Private Godwin G Amond, Royal Defence Corps, 1917

Family headstone in Earlham Cemetery.

 

In

loving memory of

GORDON AMOND

who died Febry. 13th 1893

Aged 65 years

 

Also

ELIZABETH

his beloved wife

who died Decr. 2nd 1878

aged 49 years.

 

Peace, perfect peace.

 

Also of

GODWIN GORDON AMOND

eldest son of the above

of the R.D.C.

who died in the General Military Hospital,

Edmonton

September ?? 1917

Aged??

 

 

Private AMOND, GODWIN

Service Number:…………. 26303

Died:………………………30/09/1917

Aged:…………………….. 61

Unit:………………………56th Coy. Royal Defence Corps

Son of the late Gordon and Elizabeth Amond, of Norwich.

Buried at NORWICH CEMETERY, NORFOLK

Cemetery/memorial reference: 23. 284.

Source: www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2803029/amond,-godwin/

 

Soldiers Died in the Great War records that Private Godwin Amond “Died” on the 30th September 1917 whilst serving on the Home Front with the Royal Defence Corps. He was formerly 24138 “Norwich” Regiment. No place of birth or residence is shown for him. He enlisted at Norwich.

(“Died” in SDGW terms means anything other than Killed in Action or Died of Wounds (received in action)).

 

There is no obvious Medal Index Card for this soldier.

 

Some of his Service Records appear to have survived the incendiary attack during the Blitz on the Warehouse where all the Other Ranks Army Service Records were stored.

 

Godwin, then aged 49 years and 4 months was already serving with the 1st Norfolk R Ga Volunteers when the Territorial Force was created in 1908 and he transferred across to the 2nd East Anglian Brigade. He completed a new attestation form, signing up for one year, although due to damage to the form the date, other than being in 1908, is impossible to make out the full date.

 

He gave his birthplace as King Street in the Parish of St Peter, Norwich. (To the best of my knowledge at least four parishes claimed a part of King Street at that time). His address was 1 Wattons(?) Court, King Street. He was a single man.

 

Of his physical description the only part I can make out that wasn’t fire damaged was that he was 5 feet 8 inches (tall).

 

There is an entry in the prior service section. I can’t make out the unit but the dates look to be 20.3.76 to 28.2.83 and then 7.2.0? to 31.3.08.

 

He attended his units Annual Training at Shoeburyness on the 24.7.08.

 

There are some earlier attestation forms in the service records but due to fire damage they are difficult to make out and date. There is one when he was 42 years old and another that could be from 1906 or 1908 which shows him serving in the 2nd Position(?) Battery, 1st N.A. Volunteer Corps at Great Yarmouth.

 

No obvious Soldiers Will or Civil Probate for this man.

 

 

1856/57 – birth………………………

 

The birth of a Godwin Amond was registered with the Civil Authorities in the Norwich District in the Norwich District in the January to March quarter, (Q1), of 1857.

 

At this point enforcement of registration with the civil authorities was very hit and miss – non-registrations and late registrations were supposed to be prosecuted and fined but seldom were – it would take a major over-haul in 1872 to bring the UK anywhere near 100% compliance. Many births took place at home without any qualified medical attendance so it was also impossible to verify dates of birth. It cannot therefore be assumed that that Godwin was actually born in the period when he was registered.

 

I could not find an online baptism for him.

 

1861 Census of England and Wales

 

The 4 year old “Gordon” Amond, born Norwich, was recorded living at Bussey’s Yard, Ber Street, Norwich. This was the household of his parents Gordon, (aged 32, a Cordwainer, born Norwich), and Elizabeth, (aged 30, a Shoe binder, Norwich). As well as their son “Gordon” the couple also have a 1 year old daughter, Mary A, born Norwich. Also living with them is Elizabeths’ mother, the 70 year old widow Louisa Yallop, a Washerwoman born Rushall, Norfolk.

 

1871 Census of England and Wales

 

The 14 year old “Gordon” Amond, a Book, (or Boot) seller, born Norwich, was recorded living with his grandmother at a dwelling in Murrells Yard, King Street, Norwich. She was the 79 year old widow Mary Amond, born Bergh Apton, Norfolk. Mary has two unmarried children of her own living with her, the 56 year old Mary, a “Lumpertease”(?), born Norwich and the 41 year old Edward, a Shoemaker, born Norwich.

 

His parents Gordon, (42, Shoe maker) and Elizabeth, (39) were now living at 1 Watson Court, Kings Street, Norwich, along with three of their children,

Emeline………….aged 11……….born Norwich

Edward…………..aged 9………...born Norwich

Henry……………aged 2…………born Norwich

 

2nd December 1878 – death of mother Elizabeth……

 

Information from headstone.

 

1881 Census of England and Wales

 

The 24 year old Godwin Amond*, a Solicitors Clerk from Norwich, was recorded living at Murrells Yard, King Street. This was the household of his uncle, Edward Amond, who was single, aged 50 and a Waiter, born Norwich. Other members of the household were Edwards’ mother, the 88 year old widow Mary Amond, born Saxlingham, Norfolk and Edwards’ unmarried sisters Eliza, (38, Shoe Finisher, born Norwich) and Mary Ann, (aged 65, born Norwich).

