Francis William Hart
born 16 January 1899
  in Gloucester, Gloucestershire
died 30 March 1944
  in Weston-super-Mare, Somerset

Apprenticed Grocer, Naval Gunner, Carpenter, Aircraft Worker and Instructor.

Ex-Navy (WW1). During WW2 he worked at Locking Camp, Weston-super-Mare, and at Gloucester Aircraft. Was an Instructor at the R.A.F. camp.

Was cut off from the rest of his family due to his second marriage.

Death certificate: Died at 'Kidmore', Locking Road East, Weston-super-Mare. Occupation—Civilian Instructor, Air Ministry. Died of a combination of exhaustion, malignant growth in the stomach and bowel, and duodenal ulcer (5 years history).

I originally had 1898 as birth year, but a photocopied sheet of my original research sent to me by Donald has the year amended to 1899. Since his age given as 2 in 1901 census, 1899 is more likely. Furthermore, the birth of a Francis William Hart in Gloucester district is recorded in the March quarter of 1899 (6a368).

Donald: 'joined the RN as a boy seaman at the age of 14. Trained on HMS Impregnable which was a barque permanently moored alongside in Mutton Cove, Devonport. He probably went to the Fleet at the age of 16 and trained as a gunnery rating. He was not a large fellow and used to cox, with some success, competitive rowing in whalers, cutters and gigs. He served in the Home Fleet and was at the Battle of Jutland and surrender of the German High Sea Fleet. He was invalided from the Service, as an Able Seaman, suffering from "shell shock" [...] and anxiety neurosis. He underwent Educational and Vocational Training (post Service EVT) as a carpenter/joiner and took up the trade in Gloucester. After he married Agnes Jones, they lived at 3 Mill St, Gloucester; then moved next door to his father, at 30 Hopewell St. [...] He did commercial cabinet making, some building joinery (too hard) and worked at Sissons in Gloucester. This was an engineering firm that made engines of various types. Dad probably made support and packing frames. He moved to airframes construction with the Gloucester Aircraft Company at Brockworth but was laid off during the Depression. There is some story that he was dumped because he was a trade union organizer. He was always a strong Labourite but I don't think he was much of an organizer. During the Depression he was a baker's roundsman for Palmer's Bakery of Gloucester and he had a rural round—driving a Trojan van. As the war drums rumbled in the late 30's he was re-employed by Gloucester Aircraft. At that time he was introduced to Edith Irene Perrins by a fellow worker. Dad, at 39, married Edith, at 21, around 1939: we left for Weston-super-Mare soon after with a quick addition to the family, Francis. He was followed by Vera Victoria (Vickie). Dad underwent a crash course in instructing at Locking RAF Camp and at Insworth, near Gloucester. He returned to Locking as a civilian instructor in air frames repair—probably earning double the money he was picking up as a carpenter. Always bothered by stomach ulcers, he did not think too much about the stomach pains that heralded his gastric cancer, and he died of this in 1944.'

On moving to W-S-M, first lived at Wickham House, Locking Rd (East), before moving next door to Kidmore.