Category Archives: Memorials

Percy George Franklin & Harry Franklin

Abbey Baptist Church, Alfred Sutton School War Memorial, Commemorated name/s, Graves, Navy

Percy George Franklin
Gunner RMA/12600
H. M. S. “Vanguard”

Division 3

Franklin PG photo Franklin H photo

Percy Franklin was the son of John and Florence May Franklin. The 1901 census records John as a worker in a lumber yard. By 1911 he is the foreman. Both census records give the name as ‘Sir’, it isnot thought that this is a title as the picture above refers to Mr S J Franklin. During 1901 and 1911 the family lived at 20. St. Bartholomews Rd. By the 1911 census John has been married for two years to Milly Kate Franklin and they have one son aged 1 year. It is therefore assumed that Florence had died, possibly in child birth. There are four other children between the ages of 14 and 3 years in addition to Percy and Harry. Percy’s occupation is given as engineers clerk and Harry as a bank clerk. The family had moved to 70. Hamilton Road by the time that Harry was notified as wounded.  The local papers record that Percy was a keen footballer, he played for the King’s Road Chapel team and whilst serving on the liner Queen Elizabeth he played football for the ship’s team. 

 In 1914 he was on board the “Aboukir” when it was torpedoed.  During the week prior to the sinking he wrote to his parents. “Last week we swept the North Sea across, together, with about five other ships and eighteen destroyer, right from Sheerness to Heligoland.  But, nothing happened, and we are still waiting our chance.  When the time comes I think we shall show up well and keep the English name.  But, till then keep watching and waiting”. 

 Percy survived the sinking only to be killed when there was an internal explosion in the “Vanguard” when the vessel was at Scapa Flow on 9 July 1917, of those on board at the time only three survived.  He was aged 23 and left a wife Caroline Mary Franklin, of 48, Widley Rd. North End, Portsmouth.  His name is commemorated upon the Portsmouth Naval Memorial, Hampshire. 

Harry Franklin, Percy’s older brother,  was wounded in the spine during the war and was in Hospital at No.1 War Hospital Reading when the death of Percy was confirmed.  Although Harry survived the war he died in 1930 at the age of 38.  Both Percy and Harry are commemorated on the headstone of their parent’s grave in Division 3, Reading Cemetery. Number 14859.

CIMG2078

Frederick Palmer

Abbey Baptist Church, Army, Commemorated name/s, Other Regiments

Frederick Palmer
Sapper 92876 213th Army Troops Company
Royal Engineers

Division 67
Extension

 Frederick Palmer,  was the son of Frederick Joseph and Fanny Jane Palmer, of 30, Cardigan Gardens, Reading. The 1901 census indcates that his father  was a breadmaker at Huntley and Palmer’s biscuit factory. Frederick has a sister who wasayear older than him called Ethel.

Frederick Palmer died on 2nd April 1918, aged 22. He is buried in the St. Sever Cemetery Extension, Rouen.  Location P.IX.M.13A.

 It is likely that Frederick Palmer died of wounds as this was the main burial place for the dead of the Military hospitals in Rouen.

Joseph William Odell and brothers – Odell

Alfred Sutton School War Memorial, Army, Berkshire Yeomanry, Dardanelles, Graves, Other Regiments, Reading Blue Coat School, Royal Berkshire Regiment, Somme

Joseph William Odell
Trooper 1st Berkshire Yeomanry

 Division 65

JW Odell Odell AG photo bros Joseph Odell EV photo

Joseph Odell was the son of Mr and Mrs Joseph Odell of 87, Cardigan Road.  After leaving school he went to work for Pulsometer Engineering. Joseph was a well-liked young man who had joined the Yeomanry two years before the war.  He was passed as fit by the Doctors and went to serve in Egypt.  He had been there for only a few weeks when he was taken ill and on 12th August 1915 just days before his unit was due to land at Suvla Bay. He was evacuated back to England where he was first sent to hospital in Birmingham and then to Norton, Gloucester and then Pinewood at Hastings.  It was found that he was suffering so badly from tuberculosis that he was sent home to his parents where he eventually died on 3rd February 1916.  He was 22 years of age.

His funeral was military in character with buglers of the Yeomanry sounding the last post. Representatives of his squadron were Trooper Frederick Potts V.C. and Trooper Cook.  There were many mourners including his parents and two brothers as well as other family members and friends including those from Pulsometer Engineering Works and St. Lukes Club.

Joseph Odell was buried in the Reading Cemetery in Division 65.  There was no grave marker but the Thames Valley Branch of the Western Front Association and the Berkshire Yeomanry raised funds to erect a headstone similar in character to that of the CWGC headstone. It was dedicated on 26 June 2004 in a ceremony attended by the Lord Lieutenant of Berkshire, the Honorary Colonel of the Yeomanry, representatives  of the Yeomanry Museum and members of the WFA. The headstone was unveiled by veteran William Stone aged 103.

Odell headstone and WStone

 

His brother Lance Corporal 2442 Edward Victor Odell, 1st / 4th Battalion Royal Berkshire Regiment was killed in action on 14th August 1916, he is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial to the Missing Pier and Face 11D.

Odell EV name

There were no family details given in the CWGC register entry.  The Standard September 9th 1916, gave details of the death of Edward Victor Odell.  He had been a bugler in the Territorials for five years before the war but had left a few months before war was declared.  Edward re-enlisted in the first week of the war joining the 1st/4th Royal Berkshire Regiment.  He had been at the front 17 months when he was killed in the Somme battles.  In civil life, Edward had been a printer for eight years with Messer’s Bradley and Sons, the Forbury.  Edward was married and his son, whom he never saw, was born nine days before the notification of Edward’s death.

The Standard reports the existence of a third brother A.G. Odell who enlisted in the Royal Garrison Artillery at the beginning of the war.  Lance Bombardier, 42215, Albert George Odell served with the 122nd Siege Battery, Royal Garrison Artillery.  He was killed in action on 18th June 1918, aged 23. He is buried in Wailly Orchard Cemetery, Pas De Calais.  Location II.D.4.  He was the husband of E.L.Ward, formerly Odell of 47, Albert Road, Reading.  It was originally difficult to locate this brother because the CWGC detail spelt the surname as O’Dell rather than Odell which is common to other memorials to the brothers.

All the Odell brothers are commemorated on the Reading Blue Coat School War Memorial.