The topic for December's Guild Blog Challenge is "Celebrations" and, while Christmas, or other such 'happy' occasions, might have been an obvious subject for this post, I'm going "off-piste" again (and tissues may be required.)
I was inspired to write this (perhaps "moved" might be a better word) after coming across a newspaper report of an inquest into the death of a William PARRY. William was a discharged soldier, who had been found in an archway near Bath in a state of starvation and who later died in hospital.
We often describe someone’s funeral as a "celebration of life,” and I couldn’t get that phrase out of my mind - hence my choice for this month's topic.
The Discovery
The case was widely reported during November 1919. One of the earliest references, in the Western Daily Press of 5th November 1919, was headed "Helpless and Starving. Without food for a fortnight":
William Parry, aged 44, a discharged soldier, of no home, was found yesterday morning in a terrible state in one of the arches of Newton Bridge1, near Bath. Parry, who could hardly speak, said he crawled into the place for shelter on October 18 and had been unable to move owing to weakness; he had, had no food since then. Parry looked 74 when discovered. He was taken to hospital.
A 'page filler' underneath the article indicated that heavy snowstorms were falling in France. Searching online revealed that England and Wales were also experiencing very cold weather at this time, with some snow in September, a "prolonged frosty spell" during October, and a " remarkably cold" November 1919.2
More details of William’s situation, and his history, emerged in reports published over the next few days: William had been discovered at 11 o'clock Tuesday, by a roadman, Richard Bush (whose address was mentioned, as well as the fact that Richard was employed by the Bath Corporation). Richard had heard faint moaning. The roadman called the Twerton police and PCs Marshall and Crouch were dispatched to the spot, where they found William among the debris under the smaller arches on the city side of the Avon. He was in a “pitiable condition”, unable to speak above a whisper, and looked like a hermit, with a long growth of beard. He said he had no friends or relatives. His feet were wrapped in hay bands - he’d served two years in France, where he’d suffered from trench foot, which had been treated in hospital. Following discharge he’d tramped the country but the trouble with his feet had come back after he’d set out from Bristol.
He'd crawled in to the arch, which was partly filled with debris and, owing to sickness and weakness, had been unable to get out again. He’d taken his boots off to ease his feet but couldn’t get them back on, as his feet were so swollen. He’d been under the arch for seventeen days. He was a mere skeleton when found. William was taken to Bath hospital, in the Bath Fire Brigade Ambulance in the charge of Chief Officer England. He’d been examined by the house surgeon, a Dr Cuppage, and his condition was critical
.
Although William seems to have rallied at first, he then developed pneumonia. The first reports of his death appeared on the 18th November, the day that he died.
The Inquest
An inquest was held on the 20th November and the most detailed report seems to be in the Bath Chronicle of the 22nd:
The Newton Bridge Mystery
Pathetic Inquest Story
“One of England’s lonely soldiers”
Found dying under an arch
Long tramp in search of work
Wandering of a wounded hero
Military Honours tomorrow
The Coroner’s inquiry into the death of William Parry (44), the ex-soldier who was found lying exhausted under one of the arches of Newton Bridge just a fortnight ago, was held at the Bath Guildhall on Thursday afternoon. Parry was described as a seaman, and his address was given as 36, Catherine Street, Exeter. His death occurred at the Royal United Hospital, Bath, early on Tuesday morning.
“Sounds of Moaning”
P.C. Marshall, of the Bath Police Force, stationed at Twerton, said he was called to the Newton Bridge at 11.15 a.m. on November 4th by Richard Bush, a roadman, who told him there was something amiss in one of the arches. Witness went with Bush to the waterside, and heard “a moaning noise.” The sound evidently came from one of the arches, which was partly filled with stones and rubbish. Witness called “What’s the matter?” And a voice replied “I can’t get out; my feet are so bad.” Witness removed his helmet and coat and crawled into the arch over the stones. He then struck a match and found the deceased lying on his back on some hay. He asked how long he had been there, and Parry replied, “What month is it now?” When witness told him it was now November, Parry said he had been in the arch since October 18th. Witness sent P.C. Crouch to call the Bath Fire Brigade ambulance, which arrived in about 15 minutes. In the meantime he had a further conversation with the deceased, who said he had no friends and no fixed abode. Further questioned, he said he could not say how long he had been in the arch.
