Category Archives: Graves

Charles Edward William Proctor and brothers – Proctor

Army, Commemorated name/s, Other Regiments, Royal Berkshire Regiment

Charles Edward William Proctor
Private 10260 1st Battalion Royal Berkshire Regiment

 Division 76
Extension

Proctor CEW and bros photo
Proctor CEW Rcem com

 

Charles Edward William Proctor was the eldest son of Mr William Davis Proctor and Mrs Minnie Proctor, of 17, Tudor Road, Reading.  He is remembered on the family grave number 16452.  Berkshire Family History Society classification 76B5. 

The headstone refers to Charles being ‘Killed in Action in France’, but gives only the years of his life, 1882 -1918.  The author has located two sets of photographs relating to the family so it is known that he was one of five brothers who served during the war.  It is unclear from the captions which brother is which.  Ancestry UK indicates that the family tree for this family has been researched and that all the other brothers survived the war.

PROCTOR BROS CEM

The Reading Standard September 22nd 1917 reported that two of the Proctor brothers had been wounded.  Later it was revealed by the same shell.  Corporal F (possibly Frederick) Proctor was evacuated to Eastbourne.  He had served three years in France and had also been awarded the Military Medal.  His brother Sapper W (possibly Walter) Proctor suffered shrapnel in the hand and was in convalescent camp in France.

 A search of the CWGC website has not revealed any information to further establish the service details, time or place of death of Charles E.W. Proctor during 1918.  However, photograph captions refer to both Royal Berkshire Regiments and Royal Engineers.  A CWGC search revealed that a C.E.W. Proctor of the 1st Royal Berkshire Regiment was killed on the 24th June 1916.  No family details are given.  However, a report in the local paper stated that Charles Edward William Proctor was killed on June 25th 1916, by a shell whilst on sentry duty.  They are believed to be one and the same person. 

 Charles Proctor was buried in Cabaret-Rouge British Cemetery, Souchez, Pas de Calais.  Location I.A.21.  It was from this cemetery, on 25th May 2000, that the remains of an unknown Canadian soldier were exhumed, to be placed in the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at the foot of the National War Memorial in Ottawa.

Thomas Porter

Army, Commemorated name/s, Other Regiments

Thomas Porter
Sergeant  M2/046569
15th Div. Train, Army Service Corps

 Division 7

Porter T photo

Sergeant Thomas Porter is remembered on the grave of his parents Henry and Rosanna Porter who died in 1922 and 1948 respectively.  The commemoration states ‘Died of Wounds in France’.  The Berkshire Family History Society classification number is 7A15.  There are no family details in the CWGC information.  A picture from Berkshire and the War gives the home address as 36 Sherman Road, Reading.

The 1911 census indicates that Thomas and his wife Blanche and son Denis then aged 1 year were living with his parents at 4 Sherman Road.  Thomas was a furniture porter his father worked at the biscuit factory.

 Thomas Porter died of wounds on 18th July 1917, aged 26.  He is buried in Boulogne Eastern Cemetery, Pas de Calais.  Grave reference IV.A.35.

Boulogne was one of the three Base ports most used by the British Armies during the war.  Boulogne and Wimereux formed one of the chief hospital areas.  Thomas Porter was probably wounded some distance away from Boulogne. 

J W Porter

Army, Arras, Commemorated name/s, Other Regiments

J W Porter
Bugler 9137
“G” Company 2nd Battalion
Oxford & Buckinghamshire Light Infantry.

Division 69
Extension

Porter W photo

J W Porter was the son of  Mr and Mrs F. Porter of Reading and the husband of Emily Walker (nee Porter) of 449, Brooklyn Street, St. James’, Winnipeg, Canada.  He died of wounds on 14th September 1915.  He is commemorated on his parents grave, number 18168. 

Bugler Porter is buried in Chocques Military Cemetery, Pas de Calais, France.  Location Plot I. D. 99.

 Chocques  lies north west of Bethune near Gonnheim.  From late autumn 1914 to the end of the war Chocques was occupied by the British.  The graves in Plot I were on men who died of wounds in No. 1 Casualty Clearing Station which was posted in the village.  The officers were buried in Plot V.  The casualties would have been fighting on the Bethune front.