| Surname: | Hughes |
| Initials: | W J |
| Rank: | Private |
| Army Number: | 3649696 |
| Notes: | CMP. He was born in Glamorgan and resided in Newport and formerly served in the South Lancashire Regiment. War Diary WO 166/13669, 67 TC Coy. 14/1/43 00.30 hrs Pte Hughes W involved in a motor cycle accident and killed. 17/1/43 Sgt Rawey proceeded to South Wales in charge of the remains of Pte. Hughes. Casualty List 1055/11, Home, Accidentally Killed, 14/1/1943. 12/4/50 He was awarded the Defence Medal, War Medal. Address:- Mrs E D Pritchard, 36 White Street, Dowlais, Wales. Inscription on gravestone: Not today but every day in silence we remember. William James Hughes. Extract from the Merthyr Express 23/1/1943. Burial of Dowlais Soldier. LATE PTE. Wm HUGHES. The funeral of Pte Wm Hughes of high Street, Dowlais (a report of whose death will be found on the front page) took place on Tuesday at Pant Cemetery, and large crowds of sympathisers lined the route fro his residence. The family of Private Hughes is well known in the town, his great grandfather being the late Mr William James who carried on a flourishing grocery trade in Union Street during the last century and the beginning of this. At the house and graveside the service was conducted by Adjutant March and Songster Leader Hemmings of the Salvation Army. The coffin was covered with the Union Jack and a company of the Dowlais Home Guard under Sergt. J Clark was in attendance, Representing the 67th Company, Corps of Military Police, Leicester was Sergt. Kenneth Rowe. A poignant feature of the tragedy was that the deceased soldier buried his wife 18 months ago and two young boys aged seven and five are now left orphans with their grandmother Mrs Mary Ann Hughes. Letters of sympathy have been received from his commanding officer and from the Quartermaster Sergeant testifying to the great grief of the Company at the untimely death of an excellent soldier and comrade who was always on duty. (There follows a list of mourners and floral tributes.) Extract from the Birmingham Daily Mail - Saturday, 16 January 1943. MILITARY POLICEMAN'S DEATH. AMERICAN NCO DETAINED. An American NCO has been detained by the US Army Authorities in connection with the death of Lance Corporal William Hughes, 35 year old military policeman of the British Army, who was found dead on the main road near Groby, Leicestershire, on Wednesday night. Hughes whose home address was at Lower High Street, Dowlais, South Wales. His motor cycle was lying some distance away and an American Army vehicle was found abandoned on the road. Lieut. Leonard Durbin Bodkin, US Army, at Groby, to-day stated that Sergeant Cecil Emmett Fumer had been detained pending the cleaning up of charges in connection with Hughes' death. It was believed that the said Fumer was the driver of the truck involved in the accident. Medical evidence was that Hughes death would be practically instantaneous. The inquest was adjourned to day pending US Army's investigations. |
Casualty Record: | |
| Date of Death: | Jan. 14, 1943 |
| Company: | 67 TC COY |
| CWGC Link: | 2717593 |
| Cemetery: | MERTHYR TYDFIL (PANT) CEMETERY, UNITED KINGDOM 🇬🇧 |
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