“Tramped from Bristol”
Parry said he was born in Swansea, had served in the 2nd Devons, and was demobilised in Exeter last March. He got into the arch because his feet were aching. He had come from Bristol. He did not say where he was going.
The coroner remarked that it must have been a lot of trouble for Parry to get into the position in which he was found. Witness said he would have had to crawl into the cavity, over the stones, but once inside there was plenty of room.
Dr Burke Cuppage, house physician at the Royal United Hospital said Parry on admission was very emaciated and suffering from “trench feet.” He made no statement on admission. Pneumonia supervened on November 12th, and from this he did not recover. Witness had made a post-mortem examination, but found no special features about the case. There were no marks of emaciation; but this was not surprising, he added in reply to the Coroner, as he had had good food while in hospital. This witness emphatically agreed with the Coroner that it was highly improbable that Parry had been lying in the archway since October 18th. He improved when first admitted to the hospital.
“Gifts from sympathetic ladies”
The Coroner’s Officer (Inspector Lovell) produced an inventory of Parry’s belongings. These included a ration book, issued to him for the address in Exeter, his insurance card, and his out-of-work book. Parry had 10s. 8d, in cash on him; but 10s. 6d. of this sum was given him by a lady since his arrival at the hospital. Parry had received various other gifts sent him by ladies from all over the country, who had read the account of his discovery in the Press. The last out-of-work donation received by him was on June 26th, and the ration book was issued at Exeter on March 24th. The address at Catherine Street, Exeter, at which Parry had stayed was that of a Church Army Home. He had also with him a card indicating membership of the Comrades of the Great War. The entries on his insurance card showed he was last employed on September 8th.
“Twenty-two years a seaman”
Inspector Lovell then gave the Coroner the result of exhaustive enquiries which he had made since Tuesday regarding Parry’s antecedents. He had communicated with the police at Exeter and at Teignmouth. By the Exeter police he was informed that Parry registered at the Labour Exchange there as a seaman on March 25th. He then produced his certificate showing him to be a member of the Mercantile Marine. He had apparently served as a seaman for 22 years. He subsequently served with the 2nd Battalion of the Devon Regiment for 2 1/2 years. On May 16th, 1919 he obtained work as a painter in Exeter. He retained this employment till June 21st. A week later he obtained similar employment with another Exeter firm at 1s. 3d. an hour, and his earnings averaged £2 or more a week. He left the Church Army Home on September 12th, explaining he was going to Barrow-in-Furness, where he expected to obtain employment with Messrs Vickers, Sons, and Maxim. While staying at the Church Army Home he appeared to have been regarded as of a morbid disposition. Witness also produced a report from the Devon Constabulary of Teignmouth which corroborated the statement of the Exeter police in certain particulars. So far, said Inspector Lovell, he had been unable to verify the statement that Parry was born in Swansea, or to enquire into his intended journey to Barrow-in-Furness, as time had not permitted.
“Letter from friend at Exeter”
Inspector Lovell added that the members of the Exeter branch of the Comrades of the Great War had assisted him in the matter, and he was able to furnish the court with a letter from Mr F W Drew, with whom Parry had lodged at the Church Army Home. The writer said he met Parry in the latter part of April, and their friendship lasted until ten weeks ago, when deceased left Exeter. As they were two ex-servicemen they became intimate friends. Parry was reticent concerning his friends, but apparently before the war he belonged to London.
“A Prisoner in Germany”
After enlistment he had served in France, and was taken prisoner by the Germans. He was in their hands for three months; and acted as interpreter between his captors and the other British prisoners. He could speak German and other foreign languages, and undoubtedly was a man of superior education. Apparently, however, so far as his relations were concerned, he was “one of England’s lonely soldiers.” He said he was badly treated by the Germans, and suffered from a bad cough, the result of a wound in the chest. He was liable to depression when out of work, and the writer well remembered how pleased he was to think that he had obtained work at Barrow-in-Furness - as he understood, in an aircraft department. “I deeply regret” concluded the writer, “that he has come to such an untimely end. He was a good fellow, and would do anyone a good turn, if possible.”
Inspector Lovell produced additional particulars concerning Parry from the Record Office of the Devon Regiment.
The Coroner remarked that nothing was said concerning the manner in which Parry contrived to escape from the Germans.
“The Coroner Sums Up”
In summing up, the Coroner remarked that exhaustive enquiries had been made into the case. There was no doubt from the medical evidence that the cause of death was pneumonia. It would appear that Parry had been on the road for some time when he crawled under the arch where he was found; but he must have made some mistake in telling the constable he had been there since October 18th.
