Hugh Trevor Wyatt was born in the December quarter of 1926, the son of George & Margaret Wyatt (nee Jones) who were married on the 5th of September 1904 at St. Deiniol’s Church, Hawarden, Flintshire.
George, 23 was a bachelor and a Guard, his abode was Hawarden, and his father was Thomas John Wyatt (deceased), Painter. His bride was Margaret Elizabeth Jones, 21 and a spinster, her abode was Ewloe Town, and her father was Hugh Jones, Collier. They married after Banns. Their witnesses were William Wyatt & Edith Jones.
The family on the 1911 census are living at Ashwood Cottage, Hawarden. The head of the household was George Wyatt, 29, and a Railway Yard Guard. His wife, Margaret Elizabeth Wyatt, 26, tells us that they had been married for 3 years and 3 children had been born, all still living, and she and George had been born in Hawarden. Their daughter Mary Eliz. Wyatt, 6, and at school had been born in Hawarden. Daughter Margaret Anne Wyatt, 3, had been born in Claughton, Birkenhead, Cheshire and son Wilfred Wyatt, 11 months old had been born in Walton, Liverpool, Lancashire.
I have found the baptisms of their children, all, except I think, Hugh Trevor’s baptism. I couldn’t find his Baptism in the Hawarden Parish Registers but found Hugh’s siblings.
I looked from 1902 – 1928 on St. Ethelwold’s Church Parish Registers – no WYATTS’ at all.
St. Deniol’s Church, Parish Registers – Baptisms
Page 92 No. 820 Born 8th September 1921 Bapt. 6th November 1921 Mona Ethel d/o George & Margaret Elizabeth WYATT, Ashwood Cottage, Hawarden, Railway Guard.
Page 73 No 655 Born 27th March 1919 Bapt. 18th May 1919 George Mildon s/o George & Margaret Elizabeth WYATT, Hawarden, Railway Guard.
Page 51 No. 454 born 24th January 1916, Bapt. 17th April 1916 Ruth d/o George & Margaret Elizabeth WYATT, Hawarden, Railway Guard.
Page 31 No. 272 Born 14th July 1913, Bapt. 7th September 1913 Thomas Arthur s/o George & Margaret Elizabeth WYATT, Hawarden, Guard.
Page 296 No.2364 Born April 4th, 1910, Bapt. 19th May 1910 Wilfred s/o George & Margaret Elizabeth WYATT, Walton, Liverpool, Guard
Page 251 No 2006 Born 12th December 1904, Bapt 19th January 1905 Mary Elizabeth d/o George & Margaret Elizabeth WYATT, Wood Cottage, Wood Lane, Guard.
St. James, Birkenhead, Cheshire. Parish Registers – Baptisms.
Page 73, No. 657 Born 11th August 1907 Bapt. 2nd Oct. 1907 Margaret Annie d/o George & Margaret Elizabeth WYATT, 23, Dundonald Street, Railway Guard.
George Wyatt in the UK, Railway Employment Records, 1833-1956 tells us: –
WYATT, George – Weekly Wages £3.5s 0d, dob – 26th June 1881, Date of joining Company’s Service – 31st January 1902, Married, if occupying a Company house and what amount paid per week – 11/6.
However, I found the family on the 1921 census, which was taken on the 19th of June 1921. They were living at Hawarden. George Wyatt, 40, was head of the household, he had been born in Hawarden and was a Goods Guard for the Great Central Railway at Hawarden. His wife, Margaret Elizabeth Wyatt was 37 years and 2 months old, and had been born in Wood Lane, Hawarden, she was doing ‘House Duties.’ Their children were Mary Elizbeth Wyatt, 16 years, and 6 months old, single and also born in Wood Lane, and also doing ‘House Duties.’ Margaret Anne Wyatt was 13 years and 10 months old, born in Birkenhead, Cheshire. Wilfred Wyatt, 11 years, and 2 months old, born in Liverpool, Lancashire, Arthur Wyatt, 7 years, and 11 months old, Ruth Wyatt, 5 years and 5 months old and George Mildon Wyatt, 2 years and 3 months old, the last three children had been born in Hawarden, Flintshire.
The children’s places of birth show that the family moved around for George’s job on the railway.
I have no knowledge of Hugh’s childhood or teenage year before he enlisted into the Army, so any information would again, be very well received, so we can tell his story and he won’t be forgotten.
We next see George and Margaret Elizabeth on the 1939 National Register, taken on the 19th of September 1939, living at Station House Chapel Row, Hawarden, Hawarden, Flintshire.
This source tells us the date of birth of George Wyatt, it was the 26th of June 1881, and he was a Railway Guard, Margaret E. Wyatt was born on the 27th of April 1884 and as most married women who did not have a job as doing “Unpaid Domestic Duties.” Thomas A. Wyatt was born on the 14th of July 1913, he was a Motor Lorry Driver, Travelling, and was single. There were 2 closed or redacted records.
As Hugh Trevor was born circa 1926, he could have been one of the redacted records, as he would have been about 13 years old.
However, all I know about Hugh’s Army Records is his Casualty List where he is noted to have “Died,” this means that he died from natural causes, but I cannot find his death certificate.
I searched the Northern Ireland Death Records and could find no entry for Hugh Trevor WYATT, who died on the 19th of February 1945 – https://geni.nidirect.gov.uk/search/death
I cannot find Hugh’s Death Certificate anywhere, not on UK Deaths, Cheshire BMD’s, North Wales BMD’s, Free BMDs, nor British Armed Forces and Overseas Deaths And Burials, so any help to find out exactly where Hugh died and his death certificate would be gratefully received.
