SPINNER Robert William. Private, 493324, 1/1st Home Counties, 81st Field Ambulance, Royal Army Medical Corps, died 18th August 1917, aged 52 years in a Military Hospital in Malta.
He was born in 1870 at Chillenden, Kent to William and Harriet Spinner. Married on the 4th October 1896, at Loos, Kent, to Ethel Elizabeth Constable she died about September 1897 aged 21 in the Registration District of Marylebone. She had given birth Ethel Trixie Spinner born about September 1897, the baby survived. Ethel went on to marry in 1919 to Edwin J.S. Dawson at Canterbury.
Some notes from what remains of his army records.
He joined (embodied service) up on the 1st October 1914 aged 34 years, should have been 44, occupation commercial traveller and he was living at Chillenden, Kent. Previously served 4 years with the East Kent Volunteers. He was posted to the Royal Army Medical Corps (Home Counties) 7th Ambulance as private 493324. 12th September 1915. His father, William of 14 Dover Street, Canterbury, Kent was his next of kin, then his daughter Ethel Trixia, c/o his sister, Miss Rose Spinner of 14 Dover Street, Canterbury. He embarked from Southampton on the 12th August 1916, disembarked at Salonika on the 24th August 1916, and joined 81st Field Ambulance on the 3rd September 1916. He fell ill in Salonika and was admitted on the 23rd May 1917 into, 2/1st Northumberland Field Ambulance, with mental loss. On the 12th June 1917 he was transferred and admitted into 1st Canadian Stationary Hospital, Salonika as being a mental case. 17th June 1917 transferred into 42nd General Hospital, Salonika with a history of memory and defective orientation. From there on the 14th July 1917 he was invalided to Malta on Hospital Ship, Goorkha, and admitted into Military Hospital, St George, Malta on the 20th July 1917, transferred to Military Hospital, St Ignatius, in a helpless condition. On the 13th August 1917 he was reported dangerously ill with general paralysis and on the 18th August 1917 he became unconscious and died at 5 pm. At his P.M. he had various problems and it was also found that he had of healed tubercles at both apices and old pleurisy right side of chest. The cause of death was given as General Paralysis of the insane.
TODD Charles William. Private, 27260, 1st Garrison Battalion, West Yorkshire Regiment, formerly 4/890 East Yorkshire Regiment. Died 31st July 1917 of dysentery at Malta. His widow, Annie , nee Green, was granted a war gratuity on the 18th March 1918. He was born on the 23rd December 1874 to William and Mary Ann. In 1911 he was living with his wife, Annie and their children at 14 Poplar Street, Chapman Street, Hull, Yorkshire. He was employed as an oil extractor.
WAKLEY George William Arthur. Shoeing Smith, 730584, 390th Battery, Royal Field Artillery, died 29th July 1917, aged 19 years. The son of Frederick and Mary Wakley, of 15 Arthur Street, Roath, Cardiff.
At rest in Pieta Military Cemetery, Malta. Plot C. Row XV. Grave 06.
