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

 

 

 

 

Samuel Jewell Gooding

Commemorated name/s, New Zealand

Samuel Jewell Gooding
2nd Lieut.
15th Company New Zealand Imperial Camel Corps.

 Division 12

Gooding SJ photo  CIMG2088

Samuel Jewell Gooding (Sam) was the son of the late John Rowcliffe Gooding and his wife Mary.  Sam died of wounds on December 11th 1917 and is buried in the  Cairo War Memorial Cemetery, Egypt. Grave number Plot O Grave 60 .  He was aged 33.

The CWGC register does not give any additional information from his family.  However the 1901 census indicates that Samuel’s fathers occupation was a Dispencer of Medicines, his older brother Charles was a Seeds Merchants Assistant and Samuel was a Clerk for the Seeds Merchant. No occupation is given for for Samuel’s sister Florence, then twenty three years old his younger sister Rosina was tweleve and assumed to be in school.  There is some evidence that both Charles and Rosina may at some point have emigrated to Canada and that Samuel went to USA before the Great War. It is not known when he enlisted in the New Zealand army.

 The circumstance of Sam’s’ death are not known.

New Zealand History on Line gives many details about the Camel Corps.

Edward Gooch

Army, Berkshire Yeomanry, Commemorated name/s, Other Regiments, Reading Blue Coat School, Reading University College, Somme

Edward Gooch
Private 40171
3rd  Battalion Worcestershire Regiment  formerly a
Sergeant in the Berkshire Yeomanry

 Division 27

Gooch E photo

 

Edward Gooch was the son of Arthur and Miriam Gooch, of 12, Stanley Grove, Reading. He was killed in action on 9th October 1916, aged 28.  He is commemorated upon the kerb stones of his parents grave in Reading Cemetery.  The grave number is 12671.  The Berkshire Family History Society classification is 27E31.

In the 1911 census his occupation is given as a Clerk at the Gas Works; he is living at home with his parents and two brothers. Miram Gooch had borne seven children.

The 3rd Worscesters were part of the 25th Division and in September 1916 moved to a position south of the River Ancre in the Somme battlefield.  After many small scale raids and operations, a major attack was made by the Division on 9 October. The condiditons on the ground were poor and although there was success in beating off German counter attacks before capturing their objectives it was in this action that Edward Gooch lost his life.

The CWGC site tells us that Edward Gooch was buried in Poiziers British Cemetery, Ovillers. grave identification Plot IV, Row T, 24.