Private M/345095 Joseph Carter

Died Home on Saturday, 19th October 1918, age 31.
Buried in Grave C. "C." 105. at Tipton Cemetery, Staffordshire, United Kingdom.

Army Service Corps, 1040th M.T. Company.
Formerly 9072 2nd Worcestershire Regiment.

Son of John James Carter; husband of S. M. Jukes (formerly Carter), of 5, Wades Passage, High St., Tipton. Born at Tipton
Born: Tipton, Enlisted: Tipton, Resident: Tipton.

First landed France & Flanders, 12th August 1914 with the 2nd Worcesters, and then post 31st December 1915 with the Army Service Corps.
Medal entitlement: 1914 Star, British War Medal, Victory Medal with the Worcesters. British War Medal, Victory Medal with the Army Service Corps.
Soldier's Papers at National Archives did not survive.

Not commemorated on any Tipton memorial.
Commemorated here because identified as Tipton on 'Soldiers Died in the Great War'.

Link to Commonwealth War Graves Site: www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/395339/

Genealogical Data

1891 Census
27 Bell Street, Tipton, Staffs.
John Carter (65, Anchor Smith, born Poplar, London), his wife Mary (48, born Newport, Mon), and their 4 children: John (28, Anchor Smith, born Tipton), George (15, Scholar, born Tipton), John (6, Scholar, born Tipton), and Joseph (4, Scholar, born Tipton).

1901 Census
21 Chaters Passage, Tipton, Staffs.
John Carter (36, Anchor Smith, born Poplar, London), and his 2 brothers: John (16, Shop Lad for Anchor Smith, born Tipton), and Joseph (14, Moulder, born Tipton).

1911 Census
No trace of Joseph, possibly he was serving with the army.

Marriage of Joseph Carter and Sema May Share registered in March quarter 1913 at Dudley. They had 2 children: Irene M. born on 27th April 1914, and Mary born on 4th January 1918.

Personal Data

Joseph enlisted with the Worcesters on 3rd February 1905 with army number 9072, the number is consistent with that date. According to reports in the Tipton Herald, Joseph was still a regular soldier at the outbreak of war, an 'Old Contemptible'. He first landed in France on 12th August 1914, but on 28th August, when he was evacuated back to England - nothing survives to tell if this was due to wounds or sickness. The date makes it possible that he was at the Battle of Mons, but would not have been present during most of "the Great Retreat" - the 200 mile march to the River Marne. Luckilly, he also missed the First Battle of Ypres, including the 2nd Worcesters most famous day - the Battle of Gheluvelt on 31st October 1914.

Joseph entered France for a second time on 11th November 1914 and served on the Western Front until he was once again evacuated back to England, on 11th June 1916. He was then discharged from the army on 29th July 1916 as no longer fit for service, due to sickness - this may have been due to epilepsy. On his Discharge Forms he is shown as 29 years and 8 months old, 5 feet 9 inches tall with a 33½-inch chest. He had a fair complexion, brown eyes and light brown hair, and before the army he had been a 'chain striker'. It was noted "Conduct during his service has been very good. He is sober, trustworthy and reliable". Joseph was awarded a pension; this was 10/0d (10 shillings) per week effective from 30th July 1916, increasing to 15/0d per week from 7th October 1916.

Despie being discharged and pensioned, Joseph re-enlisted into the Army Service Corps (ASC), possibly in October 1917. It is not know what effect his re-enlistment had on this pension.

A Medal Index Card in relation to his Worcesters service shows that he was entitled to the 'trio' of 1914 Star, Victory Medal and British War Medal. A second Medal Index Card for his service with the ASC shows that he was entitled to the 'pair' of Victory Medal and British War Medal. It therefore appears that his next of kin may have received two sets of medals.

The Soldier's Effects register shows the distribution of money after death, Joseph has two entries.
The first shows that his outstanding pay and allowances amounted to £9/19/4d (9 pounds, 19 shillings and 4 pence), this was paid to his widow "Scemmer May" (actually Sema May), in May 1919. His War Gratuity of £3/10/0d (3 pounds and 10 shillings) was paid to his widow in December 1919. The value of the War Gratuity suggests that Joseph had enlisted in approximately October 1917 - this would be his second enlistment.
The second shows a War Gratuity was £19/0/0d reduced due to an over-payment of £3/18/8d to £15/1/4d (15 pounds, 1 shilling and 4 pence), this was paid to his widow in August 1920. This may well have been an error, as a War Gratuity of this value suggests an enlistment of approximately September 1914 - this fails to account for his period after his discharge in 1916, and fails to account for the other War Gratuity payment of £3/10/0d to cover his second period of service.

A pension card exists which refers to his death whils serving with the ASC, but no Widow's pension detail is shown. This would have ceased on Sema's marriage in 1920 to John Jukes/Jewkes, but the children's pension allowances would have continues until their 16th birthdays.

Action resulting in his death

Joseph was serving in Egypt with the Motor Transport section of the Army Service Corps when his health deteriorated once more. He left Alexandria on 11th September 1918 on board Hospital Ship "Assaye", bound for Marseilles. He is recorded as being 31 years of age with 12 years and 6 months service, and having served 2 years and 6 months in the current war. He was suffering from "major epilepsy".

The Tipton Herald reported that when in Egypt, Joseph had "contracted a disease which led to his death", however he appears to have been discharged in 1916 due to epilepsy, and was evacuated from Egypt due to 'major epilepsy'. The Herald also reports that Joseph died at his own home at High Street, he died in No.5 Southern General Hospital, in Portsmouth on 19th October 1918.

Joseph was buried with military honours in Tipton Cemetery on 26th October 1918.

Newspaper Cuttings

Tipton Herald October 26th 1918
MILITARY FUNERAL AT TIPTON
An interesting funeral will take place in Tipton this Saturday afternoon at 3 o'clock. The deceased, Pte J Carter, late of the 2nd Worcesters, was one of the "Old Contemptibles", and was a Mons hero. He was discharged with wounds in July 1916, but again volunteered his services later in the year, and was sent to Egypt where he contracted a disease which led to his death. Private J Carter comes from a military family, every available member having seen service, his uncle, Mr Levi Jones, being one of the old-time serving men, and was at the relief of Khartoum. The firing party will be furnished by the discharged old soldiers from the patriotic play "Under the Flag" which is coming next week to the Opera House, Dudley, under the auspices of the National Foundation of Discharged and Demobilised Sailors and Soldiers. The gun carriage and horses will be sent from the Dudley headquarters of the Federation, and deputations will attend from all outside branches.

Tipton Herald November 2nd 1918.
MILITARY FUNERAL
The funeral of the late Private J Carter, late of the 2nd Worcesters, who was one of the "Old Contemptibles" and a Mons hero, took place on Saturday afternoon. He died at home at his residence in High Street from illness contracted in Egypt. The gun carriage and horses were sent from the Dudley headquarters of the Discharged Soldiers Federation. The band of the Federation also attended in full strength, and the high quality of the music played by them on the return from the Cemetery to Tipton, was much commented upon. Among the wreaths received were beautiful floral tokens of sympathy from Father and Mother, Loving Wife and Children, Tipton Comrades, Mrs Dicken, Aunt Edith and Uncle Harry, Brother and Sister-in-law, Clara and George (Summerhill), Emily Annie and Frank, Mr and Mrs Roberts, Mr T Roderick and customers.