The jury found that death was due to pneumonia.
“A Military Funeral”
Mr G Dudley, the local secretary of the Bath branch of the British Federation of Discharged Soldiers and Sailors, said arrangements were being jointly made by his organisation and the Comrades of the Great War (represented at that inquiry by the secretary, Mr E G Snell) for Parry to receive a military funeral. It was hoped to obtain a grant towards the expenses from the local War Pensions Committee.
The Coroner cordially approved this suggestion.
Inspector Lovell thanked the local members of the Federation, and also Mr Snell, of the Comrades’ Association, for their kindly interest.
The arrangements for the funeral are already practically complete. The funeral procession will leave the Royal United Hospital at one o’clock on Saturday; and the internment will be in St. James’s Cemetery at 1.30.
The report of the inquest in the Yorkshire Evening Post drew attention to the “mystery” of William’s identity, given the contents of Mr Drew’s letter, in contrast to William’s stated birthplace of Swansea.
And, unfortunately, that mystery still remains.
William’s death was registered on the 25th November 1919, following the Coroner’s Inquest. As might be expected, the certificate details matches the information given at the inquest:
There is an entry for William’s grave in the record set “ Commonwealth War Graves Commission Debt Of Honour” on FindMyPast, which gives his number in the Devonshire Regiment as 33812.
Details on the CWGC site include grave registration report forms, but only confirms the information about William known from the sources above.
With his number, it becomes possible to identify his medal card and the associated entry in the medal rolls, on Ancestry:
Based on information from the Long Long Trail, and the associated Great War Forum3, the reference on the medal card (c2/103 B17 1221) is the reference to the relevant medal roll for the Devonshire Regiment:
(expanded view of the red text relating to William)
The additional references on the medal card, and the red text on the medal roll relate to the two medals having been returned.4
The fact that the medals were recorded as "returned" might indicate that they were sent out somewhere when first issued - unfortunately, William's service record, which might have shown his address on enlistment, no longer seems to exist, as I was unable to find anything in either the British Army WW1 Service Records, or the Pension Records 1914-1920 (the "Burnt" and "Unburnt" Records.)
As well as demonstrating that William was entitled to both the Victory Medal and the British War Medal, the medal records show that he had two previous service numbers, 41594 (in the 12th Devonshire) and 90950 (in the 152 Labour Corps). It was quite common for soldiers to be moved between different battalions or regiments during the First World War and this sequence does seem to fit in with the history of the Devonshire Regiment, as shown on https://www.longlongtrail.co.uk/army/regiments-and-corps/the-british-infantry-regiments-of-1914-1918/devonshire-regiment/ where the 12th (Labour) Battalion became the 152nd and 153rd Labour Companies in April 1917. Given the general level of casualties during WW1, it is not difficult to imagine that, at some stage after that, William was transferred into the regular 2nd Devons.
The War Diary, "The 2nd Battalion Devonshire Regiment and its lost men 1914-1919" can be found at https://archive.org/details/2ndbattaliondevo0000body/mode/2up although there is no reference to William Parry in it.
The 2nd Devons took part in the battle of Bois des Buttes5, in which many of them were either killed or captured - perhaps that was when William became a prisoner of war?
There is an entry for him in the “ British Red Cross & Order Of St John Enquiry List, Wounded & Missing, 1914-1919” record set on FindMyPast. However, I have been unable to find a relevant Red Cross “Prisoner of War” record on the site at https://grandeguerre.icrc.org/en/ .
So I have found no further information about his military service, his time as a prisoner of war, whether he was released or escaped (as the inquest seemed to indicate.) Neither have I found any details for his time in the 'mercantile marines.6
And, unfortunately, without further information, it is currently not possible to identify William in records such as the censuses or birth indexes, because of the frequency of the names.
The Funeral
William’s funeral was reported in detail in the Bath Chronicle and Weekly Gazette dated 29th November 1919. The front page carried a photograph at the graveside, where there was a large gathering of ex-servicemen. Page 2 carried four photographs - the cortège arriving at St James’s Cemetery, a different photograph of the large gathering at the graveside, the procession leaving the Chapel for the grave, and the open hearse, on which rested the coffin, draped with the Union Jack. Page 16 then included a write-up of the funeral:
“Lonely Soldier’s Funeral”
Last rites at St James’s Cemetery
The final scene in the tragedy associated with William Parry, the ex-soldier who was found lying exhausted under one of the arches of Newton Bridge, a fortnight ago, and who succumbed at the Royal United Hospital, as the outcome of exposure and privation, took place on Saturday, when his remains were buried in St James’s Cemetery. the Rev. J. O. Evans (curate of St. James’s) officiated.
