Military History

Albert was found drowned on the 8th August 1915 in Victoria Park, Leamington Spa. The following newspaper report describes the subsequent Coroners hearing

Soldier Found Drowned at Leamington - Leamington Gazette - 14 August 1915

The Coroner for Central Warwickshire (Mr. E. E. Hadow) held an inquest at the Town Hall, Leamington, on Tuesday morning, on the death of Private Albert George Hall, of the Army Veterinary Corps, attached to the South Midland Veterinary Hospital at Victoria Park.

Quartermaster-Sergeant Percy George White D said deceased was 20 years of age, and joined the Corps on March 22nd. He had been trained as a shoeing smith, and worked at the farrier’s shop. A few weeks ago he was under detention at Budbrooke Barracks for being drunk asleep whilst on guard, and there had been further trouble with him, and had he survived he would have been “hauled over the coals” again. When he was reported missing witnesses thought he had deserted owing to the trouble hanging over his head.

Shoeing-smith William Powell said deceased was a working under his direction on August 4th, and at 9.30 a.m. he left the farrier’s shop and had not been seen since.

The Coroner: Had you heard of a pending charge against this man?

Witness: Yes, and he said he should soon “be out of it.” I thought he meant he was going to desert.

Frank Allen, stallman, attached to the A.V.C. camp, said on August 3rd he had a conversation with deceased on Adelaide-road Bridge, and he taxed him with the affair, which he denied. When deceased came back from Budbrooke he said he would never go again, he would rather do away with himself.

William Oldfield, Radford-road, said he was walking along the New River Walk on Sunday about 3.30 p.m., when near the weir he saw the body of a man. There or four feet under the water near the bank.

P.C. Finch said he recovered the body. The water was ten or twelve feet deep at the spot. The Coroner: Was the water very clear? It reminded me of pea soup the last time I was there.

Witness: how one could see a body under water. The water was clear.

Witness added that on searching the found one farthing in money on the body. Deceased was wearing no coat, but the rest of the clothing had not been disturbed.

Dr. Dale Roberts said the body was consistent with having been in the water four or five days. Death was due to suffocation by drowning.

The Coroner told the jury he had been able to submit any evidence as to how deceased got into the water. There was no direct evidence that the motive of the man was to destroy himself.

The jury returned a verdict of “Found drowned.”