Gunner 94671 Joseph Frank Aston

 
Photographs of Joseph, and of Laura, Joseph and Rachel are courtesy of his granddaughter, Laurene Gnapp.
 
Photograph of original grave marker is courtesy of his granddaughter, Laurene Gnapp. Further photograph at bottom of this page.

Killed in Action on Monday, 2nd July 1917, age 32.
Buried in Grave I. C. 2. at Belgian Battery Corner Cemetery, Ieper, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium.

Royal Garrison Artillery, 188th Siege Battery.

Son of the late Richard and Rachael Aston, of Tipton; husband of Laura Aston, of 39, Sedgley Rd. West, Tipton, Staffs.
Born: Tipton, Enlisted: Tipton, Resident: Unknown.

First landed France & Flanders, post 31st December 1915.
Medal entitlement: British War Medal, Victory Medal.
Soldier's Papers at National Archives survived and transcribed.

Commemorated on the Tipton Library, and St. Matthew's memorials.
Commemorated here because he appears on a Tipton memorial.

Link to Commonwealth War Graves Site: www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/92623/

Genealogical Data

Birth of Joseph Frank Aston registered December Quarter 1885 at Dudley.

1891 Census
38 Waterloo Street, Tipton, Staffs.
Richard Aston (43, Groom, born Tipton), his wife Rachel (43, born Tipton), and their 4 children: Mary L. (13, Mother's help. born Tipton), Annie M. (11, Scholar, born Tipton), Joseph F. (5, Scholar, born Tipton), and Stephen H. (3, born Tipton).

1901 Census
Waterloo Street East, Tipton, Staffs.
Richard Aston (53, Groom, born Tipton), his wife Rachel (53, born Tipton), and their 4 children: Louisa (23, born Tipton), Annie (21, born Tipton), Joseph (15, Invoice Clerk, born Tipton), and Stephen (13, born Tipton).

Marriage of Joseph Frank Aston and Laura Mason registered September Quarter 1907 at Dudley. The date of their marriage was September 8th 1907.
The birth of their daughter, Rachel Winifred, was registered March quarter 1909 in Dudley. She was born on February 16th 1909.

1911 Census
71 Bloomfield Road, Tipton, Staffs.
Joseph F. Aston (25, Coachman, born Tipton), his wife Laura (23, born Coseley), and their daughter Rachel Winifred (2, born Tipton). Also Thomas Edward Mason (father-in-law, 74, retired Blacksmith, born West Bromwich), and Martha Mason (mother-in-law, 68, born Bilston).

A second daughter, Florence M. Aston, was born in September quarter 1913 with the birth registered in Dudley. Sadly, Florence died at just 1 year of age. Her death was registered in June quarter 1915 in Dudley.

Personal Data

Joseph is incorrectly commemorated on the Tipton Library Memorial as JJ Aston. This was a sign-writer error as the 'Staffordshire Roll of Honour' says JF Aston, Gunner RGA.

Joseph attested on 11th December 1915 under the Derby Scheme (correctly called the Group Scheme). This was introduced in October 1915 by the newly-appointed Director-General of Recruiting, Lord Derby (Edward Stanley) to resolve the fall-off in voluntary enlistment after Spring 1915. Under the Derby Scheme a man could either agree to enlist immediately, or attest with an obligation to come if called up later on. Joseph was one of the latter and was given an armlet showing his Derby status, a day's army pay, and officially joined the Army Reserve. He was sent back to his normal life until called up according to a schedule based on marital status and age. As a married man born in 1885 this was Group 36 which was called up from 29th May 1916.

Joseph's address was given as School House, Birch Street, Tipton, but amended to 39 Sedgley Road West, Tipton. This change of address would have been after his resignation as caretaker of Park Lane School, leaving to work at Buller's Foundry. He was 30 years of age, 5 feet 6 inches tall with a 35-inch chest, and employed as a Caretaker and Labourer. He had married Laura Mason on 8th September 1907, and their daughter, Rachel Winifred, was born on 16th February 1909. A second daughter, Florence, was born in 1913 but, sadly, died in 1915 at just 1 year of age.

Joseph was mobilised on 6th June 1916 and joined No.4 Depot of the Royal Garrison Artillery (RGA) based in Woolwich. On 15th July he was posted to No. 44 Company RGA based at Pembroke Dock, and then on 29th July to the newly-formed 188th Siege Battery also in Pembroke Dock. 188th Siege Battery embarked at Folkestone on 30th October 1916 and disembarked at Boulogne on the same day. They were equipped with four 9.2" howitzers mainly employed on counter-battery work; they were capable of firing a shell weighing 2½ hundredweight for a distance of over 5 miles.

After Joseph's death, his outstanding army pay and allowances amounted to £6/2/2d (6 pounds, 2 shillings and 2 pence); this was paid to his widow, Laura, in November 1917. His War Gratuity was £3/10/0d (3 pounds and 10 shillings), this was also paid to his widow in December 1919.

Joseph's widow, Laura, was awarded a WIdow's Pension of £1/6/8d (1 pound, 6 shillings and 8 pence) per week for herself and a further 10/0d (10 shillings) per week for her daughter. Her address at this time was still 39 Sedgley Road West, Tipton. From 3rd September 1919, Laura's total pension was increased to £3/3/3d (3 pounds, 3 shillings and 3 pence) per week under the 'Alternative Pension' terms. This allowed the pension to be increased to half of the pension that the deceased soldier would have been entitled to, had he survived.

