A possible non-com - but litle data

[Phil Wood]

Hi,

Newbury war memorial has the name W A Tucker.

The local paper (below) reports the death of Walter Tucker, 25th Worcesters. A POW repatriated as an invalid, died at Abingdon Sanatorium 20 Nov 1918, buried in Abingdon.

No sign of him on CWGC, Soldiers who died, service records (as far as I can see). One problem is the '25th Worcesters' - as far as I can see the Worcesters didn't have a 25th battalion, or a 2/5th.

His brother William Thomas Tucker, 5th Royal Berks died 14 Oct 1916 is on CWGC and Soldiers who died.

Apart from the obvious steps of getting his death certificate (not easy as I can't find the registration) and the burial register entry (already emailed the most likely cemetery) has anyone anything to add?

Newbury Weekly News, 12 December 1918

A few days since, Private Walter Tucker, 25^th Worcesters, was buried at Abingdon, with military honours. Joining up early in the war, he was taken prisoner, but being invalided, he was returned to England, and after hospital treatment, was sent to Abingdon Sanatorium, but never regained his health, and died on the 20^th November. A brother in the 5^th Berks was killed in France, and another in the Oxon and Bucks is still on service.

[W.J.Caughey]

Hi Phil, i am near sure this is pension papers for Walter, incase link dosn't work this is what i

can make out on some of papers. hopefully you can see them plenty of evidence in them. Oxford and Bucks 16210

23064 Worcesters

attributable TB

POW

Died 21/11/18

Discharge 23/5/18

17 Railway Road Newbury

http://search.ancestry.co.uk/iexec?htx=View&r=5538&dbid=1114&iid=MIUK1914A_118744-00302&fn=Walter&ln=Tucker&st=r&ssrc=&pid=165631

Kiind Regards Walter

[roughdiamond]

Only Water Tucker that Looks right is this one for 23064 Pte Walter Tucker http://www.nationala...1&resultcount=2 of 2 who served with the Worc Regt http://www.nationala...pe=1=* his Pension record exists on Ancestry, wrongly filed under his initial number and Regt "16210 Ox and Bucks LI" http://search.ancest...C3_x=1&uidh=xy5

His address is 17 Railway Road Newbury, Father and NOK Thomas Tucker, same address, enlisted 11/11/1914 age 19 years 2 months, DOB 11/09/1895.

Initially It shows him posted to the 8th Ox and Bucks from the depot 18/11/14 then to the 3rd Bn 10/02/15. on 23/06/15 he's transferred to the 5th Bn Worc Regt then on 03/07/15 to the 4th Bn (probably a reenforcement, looks like this is when he sailed for Gallipoli), his theatre entry date from his MIC is 15/07/15 and by the 06/08/15 he's wounded GSW Calf and Penis then back to the UK and via the Depot and 6th Bn to the 2nd Bn 02/12/15.

He was listed as "Wounded (mine shock) at Guinchy 25/06/1916" but "remained on duty" From 23/08/1916 to 21/09/16 he was "in arrest awaiting trial" when a FGCM sentenced him to 1year Hard Labour for "When on active duty without urgent necessity quitting the ranks", this was suspended 21/09/1916.

21/05/17 he's reported missing and 22/05/17 till 13/04/18 he's listed as POW looks like he was held at "Gulag Merseburg?" he was confirmed POW 15/07/17, then 14/04/18 till 23/05/18 Home, when he was discharged.

On arrival back in the UK he's listed as having "Pulm TB" Pulmonary Teberculosis (that'd explain the sanitorium) the medical report lists "Place of origin of Disability - German POW Camp", then the gold "Give your opinion as to cause of Disibility - Attributable to War Service" Finally it shows on discharge he should be treated at a sanatorium, finally he's shown as "Died 21/11/1918".

The record is pristine, one of the best I've seen.

100% certainty if you can match him as the man who died in Abingdon Sanatorium, he should be listed on CWGC but isn't. If you can get his Death Cert and his usual address is given as above, that maybe the proof CWGC needs.

Right lads and Lasses of the IFTC project, over to you.

Sam

N.B. Just saw Walters post and to quote Capt Kevin Darling "Bu**er".

P.S. spotted this entry on CWGC for Abingdon Cemetery http://www.cwgc.org/...casualty=648608 died 20/11/1918, I found these 2 Service Record entries for him confirming he did die 20/11/1918 and that he's buried in Abingdon http://search.ancest...A3_x=1&uidh=xy5 could Walter Tucker be next door to him?

[Phil Wood]

Excellent - thanks chaps.

The service record must be the chap on the memorial, everything fits. And the newspaper report is almost certainly referring to him - there is far too much that matches for it to be anyone else.

The problem was the lack of a death index entry - and, hence, the difficulty in getting a certificate - but I think I have solved that one. Walter Tucker was actually Albert Walter Tucker, born 1895 (Q4) Newbury, died 1918 (Q4) Abingdon - registered as Albert W.

I have already emailed the cemetery to see if they have any record of him - they have 32 CWGC graves but no Tucker.

Back to the service record - can anyone decipher the first word of his offence "xxxxx on Active Service conduct to the prejudice of good order & military discipline."? It seems to mean 'when on duty unnecessarily quiting the ranks' but I can't work out what can say that in one word other than 'desertion' - which doesn't look like the word in the record.

Thanks again

Phil

[roughdiamond]

Back to the service record - can anyone decipher the first word of his offence "xxxxx on Active Service conduct to the prejudice of good order & military discipline."? It seems to mean 'when on duty unnecessarily quiting the ranks' but I can't work out what can say that in one word other than 'desertion' - which doesn't look like the word in the record.

Read paragraph 4 line 2 and 3 of my post #3 Phil, it's there.

Also "While (sometimes whilst) on Active Service conduct to the prejudice of good order & military discipline" is the bog standard opening line of a Military charge.

Remember and let us know how you're progressing.

Sam

[John_Hartley]

Phil

If you'd like the advice and/or assistance of the In From the Cold Project, please contact us through our website when you've got the death certificate (link in my signature below)

John

[Phil Wood]

Read paragraph 4 line 2 and 3 of my post #3 Phil, it's there.

Also "While (sometimes whilst) on Active Service conduct to the prejudice of good order & military discipline" is the bog standard opening line of a Military charge.

Remember and let us know how you're progressing.

Sam

Thanks Sam - I was thinking it was something specific about the offence - I live and learn.

The first step is to write up his story and put it up on my site - short of detail so far, but then again I'm not aiming to write a book! http://westberkshirewarmemorials.org.uk/texts/stories/WBP01042S.php

There will be more when I have the war diaries (next trip to Kew) or further information from Abingdon. Meanwhile on to his brother ...

[W.J.Caughey]

Phil, had a look on your great website, thats a nice tribute to Walter well done.

Walter

[PaulC78]

TUCKER appears to remain uncommemorated, though he looks like a solid case. Pension card gives cause of death as TB, which as noted in his service record was due to exposure while held as a POW.

[PaulC78]

Someone obviously put this man forward, he was added to CWGC just a few days after my last post! Well done to those concerned.

https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/75470097/albert-walter-tucker/

[Matlock1418]

On 15/04/2024 at 12:26, PaulC78 said:

Someone obviously put this man forward, he was added to CWGC just a few days after my last post! Well done to those concerned.

https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/75470097/albert-walter-tucker/

Well done indeed.

M