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War Memorials, - Elsewhere Reading, Trinity Congregational Church |
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The Reading Trinity Congregational Church War Memorial
Photo : John Chapman (<john.chapman@purley.eu>)
The War Memorial originally in Reading's Trinity Congregational
Church was removed when the church was demolished (ca 1980) to make way for
University Halls of Residence. On removal, the memorial was dumped in a refuse
skip.
Fortunately, the memorial was rescued by some local residents, and it is intended
to give it a permanent home in St. Mary's Minster Church, Reading.
John Chapman has a page on a website that is devoted to this War Memorial
(http://www.pottsvctrust.org/WM5163.pdf) *, which includes
a transcription of all the names on the plaque. We are extremely grateful
to John Chapman for permission to use information and photographs from this
website.
* Note : It may be best to copy and paste the above web page address.
For some reason, a direct link to this PDF file seems to cause problems.
Lieutenant Henry Ernest Aust. 4th Battalion Yorkshire Regiment.
Son of Thomas and Mary Ann Aust, of "Carn Brea," Northcourt Avenue,
Reading. Killed 18 September 1918. Aged 22.
Commemorated on Panel 5, VIS-EN-ARTOIS MEMORIAL.
The following information on Lieutenant Aust was generously
provided by John Chapman, from
information from Reading School.
" Lieutenant Harry Ernest Aust, Yorkshire Regiment, youngest
son of Mr and Mrs Aust of Carn Brea, Northcourt Avenue, Reading, has recently
fallen in action after having seen much fighting on the Western Front. The
gallant officer was with the London University OTC and joined up soon after
the outbreak of war, receiving his commission right away.
It was not so very long after that he was made a full Lieutenant. On one occasion
he was gassed and later was severely wounded in the leg. He was in hospital
eleven months.
Educated at Reading School, Lieutenant Aust subsequently proceeded to London
University where he studied engineering. He was 21 years of age."
The following information is taken from Robert Coulson's Biographies
of Yorkshire Regiment Officers killed in the First World War;-
"Henry Aust was born at Reading in Berkshire in 1897.
He attended City & Guilds College and was a member of the London University
Officer Training Corps before the war.
He was wounded in action with the 4th Battalion at Eaucourt L’Abbaye
during the Somme offensive in early October of 1916 and in 1917 the battalion
were involved in the Battles of Arras and later in the year at 3rd Ypres,
Passchendaele.
1918 saw the German Spring Offensive after which much reorganisation and restructuring
took place and on July 16th the 4th Battalion were reduced to a training cadre
when Lt Aust and the remaining officers and men were dispersed to fill the
gaps in other Yorkshire battalions and in some cases to other regiments. Henry
Aust was attached to the 7th Battalion of the East Yorkshire regiment.
Lt Henry Aust was killed in action with the East Yorks at the Battle of Epehy
on September 18th 1918 at the age of 22."
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