Royal Air Force
Winston Nash’s Service Record is present at the National Archives (AIR 79/2404/276085).
The record states only that he was present at the Recruitment Depot when he died.
There is no indication of the date he joined the Royal Air Force (RAF) and when birth date evidence is taken into account it must be concluded that his death came very soon after he joined the service.
Winston Churchill Nash was born in Stroud in the second quarter of of 1900, the fourth of five children born to Frederick Henry Nash his wife Clara Eliza (née Smith). His baptismal record, of 28 September 1900, states that he was baptised Winston Redvers Churchill Nash.
The couple’s five children were all surviving at the time of the 1911 Census.
Frederick Nash served with the 4th Battalion, Gloucestershire Regiment for twelve years, from January 1883 until January 1895 and spent time in India.
He joined the Reserve in March 1900 and was discharged a year later. During his time in the Army he suffered from a variety of medical problems and died in 1907, at the age of 43. At the time of he 1911 Census the family lived at Bisley Old Road, Stroud.
Both Frederick and his wife had become tailors by this time.
Winston died on 7 August 1918, aged 18, at the Military Hospital at Tarrant Monkton, presumably while undergoing training at Blandford Depot, Dorset. The cause of death was certified to be influenza and lobar pneumonia (which had been present for three days): no post mortem was
undertaken.
No local newspaper report or notice of his death has been discovered. His mother, Clara received his death gratuity payment of £3 4s 4d (£3.22) on 12 December 1918.
He was buried in Stroud Old Cemetery, where a CWGC headstone marks his grave.
Winston had an elder brother, Frederick, who was a Lance Corporal in the 32nd Ammunition Park Train, Army Service Corps (number 14/249120): he was killed in action in Italy on 27 October 1918, aged 26, possibly during the Battle of Vittorio Veneto. He is buried at Montecchio Precalcino Communal Extension. Again, his mother received his gratuity payment, £30 5s 3d (£30.26) on 24 April 2019.
At the time of compilation of the CWGC Register, Clara Nash was living at Fairview Cottages, Middle Hill, Stroud.
Research by Graham Adams and Helen Wollington 30 December 2016 (Revised)