Two Early Tragedies

Charlie Keith

In the course of my research I have made friends with others pursuing similar tasks. One such was the late Frank Brooks, Town Clerk of Grange-over-Sands and Town Councillor. He began by researching Grange War Memorial and contacted me. We decided to try to find the background and fate of all those commemorated in the Cartmel area.

I searched the CWGC site for those he did not know and found Charlie Keith was buried in Lindale churchyard. Frank visited and found poor Charlie's grave in an overgrown state to the North of the church.

He tidied up the area and found the shield, pictured below, set in the middle of the plot. The inscription reads, " In Loving Memory of Private Charlie Keith B Coy., 4th Battalion, KORLR, Killed at Slough, October 20th 1914, Aged 19 years. A Memento From His Comrades."

How did Charlie die?

The Fourth King's Own were posted to guard the Great Western main line from Paddington to Twyford and took up their duties on 16th August 1914. The CO, Lt. Col. Wadham* wrote, "It was not to be expected that men fresh from the country, many of whom had never seen an express train before, could carry out these duties on a section of line such as this one for which the Battalion was responsible, without some casualties occurring. During the time the Battalion was employed on this duty several good men lost their lives in the service of their country, who would no doubt have preferably made the same sacrifice, had the opportunity been given them, against a more vulnerable foe than an express train."

The "Westmorland Gazette" reported, "Private Charles Keith, of the 4th battalion King's Own R.L. regiment, and youngest son of Mr. William Keith, of the Yew Trees, Lindale, was knocked down and killed by a Great Western express whilst guarding the line in the vicinity of Slough. He was nineteen years of age, and had been a member of the local Territorial Force for the last two years."

On November 9th, with a few exceptions, the Battalion was withdrawn and orders were received on the 26th to join the Brigade at Sevenoaks.

*The Fourth Battalion The King's Own (Royal Lancaster Regiment) and The Great War, by Lieutenant Colonel W F A Wadham and Captain J Crossley.

A Tragic Accident near Slough.

The Fourth Battalion The King's Own (Royal Lancaster Regiment) went to their annual training camp at Kirkby Lonsdale on August 2nd 1914. The trains they had arrived in were held and they left for home, to prepare for mobilization, at 9:30 am on the 3rd. The telegram duly arrived at HQ and on the night of 4th/5th August the men were called up and medical inspections began at 5 am on the 5th, with guards posted on local railway viaducts. The battalion assembled at 4:30 pm in Barrow, under the Officer Commanding, Barrow Coast Defences. The battalion was relieved on the 10th and spent a few days in Ulverston, billeted in local schools, until orders arrived to move to Slough, to guard the Great Western main line, on the 15th. The speed of movement was most impressive. Orders were received at 2:45 am and the last of the two trains used to transport the 4th Battalion arrived at Slough at 10:30 pm, having been delayed when a horse-box fell to pieces at Crewe, injuring its equine occupants. These were the battalion's first casualties, one was so badly injured it had to be shot.

The following day the companies were distributed at various stations along the line from Paddington to Twyford. They remained engaged on guard duties until they went to Sevenoaks for Battalion training on 27th November. During this period casualties were incurred, most of the men had not come across express trains before and several good men were lost.

One casualty was not hit by a train, but was shot by a friend. The Barrow News of 5th September 1914 reported, " FATAL ACCIDENT TO LOCAL TERRITORIAL. Lance-Corporal Thomas Ward, of Grange, was shot by a sentry about 9:20 pm on Monday, at a railway bridge on the Great Western Railway, between Slough and Burnham Beeches. He was in charge of the guard at the bridge in question and was taking a look round before turning in. The sentry seeing someone coming, and not knowing who it was, challenged three times, but got no response, and then fired. The bullet passed through the stomach, just above the belt, and stuck the bridge behind, death resulting in a few minutes. It is not known whether deceased heard the sentry's challenge or not, but it is thought possible that he thought someone on the road below was being challenged. At the inquest Pte. Fred Benson of Broughton-in Cartmel (the sentry) described how he challenged the lance-corporal and he received no reply, and in consequence fired. A verdict of "Justifiable homicide" was returned. The deceased was a native of Temple Sowerby, and the interment took place there on Thursday. The news of the tragedy was received in Grange with great regret, deceased being a well known and popular young man. He was in the employ of Dr. Lowther, of Fernleigh, as a gardener, and was known as a capable and enthusiastic horticulturist.

Lance Corporal Thomas Ward, 1988, 4th Bn., King's Own (Royal Lancaster Regt.) died on Monday, 31st August 1914. Age 28, he was the son of William and Sarah Ward, of Winderwath, Temple-Sowerby, Penrith, Cumberland. He was not buried at Temple Sowerby, but at St. Cuthbert's Churchyard, Cliburn, Cumberland. His grave has a private memorial.

Dr. Lowther's garden, is now occupied by a row of shops - Lowther Gardens. Fred Benson's name appears on Field Broughton roll of honour. He survived the war.