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Hughes, Walter Stanley

Most of what we know about Walter Stanley Hughes comes from his Army Pension Records which have survived and which are accessible on www.ancestry.co.uk.    Sadly I cannot find any family history information on Walter Stanley or Louisa Hughes (nee Perry).

He attested on the 7th September 1914 in Wrexham. He was 29 years  and 4 months old and had been born in Rhyl, Flintshire. His trade/calling was a ‘Butler’ and he was a married man.  He was called up to serve early because he was a reservist with previous military experience.

I have downloaded his Attestation & Discharge papers, of which there are 22, please contact the website if you would like a copy, although they are on Find my Past.

At the time he attested, he was medically examined. He was found to be 5 feet 91/4 inches tall, weighed 145lbs, had a chest measurement of 38 inches with a 3 inch range of expansion. His complexion was sallow, eyes brown and his hair was black. He had a scar on his lower inner mid right thigh and another on his left elbow. His religion was C of E. He was deemed fit for army service by J Whitehead of the RAMC.

He was posted on the 26th September 1914 and he was given the rank of Corporal but he never served abroad. Walter was found to be medically unfit for the army and was discharged on the 6th February 1915, just 5 months after being declared fit for service. Eleven days later he died in his home town of Rhyl. The cause of death was ‘Tuberculosis of lung’.

The following internal army memorandum is included in his Pension Record: –

 Memorandum – Bournmouth  7th March 1915

No 13771 Cpl. Walter Stanley Hughes was discharged 5th Feb 1915 the cause being Tuberculosis of lung.  For some little time before his discharge he had been under observation, his history giving loss of weight & shortness of breath on exertion.  As there was, for some time, nothing definite to be found in his chest, as his heart was sound and there apparently no cause for his symptoms, these were put down to pernicious anaemia but no blood count was taken.   In January however he showed definite patches of tubercle in his lung which rapidly got worse.  He was under observation for three weeks before being discharged.

Walter Stanley died only 12 days after his discharge, but I cannot find a Commonwealth War Graves Commission citation for him, perhaps because of his short service in WW1.

Walter’s widow was eligible for an army pension because he died of disease contracted after commencing active service. The records tell us that his wife was Louisa Hughes (nee Perry)  and that they had married in Hawarden on the 15th February 1913,  (HAW/04/50). Their daughter, Mona Ann Hughes was born that same year  (HAW/16A/80). His wife Louisa was named as his next of kin in the records and her address was 72, Jubilee Street Shotton.

There is an index card for Walter Stanley Hughes in the Flintshire Roll of Honour at the County Record Office in Hawarden  ( Rhyl F51). It gives the address  7, Clwyd Street, Rhyl. It confirms the regimental details above and adds that  he had served through South African War 1899 – 1901. The card says his period of Service was 12 months, he was discharged/or died, on the 6th February 1915.  The Card was signed by Mrs.? J. Hughes on the 6th September 1919.  (This card was signed 5 years after his death, may account for the confusion.)

Walter Stanley was buried in his Home town of Rhyl on the 20th February 1915, age 33 years, with his family address of 7, Clwyd Street.


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