Gunner 155220 John Vincent

Died Home on Tuesday, 5th June 1917, age 37.
Buried in Grave BN. 4. 25. at Coseley (Christ Church) New Churchyard, Staffordshire, United Kingdom.

Royal Garrison Artillery.

Husband of the late Mary Ann Vincent.
Born: Tipton, Enlisted: Tipton, Resident: Coseley.

Never served abroad.
Medal entitlement: No medal entitlement.
Soldier's Papers at National Archives did not survive.

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

Link to Commonwealth War Graves Site: www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/395000/

Genealogical Data

Birth of John Vincent registered December quarter 1879 in Dudley.

1901 Census
36 Avenue Road, Coseley, Staffs.
Joseph Vincent (49, Brickyard Labourer, born Sedgley), his wife Lavinia (46, Fruiter, born Tipton), and their 8 children: Jenny (23, born Tipton), John (21, born Tipton), Charlotte (19, born Tipton), Annie (15, born Tipton), Benjamin (11, born Sedgley), May (9 born Sedgley), Nora (5, born Coseley), and Nina (1, born Coseley).

Marriage of John Vincent and Mary Ann Purcell registered December quarter 1904 in Dudley.

1911 Census
147 Bloomfield Road, Tipton, Staffs.
John Vincent (30, General Labourer at Gasworks, born Tipton), his wife Mary Ann (30, born Wolverhampton), and their 2 children: Dollie (5, born Tipton), and Winston (4, born Tipton).

Personal Data

John's widow, Mary Ann, received his outstanding army pay and allowances in December 1917; this amounted to £2/3/2d (2 pounds, 3 shillings and 2 pence). He was not entitled to a post-war War Gratuity payment.

Mary Ann was awarded a Pension of £1/4/2d (1 pound, 4 shillings and 2 pence) per week for herself and 2 children - Charlotte May born 1-7-1905 and John Winston Spencer born 24-10-1906. This was paid from 19th December 1917.

Action resulting in his death

The Soldier's Effects entry for John Vincent records that he died on 5th June 1917 at Swaythling, and gave the cause of death as 'suicide'. Swaythling was an Army Remount Depot which provided horses for all branches of the army; it was located on the northern outskirts of Southampton. John is shown as being attached to the 4th Reserve Battery, Royal Garrison Artillery.

The sad circumstances of his death seem to be confirmed by his Pension Card which records "killed on a railway in a state of temporary insanity due to disease contracted on Active Service". Strangely, the Burial Register at Christ Church records: "Killed in Air Raid. Vengeance is mine saith the Lord. He will deliver into our Hand.”

As no Medal Index Card exists for John Vincent, it appears that he did not serve abroad. His was buried in Christ Church New Churchyard, Coseley on 9th June 1917.

Newspaper Cuttings

The Hampshire Independent 9th June 1917
RAILWAY TRAGEDY AT SWAYTHLING
An inquest was held on Wednesday at Swaythling, by Mr. P.B. Ingoldby (County Coroner), on the body of John Vincent, who was found dead with his head crushed on the down rail between Eastleigh and Southampton.

Walter Churchill, a fireman in the employ of the London and South-Western Railway Company, stated that on Tuesday he was working a light engine running from Southampton to Eastleigh, and when just past Woodmill Bridge, Swaythling, he saw the body of the deceased lying with his head on the down side near rail. Witness gave information to the signalman at Swaythling Railway Station.

George Albert Meagham, also employed by the Railway Company, deposed that on receiving information from the signalman he went to Woodmill Bridge and saw the deceased lying flat on his back. The top part of his head was crushed. The lower part of his head was touching the metals, his hands were on his chest, and his feet were towards the bank. He was quite dead, but the body was warm. Deceased was fully dressed and his cap was by his left side. He must have got over a fence, as there is no gate near.

Henry Edgar Davidson, a corporal in the R.G.A., identified the deceased. Witness had requested him to go into the harness-room to strip the harness after parade on Monday. Deceased did so, and partly finished the work. Nobody seemed to have seen him since then, about 5 o’clock, and witness had no occasion to “fall him in” again till roll call, at 10 p.m. the same night. At roll call deceased was missing, and the matter was reported, a search being made. Deceased, who was a recruit with seven weeks’ service, had said he was a metal moulder. He was a man who made no friends. He was making satisfactory progress in the riding school.

Dr. H. R. Garrett, who had examined the deceased, reported that he found no signs of injury about the body, but that the head was badly crushed, probably caused by being run over by a train. Death was due to injuries to the head, and would be instantaneous. From the position in which the body lay he thought deceased placed himself in the position in which he was found.

The jury returned a verdict that death was caused by injuries due to being run over by a railway train, and that deceased committed suicide while of unsound mind.