| Surname: | Weekes |
| Initials: | R |
| Rank: | Lance Corporal |
| Army Number: | 6341559 |
| Notes: | MMP. Transferred from the 2 Royal West Kent Regt. 1/5/33. Died at Aldershot 8/3/35. Extract from the Kent & Surrey Courier, 15/3/35. Look That Led to Death. Ticehurst Motor Cycling Fatality. Girls Graphic Description. How a casual glance probably let to death was related at the inquest conducted by the District Coroner, Mr FC Sheppard, at Ticehurst House on Monday on Ronald Weekes, a Lance Corporal in the Military Mounted Police, who was killed on Friday afternoon at Vineyard lane, Ticehurst, when his motor cycle collided with a telegraph pole. The Coroner sat with a jury, of which Mr E M Dungey was foreman. Capt Cornwall watched the proceedings on behalf of the military authorities. Percy Harry Weekes, the father, of 2 Broomhill, Flimwell, said that his son was 23 and a Lance Corporal in the Military Mounted Police, Royal West Kent Regiment and was stationed at Aldershot. He arrived home on leave last Monday, and witness last saw him alive on Friday morning, when he went out on his motor cycle, which he had had for some time and was, as far as witness knew, in good condition. The boy's sight and hearing were sound. Heard A Crash. Margaret Hunter, a housemiad at "Highlands," Ticehurst, gave a graphic description of the accident. She said that on Friday afternoon at about 3.15 pm she was in Vineyard-lane with four other people standing still by the side of the road talking. She had her back to the village, but turned round as she saw Weekes go by on a motor cycle on the proper side of the road. he was coming from Ticehurst and she and her companions were standing close in on the opposite side of the road. He was coming from Ticehurst and she and her companions were standing close in on the opposite side of the road to that used by the motor cycle. As he passed Weekes half turned his head, but then looked to his front again. There was a bend in front and she did not see any more until after she and her friends had heard a crash and moved into the road, from where she was the motor cycle run into a telegraph post after skidding along the left-hand side of the road. Deceased was thrown off and fell on the opposite side of the road. She went up to him, but did not touch him; she could see that he was injured and he did not move. There were no signs of life. When asked by the Coroner if she knew the speed of the motor cycle she said she did not know the speed of any motor but later declared that it was going at a fast speed. Weekes turned his head when he was about 30 yards away from her, but turned his head to the front before the crash. The telegraph pole was about 60 yards from where witness was standing. The road was deserted and after hitting the telegraph pole the cycle went into the middle of the road, its wheels were still turning and the engine running. The Foreman: Did he swerve to avoid you? No, he did not, there was plenty of room for him to pass. Pamela Simpson, a housemaid at the Vineyard, Ticehurst, who was standing with the previous witness, gave corroborative evidence of hearing the crash. Neither she nor her companions spoke to the man nor him to them. Narrow Road. PC Chapman, stationed at Filwell, gave various measurements. Dr A Kendrew, of Ticehurst, said he examined the body and found the top of the skull was completely crushed in, with the result that death must have been instantaneous . The injuries were consistent with hitting the telegraph pole, and they ware indicative of a very heavy impact. The Coroner; You have heard the evidence. Would it not indicate that the speed was rather high? Witness; Very high indeed, sir. The Coroner, in summing up, said the evidence disclosed one verdict only, that it was the result of a pure accident. The young man was proceeding along a narrow and somewhat winding road at a speed which impressed witnesses as being high. The evidence that he turned his head to the right. The jury returned a verdict of "Accidental Death" and expressed their sympathy with the relatives. The Coroner said he understood unofficially that Weekes was a very excellent young man and a promising soldier. Capt Cornwall, on behalf of the military authorities, associated himself with the Coroner's latter remarks. |