William Matthews - Cornwall County Constabulary at War
My grandfather William Samuel Matthews was born on May 21, 1888, at 45 Gloucester Street, Stoke Damerel, Devon. On leaving school William was an apprentice gardener at Lanhydrock House, near Bodmin, Cornwall, which is now a National Trust property. He joined the estate cricket team and excelled at the sport. In January, 1912, he joined the Cornwall County police force, and three years later he married Hilda Kate Martin at Liskeard, Cornwall, setting up home at the Police House in Tregonetha, St. Wenn parish, Cornwall. William was recruited at the depot of the Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry barracks in Bodmin, Cornwall. On December 10, 1915, and at the age of 28 years 11 months he enlisted into the 5th Reserve Battalion of the Grenadier Guards as a guardsman, service number 30001. He served one day in colours then was moved to the army reserve. He was mobilised on June 11, 1917 into the Foot Guards and underwent training at Caterham Barracks, Surrey, playing cricket for the 14th Company, which resulted in him winning the Trotter Shield in 1917.
He was moved to the 5th Reserve Battalion and set off for France from Southampton on February 17, 1918, arriving the next day. He transferred to B Depot, 3rd Battalion Grenadier Guards. The family understands that William was drafted to the Arras region of France, and on March 27, as Germany scaled up its efforts to win the war - the Spring Offensive of 1918 - he was shot in the bicep of his right arm. The wound was regarded as ‘mild’ and was initially treated in a field ambulance. However, the next day William was moved to 7 camp hospital, Etaples, and on March 30 he was shipped back to England, arriving at Queen Mary's Military Hospital, Whalley, Lancashire. The hospital admissions report identified the wound as severe, with William having a temperature of 101°C. But the injury would not heal and with the threat of having his arm amputated, William insisted that the attending nurse probe more deeply into the wound as he felt there was still something lodged there. At much discomfort to him, she investigated as he requested and found - and removed - a portion of his uniform still lodged deep inside, thus saving his arm. The muscle was always very wasted, and after a cricket match he would always apply a liniment to the area, which had been made up by his mother-in-law to her own recipe. On May 17 - and after 49 days in hospital - William was finally discharged. It would appear that on June 17, 1918 he returned to barracks. He was transferred to army reserve on March 5, 1919 and given a full discharge on March 31, 1920.
William rejoined the police force and resumed his posting at Tregonetha. His daughter Beryl Hodson remembers him saying that in 1915, and prior to being placed in reserve, he had to do a day’s guard duty at Buckingham Palace but in wartime khaki and not the resplendent guard’s uniform. In 1926 William was called to play for Cornwall County in the minor counties cricket league. He died on October 9, 1972 in hospital at Penzance, Cornwall.
His obituary was titled: Pc who played for Cornwall.
Photographs of William Matthews, family and fellow guardsmen.
CONTRIBUTOR
Trevor Matthews
DATE
1915-12-10 - 1920-03-31
LANGUAGE
eng
ITEMS
5
INSTITUTION
Europeana 1914-1918
PROGRESS
METADATA
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