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.

William MacFarlane MacBeth

Canadian, Registered War Grave

William MacFarlane MacBeth
Corporal 1099189
10th Batt. Canadian Railway Troops
(Ontario Regt.)

Division 75
Extension

William MacBeth died on 20th March 1919.  He was the husband of Nellie MacBeth,  of Coleman, East Totonto.

The grave of William MacBeth grave is one of the registered CWGC graves in the cemetery.  Grave number 16605.The original family memorial of a cross with the inscription to William MacBeth was replaced in 1998 with a war pattern CWGC headstone after the author alerted the Commission that the inscription was indistinct.  The headstone bears the traditional Canadian maple leaf.

A copy of the Canadian Book of Remembrance page can be obtained via the Internet.