This “lonely soldier” was not permitted to pass unattended or unhonoured to his last rest. from the hospital entrance to the grave-side he was followed by a large muster of ex-Service men. There were no private mourners, and the only vehicle in the procession was the open hearse, on which rested the coffin, draped with the Union Jack. On this hero’s pall lay several wreaths, including a token from an anonymous lady donor, and garlands from the two local organisations for the relief and assistance of discharged soldiers.
There was no band, and the only music was that of the measured tramp of the feet of the following comrades, led by the ties of fellowship and kindred suffering, to pay this last honour to one whom they had never seen. Thus through lines of sympathetic by-standers, the funeral train moved on. There was another large attendance at the cemetery.
The coffin was born by six soldiers- Private R W Carey, of the 1st Hants; Lance-Corporal E L Higgins, of the 1st Devon’s (who represented Parry’s old regiment); Private G Oakes, Machine Gun Corps; Bombadier J Kelson, R.G.A. (Mountain Battery); Sapper B Gunter, 1st Wessex Field Company, R.E.; and Private J Kelson, 2nd/4th Somerset L.I.
Members of the Comrades of the Great War and of the British Federation of Discharged Soldiers and Sailors were well represented. These organisations had jointly made arrangements for the funeral. In the absence of the Deputy-Chairman (Sergeant-Major Hills), the Somerset Division of the Comrades was represented by Sergeant A J Berry. Mr E G Snell, the local secretary of the Comrades, was unavoidably absent, and was represented by Mr J H Tacker. Mr H Baker (a member of the committee) was also present, and Mr Hodgson (of the Broadstairs branch), who happened to be in Bath, attended, and sent some flowers. R.Q.M. J J Barry was also present.
The British Federation was represented by Messrs F Dangerfield (chairman), F Salmon (vice-chairman), G Dudley (secretary), and J Phillips (one of the committee). Mrs Briscoe represented the widows and dependents’ section. Others present included Mr G Withers (late 4th Devon’s).
After the ceremony the “Last Post” was sounded by the Buglers G. And B. Comm, of the 1st/44th and 4th Somerset L.I.
The funeral arrangements were conducted by Mr A E Tanner, of 6 Monmouth Street.
P S Maynard had charge of the police arrangements at the cemetery.
And so the “final scene” of William’s life took place, the ‘celebration’ of a man honoured after his death, but seemingly alone and neglected before that.
In conclusion
In 1919, it had been suggested that those soldiers mentioned in dispatches should have permission to wear a small oak leaf on the ribbon of the Victory Medal. And, in the Daily Herald, 22nd November 1919, the following poem appeared:
The Song of the Leaves
Eighty thousand oak-leaves,
Leaves in hordes and batches
Oak-leaves for the heroes
Mentioned in Dispatches.
Eighty thousand oak-leaves,
As well as stars and crosses,
To keep our memories evergreen
And help us bear our losses.
Eighty thousand oak-leaves!
We learned when we were younger
How robins covered up with leaves
Babes who died of hunger.
Eighty thousand oak-leaves
Won on dangerous marches
To cover William Parry up,
Who starved in Newton Arches.
Notes and References
1. The Newton Bridge and its arches:
2. The weather in 1919:
3. The Long Trail:
4. Medal Card & Roll text interpretation:
Possible red text "BW&V Meds Retd CRV 525B d/22.6.23 KR 1743. Auth 7998/adt"
BW&V = British War and Victory Medals
CRV = Certified Receipt Voucher"
KR 1743 = Kings Regulations 1743
Sources
5. About the battle of Bois des Buttes:
6. Mercantile Marines
Potential Distances William walked or intended to walk:
Exeter to Barrow in Furness: about 320 miles
Exeter to Bristol: About 75 miles
Bristol to the Newton Bridge: About 10 miles
Current (2022-23) Number of homeless UK ex-servicemen
"2,110 households with someone who served in the armed forces were assessed as homeless in 2022-23, according to figures from the Department of Housing, up from 1,850 last year.
Source
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