Corps of Military Police

Cap Badge of the Corps of Military Police (King George V)
Soldier Details:
Surname: East
Initials:   C.A.
Rank:   Corporal
Army No.:  P/461
Notes:   MMP. Awarded the 1915 Star, Victory and War Medals. First served abroad (1) France, 9/7/1915. Died. He was born in Battersea, enlisted in Camberwell and resided in Wandsworth Common. Plot II contains the graves of 26 Servicemen killed in a railway accident on the 14/2/1917. Inscription on gravestone: Thy will be done. Info from Army Register of Soldiers' Effects, 1901-1929. 14/2/1917 killed in railway accident, France. 2/6/1917 his widow Elanor received £5-09-03 and on 31/1/1919 £10 war gratuity. Info from Pension Index Cards: East, Conrad, A, No. P/461, MMP, L/Cpl. 13/2/1917 died killed in railway accident on active service. Widow Elanor East, 99 North Street, Wandsworth Road, London SW8. They had three children, Esther Hilda Frances born 22/11/1902, Ella Kathleen born 4/7/1904, Constance Mary born 7/3/1906. 20/8/1918 his widow received a pension of 26/3 per week. The Railway Accident: Major G.Thornton was in command of the leave train that left Havre at 6.30am on 13th Feb 1917,the train was at the level crossing at Epinay when it was hit by trucks from supply train W25,a coupling broke and 36 trucks crashed into the leave train behind it, two first class carriages and one third class were completely destroyed,one officer 2/Lt E F Greenfield and 26 men were killed, 54 men were badly injured, most of the injured were put aboard a hospital train that had been standing nearby, personnel from the 7th+15th hospital trains that arrived shortly after, helped in the rescue of men trapped in the wreckage,three men pinned under the debris were released after 5hrs, Major E S Smith the railway transport officer at nearby Serqueux took command of the scene, billeting arrangements for most of the 23 officers and 1151 men on board,were found in the nearby villages. The bodies of the dead were taken by road at 1800hrs, to the 8th General Hospital at Rouen. Info from Mack Conrad Adrian East.

Casualty Details:
Date Killed: 14th February 1917
Company: MMP
Cemetery: BOISGUILLAUME COMMUNAL CEMETERY   FRANCE
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