Sergeant Edward Arthur Irons, 9th Battalion, Royal Warwickshire Regiment (attached to the Supply and Transport Corps) died in India on 6th June 1919. He was the third of three brothers from Castle Bromwich to die as a result of service in the First World War.
28th April 1919
Captain Edwin Tufnell Hayne DSC DFC, Royal Air Force, died in a flying accident on 28th April 1919 when his plane suffered engine failure after taking off from Castle Bromwich aerodrome. He was a flying ace, credited with destroying 15 enemy aircraft during the war. He continued his RAF career after hostilities ended, flying with No.14 Aircraft Acceptance Park (AAP) from March 1919.
31st December 1918
Captain William Leefe Robinson VC died of cardiac arrest resulting from influenza. He died at Lavender Cottage, Harrow Weald, Middlesex after serving throughout the war.
He was born in India on 14th July 1895, and was the youngest of seven children. His was educated at St Bees College, Cumbria 1909-1914, and extracts from letters to his mother show he hoped to gain entrance to Sandhurst after leaving school and obtain a commission in either the Indian Army or British Army.
7th December 1918
Private Arthur Oswald Hemming died of heart failure on 7th December 1918 whilst serving with the Wiltshire Regiment. He died at home in New Street, Castle Bromwich and is buried at SS Mary & Margaret’s Church, Castle Bromwich.
23rd October 1918
Five men with a local connection died on 23rd October 1918:
- Lance Corporal Harry Matthew Bradburn, 20th Battalion Manchester Regiment
- Private Oliver Cranmer, 2nd Battalion, Royal Sussex Regiment
- Corporal Frederick Alfred Johnson, A Battery, 115th Brigade, Royal Field Artillery
- Shoeing Smith Frank Selfe, Z Battery, 5th Brigade, Royal Horse Artillery
- Private John Howard Whittle, 1st/8th Battalion, Royal Warwickshire Regiment
28th May 1918
Private Samuel Andrews was killed on 28th May 1918 whilst serving with the 8th Battalion Machine Gun Corps. Born in Sutton Coldfield in 1887, Samuel was the third of the eight children (six sons, two daughters) of parents James (a coachman) and Maria (née Marshall).
25th May 1918
Lieutenant Raymond Tenney Balch, 74 Training Squadron, Royal Air Force, died in a flying accident at Sutton Park, Sutton Coldfield on 25th May 1918.
22nd May 1918
Lieutenant Percy Charles Moynihan, 54 Training Squadron, Royal Air Force, was killed in a flying accident at 3:15pm on 22nd May 1918, when his aeroplane collided with a tree on take off from Castle Bromwich.
26th April 1918
Private Herbert Frank Crofts died of wounds on 26th April 1918 whilst serving with the 2nd Battalion Devonshire Regiment. He was 19 years old.
23rd January 1918
Two Canadian officers with a local connection lost their lives on 23rd January 1918 whilst on active service. Second Lieutenant Ralph Gordon Hall, and Second Lieutenant Reginald Douglas Hamilton, both aged 19 and serving with the Royal Flying Corps, died in a flying accident at Castle Bromwich when their aeroplanes collided with each other.
Solihull Life 