Vernon Short
Memorial: Bitton - St Mary's Church
Regiment: The Welsh Regiment
Medals: 1914–15 Star, British War Medal, Next of Kin Memorial Plaque 1914 - 1921, Victory Medal
Rank and number: Private 2817
Parents: Andrew and Selina Short
Marital status: Single
Home address: Bitton Village, Bitton, Bristol
Pre-war occupation: General Labourer
Date of birth: 1881
Place of birth: Bitton, Bristol
Date of death: 27/12/1915
Buried/Commemorated at: Buried Arnos Vale Cemetery Bristol and commemorated on Bitton and Upton Cheyney War Memorials
Age: 34
Further information:
Vernon was born in Bitton, the son of a labourer and a middle child of seven children with two brothers and four sisters. His older brother Andrew who was in the Navy died two years after Vernon and also in the service of his country.
Vernon, like his older brother signed up for the Navy. He joined in 1902 and his records state that he was 5’ 1 ½” with light brown hair, blue eyes and a fair complexion. His period of initial service was brief but he was called up in July 1914 on the outbreak of war. Vernon was subsequently invalided out of the Navy with neurasthenia (nervous exhaustion) in May of 1915 and then appears to have joined the 2nd/5th Battalion, Welsh Regiment, serving on the Home Front. He was most probably based in Bedford in November 1915. In December 1915, Vernon died in the Second Southern General Hospital - the military wing of the Bristol Royal Infirmary. The cause of his death was stated to be ‘spinal paralysis’ and he received a full military funeral.
By kind permission, this information is based on the following source(s):
This information has been provided by Sarah Hands, Volunteer Researcher for the South Gloucestershire War Memorials Web Site.
By kind permission, this information is based on the following source(s):
https://www.cwgc.org/
https://www.ancestry.co.uk/
https://www.findmypast.co.uk/
https://www.forces-war-records.co.uk/