Tag Archives: Edinburgh

Bertram Cartwright

15 Wednesday Aug 2018

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cartwright_bertramThe brother of Horace, Bertram was born in Wolverhampton in 1891, the son of Edward B. and Elizabeth Cartwright. Bertram attended the Higher Grade School, and by 1911, he had become a tailor.

On 5 August 1914, he enlisted with the 9th Battalion of the Royal Scots (Lothian Regiment) (service number 1852). By this date, his trade was given as Salesman (draper), and he was living at 14 Rose Street, Edinburgh. According to the Midland Counties Express of 16 December 1916, he had “a very thrilling time in the fighting”. On 3 July 1916, he was killed by a shell while sleeping. He is remembered at the Arras Memorial

John Edward O’Hara

08 Thursday Mar 2018

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The son of Patrick and Bridget O’Hara, John was born in Wolverhampton in 1881. In 1901, they were living at No 3 Court, Littles Lane, Wolverhampton, along with John’s sisters Mary Anne, Kate, Margaret and Julia. John was a general labourer. John married Nellie Hadley in 1906, and they had two daughters, Margarite and Nellie. In 1911, they were living with their daughters at 6 House, 1 Court, Grimstone Street, Wolverhampton. John was a bricklayer’s labourer. They had a further two children – John (1912) and Kathleen (1915).

On 7 April 1915, John enlisted with the South Staffordshire Regiment (number 18393). By this date, his address was 10 Montrose Street, Wolverhampton. He first served in the Balkans from 6 October 1915. In 1916, he suffered two instances of Trench foot, and spent time in hospital in Aberdeen and Edinburgh. The second bout on 3 February 1916 also included the addition of “Traumatic psychosis”. On 2 March 1916, he was admitted to hospital in Paisley with “delusional insanity”, although his foot was described as “quite healed now”. By 23 June 1916, it was recommended that he be permanently discharged, and was sent to an asylum due to the “Stress of campaign” and “The result of active service, aggravated by climate”. Unfortunately he died in 1917 in Lichfield. Although he is not listed on the Commonwealth War Graves Commission site, he is on the Wolverhampton Roll of Honour.

Theodore Thomson Heath

08 Friday Dec 2017

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heathTheo, as he was known, was born in Wolverhampton in 1892, the son of Thomas and Elizabeth Heath. In 1901, they were living at 25 Newbridge Street, Wolverhampton, together with his brothers Leslie O. and Donald E. A. Theo attended Wolverhampton Grammar School, and later worked for Sunbeam Motor Company as a Petrol Engine Tester’s Assistant. In 1911, Theo was boarding in the home of William Walters, at 14 Clifton Street, Wolverhampton. He moved to Sunbeam’s Edinburgh depot after his initial work in Wolverhampton.

Theo enlisted as a Rifleman with the 12th Battalion London Regiment (number 2743), first serving in France from 9 March 1915. On 6 May 1915, he was wounded, and he died of these wounds on 4 June 1915. This was announced in the Express & Star on 10 June 1915 and in the Midland Counties Express on 12 June 1915. He is buried at East Sheen Cemetery in Surrey.

Plucky Wulfrunian wounded near a wayside shrine

24 Thursday Aug 2017

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The Express & Star of 21 October 1914 tells of a Private Ralph, of the Scottish Borderers, who was among a group of wounded soldiers in an Edinburgh hospital. He was a native of Wolverhampton and a stepson of Benjamin Davis of the Theatre Royal. His father was killed during the Boxer insurrection in China while serving on HMS Amora, and he had worked previously as a body maker at Sunbeam Motor Works.

At the age of only 20, Private Ralph had already been in the army for 18 months. During the course of his service he had been engaged at Dublin, and had received a flesh wound at Mons whilst trying to cross a canal on a couple of planks. In the most recent engagement at Bethune, he had been on sentry one night in the shadow of a wayside shrine of the Madonna. Just as he was about to be relieved, he saw some Germans in the distance and fired at them once or twice, but this betrayed his position, for he immediately received another flesh wound in his body, and was sent to hospital in Scotland.

This man was Thomas Ralph, born in Wolverhampton in 1893. He served with the King’s Own Scottish Borderers (number 11572). He was discharged on 22 April 1915 as being no longer physically fit, following a gunshot wound in his left forearm (presumably the one described in the newspaper article, as it occurred in October 1914). His address at that date was 67 Maswell Road, Wolverhampton. I have not been able to find out further details about his life.

Frank Rhodes Armitage

28 Thursday Aug 2014

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Frank Rhodes Armitage

Frank Rhodes Armitage

Captain Dr Frank Rhodes Armitage DSO was killed in action on 30 July 1917, aged 34. He was in a dugout along with Captain C. E. Hickman (who received serious injuries to the head). He had been a member of the Royal Army Medical Corps, attending the 232nd Brigade of the Royal Field Artillery, and is commemorated at Brandhoek New Military Cemetery.

According to the Express & Star article published on 9 August 1917 (which describes him as “one of the bravest and best”), he had been in the firing line for two years and “had many miraculous escapes from death”. One example was given when he had been inches away from a shell crashing into a dug-out, but escaped without injury. He had also been responsible for saving the life of a Lieutenant Finnis.

He was born in Edinburgh, in Scotland. He was a school boarder along with a younger brother, in Northamptonshire in 1901. He had been educated at Wolverhampton Grammar School, and then went to Cambridge, where he followed in his father’s footsteps to become a doctor. In 1911 he was living at home with his parents, brother and sister, plus four servants at 58, Waterloo Road, Wolverhampton and both he and his father were surgeons at that time. His father was born in Margate. He was also a keen sportsman, holding the record for the South Staffordshire Golf Club for the course at Tettenhall, which he covered in a score of 66. He was a member of Wolverhampton Cricket Club. He married a Frances M. Snape in 1913, and had a daughter, Prudence, born in 1915.

His probate entry records him at 52 Waterloo Road, Captain in the R. A. M. C., who died on 30 July 1917 in France or Belgium. His effects, which were divided between his widow Frances Marie Armitage, stock broker Edward Howorth Armitage and Inglis merchant Ernest Alexander, amounted to £3723 12s. 4d. He is commemorated on the Wolverhampton Grammar School World War One website and on the Oundle School Roll of Honour.

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