January 2, 1916. On January 3, 1916, having transferred to the 22nd Wessex & Welsh Btn the Rifle Brigade, he was sent to the Western Front where he served for 325 days. On November 24, 1916, he was posted to Salonika where he served for 1 year and 215 days before being posted home on June 27, 1918, having previously transferred to the Royal Engineers.
William was discharged on August 10, 1918 as being no longer physically fit for War Service. He was 49 years and 11 months old and suffering from valvular disease of the heart.
He was awarded a weekly pension of 27 shillings for four weeks after which it dropped to just over 13 shillings, to be renewed after 48 weeks.
William had previously worked for more than twenty years as a Rivetter's Holder Up in the GWR Works, a physically demanding job that he was no longer strong enough to do.
His son Arthur was born in 1899, one of six children of whom only three sons survived childhood. He grew up in Rodbourne living at addresses in Redcliffe Street, Drew Street, Linslade Street, Montague Street and Jennings Street. William worked as a boiler maker in the railway factory and when young Arthur left school he followed him into the GWR Works and the same trade.
Following the outbreak of war in 1914 Arthur was keen to join up and enlisted in the 2nd Wiltshire Battalion on January 12, 1915. He said his age was 19 but in fact he was not yet 16. Recruiting officers were apt to turn a blind eye to fresh faced, eager young volunteers.
He was posted to France on June 1 where his age was quickly detected and on July 7, 1915 he was sent back to England as being 'under age and physically unfit for service at the front.'
He spent the following year in service on the home front before returning to France in June 1916, this time in the 1st Hertfordshires.
His service records reveal that on May 12, 1918 he was gassed. His medical records state that his capacity was lessened by 40% and that he was left with defective vision and suffering from headaches. He was discharged on November 23, 1918 as being no longer physically fit for war service. He received a pension of 11s and returned to Swindon where he married Mabel Pinnegar in 1919.
In 1920 he wrote to the Infantry Record Office asking if he was entitled to anything under Army Order 325/19 concerning the Territorial extra allowances. He received this reply:
'I regret to inform you that you are not entitled to any extra pay or allowances under Army Order 325 of 1919 as you were discharged on 23rd November, 1918.
The increase of pay authorised under the Army Order in question was only granted from 1st July, 1919 to soldiers who were actually serving on the date of the order, viz 13th September 1919.'
Arthur died on May 22, 1922 aged just 23 years. William had died a few hours earlier.
Such tragedy for one Swindon family.
Stanley William Ashton
Stanley William Ashton is buried here in plot C3524 with Frederick Loveday, his father in law. Frederick died during the First World War, Stanley during the Second World War.
Stanley Ashton was born August 22, 1911 in Burderop, the son of William, a labourer, and his wife Ada.
He served an apprenticeship as an electrician before joining the RAF and gained his pilot wings in November 1938. In 1939 he was serving with 59 Squadron in France where they were using Blenheim MIV aircraft. As the Germans pushed through France in 1940 the squadron was withdrawn to England and based at RAF Odiham, Hampshire. They continued to fly missions over France, mainly reconnaissance operations.
On Tuesday June 4, 1940 Pilot Officer Ashton and his crew were flying R3697. They took off from RAF Eastchurch on the Isle of Sheppey, Kent. There are two theories as to what they were doing. One is that they were on a transit flight to head back to their base in Hampshire. The other is that they were on an operational mission.
Neither were confirmed, but during take-off as the aircraft banked, one of the wings clipped the ground and the plane crashed, killing all on board. Among those killed were Observer Sgt William John Wilson and Wireless Operator/Air Gunner Sgt Roland Wilson (no relation). Stanley Ashton had been married just six months. He was 28 years old.
His wife, Josephine Loveday was born in 1914, the daughter of Adeline Loveday and her husband Frederick, a casualty of the First World War.
Frederick was born in 1889 and grew up in Rodbourne where his father John ran a grocery shop. Frederick served as an Air Mechanic First Class during the First World War. He died in the King George Military Hospital in Stamford Street, South London on November 6, 1918 and was buried in Radnor Street Cemetery on November 11. He was 29 years old and left a widow and two small daughters.
Adeline never remarried. She died in 1968 and was buried with her husband and son in law on February 2. Josephine eventually remarried in 1955 and was buried elsewhere when she died in 1982. Although Radnor Street Cemetery was closed by then the burial registers indicate that there was room for one more burial in the plot where her parents and Stanley were buried.
The Commonwealth War Grave Commission cares for the maintenance of the headstones and a group of dedicated Radnor Street Cemetery volunteers keep the grass around the graves mown.
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| Stanley Ashton and Josephine Loveday |
