Jacob Gotz

Other Regiments, Registered War Grave

Jacob Gotz
Private G/93489
30th Battalion Middlesex Regiment

Division 71 and 72
War Plot

Jacob Gotz was not local to Reading. He was the husband of Emma Gotz, of 9, Humbolt Mansions, Lillie Road, Fulham Cross, London.   Jacob was accidentally killed on 13th February 1918, aged 30.  The Reading Standard gave both an account of the accident and also the inquest.

Standard. February 16th 1918: 

Fatal Bus Accident
Soldier killed whilst hanging on to van.

” A shocking accident occurred on Wednesday afternoon just outside Reading, when Jacob Gotz, 30, of the Middlesex Regt, was crushed between a motorvan and a bus, with fatal results.  The accident occurred on what is known as Shepherd’s Hill, the hill which runs up out of Reading from the London Rd train terminus.  The deceased was riding a bicycle behind a motor van on the near side going down hill.  He was hanging on with the right hand and changing over to the right side of the van, he tried to catch it with his left hand.  As he was passing over to the offside of the van for this purpose, he ran into a motor bus which was going up the hill, with the consequence that he became pinned between the two vehicles, his head was smashed and his neck broken.  Gotz, who was born in Germany, was a well known boxer and wrestler, and carried on the business of a bakery before the war.  Papers were found in his possession addressed to 9, Humbolt Mansions, Lillie Rd. Fulham”.  This was  the address of his wife.

 

Standard February 23rd 1918: 

Account of inquest on 
Jacob Gotz

Jacobh Gotz was aged 30 and a Private with 30th Isle  of Wight,  Middlesex Regiment and stationed at Reading.  Gotz was born in Germany, but he had no nationality as he had been denationalised.  His home was Fulham where he had seen his brother Philip Gotz and told him he was cycling back to Reading on February 13th.

The driver of the bus involved was on Shepherds Hill and saw a lorry coming towards him.  Just as the vehicles were level a soldier on a bike came out from behind the lorry and collided with the dashboard of the bus.  Gotz ended up under the bus with extensive injuries, tools had to be fetched to “extricate” the body.  Death was instantaneous. Verdict “Accidental death” both drivers are exonerated of all blame.

The paper tells us that there was an impressive military funeral starting from Sutton Seeds Trial ground with a large body of his regiment and band of the Pioneer School of Instruction.   Comrades were pall bearers and the regiment sent a beautiful wreath. Jacob Gotz name is commemorated on the screen wall in the war plot.

screen wall

 

 

 

 

Albert Henry Graham

Commemorated name/s, Graves, Other Regiments

Albert Henry Graham
Serjeant Major
Royal Engineers

Division 2 

Albert Henry Graham died on the 11th December 1923.  Although he served during the war and is commemorated on the kerb stones of his grave with the words  “Through War Service”, he died after the “official” cut off date and his name does not appear in the CWGC Register for the Cemetery.  

His death was announced in the paper:-

Graham – On December 11th at the Royal Berks. Hospital – Albert Henry, the devoted husband of Emily Graham, of 30 Amity Rd, Reading age 45.

Rest after pain.

The 1911 census indicates that Henry Graham was a Serjeant in the Royal Engineers and that he and Emily were living at the Gibralta Barracks, Stanhope Lines, Aldershot. Henry and Emily were both 33 years old and they had been married for two years, they had no children at that time. Emily was a native of Reading, Henry had been born in Kent.  No further details are known.

William Frederick Grant

Army, Commemorated name/s, Other Regiments, Passchendaele

William Frederick Grant
Private 48278
8th Battalion  Devonshire Regt.

 Division 69
Extension

Grant WF Rcem famgrave Grant WF mem name

 

William Frederick Grant was the son of  William and Lucy Mary Grant.  He is remembered on of his parents grave.  The inscription states “Fell in Action.”  He was 26.  William Grant has no known grave and his name is commemorated on the Tyne Cot Memorial Panel 38-40.  He died on 4th October 1917, in action which was officially part of the 2nd phase of the 3rd Battle of Ypres which had started on the 15th September.  For the men involved in the offensive which began along an eight mile front on the morning of 4th October it became known as “Passchendaele“.

 The preparations for the battle had taken place in fine weather but on the 2nd October it started to rain and the rain continued until the end of the month.  The land of Flanders, with its high water table and dykes, became a quagmire and it was virtually impossible to move the guns forward to support the troops.  On the 3rd October the Germans were preparing to attack from their front line above Zonnebeke facing Polygon Wood.  They sent over a severe early morning bombardment.  The British and Australians secretly massing opposite  them were also preparing to go.  The German barrage killed many men but those unharmed kept their nerve.  Just as the Germans sprang their attack a British barrage began and the Australians charged the German line.  The Germans were taken by surprise and those who could fled, there was fierce hand to hand fighting and many prisoners were taken.  The next day William Grant was in the attack north-east of Polygon Wood.  The 8th Devonshire regiment which was fighting along side the Australians reached their objectives but William Grant was killed in action.  The battle was to rage on until the 15th November 1917, through mud and rain and worse, against pill boxes and machine guns until the ridge was finally captured.  The total losses (killed, wounded, missing or made prisoner) amounted to 244.897 British; 8,525 French and approximately 230,000 German. (Martin Marix Evans – Passchendaele 1997)

The 1901 census indicates that William wasthe eldest of six children, he had one brother and four sisters. The children were all of school age. William’s father after whom William was named is described as a Journeyman Butcher, this means that he had completed an apprenticeship and was qualified in his trade; he had been born in Ireland.  Lucy was born in Thatcham and all the children in Reading. The family were living in the Katesgrove district of Reading at 83 Mount Street. By 1911 the family had grownto eight children with five girls and three boys. The three eldest including William were all working at the biscuit factory. William’s father occupation was given as a bacon butcher.

William Frederick Grant was probably commemorated on a Huntley and Palmers War Memorial. However, these seem to have been departmental affairs and the author has not seen a plaque bearing William’s name.