Category Archives: Other Regiments

George Henry Martin

Army, Commemorated name/s, Other Regiments

George Henry Martin
Sapper 235379
Royal Engineers

Division 49 

Martin GH photo

George Henry Martin  lived at 45, Cranbury Road, Reading.  His death was notified in the Standard on 27th April 1918. He died on April 3rd 1918, aged 23 years.

He is commemorated on a family grave.  His parents were George and Sarah Martin. George’s father was a painter and decorator and George Henry probably worked for him. His occupation as stated in the 1911 census was painters lad. George Henry Martin’s attestation papers are available. He attested on 29 January 1916. Upon enlistment his occupation was given as Crane Driver and driller. He had served 2 years in the 1/4 Royal Berkshire Territorial unit and tried to sign for overseas service in September 1914 but was not considered suitable  due to flat feet and a weak right ankle. After attesting he was posted to the Army Reserve the next day and later to Royal Engineers. He served at home from from 21January 1917 until 2 February 1918 where he may have spent sometime working for Inland Waterways. On 2 February 1918 he was discharged as no longer fit for service although it is noted that he would have to attend a further medical examination. George Henry Martin suffered an accident whilst on duty on a barge when woden beams fell on him and severed his spinal cord resulting in paralysis of his lower limbs and requiring constant care.

The author is carrying out further enquiries to establish whether he would be entitled to registration under the CWGC and would be eligible for a war pattern headstone. Sapper Martin is actually buried in the grave currently no information can be found as to his war record through the CWGC Internet site.

Walter John (Jack) Malham

Army, Commemorated name/s, Other Regiments, RFC / RAF, Somme

Walter John Malham
Rifleman R/11278 7th Battalion
Kings Royal Rifle Corps

Division 40

Malham J photo Malham JH dad of J photo

Walter John Malham   is commemorated on a small scroll stone which gives the first names of other family members (probably sister and mother) and the legend ‘Jack 19 Died in France 1916’.  The Berkshire Family History Monumental Inscriptions files enabled me to locate the scroll (40G26) and their work also identified the family name of Malham.  A CWGC search then enabled the identification of ‘Jack’.  He was the only son of John Henry and Lillian Malham, of 59, Brunswick Street, Reading.  His father also served in the army, first in the Army Service Corps and later as a 1st Air Mechanic with the RAF.

Walter John, who was obviously known as Jack to his family, died of wounds on 20th September 1916, aged 19.  He is buried at Heilly Station Cemetery, Mericourt-L’Abbe, Somme.  The village is some 10 kilometres west of Albert. The 36th Clearing Station was at Heilly from 1st April 1916.  It is not known how or when Jack was wounded.  However, the 14th Division was in the area of Delville Wood 15th July to 3rd September 1916 fighting in the battle of the same name.  The Division also fought in the Battle of Flers -Courcelette 15th to 22nd September 1916.  In this last battle, tanks were used for the first time.

Ancestry UK indicated that Walter John Malham was born 23 February 1897. He was a warehouse assistant in 1911 and his father was a engineering pattern maker. He had two older sisters.

Sidney and William Lucas. C Lucas

Army, Arras, Commemorated name/s, Other Regiments, Royal Berkshire Regiment, St. Laurence's Church, Ypres

Sidney Lucas
Private 10471 2nd Battalion “C” Company
Royal Scots Fusiliers

 William Lucas
Corporal 201709
5th Royal Berkshire Regiment

 Division 66
Extension

Lucas S photo Lucas W Photo Lucas C photo

Sidney and William Lucas, were the twin sons of  Henry and Jessie Lucas, of 48, Swansea Road,  Reading.  They are commemorated on the kerbs of a family grave. Jessie Lucas had borne eleven children. At the time of the 1911 census Henry is recorded as a waiter, other members of the family are working in various occupations within the printing industry. Older brothers Harry and Sidney are working as general labourers and Thomas in the Music Hall. William is not living at home. He was married to Elizabeth Lucas, of 7, Selwood Place, Slough. The 1901 census also names an older brother Charlie who could be the C.Lucas pictured above.

Sidney Lucas was killed in action at Festubert on 17th May 1915.  His body was never identified and he is recorded on the La Touret memorial to the Missing, panel 12 & 13.  He was aged 23.

William Lucas was killed in action on 27th April 1917. He is buried in the  Faubourg D’Amiens Cemetery, Arras.  Location Plot V.  Row C.  Grave number 23.  He was 25.

C. Lucas Private
1st Battalion Royal Scots Fusiliers

C. Lucas is pictured with Sidney Lucas, and his address given as 103, Great Knollys Street, Reading.  It is not clear whether they were brothers.

The Standard of January 9th 1915 gave pictures and information that Sidney Lucas had been wounded in the left hand and C. Lucas had been wounded in the forehead.

Greater detail about C. Lucas was given in the same paper of January 16th 1915 under the title “Left for Dead”.  Quoting C. Lucas the report gave detail of his wounding…“ a woollen head comforter lessened the force of the blow and saved my life”.   He had fallen unconscious and was given up for dead by comrades, who carried him to a dug out and covered him with straw.  In this condition he lay for 13 hours and then a chum tried to rouse him and shouted, “Now’s your chance”.  Lucas then commenced to stagger to an ambulance wagon, which he says was 3 miles distant, and reached without mishap.  He had been wounded on November 5th during the 1st Battle of Ypres.  After treatment at Boulogne he was sent to Norwich hospital and then home on sick leave.  He had been a Reservist and was employed at the Place Theatre as a stage hand before the war.