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Samantha,
thanks for posting again... I'm glad you managed to find the records you wanted to find, I am constantly amazed at what is kept in archives and how we can all access them.
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Well Samantha, you have certainly got to the bottom of all this.
At least the army did own up to it - I suppose it was such a terrible tragedy that they could not possibly have denied it.
Thank you for keeping us updated.
Gail.
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Well to my shock when i came home from work on Wednesday evening there was a large package which contained the inquest papers and the army admite to leaving the bombs unguarded and attended.
What more can i say.
Samantha
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Just waiting for the inquest papers now to see what they have to say
Samantha
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WINDSOR SLOUGH & ETON EXPRESS
Thursday, April 2, 1942
THREE BOYS KILLED BY MORTAR BOMB
¬¬¬
Inquest story of tragedy in Thames-side spinney at Wraysbury
Coroner told of unguarded ammunition during military exercise
Warning – One bomb is still missing
One mortar bomb similar to that which killed three boys on 18th March is still missing in the Wraysbury district. This was disclosed on Saturday, when the inquest on the three boys was held at the Slough Police Station and lasted the greater part of the day. It was also learned that one of the lads had previously been shown by a soldier how to unscrew the nose of a mortar bomb to make it ready for firing. Three bombs were missed following Army manoeuvres at Wraysbury; one killed the boys, the second was found cleverly hidden in a bivouac hut used by the boys in the spinney at Farthing Gap, where they used to play, and the third has not been found. It was stated that the police were informed that the bombs were missing and took steps to warn people of their presence after the spinney had been searched by a squad of thirty soldiers.
James Jacobs of “Ashcroft”, Ouzeley Road, Wraysbury, identified one of the victims as his grandson Reginald James Jacobs, aged 13, who attended Wraysbury Central School after having been brought to the district by his family from Barking. The last time he saw the boy was on Tuesday, 17th March, when he said he was going to sign the Magna Carta Book, which had been opened for Wraysbury Warship Week, and seemed very excited. His father was a merchant seaman. The children were in the habit of using the spinney, which was open to the public, and they had built a summer-house there. He was a very handy boy and had his own tools, of which witness identified a hack-saw produced as one. A brace found at the hut might have been his.
Leonard John Hatcher, of “Riverdell” Riverside, Wraysbury, identified the other two boys as his twin sons Lawrence Julian and Lewis Gerald, who were also 13. At about 6.40 p.m. on Wednesday, 18th March, he was reading in the bungalow, which stood about 15yd. from the spinney, when he heard a loud explosion which shook the teacups off the table and all the tools off the rack in the shed. He ran out to the spinney, where he saw a certain amount of smoke, and on reaching it found the three boys lying on the ground alight. He did not think any of them showed any signs of life, but he put out their burning clothes. Half an hour later the police and a doctor arrived.
The Coroner (Mr. J. Baily Gibson) read a statement which had been made by Dr.Morgan Evans, who said that when she arrived all the boys were dead. Their bodies were pitted extensively with bomb fragments, and the boy Jacobs had his left hand and right arm to the elbow severed.
Mrs. Alice Jacobs, grandmother of boy Jacobs, said she saw him just before 5 o’clock on the Wednesday , when he pumped some water and chopped some wood for her. Then he said he was going out with his mates and she knew he would be going to the spinney, which was an ideal spot for the children to play in.
Heard a bang
Mrs. Alice Maud Hatcher, mother of the twins, described how she and all three of the boys were playing about together in her house at about a quarter to six, just before they went out. The boy Jacobs had come in and she had some fun chasing them round the room. On the previous night they had been helping the Warship Week arrangements, and this night they went out of the house at about a quarter or twenty past six. About twenty to seven she heard a bang and ran across into the spinney after quietening the little ones in the house. A man said, “don’t go, Mrs Hatcher”, but that spurred her on. She ran on and saw the boys lying on the ground,
“Had it been a fine evening”, said Mrs. Hatcher “all the children would have been there, because children from all round used to come to play”.
Whenever the boys found anything curious they used to bring it home to their father. They were honest and straightforward and they had always been warned about picking up things.
Police-constable Kearns said he received a telephone message at 6.55p.m. and went to the spinney, where he saw Lawrence Hatcher and Jacobs lying dead. Lewis Hatcher was unconscious and died five minutes later. The circumstances convinced him that their deaths were the result of a bomb explosion. They were lying close to a bivouac hut of tree branches, straw and grass which had been built by them and other children some weeks ago. He found the nosecap, tail unit cover and other pieces of a mortar smoke bomb, as well as a broken hacksaw close to the entrance to the hut. The spinney, which adjoined Anckerwyke Estate, was about 300 yards long and 70 yards in depth, and the public had access.
Hidden in Hut.
