TOPIC:

Yes, a well deserved rest after all that research.

My best guess - Invalided For metatarsal severed?

It starts with a tick and I was wondering if the rest meant "Wound from Metalcan Severe. (i.e - he had a problem opening a tin of bully beef or plum jam).

But for your study of the history of Cottage Homes I think you will find the record of Frank Lester's April 1950 burial of interest.

The Royal Warwickshire Regiment – Two memorial cottage homes.

I am not entirely certain that I have the correct location for these, but think that the current address is: Ash House, 16 Old Budbrooke Road, Budbrooke, Warwick, CV35 8QN.

The Royal Warwickshire Regiment memorial cottage homes were built circa 1906, and remained under the control of the Regiment until being sold in 1961.

Ash House lies within the vicinity of the former Budbrooke Barracks. It was constructed after 1904 but before 1923 and (excepting the sizeable modern additions) reflects the size, style and design of memorial cottage homes that were built throughout the country following the 1899-1902 war in South Africa. (The attached extract from the 1923 OS map, shows a pair of cottages [top left hand corner] that were not in existence in 1904.)

The first occupants of the regimental cottages appear to have been: George Langley (North-West Frontier medal, long service and good conduct medals) and; F C Rowe who was injured in South Africa.

1911 Census: George Langley, army pensioner b. 1870, Bradfield, Essex, living with wife and grandchildren at Budbrooke? No.2 Regiment Cottages, Budbrooke – Alfred Meeking b. 1872 Banbury, Canteen waiter in Regimental Beer Canteen, living wife, two sons & daughter.

1939 Census: Joseph William Graham, “Disabled & Services”, b.1890, living with his wife, son and daughter at 1, Memorial Cottages, Budbrooke, Warwick. (J W Graham, died 31 January 1949, Warwick. Lance Corporal, 13441 WWI.) No. 2 Memorial Cottages – Flora Bentley, b.1888.

Memorial Cottages sold with vacant possession by auction at the Woolpack Hotel, Warwick by Locke & England, September 1961.

Apologies that this one is a little bit vague, but I have struggled to find much information on these.

redversmacdonald wrote:
My best guess - Invalided For metatarsal severed?

Perhaps - Wound: Fracture, Metatarsal(s), severe ......

..

Frank Lester was born 27 November 1873 in the village of Enstone, Oxfordshire. The 1881 Census found the Lester family living in the neighbouring village of Spelsbury and by 1891 Frank was employed as a labourer at Spelsbury Corn Mill. In late December 1892 he enlisted in the army and was assigned to the Worcestershire Regiment, regimental number 3513.

He was to serve in the Army for 27½ years as follows:

27/12/1892 – 15/02/1894 - 1st Battalion – Home

Frank enlisted on 27/12/1892 (location not known) and three days later reported to Curragh Camp, Ireland.

16/02/1894 – 12/11/1896 - 1st Battalion -East Indies

03/09/1894 - Promoted to Lance Corporal

13/11/1896 – 21/02/1900 - 1st Battalion – Home

22/02/1900 - 26/11/1907 - 3rd Battalion – Home

24/04/1897 – Promoted to Corporal
23/02/1900 – Promoted to Sergeant
13/04/1901 - Married Pattie Denman in Farnborough Parish Church, Hampshire. Pattie was six years older than Frank but still a spinster at the time of their marriage. She was born in Camden Town, London, the daughter of a “Coal Merchant”. On the marriage record Pattie's address was given as St. Luke's, Jersey suggesting the 3rd Battalion were stationed on Jersey at some stage.
28/07/1902 – Frank Lester Henry born in Tipperary
04/06/1903 – Promoted to Colour-Sergeant
12/12/1903 – Walter James Patrick Lester born in Tipperary
12/12/1904 - Tried by DCM for “neglect prejudicial to the service” – demoted to Sergeant
12/05/1906 – Lousie Ellen Lester born in Aldershot
09/07/1906 – Appointed Sergeant-Cook
13/11/1907 – At own request reverted to Sergeant

