Tag Archives: air raids

Wolverhampton’s Great War: 1914-1921

14 Tuesday Jan 2020

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Wolverhampton”Great War 1914-1921

Wolverhampton’s Great War 1914-1921
A new publication
Zeppelin air-raids,
Hospital treatment of battle casualties,
The impact of the ‘Spanish ‘flu’,
The Sankey family
Planting of trees as war memorials.
Case-studies of local service personnel –
Wulfrunians- national heroes:
Roland Elcock and Douglas Harris.

Wolverhampton’s Great War,1914-1921 written by Wulfrunians:
Jim Barrow
Mark Cooper
Ben Cunliffe
John Hale
Heidi McIntosh
Mick Powis
Richard Pursehouse
Beverley Reynolds
Roy Stallard
David Taylor
John Thomas
Chris Twiggs

Wolverhampton’s Great War 1914 – 1921
The Wolverhampton Society BOOK LAUNCH EVENT
This event is part of Wolverhampton LiteratureFestival.
Wolverhampton Art Gallery
Saturday, 1 February 2020 from 12:00-13:00
Follow the blue link above to secure your free tickets.

Discover how to do your own family research here.
A guide to family history research Find Your Ancestry: https://yourarchive.wordpress.com/links-resources/


Robert Clayton

04 Saturday May 2019

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The son of Sarah and Henry E. Clayton, Robert was born in Condover, Shropshire on 8 November 1881. From 23 August 1897 onwards, he worked as a clerk for the London & North Western Railway Company. In 1904, he married Harriet Elizabeth Merrick in Wolverhampton, and by 1911 they were living at 163 Caledonia Street, off Steelhouse Lane, Wolverhampton, along with their three children Marjorie, Albert Henry and Jessie. Robert was still working as a Clerk for the Railway Company.

Robert does not appear to have enlisted for military service during the First World War. From the outbreak of war, he served as an Orderly for the British Red Cross, doing transport work from the station to the General Hospital in Wolverhampton, doing orderly duty there and at Red Cross Drives, concerts etc, and air raid duty at Bilston Road Air Raid station. He also assisted in the instruction of two First Aid and two Home Nursing classes.

By 1939 Robert was still working as a railway clerk, living at 55 Riches Street with his wife and children Jessie and Iris. Robert died in Wolverhampton in 1962 at the age of 81.

Richard Edward Chell

15 Monday Apr 2019

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The son of Harriett and Edward Chell, Richard was born in Wolverhampton on 2 May 1877. By 1901 he was living with his mother at 2 St Mark’s Road, Wolverhampton. He was working as a draper’s assistant. In 1904, Richard married Emma Frances Vaughan in Wolverhampton, By 1911, the couple were living with Harriett Chell at the same address, along with their two children, Winifred Lilian and Gordon Frank. Richard was working as a draper.

Perhaps because of his age, Richard does not appear to have done any military service during the First World War. However, he did serve the British Red Cross from February 1917 onwards, by which date his address was 3 Lonsdale Rad, Wolverhampton. He served part-time, doing hospital work in the Military Wards of Wolverhampton General Hospital, transporting wounded at Wolverhampton and Lichfield, and served on Air Raid duty at Merridale Street Air Raid Station, Wolverhampton. He had a First Aid Certificate.

By 1939, the now-widowed Richard was living alone at 26 Woodthorne Road, Tettenhall, Wolverhampton, working as a Ladies’ Outfitter. He died on 14 April 1945, by which date his address was 124 Penn Road, Wolverhampton. The value of his effects was £5800 5s. 7d.

Herbert John Cadwallader

25 Monday Mar 2019

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The brother of Horace and son of John and Sophia Cadwallader, Herbert was born in Wolverhampton on 24 October 1865. In 1892, he married Amelia Mary W. Keay in Wolverhampton, and by 1901 they were living with their son, Dennis, at 12 Copthorne Road, Wolverhampton. Herbert was working as a manufacturer’s clerk. They were at the same address in 1911 and Herbert was working as a clerk for a fencing works.

Presumably because of his age, Herbert does not appear to have served with the armed forces during the First World War. However, from October 1917 onwards, he did serve the British Red Cross, doing a variety of duties, including hospital work in the military wards of the Wolverhampton General Hospital, transporting the wounded at Wolverhampton and Lichfield, and air raid duty at Merridale Air Raid Station in Wolverhampton. His address by then was given as 207 Tettenhall Road, Wolverhampton. He was awarded a First Aid Certificate.

Herbert died on 16 November 1943. The value of his effects was £1319 9s. 3d.