At 11 a.m. next day he made a search with police officers and soldiers, and when demolishing the bivonac hut found a three-inch mortar bomb carefully hidden. It had obviously been secreted. Previously military exercises had been taking place in the area, and afterwards he received information that a case containing three bombs had been lost. He personally had conducted a search of Anckerwyke Estate and the vicinity without being able to find them, and he had warned the owner of Anckerwyke Estate and the occupants of the bungalows. He had also made inquiries of an enormous number of children, but had received no information. In addition thirty soldiers had searched the spinney before the accident happened. One of the bombs and the three containers were still missing. No notices were put up on the spinney saying the bombs were missing, and the schools were not notified. He agreed he had heard talk that a tommy-gun was also missing, but there was no truth in this. Notices had since been put up.
Bombs Unattended
Mrs. Vera Eliza Southam, of “Willowmead”, Riverside, Wraysbury, capstan operator, told the Coroner that on a morning before the explosion one of the twin boys came to her house and told her that soldiers had let her punt go down the river. She went with him and another boy through the spinney and tried to get it. While doing so she saw a pile of cylinders against a tree. One of the boys counted them and found there were twenty-seven in cases of three. Nobody was looking after the bombs. She warned the boys not to touch them, but Reginald said he had heard at school the things were dangerous and that they must not touch them.
George Toone, of “Wayside”, Coppice Drive,Wraysbury, with whom the boy Jacobs lodged, said the boy was terribly excited when the soldiers were about. He was in fact eaten up with it and spent most of his time in and around the spinney. One day he came running in and said “it isn’t half good down ther. They have shown me how to unscrew the top off a bomb and it is ready for firing and you mustn’t let it hit anything”. He also said they had shown him how to fire a tommy gun, that the corporal and sergeant were gruffy, but the other one was a very decent sort. Apparently one of the N.C.O.s had told him to go away, but one of the privates had shown him everything. After the troops had gone he did not say anything about anything unusual having been found.
For a long time the Coroner listened to evidence given by members of the Guards regiment which took part in the manoeuvres.
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Hi Gary
This is the person i had to write to
HM Coroner County of Buckinghamshire
Mr R.A. Hulett
Adelaide House
17 High Street
Thame
Buckinghamshire
OX9 2BZ
If this is of any help to you i wrote to him on the 15th January and had a reply today.
The newspaper article was of such a size that i could not copy and paste it onto the board which is a shame
Samantha
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Hi Everyone
Well it has been a while since i started this thread and have now a copy of the newspaper article, and tells how the three children died also in the report it metions that there was an inquest so i contacted Slough Police Station as the inquest was held there and was informed that i needed to contact the Berkshire Coroner this i done just before christmas and received a reply from him telling me that i needed to contact the Records Office for Buckinghamshire at Aylesbury, who do have the inquest papers there but the papers are what they called closed so have had to apply for permission to grant access to view these papers from Coroner at Aylesbury.
Today i have had a reply to say that he is going to see if he can get the papers on load for me to view and will let me know in the next few days.
What an on going task
Samantha
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Hi Samantha
I was only thinking about this thread earlier this evening..was going to give it a nudge..
Have pmd you my email address as I would love to read all about it.
Gail.
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Hi everyone
I now have a copy of the article but as the print was rather poor (hey it is a 1942 newspaper) i have had to type it up, so if anyone is interested in a bit of reading and wants to pass on their e-mail address i would be happy to send it to you as it is nearly four pages.
Regards
Samantha
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Once i have the article i shall get it typed up for you all to see, for now just waiting.
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Samantha...
Typical eh?! How frustrating.
Still at least you did find what you were looking for.
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Thanks for that Janice i shall look into that and see what comes of it. Got back in touch with the library today printer still not fixed and not sure when it will be, how annoying is that.
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For info. the only birth record for a Reginald Jacobs between 1928-1930 i can see is
Reginald G Jacobs
mothers maiden name Crew
Lambeth Dec qtr 1929
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Hi Selena
I did put a message out on the board for that but have not had a reply from anyone, either no-one has any info or would just like to leave the past as it is.
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My nan was with me while i read it out aloud and she said that she remembered it all as if it was yesterday and just as the paper had stated as well, three live's lost just because of the army showing a 13yrs old boy how to dismember a martar bomb.
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Samantha, just thinking aloud. Could you perhaps find Reginald's birth certificate? Maybe someone has his parents or relatives on a tree on this site? Bit of a long shot though.
Selena
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That's a nuisance but at least you found what you were looking for and it is just a case of waiting.
Gail.
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Hi
I got to the library to be informed that i would not be able to print any infomation as the printer is out of order and i would have to write everything down, so i began my search and found what i was looking for only thing was it was to much to write down it made front page and continued on page two, so as and when the printer is back in order it will be all posted to me unless i can access it some other way.
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Hi Samantha, how did you get on yesterday, hope you found a lot more information.
Gail.
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