However, Hugh’s Probate gives a clue, but also a mystery as it tells us that he died in the Military Hospital, Bangor, County Down: –
Hugh Trevor Wyatt in the England & Wales, National Probate Calendar (Index of Wills and Administrations), 1858-1995
Name: Hugh Trevor Wyatt
Death Date: 19 Feb 1945
Death Place: Chester, England
Probate Date: 31 Aug 1945
Probate Registry: Chester, England
WYATT, Hugh Trevor of Station House, Hawarden, near Chester died 19th February 1945 at Military Hospital, Bangor, County Down. Administration, Chester 31st August to George WYATT Railway Yard Foreman.
I am not a Military Historian, but did try to find out more about the Corps that Hugh was in: –
https://www.ww2ni.com/countydownpart3.htm
The Second World War in Northern Ireland
Photographs taken on 14th October 1942.
Here is a photograph of Palace Barracks as seen from the southeast with some of the old barrack blocks visible near the green topped clock tower. (below)
Palace Barracks was home to Number 2 Young Soldiers Training Centre of the General Service Corps which had its name later changed to Number 28 Training Battalion.
During the war there were 10 large Barrack Blocks in which each room held 30 men. Only a few of these blocks remain and are clearly visible from aircraft using Belfast City Airport.
According to the website: –
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_Service_Corps
Role
The role of the corps is to provide specialists, who are usually on the Special List or General List.[1]
History
The corps was founded in 1914 at the outbreak of World War I for specialists and those not allocated to other regiments or corps. [2] It was used for similar purposes in World War II, including for male operatives of the Special Operations Executive (female operatives joined the FANY).[3][4]
From July 1942, army recruits were enlisted in the corps for their first six weeks so that their subsequent posting could take account of their skills and the Army’s needs.[5] A similar role, holding some recruits pending allocation to their units, continues today.[6][7][8][9] Bermuda Militia Infantry soldiers absorbed into the Bermuda Militia Artillery before demobilisation in 1946 wore the General Service Corps cap badge instead of the Royal Artillery cap badge.[10]
https://military.wikia.org/wiki/General_Service_Corps
General Service Corps
The General Service Corps (GSC) is a corps of the British Army. Its main function is to act as a holding unit for specialists who have not been assigned to other units or corps; these are primarily reservists and the GSC is usually only active in wartime. Its members are on the General List or Special List.
If this is correct then Hugh Trevor must have only recently been in the camp for a short while, the longest time was 6 weeks according to the websites above. However he may have just been there a matter of days, I will have to try and find out more.
http://ww2talk.com/index.php?threads/wyatt-hugh-trevor-14890761-general-service-corps.85708/
I posted a message on WW2talk 26th May 2020: –
Hi, I don’t know if you will notice my posting, as the others are 8 years old, but it is worth a try. I am researching a serviceman on our local WW2 War Memorial at Hawarden, Flintshire and he “Died” on the 19th of February 1945: –
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
Private
WYATT, HUGH TREVOR
Service Number 14890761
Died 19/02/1945
General Service Corps
Son of Mr. and Mrs. G. Wyatt, of Hawarden.
Buried at HAWARDEN (ST. DEINIOL) CHURCHYARD
Location: Flintshire, United Kingdom
Number of casualties: 57
Cemetery/memorial reference: West part.
I am presuming that he hadn’t been in the army long as it seems they were only there 6 weeks, but I know nothing about his army career, except that his Casualty List stated that he “Died.” I know his body was brought home as he is buried in Hawarden, and all I know is that he was in Bangor, County Down, as his Probate shows.
He was only 19 years old bless him, so can anyone shed any light onto this tragic boy please.
Any help would be appreciated,
Kindest regards,
Mavis Williams
I received a reply on the 8th of February 2021 from “Gelbert” who told me that Hugh enlisted on the 21st of December 1944 and “TD” told me: – “You may need to contact them and ask the question as to how you obtain a copy death certificate from the Military Hospital Bangor, Co Antrim that doesn’t appear on any UK or Ireland registrar: https://www.gov.uk/general-register-office-for-northern-ireland, explaining you can’t order one online as you don’t know if it’s registered in Northern Ireland – even on the free search there are no results for him.
TD”
Many thanks to both Gelbert & TD.
I found a death certificate for a George Wyatt in the March quarter of 1949, he was 67 years old, I don’t know if I have the right one (Flintshire (Mold)HAW/32A/42)
I also found a death of a Margaret Elizabeth Wyatt in 1958 Registered in West Cheshire – (Inferred County: Cheshire Volume: 10a Page: 873.)
I don’t know if this is the right Probate, but George & Margaret Elizabeth did have a son Wilfred: –
Margaret Elizabeth Wyatt in the England & Wales, National Probate Calendar (Index of Wills and
WYATT, Margaret Elizabeth of 6, Malvern Avenue, Ellesmere Port, Cheshire Widow died 30th March 1958. Administration (with Will) Chester 2nd May to Wilfred WYATT Hand Brick setter.
Margaret Elizabeth Wyatt,73, was buried on the 2nd of April 1958 according to the St. Deiniol’s Parish Registers. George Wyatt, 67, on the 24th of February 1949, his address was Station House, Hawarden.
Both George & Margaret Elizabeth were alive to suffer the loss of their, probably youngest son, he was obviously loved and came from a large family, who would have missed him greatly, but they made sure he would be remembered by adding his name to the Hawarden WW2 War Memorial so he would be remembered for perpetuity.
