Herbert James Steadman
Rank: Corporal
Regiment: Royal Field Artillery
Other Info: Herbert Steadman died on 11th July 1920. He is buried at Hastings Cemetery. Additional name information from the Lives of the First World War website.
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Herbert James Steadman was born in Brighton, Sussex in 1898. In the 1901 census for 25 John's Wood Place his father Joseph was a house decorator living with his wife Jane and three sons, the youngest being Herbert.
As a member of the Royal Field Artillery, serial no. 900355, he reenlisted 10 March 1919, Larkhill, in the Royal Field Artillery, as a Gunner, but was immediately promoted to Corporal, service no. 289436. This implies that he had earlier signed up for the duration of the war. He was 23, a press tool maker for a brush manufacturer, of 7 Islingward Place, Brighton. He had served previously for four years and about 89 days (unclear on service documents). As a corporal he was discharged as physically unfit on the 25 March 1920, "general debility". His character was "very good". He was to live at 1 Ash Cottage, Westfield, Battle. He died 11 July 1920 of a disease which I could not make out.
A widow's form is referred to, so it was he married Elsie Dorothy Wheeler on the 29 October 1919 in the Battle district, next to Hastings. She received a pension of 21 shillings 8 pence weekly. Elsie had been born 11 June 1900, Hastings, and her address was the Convalescent Home, Kingsnorth, Ashford, Kent.
He had originally enlisted 27 November 1913 in the Territorials, and hence a part-timer before the war. He was in France from 15 January 1917 until 7 March 1919. He was awarded the British War medal and the Victory medal.
The widow married in 1925, Hastings [indexed as Stedman] Sidney A. Smith, a travelling salesman in tobacco. They were living in Canterbury, Kent, in the 1939 Register.
Thanks Stephen.