Cause of death "An Accident" - How to find out more.

[MaxD]

Unfortunately, his detailed service record has not survived.

Another source(as Nanny Jan points out) to look at is the war diary of his battery.  The Effects Register and his medal record show it as 152 (not 125) Heavy Battery Royal Garrison Artillery (the Hackney Gunners) who went to France in April 1916.

Thanks to this web site http://www.hackneygunners.co.uk the war diary can be read here http://www.hackneygunners.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/War-Diary-Full-Landscape-Watermarked.pdf

There is nothing recorded in July relating to an accident.  Had it been related to a gun or to ammunition, I am sure it would have been recorded as that would affect the battery capability so (guesswork follows) an accident involving horses, vehicles, heavy stores are the sort of possibilities.

Generally, it was important, where it could be established, to ensure an accidental death was recorded as such.  The core of it was that it was not by enemy action.   I do not know, but there may have been an effect on any pension claim.  I have seen mention of a death cert recording killed in action when the Effects Register says accident so wouldn't like to guess what the cert might say.

MaxD

[Tidgy]

Thank you. I've found a transcript of the 152d Batt War Diary, but there is no further information on those dates.
I've also searched newspapers on FindMyPast but no luck.

Intriguingly the date of death on the grave registration form is the 9th July, yet the date on the gravestone is the 8th July.

Such mystery. I guess there is only one thing for it...part with some pennies! 

[IMBER]

What passes for an overseas WW1 death certificate is usually very lacking in detail but you can sometimes come across helpful comments such as "drowned".

Imber

[Jomot]

No further detail I'm afraid, but the attached is from the daily list published in the Times 7 Aug 1916

[newburychap]

I've also searched newspapers on FindMyPast but no luck.

The most likely paper to report his death in any detail is the local paper where his family were living - which may not be on FindMyPast (coverage of smaller papers during the war years is pretty poor).