BORN – Wolverhampton
HOMEFRONT – Place / Occupations
JOB – Assistant Cycle and Motor Repairer
UNIT – 1 Battalion Royal Welsh Fusiliers / Reservist
RANK – Private 4424
THEATRE – Béthune / Battle of Festubert / Festubert. 1 Bn Royal Welsh Fusiliers,16 May 1915.
DIED – KIA 16 May 1915 Aged 20
BURIED – Le Touret Memorial (grave unknown) (CWGC)
Horace Percival Cadman was born at Wolverhampton in 1894 the second child of Joseph and Ellen Cadman, they would have nine children with six surviving – Arthur, Horace. Leonard, Harold, Gladys and Cecil. In 1901 they were living at Wellington, Somerset where his father was working as a cycle maker. By 1911 they had moved to Oswestry where his father had set up in business as a cycle and motor repairer. Horace would join him as his assistant. They ran the business from home and shop at 2 Upper Brook Street.
In October 1911, when he turned 18, Horace joined 3 Bn Special Reserves, Royal Welsh Fusiliers. At the outbreak of the war he was on summer training camp. He was mobilised on 5 August 1914 and was then posted to 1 Bn RWF going over to France in a draft on 2 November (same draft as Private 5151Robert C Evans), joining up with 1 Bn RWF sometime between 5 – 11 November when it received drafts totaling 662 NCOs and ORs. Horace was KIA 16 May 1915 at Festubert during an assault on the enemy line. The battalion casualties were 118 other ranks killed, 271 wounded and 164 missing, many killed by shell or smalls arms fire as they crossed no man’s line. His body was not found, he is commemorated on Le Touret Memorial and has no known grave. Along with others missing, his name was initially commemorated on a memorial cross on the battlefield. This was re-erected at Windy Corner cemetery at Cuinchy where many of the battalions dead where interred. The names on the cross were later inscribed on Le Touret Memorial.
Three of his brothers also served; Private 8840 Arthur E Cadman, 3 Bn Somerset Light Infantry, Private 5329684 Harold Cadman, Princess Charlottes of Wales’s (Royal Berkshires) Regiment, both survived the war: and Private 38923 Leonard Cadman, 1 Bn Duke of Cornwall Light Infantry, KIA 31 August 1918, and buried in Vaulx Hill Cemetery, Bapaume (CWGC). By the end of the war their mother and father had moved to Reading.
KIA Same Action Private 5151 Robert C Evans, 1 Bn Royal Welsh Fusiliers, KIA 16 May 1915. Le Touret Memorial (unknown).
Also – possibly but ID uncertain Private 3988 Edward Jones, 1 Bn Royal Welsh Fusiliers. KIA 16 May 1915, Le Touret (unknown)
Acknowledgements.
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