Laurence Ingman Hatton

He was a member of the Nottingham University Officer Training Corps (for approximately 3 weeks) and was killed in a road traffic accident when he was accidently thrown out of a car in which he was a passenger in Nottinghamshire near Radcliffe on Trent on 21st October 1915. He was 24 yrs old at the time.

Article from the 'Nottingham Evening Post', dated 9th November 1915. “O.T.C. CADET KILLED. “INQUEST ON RADCLIFFE MOTOR VICTIM. “MR. A. J. MITCHELL’S EVIDENCE. “The City Coroner (Mr. C. L. Rothera) re-opened at Leen-side this afternoon [9th November 1915] the adjourned inquiry into the death, as the result of injuries sustained on October 21st, in a motor accident, of Laurence Ingam Hatton, aged 24, of 141, Musters-road, West Bridgford, a cadet in the Nottingham University Officers’ Training Corps. “The inquiry was adjourned from a previous date in order that Mr. Mitchell, who was the other occupant, and the driver of the car in which the accident occurred, might attend, he being at that date in what was described as a state of “mental and physical collapse.” “To-day Mr. Arthur Jackson Mitchell, Loughborough-road, national representative of the Raleigh Cycle Co., who was congratulated by the Coroner on being able to get about once more, recalled that and the deceased left Bridgford about 4.15 in witness's new car, which he had had for about six weeks. They had intended to go to Grantham, but, in view of the fact that it was rather late, they decided just for a run round before tea. Just as the car was passing the school, about halfway to Radcliffe, witness, who was driving, felt a slight depression of one of the wheels, which, he could not say, that induced him think that, not a burst, but a slight puncture had taken place. Witness accordingly slowed down to investigate, not putting the brakes on, but reducing the speed of the engine. At the same moment the car swerved from the straight and came right away round from the rear in a backward semi-circle — a movement which corresponded with a bad skid. Witness was thrown out, and remembered no more till he was picked up, when he was surprised to find that the car, although it had not been overturned, was facing Nottingham, having swung right round. Witness could in no way account for the occurrence. “THE WHEEL BUCKLED. “In answer to a juryman witness said he found one of the front wheels was buckled, though he could not say what had caused it to buckle. The tyre was not burst or punctured. Witness was sure that he did not hit anything with the wheel before the accident. The speed was about 10 or 12 miles an hour. “Thomas Wheatley, a blacksmith at Holme Pierrepont Lane, said he saw the car coming along the road at a moderate speed, and going quite all right to all appearances. A second or so later witness heard a smash, and running out saw the car had come into collision with a telegraph pole on the right hand side of the road. Witness found one man, in soldier’s uniform, lying in the road, and the other, the driver, hanging head downwards, with his foot through the hood. The off front wheel of the car was buckled, and the off side was damaged. Colonel Birkin's car came along the road just then, and witness conveyed the soldier in this to the hospital at Nottingham. In witness's opinion he was dead when they arrived. “Mr. Wm. Woollatt, of Canal-street, a consulting engineer said he had examined the car since the accident, and found that the near side wheel was buckled — not the off side, as was suggested by the last witness. The near side of the car was damaged at the back. In witness’s opinion the buckling of the wheel was the cause of the accident. There was no doubt about this — it was apparent to any engineer. The cause of the buckling was threefold. Two of the spokes had flaws in them, and the manner in which the spokes were screwed in had allowed the wet to penetrate and rust through the metal; and also the metal of the rim was left thin in consequence of being overground. The two spokes would give, and the rim would collapse. “The wheel, in a badly buckled condition, was produced by the witness, who explained the flaws to the jury. “The jury found that the deceased was accidentally killed though being thrown out of a car through the buckling of a wheel, due to faulty construction. “Mr. F. Berryman, on behalf of the deceased's parents, said that although the accident had been a source of very great grief to the family, Mr. Hatton wished it to be understood that they realised that Mr. Mitchell was in no way blame, and had their sympathy in the very sad circumstances in which he had found himself. “Mr. H. P. Day again expressed Mr. Mitchell’s deepest regret and sorrow at the occurrence.” Above article courtesy of Jim Grundy and his facebook pages Small Town Great War Hucknall 19114-1918.