Terry Denham Posted 19 November , 2008 Share Posted 19 November , 2008 CWGC added the following 'new' WW1 casualties to its Debt of Honour database today – Wednesday 19th November. Pte Samuel HAMER 441801 Labour Corps Died 22.10.18 Age 42 Buried: Godre’r Graig (Holy Trinity) Churchyard, Glam, UK Dvr William Glazier SWAFFER 40138 Royal Field Artillery Died 28.06.18 Age 28 Buried: Charing Heath (Holy Trinity) Churchyard, Kent, UK NOT FORGOTTEN Pte HAMER was put forward on 05.03.08 on behalf of member, Myrtle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neil Clark Posted 19 November , 2008 Share Posted 19 November , 2008 Terry, Thanks for posting this update. SWAFFER is one of mine (from Charing Heath) - Driver 40138 William Glazier SWAFFER. Royal Field Artillery (RFA). Formerly 84th Brigade, RFA. Died Pulmonary Tubercolosis T.B 28 June 1918 aged 28 years (only 5 days after discharge from the army)! Son of Emma Swaffer of Rose Cottages, Lenham Heath, Maidstone, Kent. Born December 1889 at Charing, Ashford, Kent. Buried Parish Churchyard, Charing Heath, Ashford, Kent. Grave reference - not known. We found this casualty on the Charing Heath civic war memorial plaque inside the church where he was buried. This man had close links to Charing Heath and Lenham. __________________________________________________________________________ DEATH CERTIFICATE William Glazier SWAFFER June Qtr, 1918, Hollingbourne, 2a, 1064 (aged 28 years) Late Driver, Royal Field Artillery (RFA), Grocers Assistant 1. T.B 2. Exhaustion Death registered by Kate Swaffer (sister) – Rose Cottages, Lenham, Kent _____________________________________________________________________________ Prior to the outbreak of war William was working in the Charing area as a Grocers Assistant. Upon the outbreak of war William voluntarily enlisted on 7 October 1914 into the Royal Artillery at Bury St Edmunds. On 17 October 1914 William was posted to 84th Brigade, Royal Field Artillery. On 11 May 1915 William was posted to another unit. On 26 July 1915 William landed in France with the British Expeditionery Force (BEF). He remained in France on active service until 23 October 1917 (2 years 90 days active service). On 24 October 1917 William returned home to the UK where he continued to serve in the RFA. On 23 June 1918 William was discharged from the army unfit for further service. Total service 3 years 260 days (nearly 4 years wartime service). William died only 5 days later of T.B!!!! The Swaffer family is a well known and long established Ashford family. Many members of this family are buried in Great Chart Churchyard. Births Dec 1889 ASHFORD Swaffer William Glazier W Ashford 2a 780 The Ashford 1918 Absentee Voters List gives – Belham Farm, Mersham Corporal 140681 William Hubert SWAFFER. 208th Field Company, Royal Engineers. How an earth could this mans death have been missed by the authorities? He died 5 days after being discharged from the British Army. At the time of his death he was being paid a full 100% war disability pension! His service papers state ATTRIBUTABLE (Exposure to wet and cold) Permanent disability. At the time of William’s discharge he was already losing weight. It is patently obvious that he was in the final stages of terminal T.B when he was discharged. A very sad case indeed when you consider that William was never officially recorded as a casualty of war by the authorities. Someone messed up big time and this has resulted in his death being forgotten for over 90+ years!!!!!! * NO THANKS TO THE CHARING PARISH COUNCIL WHO TOTALLY IGNORED ALL OUR LETTERS REQUESTING HELP TRACING HIS BURIAL PLACE! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrisharley9 Posted 20 November , 2008 Share Posted 20 November , 2008 May They Rest In Peace Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Will O'Brien Posted 20 November , 2008 Share Posted 20 November , 2008 (edited) Raising a glass to the memory of Samuel & William. Edited to correct name slip up. Edited 20 November , 2008 by Will O'Brien Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neil Clark Posted 20 November , 2008 Share Posted 20 November , 2008 I aint a gonner yet May be you know something I don't Will? Raising a glass to Samuel and William! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Will O'Brien Posted 20 November , 2008 Share Posted 20 November , 2008 I aint a gonner yet May be you know something I don't Will? Raising a glass to Samuel and William! Oops Sorry Neil, Freudian slip after reading your info on William. