Category Archives: RFC / RAF

Richard Slyfield and brothers

Army, Other Regiments, Registered War Grave, RFC / RAF, Ypres

Richard Slyfield
298502 Air Mechanic II.
2nd F.T.S. (Duxford)

Division 65 Extension

Richard Slyfield  lived at 32 Whitley Street, Reading.  He was the son of Mrs. Althea Slyfield and the late John Slyfield. The 1911 census indicates that Althea is the head of the family and that she has five sons. The oldest is George 22, John aged 18, Robert 15, James 13 and Richard the youngest aged 10. The three older brothers are working at the biscuit factory, as a butcher’s assistant and as a milkman respectively. The younger boys are still in school.

Richard died on the 21st January 1921.  A picture and account of his funeral was published on February 5th 1921 in the Standard. Pg. 8  He is buried in the cemetery and has a CWGC headstone, grave number 13742.  He was aged 19.  The author has found no other details relating to his death.

However, a R. Slyfied (assumed to be brother Robert) , a Signaller of the same address is recorded in “Berkshire and the War”  as being awarded a Military Medal for bravery.   He was at the time with another Signaller, William Ayres, also from Reading who was later commemorated on the War Memorial plaque of the Alfred Sutton School.

The medal was awarded for “mending a telephone line at great risk”, when in action near Contalmaison 11th -14th July 1916.  The London Gazette 1/9/1916 records the citation “for good work and bravery”.  The work of a signaller was  dangerous and vital. Communications when in the front line were often broken and the signaller had the job of effecting repairs under the most trying of circumstances.

Private 27003 James Slyfield 2nd Battalion Wiltshire Regt., the brother of Richard Slyfield, died on the 31st July 1917, the opening day of the Third Battle of Ypres, on a battlefield that had turned to a sea of mud a result of the combined effects of heavy rain and bombardment by shells.  James  Slyfield has no known grave and is commemorated on the Ypres Memorial to the Missing, Menin Gate, Panel 53.  Like Richard he was 19 years old when he died.

William Frederick Rogers

Army, Canadian, Other Regiments, RFC / RAF

William Frederick Rogers
Lieutenant Royal Flying Corps

Division 67
Extension

Rogers WF photo  CIMG2146

William Frederick Rogers was the son of Mr and Mrs Rogers of 65, Swainstone Road, Reading.  Both his parents were dead, his father for many years, before the death of William. His mother, Hannah Rogers died 28th February 1912, aged 52.  Lieutenant Rogers is buried with his mother in the Reading Cemetery the grave number is 15645. He is remembered as a dear brother. The lettering is very indistinct and currently the grave is not listed among the registered war graves for the cemetery.

William Rogers was born at Henley-on-Thames his family moved to Reading when he was about fourteen.  William lived in Reading for five years before emigrating to Canada where he became an engineer, later he moved to the USA where he took up motor-cycle riding. Rogers returned to England in November 1914 and joined a Canadian Regiment in London.  Later he was transferred to the Royal Flying Corps, in which he obtained his commission, initially as a Sub-Lieutenant although he very quickly rose to a full Lieutenant when his abilities were realised.  He held his pilot’s certificate three to four weeks before he died and was regarded as one of the best pilots in his squad.

Details of the death of Lieutenant Rogers were given in an article published in the Reading Chronicle on 7th January 1916.  William was aged 24 when he was killed in a flying accident whilst flying at Fort Grange, Gosport, on 28th December 1915.  The article gives details of the accident in which William Rogers lost his life:

“Lieutenant Rogers was making a flight with a new Curtiss machine when he was killed.  The machine, which was at a low altitude, being no more than 150 feet up, was seen making a nose dive to earth, and it fell heavily, burying its fore-part in the ground.  Help was quickly at hand and Lieut. Rogers was found in his machine unconscious.  He was taken out of it, but death had taken place before the doctor’s arrival.  Immediately the deceased commenced the flight it was observed that he was not comfortable in the machine, and it is said that he turned it when too near the ground.  At the inquest which was held a verdict of “Accidental death” was returned.”

The body of William Rogers was brought by train from Gosport accompanied by many of his fellow officers.   At the railway station the funeral cortège was met by relations and friends.   The coffin was covered with a Union Jack and the mourners then walked in procession to the Reading Cemetery.  The funeral service was held in the cemetery chapel and as William Rogers was interred the 3/4th  Battalion of the Royal Berkshire Regiment provided a firing party.

The paper lists the mourners as:

“ Mrs Mable Rogers (sister) Mr and Mrs Charles Rogers (brother and sister-in-law), Mr Gilbert Rogers, Mr Harold Rogers and Mr Frank Rogers (brothers), Mrs Beaumont of Bromley (aunt), Mr Harvey (cousin)……Brigadier-General J.S.A, Higgins, D.S.O. (commanding officer of the 2nd Brigade Royal Flying Corps, Gosport, Lieut.-Colonel J.H.W. Beck (Commanding 7th Wing, RFC, Gosport), officers of 7th Wing and NCO’s and mechanics of the 23rd Squad RFC.”

 Initial searches of the CWGC website provided no information about W F Rogers however, brief details were found on 5th April 2002.   The information gives only his name, rank and date of death and an indication that Lieutenant Rogers is commemorated on the UK Memorial.  The author has communicated with the CWGC to have his burial place registered officially. It is known that in due course a war pattern headstone is to be erected.

Ellen Clark

Registered War Grave, RFC / RAF

Ellen Clark
19194 No.3 Stores Depot Park
Woman’s Royal Air Force

 Division 26

 CIMG2167

Ellen Clark, was the daughter of Mrs Clark, of 9, Mount Pleasant Grove, Reading.   She died of pneumonia, on the 31st October 1918 aged 35.

Hers is a registered war grave with a CWGC war pattern headstone, number 15098.  The headstone bears the initial ‘F’ rather than ‘E’