I was wandering round St Peter's Church in the grounds of Gunby Hall in Lincolnshire and came across a solitary war grave: Sapper Samuel Hateley (1495900) of 44th (The Leicestershire Regiment) Anti-Aircraft Battalion, RE (TA), 377 Company d.27th March 1940 aged 21 Believed to have been stationed in Leicester. His surname is spelt Hately on the CWGC database. Was wondering how to discover more about what befell Sapper Hately/Hateley just before the outbreak of hostilities proper?
UK, Army Roll of Honour, 1939-1945 Name: Samuel Hateley Given Initials: S Rank: Sapper Death Date: 27 Mar 1940 Number: 1495900 Birth Place: Walsall Residence: Walsall Regiment at Enlistment: Royal Engineers RA Branch at Enlistment: Royal Artillery Theatre of War: United Kingdom Regiment at Death: Royal Engineers RA Branch at Death: Royal Artillery England & Wales, Civil Registration Death Index, 1916-2007 Name: Samuel Hateley Death Age: 21 Birth Date: abt 1919 Registration Date: Mar 1940 Registration district: Spilsby Inferred County: Lincolnshire Volume: 7a Page: 1834 This might provide you with a cause of death that would help in finding out why he died. Might be worth checking out local newspapers as well, we recently had a similar thread that involved a motoring accident. TD
Hi, You could always apply for his death certificate? There were deaths from natural causes - TB was prevalent for instance, or by accident - often in training. If you get a death certificate it will give a location so you could research local newspapers in his home area and in the area where he passed away. Good Luck Steve Y Posted simultaneously to TD above. PS CWGC link here - Casualty His parents lived in Walsall. Forum member "Graeme" has an interest in Walsall casualties. I've alerted him to this topic.
That's pretty shocking but thank you for the very quick responses, everybody, especially Guy. Sad how a lone grave in an idyllic country churchyard can have such a story behind it and be otherwise forgotten.
Hi all, I'm on holiday for a month but will check my research when I get home and see if I can add anything. If there is a picture in the papers, probably not, it will be absolute rubbish but I will check. Thanks for the heads up TB. Regards Graeme
Surname on headstone is correct CWGC confirmed this below Thank you for your email below. Our Records section has investigated this case and confirmed that the headstone is correct and it was our database that was wrong. There was a typographical error in our original register which was later scanned to form our database. They have therefore amended our database and this should replicate on our website in due course. Thank you for bringing this to our attention. Kind Regards
Hi Back from my hols. Nothing at all in our local papers therefore no picture, I'm afraid. All I can add is that Samuel was born in Walsall in 1918, the illegitimate son of Annie Hateley. She married William Wood at Walsall on Saturday 22 November 1919 and predeceased her son on Tuesday 16 April 1935. I did not know of the above circumstances and am very grateful to all concerned. Regards, Graeme
name changed Sapper HATELEY, SAMUEL Service Number 1495900 Died 27/03/1940 Aged 21 377 Bty., 44 (4th Bn. The Leicestershire Regt.) A.A. Bn. Royal Engineers Nephew of Mr. and Mrs. E. Ford, of Walsall, Staffordshire. INSCRIPTION MAY THE WINDS OF HEAVEN BLOW GENTLY OVER THIS SACRED SPOT
