19006 Spr Frank Callaway, RE

19006 Sapper Frank Callaway of the 24th Base Park Company, Royal Engineers died on the 11th December 1915. He was 25 years old, the son of Walter Henry and Elizabeth H Callaway of 121 Eastney Road, Eastney, Portsmouth. He probably died as a result of sickness and is buried in Boulogne Eastern Cemetery.

At the going down of the sun, and in the morning, WE WILL REMEMBER THEM.

Sources:

Ancestry (MIC)
Soldiers Died in The Great War
Army Service Numbers
The Commonwealth War Graves Commission

4899 Pte George Veevers, 2nd Bn, Lancashire Fusiliers

4899 Private George Veevers of the 2nd Battalion, Lancashire Fusiliers, died of wounds on the 18th July 1915. He was born in Manchester and living in Todmorden. He enlisted at Pendleton.

George arrived overseas in May 1915. His number probably dates to August 1914. He was the son of Thomas and Mary Veevers of 3BK 259, Halifax Road, Todmorden, Yorks. He is buried in Boulogne Eastern Cemetery.


At the going down of the sun, and in the morning, WE WILL REMEMBER THEM.

Sources:

Ancestry (MIC)
Soldiers Died in The Great War
Army Service Numbers
The Commonwealth War Graves Commission

36970 L/Cpl Brinley Aubrey, 9th Bn, RWF

36970 Lance-Corporal Brinley Haydn Aubrey of the 9th Battalion, Royal Welsh Fusiliers, died of wounds on the 14th May 1918. He was born and lived in Briton Ferry, Glamorgan, and he attested at Port Talbot on the 18th November 1915. Brinley's partial service record survives in WO 363 and the following information is taken from this.

When he joined up, Brinley gave his age as 35 years, his address as 89 Neath Road, Briton, and his trade as assistant school teacher. He joined the regiment's 20th Battalion at Port Talbot on the 21st November 1915, and the following April was appointed unpaid lance-corporal. He was promoted to acting corporal on the 27th June 1916.

Ont he 28th August 1916 he reverted to paid lance-corporal and then, three days later,was posted to the 3rd Battalion. On the 29th January 1917 he was appointed acting corporal, and by August that year he had been appointed unpaid lance-sergeant. On 28th January 1918 he sailed for France as part of a draft for the 19th Battalion, and on the 18th March he was posted to the 9th Battalion. It was whilst serving with this battalion that he was mortally wounded. He died at the 83rd General Hospital in Boulogne. He is buried in Boulogne Eastern Cemetery.

At the going down of the sun, and in the morning, WE WILL REMEMBER THEM.

Sources:

Ancestry (MIC, WO 363)
Soldiers Died in The Great War
Army Service Numbers
The Commonwealth War Graves Commission

15519 Pte James Gee, 8th Bn King's Own (Royal Lancaster Regiment)

15519 Private James Gee of the 8th Battalion King's Own (Royal Lancaster Regiment), died of wounds on the 12th April 1916. He was a Manchester-born man who had enlisted in the city in November 1914. He arrived in France on the 27th September 1915 and died in Boulogne. He is buried in Boulogne Eastern Cemetery.

At the going down of the sun, and in the morning, WE WILL REMEMBER THEM.

Sources:

Ancestry (MIC)
Soldiers Died in The Great War
Army Service Numbers
The Commonwealth War Graves Commission

8398 Cpl Alfred Beetles, 2nd Bn, York & Lancs Regt

8398 Corporal Alfred Beetles of D Company, the 2nd Battalion, York & Lancaster Regiment, died of wounds on the 24th January 1915. Alfred was a regular soldier who was born in Holy Trinity, Bradford and who joined the York and Lancs Regiment at Pontefract in early 1906. At the time he joined up he was living in Bradford and already serving with the militia. He was five feet, five and a quarter inches tall.

Alfred enlisted for three years with the Colours and nine on the Reserve and he certainly spent time in Quetta and Karachi. Whilst overseas, he was also hospitalised as a result of malaria.

At the time of his death, Alfred was unmarried. His parents are recorded as George Forbes Beetles and Emma Beetles of 305a Leeds Road, Bradford. He also had one brother and five sisters. He is buried in Boulogne Eastern Cemetery.

At the going down of the sun, and in the morning, WE WILL REMEMBER THEM.

Sources:

Ancestry.co.uk (MIC, WO 363)
Army Ancestry
Army Service Numbers 1881-1918
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
Soldiers Died in The Great War

Ernest Herbert Sharp Gomersall, 1/5th Bn, West Yorks

New Year's Day. Traditionally a time for hope and optimism and the wish that the new year is going to be better than the last. For Ernest Gomersall's family however, 1916 could not have got off to a worse start. He died of wounds in a Boulogne hospital on the 1st January and was buried in the town's Eastern Cemetery.

Ernest was one of 140 soldiers to die on New Year's Day 1916. 127 soldiers had died on 1st January 1915; 277 would die on 1st January 1917 and 148 would die on New Year's Day 1918.

Ernest, born in Harrogate, was 26 years old when he died, the son of the late Mr and Mrs Sharp (according to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission). His army number indicates that he joined the 1/5th West Yorks in August or September 1914, and he arrived in France on the 15th April 1915. His medal index card at the National Archives incorrectly spells his name as GOMORSALL.

At the going down of the sun, and in the morning, WE WILL REMEMBER THEM.

Sources:

Ancestry.co.uk (MIC)
Army Ancestry
Army Service Numbers 1881-1918
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
Soldiers Died in The Great War

7563 Pte Ernest Pottage, 2nd Bn, East Yorkshire Regt

7563 Private Ernest Pottage of the 2nd Battalion, East Yorkshire Regiment, died of wounds on the 16th December 1914. He was a regular soldier who had been overseas since 8th September 1914 and who, judging by his army number, had joined the East Yorkshire Regiment in mid October 1903. This being the case he was almost certainly on the Reserve when Britain went to war with Germany in August 1914.

Ernest was born in Hull and enlisted there. He appears on the 1901 census as the fifteen year old son of William and Maria Pottage. The family (William and Maria and their five children) were living at 5, Edith Terrace, Sculcoates, Hull.

Ernest would have been 28 years old at the time of his death. He is buried in Boulogne Eastern Cemetery in France.

At the going down of the sun, and in the morning, WE WILL REMEMBER THEM.

Sources:

Ancestry.co.uk (MIC, 1901 census)
Army Ancestry
Army Service Numbers 1881-1918
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
Soldiers Died in The Great War