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Myrtle Posted 21 November , 2008 Share Posted 21 November , 2008 I have just checked my messages to find the excellent news that Samuel Hamer, my step great grandfather has been remembered by the CWGC. Samuel Hamer is commemorated on the Rhayader War Memorial in Mid Wales, the place of Samuel's birth, although he died of T.B. in Ystalyfera, Glamorganshire only a few weeks after he was discharged from the arrmy. He was receiving a pension at the time of his death. I will add more information to this thread tomorrow. Myrtle Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Myrtle Posted 21 November , 2008 Share Posted 21 November , 2008 Samuel Hamer was born in Rhayader, Radnorshire, the son of George and Mary Hamer. While in Rhayader, like his father, he worked as a stone mason. According to his service papers he was 5' 10 1/2" tall with a dark complexion, brown eyes and dark brown hair. His step daughter remembered him before he joined up as a tall smart man with a dark moustache, looking like Kitchener. By 1914 Samuel had moved to South Wales and settled in Ystalyfera a mining village in the Swansea Valley. There he met up with my great grandmother Clara Agnes who had also moved there from Rhayader as a widow with six children. On 5th September 1914 they married and then on 13th October 1914 Samuel joined the Brecknock Battalion of the South Wales Borderers at Brecon. When he enlisted his occupation was given as Labourer. He served in the army for 3 years and 339 days. After joining the SWB Private Samuel Hamer 3652 (?) was posted to the 50th Provisional Battalion on 11th October 1915 and then absorbed by the Monmouths . He was then posted to the Base Depot 2nd August 1917. When he was transferred to the Labour Coy on the 12th November 1917, it had already been 3 months and 10 days since he arrived in Flanders and almost a year and a half since he had shown the first signs of tuberculosis. Samuel was eventually transferred to the Labour Corps, Irish Command (735th Coy) on 30th May 1918 when he returned from overseas. He was with them for 109 days, 89 of which he spent at the 2nd Western General Hospital, Manchester. Samuel's Medical History reads: " Private started a chronic cough and weakness and night sweats which were accompanied on July 28th 1916 by spitting of blood. In October 1917 he was sent down to base hospital with D.A.H. ( Diffuse Aveolar Hemorrhage) and rheumatism. Returned to duty however till April 1918 when reported sick with sweating, ....(?) and cough. He was sent to 46th General Etaples. Thence to Stepping Hill, Stockport, 29th May 1918." According to Private Hamer's medical history, he contracted tuberculosis in May 1916 at Oswestry. He was discharged as unfit for home and war service on 16th September 1918.He served approximately 2 years 4 months in a Labour Coy. while suffering from Pulmonary T.B. His papers state that he was of "Good Military Characetr. Honest, sober and willing worker." The hospital recommended sanatorium treatment. Samuel refused. By this time his lungs were infected on both sides and his chest was sunken especially at the right apex. He obviously realised that he would not survive long and wanting to return home to see his family, he found his way from Nottingham, where he was discharged, to South Wales. The same step daughter who remembered him as a tall smart man before he joined up, didn't recognise him when he returned. Samuel Hamer died from Pulmonary Tuberculosis 22nd October 1918 just one month and one week after he was discharged from service. His death was registered by his 19 year old stepson, my grandfather, William Lewis. On his death certificate, Samuel Hamer's occupation was entered as Army Pensioner and his place of death, the family home at 3 Owen's Lane, Godrergraig. 3, Owen's Lane was also called Rose Cottage. The photograph shows Samuel Hamer's name inscribed on the Rhayader Clock War Memorial and now with thanks to Terry Denham for presenting Pte's Hamer's details, Samuel has been remembered by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission. Myrtle Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neil Clark Posted 21 November , 2008 Share Posted 21 November , 2008 Myrtle, WELL DONE! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Myrtle Posted 21 November , 2008 Share Posted 21 November , 2008 Neil Thank you but as you know these men receiving recognition for what they did all those years ago is of prime importance. I notice there are some similarities between Samuel Hamer's and William Swaffer's cases. Myrtle Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neil Clark Posted 21 November , 2008 Share Posted 21 November , 2008 Yeah - they were both disgracefully FORGOTTEN! Seriously, yes I can see that too... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Myrtle Posted 21 November , 2008 Share Posted 21 November , 2008 Yeah - they were both disgracefully FORGOTTEN! But not forgotten by their families, friends and communities. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Myrtle Posted 5 December , 2008 Share Posted 5 December , 2008 I would like to say a public thank you to Terry for putting forward the evidence for Samuel Hamer's next of kin. The CWGC have added my great grandmother's name and location details to Samuel's information. Terry, thank you. You are doing a tremendous job. Regards Myrtle Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neil Clark Posted 5 December , 2008 Share Posted 5 December , 2008 Terry, thank you. You are doing a tremendous job. I concur... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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