Austin Ledwith and his brother, Private 55174 Stanley Ledwith, 56 Coy Machine Gun Corps were born at Brierley Hill in Staffordshire. Austin was seven years the elder, born in 1880, Stanley in 1887. The family moved to Oswestry around 1890, living on Park Avenue. Their father was a grocer and provisions dealer. He was also a Lieutenant in Oswestry Fire Brigade. After school, in October 1897, Austin began work as a Sorting Clerk and Telegraphist at Oswestry Post Office. He also joined the Shropshire Imperial Yeomanry and served during the Boer War (1900-02). He was awarded the King’s South Africa Medal.

In 1909 Austin married Lydia Fardoe from Grimpo, West Felton, Oswestry and by 1911 they were living at 10 Ferrers Road, Oswestry, with a baby son, Bernard, born in 1910. They would have another child, Kathleen, born 30 July 1913. By 1915 they had moved to his wife’s parents’ old house, Grimpo Cottage, West Felton. He was a keen gymnast and was a chorister at St Oswald’s Church, Oswestry. He enlisted in January 1915, at first in KSLI and then transferred a week later to RE 13 (Western) Division Signals Coy as a telegraphist – his job in civvy street.

The Division embarked on 14 June 1915 for Egypt arriving in July 1915 and then moved onwards to Mudros on the island of Lemnos and staging base for the Gallipoli campaign. They arrived on the Gallipoli peninsula on 16 July, landing at Cape Helles on V Beach. The Division was then withdrawn prior to their redeployment for the Suvla Bay landings in early August. Austin arrived in Egypt on 22 July 1915 and would then have returned to Lemnos in time for the Suvla Bay landings. He died of disease on 31 July 1915, aged 35. His will and Soldier’s Effects notes that he died at sea.  The probability is that he was buried at sea and most likely on the passage between Egypt and Lemnos. No information is given as to which disease he died of. He is commemorated on the Helles Memorial and has no known grave. Austin is also commemorated on the war memorials at St Oswald’s Church, Oswestry and at West Felton.

Austin’s son, Bernard, would also be a casualty of war. He served as Signalman 2356982 Bernard Ledwith, Royal Corps of Signals in North Africa during World War 2 and is buried at Medjez el Bab War Cemetery, Tunisia. His name is also on the Gates on the WW2 Memorial plaques and on Oswestry School WW2 Brynhafod Field memorial. Bernard also worked at Oswestry PO as a Sorting Clerk and Telegraphist. (CWGC)

Acknowledgements.

References and Sources

END