war grave

[rob jones 60]

Hi i came across the grave stone of a Royal Welch Fusiler from the first world war . His name was F.Jenkins ,38271 private, RWF 30 january 1918 aged 33 .Would anyone be able to shed any light on his service and if he was from Swansea where is war grave is in Dany Graig cemetery Swansea .

[Baconwallah]

We know quite a lot about him:

Jenkins, Frederick, 38271 Pte
Born St Matthews parish, Swansea, c.1885
Wireman, Swansea Post Office Engineering Dept
Husband of Rose Adelina [Barrett] Jenkins, of 8, Hoskins Place, Swansea [formerly 40 William Street]
Children: Frederick Henry Charles [12/04/1911], Rose Evelyne [11/08/1912], John William Kitchener [13/09/1914]

Prior service with 2nd Welsh Regt
Known to have valvular disease of the heart [first diagnosed at Quetta]

Enlisted 3rd Welsh Regiment [Special Reserve] 14/09/1914 as 2235
Posted 12 Welsh Regt 31/10/1914, 3 Welsh Regt 17/11/1914
Medical discharge recommended 02/07/1915, refused
Transferred to RWF 27/10/1915 as 38271
Posted 2nd Garrison Bn, Egypt, 06/03/1916
Landed France 10/07/1916
Posted 1st RWF from Infantry Base Depot 22/07/1916

To UK sick 01/12/1917, admitted 3 Northern General Hospital, Sheffield, with chest pain, losing weight, very depressed
Died Sheffield from infective endocarditis 30/01/1918, age 33
Buried Swansea (Danygraig) Cemetery

Hope this helps

John

[rob jones 60]

Thank you ever so much for the information about this royal welch fusilier it puts a new look on his final resting place next time i visit the cemetery i will be able to think about him with a better understanding of his service .

[Baconwallah]

Let me put some flesh on the bones for you, Rob.

You'll have noticed that Jenkins, an old soldier, re-enlisted early in the war but was kept in Britain instead of being posted to one of the theatres of war. No doubt that had to do with the valvular disease he contracted during his service with 2 Welsh in Quetta as the result of rheumatic fever, and which had resulted in his medical discharge in 1906, before the termination of his engagement.

A posting to 12 Welsh lasted only two weeks and was probably too demanding, so he was posted back to the Depot. Apart from overstaying his embarkation leave 10/07/1917, for which he was fined 2/-, his crime sheet was clean.

When he did go abroad it was as reinforcement to the Royal Welch 2nd Garrison Bn in Egypt, still a posting for a man not entirely fit. But then the Somme intervened, and as an old soldier, even a not entirely fit one, he was suddenly in great demand, lifted from his comparatively cushy posting in Egypt and sent to France.

He stuck life in the trenches for over a year and then had to be evacuated to the UK. Trench life and valvular disease do not go well together and endocarditis as a result of possibly an unreported very superficial wound was almost inevitable.

All in all, the sad story of an old soldier who bravely wanted to 'do his bit' but physically wasn't up to it, and it killed him.

His widow was awarded a pension of 29/7 weekly.

John

[Hywyn]

The online CWGC database has him as 3827. This may very well be a scan/typo error which happens quite a bit. Even if not there is ample evidence of his proper number. I'll see about getting it rectified (takes some months for them to get round to doing these errors when pointed out)


Hywyn

[Hywyn]

I have just been told it is a scan error. It is now on a list to be corrected

Hywyn

[Hywyn]

Re the 2nd Garrison Battalion.It was formed at Garswood Park (Wigan) on Oct 21st 1915 and went to Egypt in March 1916, probably the 6th given that is the date on his papers. It has quite a few transferees in from other Regiments. There seems to be a block of numbers allocated to it which is roughly 38000 to 39000

[ap1]

Thanks John/Hywyn,

Where it says "Refused" on his medical discharge, does that mean he declined it, or the medical board?

Al

[Baconwallah]

Can't say, Al. All I can say is that the Medical Board recommended discharge, but it didn't happen. His papers are incomplete in that respect, unfortunately.

John