27/11/1907 – 01/10/1908 – 3rd Battalion – South Africa

02/10/1908 – 11/08/1914 – 3rd Battalion – Home

02/04/1911 - Whole family listed on Census return for Shaft Barracks, Dover

16/08/1914 – 07/11/1918- 3rd Battalion – Western Front, France

I have distilled this from The Wartime Memories Project summary of the 3rd Battalion’s involvement in the Great War: The 3rd Battalion were based at Tidworth, Hampshire when war broke out. They proceeded to France, landing at Rouen on the 16 August 1914. They saw action in the Battle of Mons and the rearguard action at Solesmes, The Battle of Cateu, The Battle of the Marne, The Battle of the Aisne, at La Basse, Messines and the First Battle of Ypres. They took part in the Winter Operations of 1914-15. During 1915 they were involved in the First Attack on Bellewaarde Ridge and other actions around Hooge. In May 1916 they were involved in the Defence of the German attack on Vimy Ridge. They then moved to the Somme and joined the Battle just after the first main attack and were involved in the costly action near Thiepval on 3 July. This was followed by action in the Battle of Bazentin Ridge, the Battle of Pozieres and the Battle of Ancre Heights. In 1917 they were in action at The Battle of Messines, the Battle of Pilckem Ridge/Third Battle of Ypres. In 1918 they were in action on The Somme in the Battle of Lys and the Final Advance in Picardy. On 11 November 1918 they were in billets near Bavray.

22/06/1915 Mention in Despatches Gazetted
01/01/1918 Award of Meritorious Service Medal Gazetted
07/10/1918 – 21/10/1918 Frank was granted a very deserved fortnight of Home Furlough
04/11/1918 - Wounded - nature of wound uncertain but possibly fractured bones in one of his feet. Appears to have been rapidly invalided home.

08/11/1918 - 01/11/1919 – 3rd Battalion - Home

02/11/1919 - 07/07/1920 – 5th Battalion – Home

08/07/1920 Discharged “No longer physically fit for war service”. Total army service: 27 years 195 days.

16/06/1921 – The Census found the family living in Charlbury, Oxfordshire with the exception of Walter who had joined the army. Frank gave his occupation as “Retired from HMS (sic) Forces”. This was more or less a return home for Frank as Enstone (where he was born), Spelsbury (where he was working when he first attested for army service) and Charlbury are all in the same vicinity with Enstone the most northern, Spelsbury immediately to its south and Charlbury immediately to the south of Spelsbury.

29/09/1939 – Frank & Pattie were living at No.1 Regimental Cottages, The Barracks, Norton, Pershore RDC. Listed third, Mary L Keating, married and born 12/05/1906 – this has to be their third child who started out life as Louise Ellen on 12/05/1906. Listed fourth, Derek Keating, born 07/06/1931 and then a redacted entry. So were their daughter and two grandchildren just visiting or was their stay more permanent – were they evacuees from a nearby Midlands industrial town?

Frank’s death was registered in Pershore in the second quarter of 1950. The record of his burial shows he was buried on 18 April 1950, presumably in the same churchyard/cemetery as his former neighbour and comrade in arms, James Broadwater.

Frank’s death did not seem to result in an obituary in the local paper but it did produce this mid-page headline in the Birmingham Sunday Mercury of 16 April 1950:

“Frank missed the great parade”

….and the first three paragraphs of the subsequent article were as follows:

“Yesterday was to have been a great day in the life of Frank Lester, 76-year-old South African War veteran, and for 15 years Custodian of the Museum of the Worcestershire Regiment.

“The occasion was the presentation of silver drums and the freedom of entry into the City of Worcester to the Worcestershire Regiment. But veteran Frank who was looking forward to the picturesque ceremony on the Worcestershire Cricket Ground on Friday.

“Fellow old soldiers of the South African War remembered Frank as they sat round the ground to see a detachment of the First Battalion the Worcestershire Regiment – lately returned from Germany and preparing to leave for Malaya – march on and salute the Mayor.”

I don’t think I need to do a rewrite but it does tell us Frank died 14th April 1950 and also Frank’s last post was as Custodian of the Regimental Museum and in one way or another he served the Regiment for over 42 years.

For his 27 years and 195 days of Army service Frank ended up with the Meritorious Service Medal, the Territorial Efficiency Medal, The 1914 British Star, The British War Medal and the Victory Medal plus a scroll regarding his MiD.

Royal Warwicks Memorial Homes

There is a short article in the Alcester Chronicle of 21 July 1906 reporting on the unveiling of a memorial tablet and the handing over of the keys to the first occupants. The information given regarding Langley is as detailed above but for Rowe it says he was “invalided home” from South Africa.

Rowe = 6060 Private Frederick C Rowe and The Leamington Spa Courier of 14 July 1900 reported him being dangerously ill at Bloemfontein. He went on to serve in the Great War – he seems to have served first with the Royal Warwicks and then been transferred to the Royal Fusiliers and then the Northamptonshire Regiment, he was given new regimental numbers on both moves. The above I have deduced from two transcription records on FmP but there are no attestation papers or service records.

Moving to Ancestry one finds his WW1 Medal Roll Index Card (see below) which confirms above but there also seems to be a reference to the South Wales Borderers (SWB). He can also be found on 4 QSA medal rolls – two do not specify which Battalion, the third says “2nd” and the fourth says “4th Battalion (18th MI)”.



My brain has just shut down due to overheating.