Wireless Training Centre, Royal Engineers WW1

[Jaybeebuzz]

I wonder if anyone can help me with this little mystery? From the CWGC site I found the following ancestor:

Pioneer George William BURROUGHS
222210 Wireless Training Centre, Royal Engineers
died aged 18, 8 April 1917.
Son of Stratton & Alexandra Burroughs of New St, Somerton, Somerset.
Born Warminster, Wilts.
Buried Somerton Cemetery (Somerset)

When I put "Wireless Training Centre, Royal Engineers"  into a Google search I came up with very little but it took me to a little website in memory of someone else's ancestor from Scotland who was also a pioneer in the Royal Engineers during WW1. He had been stationed at the Wireless Training Centre, Worcester, I assume for training.

I wasn't able to find anything on a wireless training centre in Worcester during further internet searches so I looked up the GRO death entry. George's death was registered at PERSHORE (Worcs), June qtr 1917. Can anyone shed any light on this? If the training centre was at Worcester and he died there, why was his death registered at Pershore? Or was there some sort of wireless centre at Pershore? The RRE at Defford and Malvern seem more connected to WW2.

The other thing that puzzles me is he is commemorated on the CWGC site as commonwealth war dead and yet it's hard to see how he died on active duty? Surely there weren't any enemy attacks on Worcester during WW1? Was there some sort of accident there whilst he was on duty that anyone knows of?

It's an intriguing little puzzle and I'm hoping someone with local knowledge  might be able to put me out of my misery!! It would all make more sense if it happened during WW2!

Many thanks!
Julie

[Ken MacLean]

Hi Julie,

I can't help with the Wireless training, but I can advise you that the CWGC register lists all of those who died in service for any reason. This would include deaths in combat, accidents, or illness.

For WW1,  deaths are recorded for the years 1914-1921 and for WW2 1939-1947.

Cheers, Ken

[manmack]

george died of cerebro spinal meningitis,hes buried next to the only other two soldiers in the cemetery.
pte r hunt who died of gas poisoning,RAMC
pte percy norris,wiltshire regt
mack

[Jaybeebuzz]

Manmack, many thanks for that. Sorry for not replying sooner but I did not receive any notification that a message had been posted.

Do you know which cemetery he was buried at as I've been told by Somerset locals that there isn't one called Somerton Cemetery as notified on the CWGC site? I certainly couldn't find mention of one on the internet.

[Ken MacLean]

Julie,

Found several hits for Somerton Cemetery, Somerset including  an announcement in the Dorset Echo of a burial to take place there next Monday, 30 Oct 2006.

http://www.dorsetecho.co.uk/announcements/debmdsarchive/index.php/2006/10/20/242575.html

Cheers, Ken

[Jaybeebuzz]

Many thanks for that Ken, but I still don't know whereabouts it is in Somerton!! At least I now know it exists! Can't understand why it doesn't have its own website though!

[casalguidi]

Hi Julie

I'm not familiar with the area at all but there is a cemetery shown on this modern day street map http://www.rootschat.com/links/0xv/


Cemeteries nowadays (unless private) usually come under the jurisdicton of the local councils - would it be South Somerset http://www.southsomerset.gov.uk/

Casalguidi

[Jaybeebuzz]

Thanks for your suggestions. I have actually seen that map but although it shows where the cemetery is, it doesn't tell you the name of the road!! I can't believe it's so difficult to find an address for a cemetery. I'll have to try contacting the Somerset council I think.

[casalguidi]

Have also found that Somerton Town Council have a cemetery committee http://www.somerton.co.uk/townc/committees/cemetry.htm

Perhaps one of the members has an email or something if you dig around the site

Casalguidi