2217, 240383 Private Percy Griffin Hewson

[temptage]

Is this one any good to you?

I was looking through the burial records for Grimsby Scartho Road Cemetery today and came across this individual with the following details:

21.N.3 16/06/1920 Percy Griffin Hewson (26) 5th Lincolns/Plumber cause of death : dropsy

There is no mention of him being buried in the Cemetery, or anywhere else, on the CWGC database.

His name is on a headstone, I have seen it many times on walking past with my dogs, but it never occured to me to look him up.

On the reverse of the headstone his brother is mentioned, Charles John Hewson, who died in 1918 in France.

First joined up with the 5th Lincolns (2217) and later joined the 1st/5th Lincolns (240383)

I have recently found a photo of him, and his brother, in the local newspaper printed during the early war years.

I have found his medal rolls index card

also his sevice medal and award record for the British War and Victory medals

Would it go against him, with regards commemoration, the fact that he was demobbed earlier but died in 1920? Would dropsy be regarded as something caused by his service?

[RaySearching]

Looks like you may have two different men here

MIC of P G Hewson

regards Ray

[temptage]

Ah yes so it seems. I searched for both his full name and initals but that MIC never came up. Thanks for that, but that only accounts for the last photo which can now be discounted.

So now we dont have a demob date for him. Could it be that he may have left the service unfit for duty?

[Steve Bramley]

Hello,

I think that the MICs are for the same man, the number is an error on the second one.

Percy Griffin Hewson, Charles John Hewson and William Thomas Cockett all lived at 150 Lambert Road in Grimsby. They enlisted together into the 5th Lincolns in August 1914. They were given consecutive service numbers, 2217, 2218 and 2219 respectively.

They all signed the Imperial Service Obligation and arrived on the Western Front on 1st March 1915.

Percy Hewson was wounded at Hill 60 by our own shrapnel along with 2101, Jim Juggings from 177 Wellington Street on 31st July 1915, this event is mentioned and both are named in the 1/5th War Diary. Juggings had his right foot blown off and died at No 1 General Hospital on 13th August, he rests in Etaples Military Cemetery. It would appear that Percy Hewson returned home.

Charles Hewson also returned home at some time. He later joined the 2nd Royal Warwicks, with whom he was wounded twice in July 1916 and May 1917. He was killed by shellfire when serving with the 1st Glosters in September 1918 and is remembered on the Vis-en-Artois Memorial. He was a Cabinet Maker.

William Cockett was killed in action at the Hohenzollern Redoubt on the 13th October 1915, he has no known grave and is remembered on the Loos Memorial. He was a Gardener.

2212 was Private John Dyas from 73 Convamore Road in Grimsby, he is recorded in the Territorial Service Gazette as being gassed at the Hohenzollern Redoubt on 13/10/1915, he returned home and later joined the Military Foot Police (P/16270).

Regards,

Steve.

[PaulC78]

Pension ledger for Percy Hewson gives his disability as GSW shoulder, attributable to service. Rank was L/Cpl and date of discharge 18 March 1919, Pension card gives his rank as A/Cpl, cause of death apparently VDH though it does not say whether this was related to service. Widow was Edith Julia but it looks like a pension was refused on account of them having married after Percy was discharged. Neither record mentions dropsy.

 

Discharge date is close enough to the second MIC to make me think it's the same man. Numbers 2217 and 2122 were both used by other Lincs men as far as I can tell.

[temptage]

It's sad that nothing else can be found about Percy Griffin Hewson