1918 Australian Munition Worker JE Langworthy
Mill Road Cemetery
John Edward Langworthy (1896–1918), Australian munitions worker (2400), died on 30 July 1918 at Addenbrooke’s Hospital, Cambridge. Nothing is known about where he carried out the work that he did.
John was born on 28 December 1896 in Annandale, New South Wales, Australia. He was the seventh of the nine children of Arthur Langworthy and Ellen Langworthy (née Spooner). He was known as Jack. His father had emigrated as a child from St Helier, Jersey to Australia with his parents and siblings where he eventually became a seaman. Jack’s father remained in Australia where he met and married Jack’s mother, who was known as Nellie. Their family and descendants still live in Australia.
During the First World War Jack was one of a number of munitions workers posted overseas from Australia to work in England. This was because the British Government required skilled workers for munitions work from the Dominions and Colonies to make up for the shortages as a result of military service in Britain. Jack died on 30 July 1918 at Addenbrooke’s Hospital, Cambridge. According to his family the cause of death was pneumonia or dysentery, which in turn resulted in malnutrition.
His funeral in Cambridge was attended by one of his brothers, Arthur Langworthy, who had fought at Gallipoli, and in France with the 18th Bttn (5th Machine Gun), and their uncle, Arthur William Ethric Spooner. Jack was granted a Commonwealth War Graves Commission grave because the Australian government decided that their munitions workers, women as well as men, qualified for war grave treatment. This is because they were recruited as a body and were posted overseas for the war effort. Notice of his death was posted by Jack’s family on Saturday, 17 August 1918 in the Sydney Morning Herald, which stated the usual personal details along with the phrase “Beloved by all who knew him.” He was 21 years and 7 months old when he died.
1918 Australian Munition Worker JE Langworthy
Mill Road Cemetery
John Edward Langworthy (1896–1918), Australian munitions worker (2400), died on 30 July 1918 at Addenbrooke’s Hospital, Cambridge. Nothing is known about where he carried out the work that he did.
John was born on 28 December 1896 in Annandale, New South Wales, Australia. He was the seventh of the nine children of Arthur Langworthy and Ellen Langworthy (née Spooner). He was known as Jack. His father had emigrated as a child from St Helier, Jersey to Australia with his parents and siblings where he eventually became a seaman. Jack’s father remained in Australia where he met and married Jack’s mother, who was known as Nellie. Their family and descendants still live in Australia.
During the First World War Jack was one of a number of munitions workers posted overseas from Australia to work in England. This was because the British Government required skilled workers for munitions work from the Dominions and Colonies to make up for the shortages as a result of military service in Britain. Jack died on 30 July 1918 at Addenbrooke’s Hospital, Cambridge. According to his family the cause of death was pneumonia or dysentery, which in turn resulted in malnutrition.
His funeral in Cambridge was attended by one of his brothers, Arthur Langworthy, who had fought at Gallipoli, and in France with the 18th Bttn (5th Machine Gun), and their uncle, Arthur William Ethric Spooner. Jack was granted a Commonwealth War Graves Commission grave because the Australian government decided that their munitions workers, women as well as men, qualified for war grave treatment. This is because they were recruited as a body and were posted overseas for the war effort. Notice of his death was posted by Jack’s family on Saturday, 17 August 1918 in the Sydney Morning Herald, which stated the usual personal details along with the phrase “Beloved by all who knew him.” He was 21 years and 7 months old when he died.