Name
Bertie Dawson
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
A/205302
Kings Royal Rifles Corps
2nd Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
Headstone Inscription
Not Researched
UK & Other Memorials
Pirton School Memorial
Biography
Bertie appears on the School War Memorial, confirming that he attended the school. He was the son of Edgar and Elizabeth Jane Dawson (née Reynolds), and in 1901 they lived in Ann Reynold’s house (Elizabeth’s mother), which was 2 Holly Cottages, Little Green - now in Hambridge Way.
Baptism and census records list seven children. However, the 1911 census notes that they had eight, of whom two had died. At this time only seven can be identified; they are Reginald (b 1889), Ethel Annie (b 1890), Emily Almond (b 1891), Charlie (b c1895), Bertie (b c1899), Kate (b 1901) and Harry (b c1905). Sadly Emily only survived for six weeks, so she was one of the two who died.
In 1911, Bertie was eighteen and recorded as the third son of the family, an apprentice to John Cain coachbuilder of Hitchin, and was still living with his mother in 2 Holly Cottages. His brother, Charlie, also served and survived. His other brother, Reginald, did not serve for the reasons given below.
The Parish Magazine of June 1917 records that Bertie had been ‘called up’ to the Training Reserve since March 1916, but tragic family circumstances meant that he was not called to service immediately. In fact, the family was hit by two tragedies and other unfortunate circumstances. These are described below or under the section for Bertie’s uncle, Harry, and they must have affected the direct and extended Dawson family, including two serving soldiers - Bertie’s brother, Charlie, and their Uncle Harry.
On January 22nd 1917, at the age of seventeen years and eleven months, Bertie went to Hitchin to enlist. At that date, he was living with his parents and working as a motor body builder. Tragically, within a few days (January 31st), Bertie’s father Edgar, who was fifty-four, died in an accident. He was leading a horse pulling a manure cart when the horse was startled. It bolted and at least one wheel ran over Edgar, crushing his ribs terribly. He must have died almost immediately.
The request for compensation by Elizabeth was reported in the Hertfordshire Express of April 14th 1917, which confirmed that they had six children, including one daughter working in the Pirton glove factory, another as a pupil teacher, a son in the army (Charles), and another as an apprentice coachbuilder (Bertie). Compensation of £13 19s 2d and an allowance of 12 shillings a week was recommended. It was because of Edgar’s sad death that Elizabeth sought a postponement of Bertie’s call up - ‘for a few weeks so that her son could get a garden and some land into cultivation’. It was agreed that Bertie should not be called before May 1st 1917.
Later that year, and now a widow, Elizabeth received a second blow; Reginald, another son, died. He did not serve in the forces, but worked in a TNT factory, which would have been a reserved occupation. While working there, on November 9th 1917, he died from illness, aged twenty-seven. Many men and women who worked in the explosives factories became ill, and many died from over exposure to TNT. Perhaps Reginald was one of them. He is buried in St. Mary’s churchyard. Her sons who served as soldiers survived the war, but perhaps Reginald should also be recognised as giving his life for the war effort. This is the case in some other villages where such names appear on memorials.
Returning to Bertie, following his successful appeal, he was not called upon to commence his service until May 2nd 1917, when he was mobilised as Private A/205302 2nd Battalion, Kings Royal Rifles Corps and, after training, went to France in the early part of 1918. The Hertfordshire Express of April 13th 1918 reported that he had been seriously wounded by a gun shot to the chest and returned to a hospital in Birmingham. The date reported for the injury was March 21st . However, this seems to conflict with his service records, which give the date as April 3rd. He was given leave in May, presumably for further recuperation. Having already suffered the double tragedies described above, his mother must have been constantly in fear of the worst. Her concern was further justified when again, later in the year, after he had recuperated and returned to the Front, the Parish Magazine of November 1918 recorded him as then being wounded for a second time. This time he was shot in the left shoulder. Strangely, despite this being given as the reason for his discharge, he was not discharged until May 8th 1919. His mother had written from Thatched Cottage, Holwell, to query the dates that he was wounded for British Legion records, but by July 14th 1919 they had moved back to Pirton. Bertie was recorded as thirty percent disabled and awarded a pension with a further assessment after twelve months. He married Evelyn Ada Baines of Holwell on October 1st 1927.
Additional Information
Text from the book ‘The Pride of Pirton’ by Jonty Wild, Tony French & Chris Ryan used with author's permission
Acknowledgments
Text from the book ‘The Pride of Pirton’ by Jonty Wild, Tony French & Chris Ryan used with author's permission
