Early Life :

Service Life:

Campaigns:

• The First World War 1914-1918, World-wide.

Accidents were a minor factor in the casualty list. Our definition is deaths resulting from activities that were not directly associated with 'active service'. We have excluded Naval Accidents which are seperately identified because of their numbers and impact. Many accidents involved the aviators, operating at the the limits of technology.

Detail :

He joined the Royal Flying Corps, given the number 3299 on 25 January 1915 at Manchester, an electrical engineer giving his age as 22 years and 2 month. He is described as 5 foot 7 inch in height weighing 154 pond. His chest measures thirty seven and a half inch when expanded, and he has a scar on this left knee. He arrives at Farnborough and is given the rank of Air Mechanic 2nd Class, on 1 June is promoted to 1st Class. While at Central Flying School, he is further promoted to Acting Corporal on 1 March 1916. On 26 April 1916 he obtained his pilot licence at the Central Flying School, Upavon flying a Maurice Farman Biplane, so graduates as a 2nd Class Flyer. On 1 July 1916 he is further promoted to Corporal and two week later on 15 July to the rank of Sergeant.

He died whilst serving as 3299, Sergeant, No.8 Reserve Squadron Royal Flying Corps, a year and a day after obtaining his licence, on 27th April, 1917. With his Sergeant Major, 1448, Harold Cecil Smith, of 24 Reserve Squadron, they left the aerodrome for an early morning trial flight at 6.00 a.m. over Salisbury Plain. They were flying in a Maurice Farman Shorthorn, numbered A7073, his Sergeant Major, had obtained his flying licence on 8 July 1915, when the aircraft stalled and nose dived on approach, RFC Netheravon, Salisbury Plain, Wiltshire. There were no witnesses to the crash, but both bodies were recovered from the wreckage.

Joseph was buried with full military honours, near his childhood home, on the afternoon of Wednesday 9 May 1917. He was laid to rest in the southeast corner of the extension at St. Luke’s Churchyard, Weston under Redcastle, Shropshire. He was engaged to be married to a young lady from Wigan, Miss Agnes Stansfield, in the summer of 1917, and she was also in attendance, alongside his family members. Besides flowers and wreaths from family and friends floral tributes were laid one, in the form of the R.F.C. badge, had “in grateful and loving memory from the Officer pupils at Central Flying School” at which Joseph had been an instructor. Other wreaths being laid on behalf of the Warrant officers, non commissioned officers and air-mechanics of No 7, No 8 and No 24 Squdrons, THE A.R.S., the Sergeant's Mess, and one laid by the Squadron Commander of No. 24 RFC.

Letters of sympathy were sent to the family from Colonel PHL Playfair, Major HF Glanville, and one from the Bishop of the diocese in which Joseph lost his life. It was from these letters that we learn Joseph had just been awarded an Officers commission, which he had accepted. A full report with regard to the funeral and its attendees was carried in the Nantwich Guardian on 11 May

The lodge minute book of Sincerity 3677 records that a letter of condolence was sent at the time, but gives no details as to who it was sent, and records no address.

In addition to masonic memorial, Joseph is known to be commemorated at Hodnet and District War Memorial, Shropshire and the War Memorial, Hale Road, Hale, Cheshire.

Masonic :

Joseph Chetwood was initiated into Sincerity Lodge No 3677 on April 3rd, 1916, aged 23 years, at The Masonic Hall, Tower Buildings, Wallgate, Wigan. His occupation was given as ‘electrical engineer’ and his “present address” was given as Park Lodge, Neston, Salop, this should be Weston. Joseph’s proposer was W.Bro. F. E. Moss, a Past Master of Holmes Lodge No.2709, and he was seconded by V.W. Col. J. D. Murray, P.G. Treasurer, a Past Master of Lindsay Lodge No.1335.

Joseph was passed to the second degree two months later, on June 14th, and raised to the third degree, according to the minute book, on July 12th, whereas the declaration book says it was July 28th, 1916. Both these meetings were called as Emergency Meetings, and these are the only meetings at which Joseph was recorded as attending. At his initiation meeting, a Mr. Rannicar was also initiated, and three other brethren were passed to the second degree.

Joseph had joined a lodge with a history of great interest, which although only on the Roll of United Grand Lodge since 1913, could trace its descent from the year 1786. Then known as the Lodge of Sincerity, it, with five other lodges, decided in the early 1800’s to break away from the then Grand Lodge, and formed what was known as the Grand Lodge in Wigan, with Sincerity being Lodge No.1. The other five lodges gradually faded away, leaving Sincerity to fend for itself until 1913, when it was decided to apply for admission to United Grand Lodge. The conditions agreed on for admission were that Lodge of Sincerity No.1 be disbanded and re-constituted as Sincerity Lodge No.3677, with all of the members being re-initiated by the new Founder Members of 3677, most of whom had been Past Master’s of other lodges. Joseph’s proposer and seconder look to have been two of these Past Masters, and indeed V.W. Col. J. D. Murray was known locally as the “Travelling Installer” due to the number of Installations he was invited to carry out around the country.

Source :

The project globally acknowledges the following as sources of information for research across the whole database:

• The Commonwealth War Graves Commission
• The (UK) National Archives
• Ancestry.co.uk - Genealogy, Family Trees & Family History online
• ugle.org.uk - The records of the United Grand Lodge of England including the Library and Museum of Freemasonry

Additional Source:

• Founder Researchers : Paul Masters & Mike McCarthy
• Researcher : Bruce Littley
• Researcher : Geoff Cuthill
• Book : David Barnes