6th Northamptons

[Tom Morgan]

The CWGC records include 25170 Pte. A COLES, 6th Bn., Northamptonshire Regiment, who died on 2nd March 1919. He is described as " the son of Benjamin and Harriet COLES; husband of Mary Louise COLES, of Braybrooke".

His place of burial is given as Braybrooke (All Saints) Churchyard, South of the church, to the left of the main path and I've established that the grave is still there and marked by a CWGC headstone.

Would anyone have any ideas which might explain how Pte. Coles died?

INFLUENZA?

If this had been the case, then it was not a war-related cause of death. So for Pte. Coles's grave to be accorded War Grave status, he would have had to still be in the army in March 1919. Was the 6th Bn. still a "working battalion" in March, 1919? Or had it been disbanded and everyone demobilised?

DIED OF WAR-RELATED CAUSES

In this case Pte. Coles might have left the army as a result of wounds or incapacity. If the cause of death was war-related, then it wouldn't make any difference whether he was still in the army or not at the time of his death in March 1919.

Does anyone have any comments or other ideas? (Especially about the continued existence of 6th Northamptons in March 1919).

Tom

[John_Hartley]

Tom

Bit late for the flu pandemic, I'd have thought.

John

[high wood]

Not so, my uncle, 881605 Rifleman Hewson Edward Jervis of the 34th Battalion, London Regiment died of Influenza at the 39th Stationary Hospital on the 27th February 1919 and is buried in the Lille Southern Cemetery in France.

[Stebie9173]

The 6th Northamptons were still going into 1919 - I can't tell you the exact date, but I think it disbanded was in March/April 1919.

Arthur Coles was part of a group of men most of whom were Derby Scheme volunteers in November/December 1915 who were called up on 29th May 1916 and posted to the 3rd (Reserve) battalion. They went to France in September 1916 (either on the 11th or 14th, I can't remember off hand), and joined the 6th battalion at the end of September, after the battle at Thiepval on 26th September 1916 to replace casualties of the 6th battalion in that battle.

I'll see if I have anything specific on Arthur later, but I doubt I will have a specific obituary for him, as I don't think I have notes from the Kettering papers that are that late in the day.

The battalion were still in action up to 4-11-1918, so not too far out of range for there to be a decent probability that he died of wounds.

Steve.

[Tom Morgan]

Thanks to all for your thoughts so far and especially to Steve for such specific information.

Steve - does your information include anything about where Pte. Coles's home was? There is evidence from the CWGC that he lived in Braybrooke, and he is buried there, of course, but I wonder if there is another source which confirms this?

And if your information includes it, I would be most interested to know how Pte. Coles died - whether died of wounds or of illness.

Thanks again, all -

Tom

[Stebie9173]

I don't have an obituary, nor a reference to him being wounded (though I have very few casualty records after early 1917 at the moment).

He appears on the Kettering 1918 AVL in Braybrooke:

(and they got the number wrong... 21570 is someone else.)

Steve.

[Stebie9173]

Ha! I'm such a liar!!!

He appears on a list of Missing in the Official Casualty lists of 28-5-1918 - which says POW to me....

Coles, 25170, L/Cpl. A. (Braybrook).

That leads me to suspect that he may have been one of the repatriated POWs that were just too far gone when repatriated and died in England after their return. I've posted a topic on another man of the 6th buried in my local graveyard who died of malnutrition and blood poisoning on his return (Robert William Varder, died 19-1-1919). That is of course supposition as it is possible that he was posted as missing and later found alive and well.

I haven't worked my way through this list yet but the first man on the list - 27820 William Herbert Amos, was POW with the 6th Northamptons on 23-3-1918 at Jussy (last interned at Stendal).

The actual dates of movements:

Enlisted 29-5-1916.

To France 14-9-1916 and from there to 17 Infantry Base Depot.

Posted to 6th Battalion, 14-9-1916.

Joined 6th Northamptons, 30-9-1916 (though there does seem to have been a smaller contingent of this draft that joined the 6th on the 10th October).

(I cannot prove that Arthur was part of the draft that went to France on 14-9-1916, but the circumstantial evidence is strong in my opinion. The date of enlistment is 99% likely to be correct IMO).

The 1901 Census lists an Arthur Coles, age 12, son of Benjamin and Harriet Coles, as living at 26 Senwick Road, Wellingborough. He was born in Manchester, as was his mother, Harriet, age 39, and his brother and sisters: Ada (15, Domestic House Maid), William (10), and Lucy (8). His father Benjamin, (41, born at Molesworth, Huntingdonshire) was a railway goods guard.

The 1891 census has them living at 15 Jackson St., Ardwick, Manchester. Benjamin (31) is a railway guard, with Harriet (29), Ada (5), Arthur (2) and William (9 months).

Again, not conclusive but the combination of parents names makes this match likely.

Steve.

[Stebie9173]

There are 3 Arthur Coles registered as dying in the J-F-M Quarter of 1919, ages 30, 44 and 37. The 30 year old man (fitting the CWGC age) was registered at Northampton, Volume 3b, Page 169).

Steve.

[Tom Morgan]

Thanks again, Steve. The family mentioned in the 1901 census must be the right family, because in the church registration of Arthur's marriage, his father is named as a railway guard.

The register of absent voters is the most significant item for me, as it gives proof of residence in Braybrooke, which is what I was looking for.

I think your suggstion that he was probably a POW makes sense too, and that's very interesting.

I really am very grateful to you.

Tom