Family’s finds support case for memorial name

A photograph has been found of a soldier missing from Newark’s Memorial To The Fallen, along with his first world war medals.

The Advertiser’s coverage of a campaign to include the name of Sapper William Pride on the memorial has put his Newark descendants in touch with family they hadn’t spoke to in decades, and in some instances did not even know existed.

That has led to the discovery of his picture and his medals.

William Pride committed suicide following frontline service.

His Army record and the coroner’s report show he took his own life “whilst of unsound mind,” which, it is now said, would be recognised as post traumatic stress disorder.

The Commonwealth War Graves Commission class William as a casualty of war.

His widow, Priscilla, was issued with the dead man’s penny with his name on. These were distributed to those whose lives were lost as a result of the first world war.

William’s grandson, Mr Stephen Pride, and his daughter Cherilyn, William’s great-granddaughter, came across his story while researching their family tree.

Mr Pete Stevens, who works for the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, had also discovered William’s story and called for his name to be added to the memorial inside Newark Cemetery.

He has been supported by Stephen and Cherilyn.

The Advertiser’s stories were seen by cousins and distant cousins they had never met.

Among them was Mr Peter Kay, formerly of Wright Street, Newark, a cousin Stephen hadn’t seen in 31 years, who got in touch to say he had found a photograph of William taken before he was called up.

He also had a photograph of William’s wife, the mother of his five children, the penny and his 1914-18 campaign medal.

Stephen, 60, of Bancroft Road, Newark, said: “Seeing his campaign medal and particularly the dead man’s penny received by Priscilla makes the plot thicken as to why he cannot be on the war memorial.

“The penny says he died for freedom and honour and that seems to me to be an acceptance his death was as a direct result of the war.”

Cherilyn, 40, of Southend Avenue, Newark, said: “Being in the paper has brought cousins and distant cousins together, some of whom we didn’t know existed.

“It was very emotional to see a photo of William and what amazed me was the likeness between him and dad.

“We should honour and respect these heroes from all eras and generations.”

William served with the Royal Engineers in Mesopotamia, now Iraq, operating hospital barges ferrying wounded soldiers away from the front under constant shell-fire.

He committed suicide at a camp in Kent on September 11, 1918.

It is believed the stigma that would have been attached to William’s suicide was why his name wasn’t included on the 1921 town Roll of Honour.

William’s name was not on the list agreed by Newark Town Council and the Royal British Legion in 2007 when plans for the Memorial To The Fallen were being considered.

The town council and the Royal British Legion are to meet to discuss William’s case.

l RIGHT: Mr Stephen Pride with a photograph of his grandfather, William Pride, his campaign medal and the dead man’s penny. 201212JT2-29