68396 Horace James Wise MGC

[Guest]

I am the Historian for Maidenhead United Football Club and have compiled a series of articles for the match programme throughout this season on those associated with the club who lost their lives in World War I and II.

 

The only person so far I have been unable to find a photograph of is a gentleman called Horace James Wise - service number -  MGC 68396

 

I have  biographical information on Horace and have managed to contact living family relations but have drawn a blank.

 

I realise it is a long shot, but is there anywhere else anyone can recommend I try?

 

Horace's article needs to be finished in the next ten days so time is somewhat pressing.

 

Any help would be greatly appreciated - thank you.

 

A slightly abridged version of Horace's biographical information courtesy mainly of Nicola Carpenter:

 

Horace James Wise was born in 1891 the second child of Alfred Wise, a bricklayer, from Finchampstead, and his wife Maria (née Woodward), a sweet shop owner, who lived in “Woodlands”, Belmont Road, Maidenhead. Alfred and Maria had married at Cookham in 1888.  Horace had two siblings, Albert George (known as George) who was born in 1889, and Elizabeth Maria, born in 1896.

 

Ten years later, on the 1901 Census, the family can be found living with their parents at 18 Moffatt Street, Maidenhead, along with his elder brother George and younger sister Elizabeth. The census of 1911 states that Horace, who by now was a warehouse porter, was working in the Hosiery department of Messer’s J. and R. Morley, and living at 18 Charterhouse Street, London whilst the rest of the family resided at “Evelyn Cottage”, Alexandra Road, Maidenhead.

 

Horace played for the Maidenhead FC Reserve side in 1913/14 season making a dozen known appearances scoring five times including a brace in the Berks & Bucks Junior Cup tie at home to Knowl Hill & Littlewick United at the end of November.

 

He first joined the Army and enlisted with the Royal Berkshire Regiment, but was declared as unfit for service on 8^th November 1915.  He later joined the 184^th Company, Machine Gun Corps on 11^th October 1916 and before that worked as a temporary Postman.  On 16^th February 1917 Horace arrived at the Field Billet and, two months later, on 10^th April, Horace was deprived of six days pay for losing, by neglect, his iron rations.  He was in trouble again on 31^st May for being absent from the Billet between 9pm and 9.20pm, and for this he was deprived two days pay.

 

On 27^th August 1917, Horace was wounded in action; he received a gunshot wound to his left buttock and hip as well as shrapnel wounds to his abdomen.  Horace was evacuated to the 14^th General Hospital on 28^th August 1917 before being sent back to England where he was transported to the Sunderland War Hospital on 30^th August where his wounds were cleaned and he underwent a Laparotomy which found that the wounds had not penetrated his bowels.  He stayed there until he was passed fit for duty on 1^st December 1917 whereupon he received ten days leave staying at 14 Belmont Road, Maidenhead before reporting back to Belton Park Military School, Grantham for Machine Gun training.

 

It is not clear whether Horace returned to fight at the front as his military records are very patchy.  However on 20^th February 1919, Horace became unwell.  He was admitted to the Belton Park Military Hospital in Grantham on 25^th February and was found to be suffering from Influenza and Bronchial Pneumonia and, despite all efforts to save him, Horace sadly passed away on 27^th February 1919 at 5.30am and was pronounced dead by the duty Medical Officer fifteen minutes later.

 

He left behind his father Alfred, mother Maria and siblings George and Elizabeth.  He is buried in Maidenhead Cemetery in All Saints Avenue.

 

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Edited 24 November , 2018 by Guest