BONSER, Samuel 1887 – 1919 Private 28269 of the 18th Hussars

[mareanna]

I have details of Samuel’s medal card – usual 1st WW medals, and Silver War Badge.  His service dates are apparently 18 May 1915 to 7 July 1915.  I say apparently because he is in the CWGC site as being buried in Ilkeston Park Cemetery.  Indeed, a FBMD entry appears to agree that he died locally aged 33. 
A few questions:  if he was discharged in 1915, why is included in the list of war dead?  Could he have re-enlisted and served in blighty?  Perhaps he died of injuries (or gas) sustained at war??  What is the “Alternative Commemoration” at the Stanton Road Cemetery, Ilkeston 

[neil1821]

His service dates are apparently 18 May 1915 to 7 July 1915.

Are you sure that's a service date? If you've taken it from a medal card, it's presumably date first entered into theatre, which isn't the same thing.

Perhaps he died of injuries (or gas) sustained at war??

That's the usual explanation. If someone was discharged due to injuries sustained (as Samuel had the SWB that seems to be the case) and then died later back home as a direct result of those injuries, then he would still be very much classed as war dead.

[mareanna]

The card has "Theatre of War first served in N France" and "Date of Entry therein 18/5/15."  Under remarks it has "Dis 07 9-15" which I took to be a discharge date.  His war medals are listed as CY/103B page 234 ditto for the British medal then 15 Star CY/1B1 page 57.  A knowledgable colleague says this refers to a cavalry medal.

I've now looked up Silver War Badge on Wiki and see that it was awarded to soldiers who appear OK in civvies, to show that they indeed had served their country.

[neil1821]

Yep,  so 18-5-15 is the date he landed in France, not his first day of service. 

"Dis 07 9-15"

7th Sept 1915? Or is that a typo for 7th July?

His war medals are listed as CY/103B page 234 ditto for the British medal then 15 Star CY/1B1 page 57.  A knowledgable colleague says this refers to a cavalry medal.

They are the standard British WW1 medals, not unique to the cavalry at all. The references relate to the rolls and are not really helpful to you.
He received 1914-15 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal.
http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documentsonline/medals.asp

[mareanna]

I did try and attach a picture of the card, and it all went T-U.  Don't know what happened there (I've not attached a file before  )

Anyway the card does show exactly "DIS 07 9-15" in the remarks box.  I'll have another furtle to see if there are any war diary extracts that might point to what happened to Samuel.

[forester]

He entered France 18/5/15 and was admitted to 2 Canadian General Hospital on 29/5/15 with gas poisoning. He was evacuated to the UK and admitted to the War Hospital, Reading on 18/6/15 (the day of his return).

He was discharged 27/9/15 and awarded a pension due to TB attributable to the gas and exposure.

His records are on Ancestry.

For an explanation of the alternative commemoration see here:

http://www.cwgc.org/search/cemetery_details.aspx?cemetery=37710&mode=1

Phil

[mmm45]

CWGC Commemorates Service personnel who died as a result of service be it killed in action or death as a result of wounds/sickness or accident up to 1921

This would also include lads who were discharged with a pension  and died within these dates although many of these lads were forgotten and arent on the National Debt Of Honour

Ady

[mareanna]

Very grateful to everyone for the pointers to his pension records and interpretation of his medal card.  Hadn't looked there, thinking he died during active service, therefore no pension.  Off to read the papers now.  No matter how many times I see these papers, they always make me so very sad.  The photos are really haunting.

Mareanna

ps seen the new posting while writing this.  Sam's records on the CWGC site must have been written after his widow remarried in 1922.  She is listed as former Ada Bonser

[Gary Crosby]

My research has Samuel enlisting in the Army on the 10th September 1914, ( source : Forces War Records), Stanton Road Cemetery, Ilkeston fell into disrepair and was closed in1947 the 5 Commonwealth War Graves Commission Headstones were removed and alternative Commemoration provided on the screen wall in Ilkeston (Park) Cemetery, following the restoration over a number of years of the Stanton Road Cemetery the 5 CWGC Headstones were replaced and re-dedicated in 2014.
Gary.