(*the Genealogy source I use for basic census look-ups has transcribed all of them with the surname “Almond”.)

 

His 59 year old widower father Gordon Amond was still living at Watson’s Yard, King Street, Norwich. He was working as a Shoemaker. Living with him are his unmarried children Elizabeth, (22, Shop Woman), Edward, (19, Shoe Maker), Henry, (12) and Alice, (7) – all born Norwich.

 

1887 Norfolk Electoral Register………

 

A Godwin Amond appears on this edition of the electoral register as a Citizen of Norwich and entitled to vote in Parliamentary Elections. He qualifies on the grounds of being a householder of a Public-House at 23 Bishopgate Street, Norwich. This appears to be the only time he turned up on the electoral register.

Source: www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:2C9H-MQ9

 

1891 Census of England and Wales

 

The census taker for this one has recorded Gordon, a 34 year old unmarried Solicitors’ Clerk, as living at Watsons Court, King Street, Norwich, but he has shown the family surname as “Ammond. Head of the household was his widower father Gordon, a 63 year old shoemaker.Also in the household are Godwins’ sisters Mary Ann, (31, Machinist) and Alice, (29, Tailoress).

 

13th February 1893 – death of father Gordon…

 

Information from headstone.

 

1901 Census of England and Wales

 

The 45 year old Godwin Amond, an unmarried Solicitors Clerk born Norwich, was recorded as the head of the household at No.1 Watson Court, King Street, Norwich. Living with him are his unmarried sisters Mary Ann, (aged 41, a Tailoress, born Norwich) and Alice, (aged 27, a Boot Machinist, born Norwich).

 

1911 Census of England and Wales

 

The three of them were still living at 1 Watsons Court. King Street, Norwich, but sister Mary Ann, (52, Tailoress), was now recorded as the head of the household. Sister Alice, (37) works as a Boot & Shoe Sewing Machinist, while Godwin, (55) is working as a Hotel Waiter.

 

 

His unit………………………………………

 

The Royal Defence Corps of 1916-1918

 

Formation

 

The Royal Defence Corps was introduced by a Royal Warrant of 17 March 1916 and promulgated by Army Order 115 of 19 March 1916.

 

The Warrant deemed the RDC to be Corps for the purposes of the Army Act and that the rates of pay should be those for the infantry of the line as laid down in the pay warrant of 1 December 1914.

 

The RDC was defined in further detail in Army Council Instruction (ACI) 841 of 19 April 1916. It had been created “To carry out duties connected with the local defence of the United Kingdom, including those hitherto performed by the Supernumerary Territorial Force Companies, as well as those allotted to the Observer Companies now in process of formation“.

The Supernumerary Territorial Force Companies had previously been known as Protection Companies of the National Reserve.

 

Transfer of officers and men who were already serving

 

In the case of the “other ranks” serving in the Supernumerary Territorial Force Companies on Territorial attestations, it would (because of the terms of their engagement) be necessary to obtain their consent to transfer to the RDC. Any men who were unwilling to transfer would, for the present time, be attached to the RDC.

 

Men serving in the existing Observer Companies were generally of the regular army. They would be transferred to the RDC from their existing regiments.

 

The RDC would consist of two types of unit:

1.Protection Companies. They would take over the duties of the Supernumerary Territorial Force Companies and would come into existence on 29 April 1916. While it was expected that the number of such units would vary across the army’s geographical command areas, company numbers were issued in blocks of 50.

 

Protection Companies 51-100 would be for Eastern Command.

 

2.Observer Companies. They would be numbered consecutively in their own sequence, starting from 1.

 

In April 1918 some 27,000 men were serving in the RDC. Of these, 14,000 were employed at prisoner of war camps.

www.longlongtrail.co.uk/army/regiments-and-corps/the-roya...

 

On the day…………………

 

The Army Register of Soldiers Effects records that Private 26303 Godwin Amond, 56th Company. Royal Defence Corps, died at the Military Hospital, Edmonton on the 30th September 1917, although cause is not shown. The balance of his pay went in April 1918 to his sisters Mary and Alice. After the war was over and a gratuity was paid to those who served, this was sent in December 1919 to his sister Mary.

 

The death of a Godwin Amond, aged 62, was recorded in the Edmonton District of Middlesex in the October to December quarter, (Q4), of 1917.

 

The edition of the Eastern Daily Press dated Wednesday 3rd October 19178 included the following simple announcement in the Births, Marriages and Deaths column.

 

AMOND-September 30, at the General Military Hospital, Edmonton, Godwin (Gordon), of the Royal Defence Corps, Watson’s Court, King Street, Norwich, aged 61.

 

It’s probably a complete co-incidence but the Germans had launched a number of air-raids on London, starting with the night of the 30th September. Contemporary newspapers like the Eastern Daily Press were reporting bombs (and casualties) in Essex, North East London, South East London and Kent. However if he was caught in an air raid then you’d expect him to have been treated in a hospital closer to those areas.

 

Done