76908 Gnr George Bough, RFA

76908 Gunner George Bough of D Battery, 110th Bde, Royal Field Artillery, died on the 26th July 1917. He was born in Walsall and enlisted there, probably in 1914. He had been overseas since the 26th September 1915. The Commonwealth War Graves Commission notes that he was 24 years old and the husband of A. Bough of Barnetts Buildings, Shire Oak Hill, Walsall Wood, Staffordshire. He is buried in Brandhoek New Military 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

6030 Sgt Harry Budd, RFA

6030 Sergeant Harry Budd of 14th Battery, 4th Brigade, Royal Field Artillery, died in Mesopotamia on the 21st June 1916. He was born in Petersfield, Hampshire, and enlisted at Winchester. He is bureid in Basra War Cemetery in modern-day Iraq.

Harry Budd's medal index card notes that he died of disease. He had arrived overseas as a corporal on the 14th October 1914, and was promoted to sergeant some time later. He was entitled to the 1914 Star and British War and Victory Medals.

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

17227 Gnr Willie Ousey, RFA

17227 Gunner Willie Ousey of B Battery, 169th Brigade, Royal Field Artillery, was killed in action on the 17th June 1916. He was 23 years old, the son of Herbert and Eliza Jane Ousey of Heyside, Oldham, and the husband of Martha Ousey of 50 Clyde Street, Watersheddings, Oldham. He is buried in Betrancourt Military Cemetery on the Somme.

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

Lt Col Edmund Furse, RFA

Lieutenant Colonel Edmund William Furse of 88th Brigade, Royal Field Artillery, died on the 19th May 1918. He was a Chevalier of the Legion of Honour, the eldest son of Edmund Furse of Alphington, Frimley, and the husband of Jessie C Furse of 21, Halsey Street, Chelsea, London. He was 41 years old when he died and is buried in Dormans French National Cemetery.

Edmund Furse had arrived in France with the Royal Artillery on the 20th August 1914. He was an army major at that stage and would later become captain and then temporary (according to his medal index card) lieutenant colonel. He was attached to the Royal Flying Corps at the time of his death and his connections with the RFC certainly date back to 1914. His MIC notes that from 18th November 1914 he was to be "GSO 3rd Grade, Royal Flying Corps Headquarters" and in October 1915 he was elected as a member of The Royal Aero Club of the United Kingdom. An earlier edition of the Royal Aero Club's magazine had noted (on 17th September 1915) that Major Furse had obtained his aviator's certificate (number 1706) in a Maurice Farman Biplane at the British Flying School at Le Crotoy, France on the 8th September that year.

Lieutenant Colonel Furse's Legion d'Honneur was gazetted in the Supplement to the Edinburgh Gazette dated 3rd May 1917. At that stage, his rank was major in the Royal Artillery.

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
Flight Global Archive

21451 Pte John William Thistlethwaite, 88th Bn, MGC

21451 Private John William Thistlethwaite of the 88th Battalion, Machine Gun Corps, was killed in action on the 27th January 1917. Soldiers died in the Great War records that he was born in Hutton Roof, Westmorland, and was still living there at the time of his enlistment. He joined up at Kendal. SDGW also notes that he had previously served with the Royal Field Artillery - number 80392.

John's medal index card records that he had served with the Essex Regiment (number 20197) and it was with the Essex Regiment that he had landed in France on the 31st October 1915. There is no mention on his card of the RFA and so presumably he had served with this regiment in Britain, transferring to the Essex Regiment before sailing for the Western Front. The RFA number dates to around February 1915, the Essex Regiment number to July the same year.

The Commonwealth War Graves Commission records that John was 21 years old when he died and that he was the son of Son of Adam and Jane Thistlethwaite of Hutton Roof, Carnforth, Westmorland. He appears on the 1901 census with his parents, aged five years old. No siblings are noted and it is possible that he was an only son. Adam Thistlethwaite is recorded as the 37 years old "beerhouse keeper" at the Lowther Arms in Hutton Roof. His son's birth had been registered in Westmorland in the June quarter of 1896 and he appears to have had another middle name as he is recorded in the register as John William T Thistlethwaite.

John Thistlethwaite is buried in the AIF Burial Ground at Flers.

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

Sources:

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

96761 Gnr Arthur Babb, RFA

96761 Gunner Arthur Babb of the 6th Divisional Ammunition Column, Royal Field Artillery, died on the 27th December 1916, possibly as a result of sickness, and probably at the 33rd Casualty Clearing Station. He is buried in Bethune Town Cemetery. He had been overseas since the 29th July 1915.

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

100227 Dvr Edward Switzer, RFA

Five weeks after the Armistice had been declared, men continued to die on active service. 100227 Driver Edward Switzer of C Battery, 76th Bde, Royal Field Artillery, died of wounds on the 18th December 1918. Edward, born in Dublin, appears in Ireland's Roll of Honour (see above). He enlisted at Dundalk and had originally arrived overseas on the 26th December 1915, thus just qualifying for the 1914-15 Star. He died in England and is buried in Brookwood Military Cemetery in Surrey.

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

Sources:

Ancestry.co.uk (MIC)
Ireland, Casualties of World War 1, 1914-1918
Army Ancestry
Army Service Numbers 1881-1918
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
Soldiers Died in The Great War

43037 Sgt William Riordan DCM, Royal Field Artillery

43037 Sgt William Riordan DCM of the Royal Field Artillery, died of wounds on the 5th October 1916. He was either a regular soldier or a recalled reservist who was serving with the XXIVth Bde Royal Field Artillery and who had been in France since 11th September 1914. As such, he was entitled to the clasp for his 1914 Star.

The Commonwealth War Graves Commission adds that William was 37 years old when he died and was serving with the 112th Battery. He was the son of Michael and Margaret O'Connor Riordan and the husband of Sarah Riordan of 27 Flora Street, Cathays, Cardiff.

William Riordan was born in Mitchelstown, County Cork and enlisted at Kilworth (Ireland). He is buried in Carnoy Military Cemetery on the Somme.

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

L/4804 Gnr Ernest Millward Stone, Royal Field Artillery

L/4804 Gunner Ernest Millward Stone of the Royal Field Artillery was killed in action on this day, 24th July, in 1917. According to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission website, he was 22 years old, the son of Mr and Mrs S. Stone of 16 Clifton Street, Chesterfield, Derbyshire. He was serving with B Battery in the 153rd Brigade when he was killed. Soldiers Died in The Great War notes that he was born in Chesterfield and enlisted there.

Ernest's medal index card notes that he was entitled to the 1914-15 Star and the British War and Victory Medals. He arrived overseas on 26th November 1915. On the reverse of the card is the following note: "Mrs Stone makes application in respect of her son, the later Gnr E M Stone, 12.4.19" and then, "Reply on EF/a from Mrs Stone on 30.4.19". Mrs Stone's address is given as 52 Vincent Crescent, Brampton Moor, Chesterfield.

Ernest Stone is buried in White House Cemetery, Ypres; grave reference I.H.16.

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

Sources:

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