LEATHERHEAD WAR MEMORIALS - WWI
Driver Augustus George Coldman
2nd Reserve Park Army Service Corps
Town Memorial P2.R2.C1.
Taken, Not Given
DriverAugustus G Goldman
RASC
Ypres
Oct 20 1917 [sic]
Only two items of information can presently be ascertained in this instance and both are from the parish magazine. (1)
First, the Christian names of the deceased were Augustus George and secondly, that he was "killed in action", that is by the enemy and not by accident or illness.
Notes on sources
1. The Parish magazine of St Mary and St Nicholas, Leatherhead, issue of November 1917.
Stop Press
Soldiers Who Died in the Great War - RASC does not list Driver Augustus Coldman nor do R.E/R.F.A lists which have rank of Driver.
Suggest that he had transferred to a combatant corps or regiment as in the case of Robert Stickland, Sherwood Foresters (29.3.1918) and Percy Finch (Machine Gun Corps) 21.10.18
Imperial War Museum Lambeth
Further research
DriverCOLDMAN, AUGUSTUS GEORGE
Service Number T/293273
Died 30/09/1917
2nd Reserve Park
Army Service Corps
Commemorated at TYNE COT MEMORIAL
Location: West-Vlaanderen, Belgium
Cemetery/memorial reference: Panel 160.
His date of death is 30th September not October 20th as on the Town Memorial.
Dorking and Leatherhead Advertiser
Saturday 29 December 1917
The list which present has been compiled from the names that have been recorded in our Columns during the past year....
SEPTEMBER
COLDMAN, Driver A.G., A.S.C., husband of Mrs. F.M.V. Coldman, of The Alley, Leatherhead.
When he attested in 1915 he was just over 5ft 2in tall and was medically described as pigeon chested. He had been a Grocer's Assistant and gave his address as c/o Mr Foulger (or Boulger), North Street, Leatherhead. The same address was given for his wife, Florence. Another address on the form was 20 Lower West Street, Ewell, Surrey. He enlisted at Kingston-on-Thames, Surrey aged 28 on 15 November 1915.
A 1910/11 Directory for Leatherhead does not list any Boulgers but there is a J Foulger, Hairdresser, North Street.
Augustus was first in 29 IW [Infantry Works?] Bn Middlesex Regiment with the service number 30659.
He was given 6 days Confined to Barracks for being 'Absent without leave from 11.00pm 24 December 1916 to 8.30am 26 December 1916', a total of 33.5 hours.
On 31 December 1916 he was transferred to the Army Service Corps with the number T/293273. The ASC received the 'Royal' prefix in 1918.
While in Blackheath Depot on 22 August 1917 he was on a charge for 'Disobedience of Depot Standing Order No.46 in not keeping hair cut short'.
Three days later, he embarked for France from Southampton on 25 August 1917 aboard the ss Marguerite arriving at Le Havre the following day.
The circumstances of his death just over a month after arriving in France are not known.
He was awarded the British War Medal and the Victory Medal.
His life
Augustus was born in about 1887 and baptised at St Martins Epsom on 17 April 1889.
His siblings were Albert William, Arthur Alfred, Charles Henry, Edith Eleanor, Ella Grace, and Frederick Ernest.
His father was William Coldman, born about 1849, Abinger, Surrey, a Carpenter at the time of Augustus's baptism and living at 12 Providence Place, Epsom. His mother was Esther née Sell, born about 1851 in Langley, Essex.
In the 1901 Census his mother was the head of the household and he was living at 23 Providence Place, Epsom.
He signed the 1911 Census Schedule for those at 23 Providence Place, Epsom. His mother now aged 62, 'Widow', was the head of the household, born Langley, Essex. Augustus, aged 22, is listed as a Building Labourer.
He married Florence May Victoria Bexley on 31 March 1913 at St Martin's Epsom, Surrey. Their children were Lewis Arthur Coldman, and Augustus George Bexley who was born 3 months before Augustus and Florence were married.
As seen in his Army records his wife was at addresses in Leatherhead but as yet it is not known when he comae to the town.
There is a letter in his Army file from the Secretary of the Leatherhead Local Special Sub-Committee dealing with the Naval And Military War Pensions Act 1915:
Re T/293273 Dr(iver) Coldman
Sir
The child Augustus George Bexley born 22.2.13 is the son of Mrs FMV Coldman born before marriage. Dr[iver] Coldman was the father & maintained the child from birth & has always been a member of his household.
Yours truly
Secretary
When disposing of his property the Army had an address for his widow at 2 Bennetts Cottages, Fairfield, Leatherhead.
He is remembered on these memorials:
Leatherhead Church Lads Brigade Memorial, All Saints
Leatherhead Town Memorial
Leatherhead RBL Roll of Honour, Leatherhead Parish Church
Ladies War Shrine, Leatherhead Parish Church
Tyne Cot Memorial, Belgium
the website editor
would like to add further information on this casualty
e.g. a photo of him, his headstone, and of any recollections of him
e.g. a photo of him, his headstone, and of any recollections of him
last updated 17 Jun 20