Name
Herbert William Covington
1880
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
05/09/1920
39
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
26534
King's Own (Royal Lancaster Regiment)
9th Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
ASHWELL UNITED REFORMED CHURCHYARD
Near North-East corner of Chapelyard.
United Kingdom
Headstone Inscription
None
UK & Other Memorials
Ashwell Village Memorial, St Mary’s Church Roll of Honour, Ashwell(*1)
Pre War
Herbert Covington was born in Ashwell in 1880, the eldest son of George and Emily Covington (nee Waldock). He was one of ten children, but four had died by 1911.
On the 1881 Census the family were living at West End, Ashwell, where his father was working as an agricultural labourer. They remained there in 1891 but had moved to High Street, Ashwell by 1901 at which time 20 year old Herbert was working as a groom. His father died in 1906 and on the 1911 Census Herbert was living with his widowed mother at Kingstead Cottage, Adkins Lane, Ashwell and he was working as a domestic gardener.
He had been educated at the Merchant Taylors School in Ashwell. His mother later lived at Chapel Cottages and Mill Street, Ashwell.
Wartime Service
He enlisted on 8 December 1915 and served with the 9th Battalion, King's Own (Royal Lancashire) Regiment in France and Flanders.
On 29 November 1917 he was admitted to an ambulance train with suspected dysentery. He later suffered severe injuries in battle and was discharged on 8 November 1918 as no longer fit to serve, being awarded Silver War Badge No. B465515. He returned to Ashwell where he died on 5 September 1920, aged 39 and is buried in the United Reformed Churchyard in Ashwell.
Additional Information
Pension cards exist with his mother as dependant, but it is not clear how much she received.
Brother to Albert George Covington who served with the King's Royal Rifle Corps, was transferred to the Machine Gun Corps and promoted to Sergeant and survived the war.
*1 The St Mary's Church Roll of Honour incorrectly indicates that he survived.
Acknowledgments
Jonty Wild, Brenda Palmer
Adrian Pitts, Paul Johnson, Dave Wallace, www.ashwellmuseum.org.uk
