18969 Driver Arthur Ernest Catton RFA

[Guest]

I am researching my grandmother Mrs Lillian Poulter who was a lifelong campaigner for war widows rights.  Her first husband Driver Arthur Ernest Catton 18969 Royal Field Artillery Died in barracks in Leeds on May 21st 1915 before his unit deployed to France.  His death certificate states the cause as Pnuemonia.  He, and my gran, is buried in a CWGC grave in Wortley Cemetery in Leeds.

The 1911 census has his occupation as a miner but I think I remember my uncles telling me of an injury in an accident whilst training.  How can I find details of his service?  Would it have been normal for him to be afforded a war commision grave even though he had not yet seen "active service"?

[ss002d6252]

21 minutes ago, Alan Wheelhouse said:

Would it have been normal for him to be afforded a war commision grave even though he had not yet seen "active service"?

He was entitled to one as a serving soldier.

 

Craig

[David Porter]

Welcome to the Forum Alan,

 

It looks like he only served for one month, enlisting around April 21, 1915 and joining the 155th Brigade RFA at Wetherby.

The Army Registers of Soldiers' Effects, 1901-1929 on Ancestry confirm that pneumonia was the cause of death.

[alf mcm]

Alan,

Welcome to the forum.

Arthur actually died in Leeds Military Hospital, according to the Register of Soldiers Effects, which is usually reliable. https://www.ancestry.co.uk/interactive/60506/42511_6117463_0001-00103?pid=727496&backurl=https://search.ancestry.co.uk/cgi-bin/sse.dll?indiv%3D1%26dbid%3D60506%26h%3D727496%26tid%3D%26pid%3D%26usePUB%3Dtrue%26_phsrc%3DbmY39782%26_phstart%3DsuccessSource&treeid=&personid=&hintid=&usePUB=true&_phsrc=bmY39782&_phstart=successSource&usePUBJs=true&_ga=2.256625163.1467168628.1589176596-119227612.1483026526

 

Regards,

 

Alf McM