Walter William and Ernest Harry Burton

26 Tuesday Feb 2019

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The sons of James G. and Hannah Burton, Walter was born in Shrewsbury on 18 January 1881, and Ernest was born in Wolverhampton in 1884. They were living at 5 Corn Hill, Wolverhampton, by 1901, along with Walter’s siblings Ernest H., Ethel M., Mabel, Elsie E., and Gladys M. Walter was working as a railway clerk, and Ernest as a railway attendant.

On 13 January 1896, Walter became an apprentice with the London and North Western Railway. Walter married Rose Winifred Wall in Wolverhampton in 1905. They were living at 51 Oak Street, Wolverhampton, by 1911, with three children, Muriel May, Ernest William and Walter J. Walter continued to work as a railway clerk for the London and North Western Railway. Walter does not have appeared to have done any military service during the First World War. However, he did work as a Sergeant for the British Red Cross from 19 November 1914 until 10 May 1915 in various capacities:

  • Number 5 British Red Cross Society Hospital in Wimereux, Boulogne, France
  • Transport work from the Railway station to the General Hospital, Wolverhampton
  • Orderly duty at the above hospital
  • Air raid duty at Bilston Road Air Raid station
  • Orderly duty at British Red Cross drives, concerts etc
  • Assisting in instruction of 13 First Aid and 5 Home Nursing classes.

He was awarded the 1914 Star. Walter died on 18 June 1966 at 25 McLean Road, Oxley, Wolverhampton, by which date his address was 32 Dunkley Street, Wolverhampton. The value of his effects was £2696.

On 1 July 1901, Ernest attested with the Worcestershire Regiment (number 6416), and he was released on 30 Jun 1910 at the end of his period of engagement. By 1911, Ernest was a boarder in Durham, working as a prison official. He married Lily Smith in Durham in 1913. He rejoined the 2nd Battalion on the outbreak of war, becoming a Lance Corporal, but was killed in action near Ypres on 31 October 1914. Unfortunately, initial reports were that he had been wounded and missing, and his service records contain numerous letters from his widow, his sister and his parents asking for further news, before his death was confirmed. From 15 November 1915 onwards, his widow was awarded a pension of 10s. a week. He is remembered at the Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial

The Bettles brothers

18 Friday Jan 2019

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These are the sons of Arthur and Anne Bettles, living at 6 Steelhouse Lane, Wolverhampton in 1901, when the household consisted of sons Arthur Harry and John William, and daughters Florence Annie, Ethel May and Dorothy Eleanor. They were at the same address in 1911, with an additional four children – Harold Ernest, Eva Lilian, Constance Evelyn and Horace Frederick.

Arthur was born in Wolverhampton on 6 October 1892. By 1911, Arthur was working as an iron window frame maker. At some point he worked for Taylor Manufacturing Company in Wolverhampton. Arthur enlisted in the South Staffordshire Regiment as a Private (number 9379), first serving in France from 28 November 1914. He later transferred to the Number 163 Protection Company of the Royal Defence Corps (number 68152). He served in France and Egypt, receiving a gun shot wound to the left foot in November 1916, but he survived the war. Arthur married Annie C. Bannister in 1917 in Wolverhampton, and they had two daughters, Barbara (1920) and Annie M. (1922). In 1939, they were living at 7 Leacroft Avenue, Wolverhampton, with their children. Arthur was working as a storekeeper at a steelworks. He died in Wolverhampton in 1965. He was remembered as a local man who served by the Wesleyan Church in Ettingshall.

John William Edward Bettles was born on 25 February 1895. By 1911 he was a coffee mill maker. In 1916, he married Mabel P. Bannister (presumably a relation of Annie C.) in Wolverhampton, and they had two sons, Robert A. E. (1917) and Ronald H. (1928). Unlike his brother, John appears not to have done any military service but was, instead, serving with the British Red Cross at home. From February 1917 onwards, (when his address was 540 Parkfield Road, Wolverhampton), he was doing hospital work in the military wards of Wolverhampton General Hospital. He was also responsible for the transportation of wounded at Wolverhampton and Lichfield, and Air Raid duty at Merridale Street Air Raid Station in Wolverhampton.  By 1939, he was living with his wife and children at 49 Birches Barn Road, and was the Managing Director of a Constructional Engineering works. John died on 16 March 1975, and the value of his effects was £6636.

 

Arthur Badger

16 Thursday Mar 2017

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The British Red Cross have records for an Arthur Badger, of 5 Stubbs Road, Wolverhampton, who served from April 1918 onwards doing various duties, including hospital work in the military wards of Wolverhampton General Hospital, the transportation of wounded at Wolverhampton and Lichfield, and air raid duty at Merridale Street Air Raid Station, Wolverhampton.