Action resulting in his death

188th Siege Battery were one of 20 new Siege Batteries of the Royal Garrison Artillery (RGA) authorised by the Army Council on 13th July 1916, they were raised at Pembroke Dock. After just 3 months training they were deemed ready to serve abroad and on 10th October 1916, whilst stationed at Bristol, received orders to prepare for mobilisation. On 30th October they sailed from Folkestone, and after a rough crossing landed in Boulogne on the same day.

They arrived at Vlamertinghe, around 3 miles west of Ypres, in early November. Apart from a 10-day sojourn during November at Bac St Maur, near Armentières in France, they remained in this locality for the 7 months leading to Joseph’s death.

Their 4 heavy-calibre 9.2” howitzers were located to the south and south-east of Vlamertinghe. They were occupied with Registration shoots, firing on pre-arranged targets (enemy artillery, strong-points, stores and roads), and responding to SOS signals from the infantry generally to disrupt enemy activity threatening our positions. This continued most days, unless prevented by poor weather.

At 3.10am on 7th June 1917, the Messines Ridge was shaken by the explosion of 19 mines containing 1 million pounds of high explosives. Hill 60 was the northernmost and just 4 miles from Vlamertinghe so Joseph would have heard and felt its explosion. For the days before Messines, 188th Battery had been shelling the areas just behind the German front line near Hill 60.

The Battle of Messines was an overwhelming success, the Germans suffered severe losses and were forced to concede ground. Because of this, 188th Battery had to move their guns forward as the enemy were now out of range of the howitzers. An entry in the War Diary for 25th June gives a clue as to why Joseph is buried in Belgian Battery Corner Cemetery. “June 25: Dismounting howitzer No. 190 for new position (H.24.d) being mounted at night. From 2.26pm to 9.15pm we fired 250 rounds on Batteries at P.8.d.95.25”

H.24.d is a map reference in Ypres Map 28 Sheet NW4 for an area 500 yards by 500 yards, the centre of which is just over 800 yards south east of Belgian Battery Corner Cemetery. The target (P.8.d) was just outside Zandvoorde which was about 5½ miles from the new position, and would have been out of range before the move.

Unfortunately, the War Diary pages for July 1917 are missing but it is unlikely that any significant detail of Joseph’s death would have been given. Family legend says that Joseph was the only man from his gun crew killed and this was because the Sergeant had sent Joseph to the field kitchen to get the tea, and it was the field kitchen that was hit and Joseph killed by shrapnel. Family legend often has a kernel of truth, and looking at CWGC it is true that Joseph was the only man from 188th Battery killed that day.

Newspaper Cuttings

Tipton Herald November 6th 1915
Tipton Education: JF Aston resigned as caretaker of Park Lane School.

Tipton Herald July 14th 1917
Thanks
Mrs J.F. Aston (39 Sedgley Road West, Tipton) wishes to thank many friends and relatives for sympathy shown in her hour of sorrow.

Tipton Herald July 21st 1917
ANOTHER TIPTON SOLDIER TO FALL.
The relatives and friends of Gunner Joseph Frank Aston, R.G.A., of 39 Sedgley Road West (Five Ways), Tipton, have just heard with great regret that he was killed in action by a shell on Monday July 2nd.
The deceased gunner, who had not served in the army before, leaves a widow and daughter aged eight. He joined the army on June 5th of last year under the Derby scheme, and was posted to the Royal Garrison Artillery, receiving part of his training on the east coast. He had two short leaves during training, but the widow had not seen her husband for nearly ten months.
On Friday 6th inst., a letter was received from the deceased. A very nice letter has been received from the deceased's Sergeant:- "The men in the battery are going to put a cross over his grave. I am so sorry for you, but for his sake you must try to be brave. You will be very proud when you remember that he gave the very best he had - his life - to save his country and you from the horrors that we out here know so well. Try and think of him as still alive. God comfort you in your sorrow."
The late Gunner Aston was nephew of Mr Stephen Aston, and was for some years in his employ. He was for a short time caretaker of Park Lane Council Schools, but left to go to the works of Bullers Ltd. in the autumn of 1915. He was well-liked and popular with a number of people in Tipton. His only brother is in the army. His father, the late Mr Richard Aston, died suddenly some twelve or thirteen years ago when taking a brake-load of people for a pleasure trip. Gunner Aston's mother resides at Dudley Port.

Tipton Herald August 4th 1917
MEMORIAL SERVICE.
On Sunday evening, a memorial service was held at the Refuge Church, Waterloo St, Tipton, for the late Private Joseph Aston, of the Royal Garrison Artillery, whose home was at Five Ways, Tipton. The service was conducted by Mr B Tibbetts of Dudley Port who delivered a very appropriate address. Councillor Joseph Baker also made a few sympathetic remarks and gave the relatives and friends of the deceased a message of hope and encouragement. Suitable hymns were sung and the service was a very impressive one.

Tipton Herald July 6th 1918
In Memoriam
ASTON. In ever loving memory of our dear brother-in-law Joe, killed in action July 2nd 1917. Never forgotten by Phoebe and Job, loved in life, honoured in death.
ASTON. In unfading memory of my dearly loved husband, Gunner JF Aston (Sedgley Rd West, Tipton), killed July 2nd 1917. Ever in the thoughts of his sorrowing wife and child, Winnie. RIP

Photograph of birthday card to daughter Rachel (known as Winnie) is courtesy of his granddaughter, Laurene Gnapp.