Mayes, David

Mayes, David

Military History:

Regiment:                               Bedfordshire Regiment

Rank:                                      Private

Regimental Number:              5610

Date of Enlisting:                   2.3.1896

Date of death:                        3rd quarter 1944

Cemetery/ Memorial:            

UK Cemetery/Memorial:       St Mary’s Church Ashwell Roll of Honour

David enlisted at Royston, Hertfordshire with the Bedfordshire Regiment on 2nd March 1896, Regimental Number 5610. After two years of training in England David was posted to Meean Meer, Lahore, India where he contracted enteric fever. In 1899 David moved to Mooltan, India with his battalion and 1902 he is posted to Jhansi, India. In 1907 he boarded the SS Rohilla for return to England via Aden in the Yemen. David remained in service at Aldershot Barracks until the outbreak of WW, and was discharged having completed his period of engagement.  He elected to continue in service and qualified as a Lewis Gun operator in 1918 and a stretcher bearer.  It is not known if David served on the Western Front but he survived the war and died in 1944 at Kempston, Bedfordshire.

David was awarded a Long Service Medal and a medal for good conduct.

He is commemorated on the St Mary’s Church Ashwell Roll of Honour.

Family History:

Date of Birth:                2nd quarter 1878

Birth Place:                  Guilden Morden, Cambridgeshire

Residence:                    Kempston, Bedfordshire

Marriage:                      1st quarter 1910

David was born at Guilden Morden, Cambridgeshire in the first quarter 1878, eldest son of Page and Emma (nee Watson) Mayes. The early records have many different spellings of this surname. David was a pupil at the Merchant Taylors School in Ashwell.

David married Ann Russell at Uxbridge, West London in the first quarter 1910.  They had four children, David James, born at Aldershot on 5th May 1911, Albert William George and his twin Ellen Frances Rita born in the  Bedford District in 2nd quarter 1914, and Audrey Olive Gertrude also born in the Bedford District in 3rd quarter 1916.

David died in 3rd quarter 1944 at Kempston, Bedfordshire.

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