Tracking this man down has been more difficult, as there are various possibilities for who it could be. The 1911 census shows an Arthur Badger, born about 1872 (there are in fact, the births of two Arthur Badgers registered in Wolverhampton in 1871), living at 28 Rayleigh Road, Wolverhampton. This appears to be the most likely man, as he is the only one living in Wolverhampton in 1911, but there are others with the same name living in the surrounding area.

This particular man is married to Clara Helen Badger, and the have a 12-year-old daughter, Gladys. Arthur is a coal merchant. His age in 1911, 39, again makes it likely that this is the man in question, as he was probably too old for conscription by the time of the First World War. This particular man died in Wolverhampton in 1948, at the age of 77. If anybody is able to provide any further details, or confirm that this is the right man, we would love to know!

Wolverhampton Watch Committee Minute Book 1916 – 1918

16 Wednesday Sep 2015

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The third volume of the Wolverhampton Watch Committee minute books covers the period 1916 – 1917, with the fourth volume extending up to 1918.

This volume discussed future arrangements for air raids, including covering communications about possible raids to explosive or munitions factories, as well as instructing places of worship to dismiss congregations on receipt of air raid warnings.

The Committee resolved on 29 August 1918 to advertise for the appointment of Special Constables, on a voluntary basis, to assist the currently depleted police force. Their hours were not to exceed four hours per day or night, except in an emergency. Initially they asked for men above military age or those exempt from military service. The local Special Constabulary reached nearly 100 members by November 1916. This was extended in July 1917 to include women patrols as well.

As a post-script to the above, the local Special Constables were demobilised by February 1920, and their services were recognised at a dinner hosted by the Mayor in February 1919, where all members were presented with a suitable certificate.

Wolverhampton Watch Committee Minute Book 1915 – 1916

21 Tuesday Apr 2015

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The second volume of the Wolverhampton Watch Committee covers the period 1915 – 1916.

On 15 March 1915, the Committee resolved to “make arrangements to extinguish and reduce lights in the Borough if Enemy Aircraft approached the town.” However, this was not enough for one resident. On 20 September 1915 the Committee received a letter from a local resident concerned about the continuing street lighting at night. They were “mindful of night Zeppelin raids which could be attracted to the town by its luminescence!” The resident went on to suggest turn off the town lighting to minimise such risks. The minute book does not conclude whether this action was taken. It was only after the local air raid in Bradley on the night of 31 January 1916 that the Committee resolved that there would be no street lighting until further notice. As a further consequence of the darkness, the Committee gave advice in February 1916 that pillar boxes, posts and pavement margins should be painted with white or other illuminating paint.

There was a discussion on police pay, and it was resolved to keep the existing scale of pay, pensions and allowances, but to cover any increased cost of living allowances through a weekly War Bonus, which should not exceed 2s./6d. for all ranks. The police force members later put forward a petition in October 1915 asking for compensation for loss of both annual and weekly leave since the outbreak of the war. They also asked for overtime pay to cover the loss of officers serving with the Armed Forces. The committee resolved to grant a month’s pay which was equal to the lost leave.

Council Communications Book 1917 – 1918

29 Sunday Mar 2015

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We have featured earlier Council Communications Books in previous blog posts – 1914 – 1915 and 1915 – 1917. This is a collection of entries from the final one covering the First World War period.

Because of shortages of materials, the Local Government Board on 29 June 1917 drew attention to timber supplies, urging road works to be limited just to repairs. The circular also suggested the use of alternative materials such as asphalt. Food was also at a premium, and local Food Control Committees were being set up. There were attempts to increase the number of allotments, in order to supply people with a daily ration of 1/2 lb of vegetables each. Similarly there was a drive to collect waste paper, scrap metal and other inorganic waste that could be reused in the future. The reduction of the availability of coal meant that the use of peat was being encouraged.

In an attempt to encourage the Government to provide compensation for damage by aircraft and bombardment, a circular from the Committee on War Damage dated 30 June 1917 asked for more information on any damages or deaths in the area, and associated costs.

On 21 November 1917 there appeared a letter from MP Andrew Bonar Law, reminding everyone to continue to buy National War Bonds with their savings, rather than deposit money in banks, in order to help financing the war effort.

There were various employment issues dealt with during this period. There was a circular on 11 February 1918 from the Amalgamated Society of Gas, Municipal and Council Workers. Since October 1917 there had been a 12 1/2% bonus payments to skilled workers of 21 years plus working on munitions work in engineering shops, foundries or boiler works. This was now extended to electricity workers, Sheffield iron and steel works, bolt and nut manufacturers, brass founders, brass workers, bridge builders, constructional engineers, hollowware manufacturers, spring manufacturers, stampers and wagon builders. This bonus would terminate at the end of the war. A letter from the female clerks at the Town Hall dated 4 February 1918 requested equality with male clerks, who had already received an extra War bonus.

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