WORLD WAR I
Bingham War Memorial
Service Record
| 58404 516121 GS/110308 |
Sergeant Edward Ernest Fewster | Machine Gun Corps. Labour Corps Northumberland Fusiliers |
Born 1885 |
| Medal card | Awarded Victory and British Medals, 15 Star not awarded, so did not enrol before 1916. He served in three units – MGC, LC and Northumberland Fusiliers in a general service role (perhaps still as telegraphist). | ||
| 516121 | Labour Corps | The Labour Corps was formed in February 1917 and lasted until 1921. It was made up of men that had been in the front line and who had been either wounded or taken ill and could not be returned to the front or of men who, on enlistment, were found to be too old or did not pass as fit enough to be sent to the front. By the November of 1918 some 400,000 men were serving in the Labour Corps. Being in this body of men did not stop you being killed by enemy action as some 9,000 men were killed. Their duties would have been anything from helping in stores, taking equipment up to the front, repairing roads and such like, helping at rest areas by manning theatres and cinemas, in fact anything that was needed of them they would have done. | |
| GS/110308 | Royal Fusiliers. Northumberland Fusiliers – GS = General Service | ||
| Roll of Honour AVL |
RoH: wounded twice on Western Front AVL: “G. G. Co. Aerial Employment”. This may have been consistent with his civilian life as a telegraphist. |
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No service records on Ancestry except medal card
Family history etc
| Sergeant Edward Ernest Fewster | |||
| 1885 | Born Nottingham |
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| Census 1881 | Family living in 9 Chapel St Bilton, Harrogate: Father: Edward, b 1854 Bradford Wife: Emma b 1855 Bingham Son: James Walter, b 1880 Harrogate |
Grocer and Confectioner |
 Edward Fewster’s mother, by kind permission of Roma Berridge |
| Census 1891 | Living in Market Place with: Mother, Emma Siblings: James Walter Herbert A, b 1882, Harrogate Edgar L, b 1888, Bradford Charlotte A, b 1891, Bradford |
No occupation given  Emma, by kind permission of Roma Berridge |
Father: Edward was not present. Can’t find on census. Boarder with a widow in Bradford, furniture salesman. The widow was his aunt (family information) |
| Census 1901 | Living at The Post Office in the Market Place, Bingham, a seven room house,
with: Father: Edward Fewster, b 1854 Bradford, Yorks Mother: Emma Fewster Siblings: Herbert A Edgar Lonsdale (emigrated to Canada) Charlotte Sydney Harold, b 1896 Bingham Also: Agnes A Attenborough, age 28, (Emma’s sister) |
Telegraphist Sub Postmaster neé Attenborough of Market Place, Bingham, hairdressers, aunt of George Attenborough Postmaster’s Assistant and letter carrier Telegraphist Machinist for Blouses |
James m Alice in 1910, living in Lady Bay, West Bridgford, accounts clerk,
returned to Bingham 1916-7. Served with
Army Pay Corps and Sherwood Foresters Edgar served in PPC Light Infantry |
| Census 1911 |
Living in a seven room house in the Market Place, Bingham, with: Father, Edward Mother, Emma Siblings: Charlotte Annie Sydney Harold |
Railway Clerk Sub Postmaster Postal Clerk |
Sydney killed in WW1 |
| June 1916 | Edward married Hebe A Hotchin at Spilsby | ||
| AVL | Address given as Post office, Market Place | ||
| Bingham cemetery | Edward’s mother and father are buried in Bingham cemetery. His father died 19th January 1938 and Emma on 4th November 1941. Edward is not buried here. | ||
| GRO | 22 December 1936 – Edward died of carcinoma (cancer) of the larynx and tubercle in the kidneys. He was a retired railway clerk and lived at “The Cottage”, Sutton-on-Sea, Alford, near Spilsby, Lincolnshire. He was 51. The death was reported by F Hotchin. Probate to Widow Hebe Annie. £124 5s 10d | ||
| Old occupation names | A Fewster made wooden saddle trees – the “chassis” upon which a leather saddle is constructed | ||