Francis Austin Chivers Howells

1896. Born. Birth registered Jul/Sep 1896 - Lydney, Gloucestershire or Monmouthshire, son of Howard Howells and Ida Elsie (nee Chivers). His father was an Art Master, and died when F A C Howells was 14. His parents lived at 149 Bream Rd, Lydney in 1891 census

1901 census staying with his grandparents at London House, Ruardean, Gloucs. His parents are at at Otford St, Lydney, Gloucs.

1910 Jan/Mar. His father Howard Howells died aged 45. Buried 20 Jan 1010 in Lydney Church

1910 Apr 24 Baptised at Lydney. Odd in as much as he is now 14. It could have had something to do with his father's death. His brother Horace was baptised the same day, as was his mother Ida Elsie Howards (nee Chivers)

1911 census staying as a visitor with the Goslings. His mother married a Gosling at some point from MIC, and that was in 1911 in Bradford. She is in the census as a 44 year old widow staying as a visitor in Bradford. She marries Frank H Gosling a few weeks after the census.

1911 Apr/Jun There is a marriage of Frank H Gosling to Ida E Howells in 1911 in Bradford

1915 Feb 11 . Enlists. In UK

1915 Nov 8 . 5th Worcs Posted to India. Service no 3352

1916 Nov 28. In India . Arrives Karachi

1917 Mar 29. . To Mesopotamia. Arrives Basra. 9th Worcesters

1917 Apr 25. Joins regiment in the field

1917 May 25 To hospital with Pyrexia. Fever (also known as pyrexia or controlled hyperthermia) is an elevation of temperature above the normal range of 36.5–37.5 °C due to an increase in the body temperature regulatory set-point. This increase in set-point triggers increased muscle tone and shivering.

1917 May 27 Rejoined unit

1917 Jul 1 Promoted Lt

1917 Jul 27 Entered hospital "debility"

1917 Aug 23 Rejoins unit

1918 Aug To Russia and the Caucuses

1919 Jan 28 Transferred to Britforce Salonica

1919 Aug Returns UK

1919 Dec 13 Medical Board

1919 Dec 16 . Demobilised

1920 Mar 23. Died. Death registered Ross, Hereford. Vol 6a, p 625 age 23. But he is down as a Bank Clerk, not a soldier. His job before enlisting in the army had been a Bank Clerk

1920 Mar 27, buried at Lydney on Sunday

CWGC grave at Lydney Parish Church.

1920 Apr 1. Gazetted relinquishes commission on file, but I cannot find it in Gazette

1920 Apr 12. Probate to his mother. This is quite odd, in that Probate is obtained 3 weeks after his death, and there is an ongoing correspondence with the Army over money. So probate is very fast, and normally cannot be obtained until the army have released a certificate to say that the dead soldier does not owe the army money. There is an on-going correspondence

What I find strange about him is

• He died 24 Mar 1920 and probate was granted 3 weeks later on 12 Apr 1920. A very short time. The army normally have to issue a certificate to say a dead soldiers affairs are in order
• His affairs in the army had not been sorted, see ongoing correspondence continuing for over a year
• There is a JJ Todd, Tannsfeld Rd, Sydenham, writing to the army. He does not appear to be either a relative or a solicitor.
• His death cert gives his profession as a Bank Clerk, yet he has a CWGC grave, and was still a serving soldier.
• 83. Mr. IRVING asked the Chief Secretary for Ireland whether the man who was shot in Exchequer Street, Dublin, on the 24th instant, was identified by the police as bearing the name of Molloy; whether, in fact, this name was correct; whether there was any deliberate concealment of the real name; if so, can he state the reason; and whether the man had at one time been in the Dublin Metropolitan Police?