2530 Cpl Frank Kilsby, 1/8th Worcs Regt

2530 Corporal Frank Kilsby of the 1/8th Battalion, Worcestershire Regiment was killed in action 95 years ago today on the 30th August 1916. Frank was living in Redditch and enlisted there in September 1914. His medal index card notes that he arrived in France as a private on the 1st April 1915 and was later promoted to corporal. He is buried in Euston Road Cemetery, Colincamps.

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

Sources:

Ancestry (MIC)
Commonwealth War Graves Commission

2nd Lt Rudolph V Surr, 5th Bn, Worcs Regt

2nd Lt Rudolph Vincent Surr of the 5th Battalion, Worcestershire Regiment, (attached to the 24th Trench Mortar Battery) died on the 31st October 1916. He was killed in action.

Rudolph was 25 years old and an American citizen. He was the son of Vincent Surr of 1696 Cedar Avenue, Berkeley, California, USA and had probably been in England at least since 1911 when he appears on the census that year as a 19-year-old commerce student visiting the home of Elizabeth Ward Roberts and her family at 11 Waldeck Avenue in Bedford.

Rudolph's medal index card notes that he originally arrived overseas in France (on the 31st October 1915) as a private (number 2129) with the 18th Battalion, Royal Fusiliers. He has no known grave and is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial on the Somme. His sister, Miss E Surr, is recorded on his medal index card, two addresses being given for her, the first in Kiddernminster and the second in Ayr, Scotland.


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

Sources:

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

10085 Pte John Cottrill, 2nd Bn, Worcs Regt

10085 Private John Cottrill of the 2nd Battalion, Worcestershire Regiment, was killed in action on the 21st September 1914. He was born in Birmingham, was living in Birmingham and enlisted at Worcester in August or September 1906. He arrived overseas on the 26th August 1914.

John Cottrill was 26 years old, the son of John Cottrill of Trafalgar Place, Tillingham Street, Birmingham. He is buried in Vendresse British Cemetery on the Aisne in France.

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

28954 Pte Caleb March, 2/8th Bn, Royal Warwickshire Regt

28954 Private Caleb March of the 2/8th Battalion, Royal Warwickshire Regiment, was killed in action on the 7th September 1917. He had previously served with the Worcestershire regiment (number 31102). Caleb was born in Evesham, was living in Bengeworth and enlisted at Pershore (all Worcestershire locations).

The Commonwealth War Graves Commission records his name as Caleb Valentine (Tony) March and notes that he was 18 years old, the son of Allen and A X March, of 303 Bridge Street, Evesham. He is buried in Oxford Road Cemetery in Ypres.

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

8632 Pte John James Owen, 1st Bn, Worcestershire Regt

8632 Pte John James Owen of the 1st Battalion, Worcestershire Regiment, was killed in action on the 13th March 1915. He was 22 years old, a Birmingham man; the son of Ann Owen of 1 Goldschmidt Street, Stockport Road, Ardwick, Manchester, and the late John James Owen. He has no known grave and is commemorated on the Le Touret Memorial.

John Owen's number dates to August or September 1904 and it seems likely that he was on the reserve when Britain went to war in 1914. Furthermore, because the terms of enlistment in 1904 were 3 & 9, it's also a possibility that John only had three years' experience as a regular soldier under his belt when he was recalled to the colours in 1914. He arrived in France on the 12th December 1914 and was killed at the Battle of Neuve Chapelle.

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

12004 Pte Joseph Charles Everall, 1st Bn, Worcestershire Regt

12004 Pte Joseph Charles Everall of the 1st Battalion, Worcestershire Regiment, was killed in action on the 7th March 1915. He was a Nuneaton man, born in the town and enlisting there in late December 1909 or early January 1910.

Joseph arrived in France on the 5th November 1914 and presumably served there without pause until he was killed the following March. He is buried in Euston Post Cemetery in Laventie.

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

27947 Pte George Henry Tombs, 3rd Bn, Worcestershire Regt

452 British officers and other ranks died on the 26th November 1917. 27947 Private George Henry Tombs of the 3rd Battalion, Worcestershire Regiment died of wounds on this day. He was the son of Walter and Harriett Tombs, of Bishampton, Worcestershire and the husband of Annie Tombs, of Inkberrow, Worcs.

George's number suggests that he joined the Worcestershire Regiment in January 1916. He is buried in Mendinghem Military Cemetery, Belgium.

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

23142 Pte Edwin Hayward, 4th Bn, Worcestershire Regt

23142 Private Edwin Hayward of the 4th Battalion, Worcestershire Regiment, died of wounds on the 21st November 1915.

He had arrived in the Balkans on the 29th October that year and died in a hospital in Malta, presumably after being wounded at, and evacuated from, Gallipoli. Edwin was born in Arlingham, Gloucestershire and was still living there when he enlisted. His army service number indicates that he joined the Worcesters in June 1915, and Soldiers Died in The Great War tells us that he enlisted at Gloucester.

Private Hayward is buried in Pieta Military Cemetery on Malta. This from the Commonwealth War Graves Commission:

"From the spring of 1915, the hospitals and convalescent depots established on the islands of Malta and Gozo dealt with over 135,000 sick and wounded, chiefly from the campaigns in Gallipoli and Salonika, although increased submarine activity in the Mediterranean meant that fewer hospital ships were sent to the island from May 1917. During the Second World War, Malta's position in the Mediterranean was of enormous Allied strategic importance. Heavily fortified, the island was never invaded, but was subjected to continual bombardment and blockade between Italy's entry into the war in June 1940 and the Axis defeat at El Alamein in November 1942. At the height of Axis attempts to break Malta's resistance in April 1942, the island and her people were awarded the George Cross by King George VI. Malta's defence relied upon a combined operation in which the contributions made by the three branches of the armed forces and Merchant Navy were equally crucial. Although heavily pressed in defence, offensive raids launched from the island by air and sea had a crippling effect on the Axis lines of communication with North Africa, and played a vital part in the eventual Allied success there. There are 1,303 Commonwealth casualties of the First World War buried or commemorated at Pieta Military Cemetery, including 20 Indian servicemen who were cremated at Lazaretto Cemetery. Second World War burials number 166. The Commission also cares for 772 non-war graves in the cemetery and 15 war graves of other nationalities."

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

10029 Pte George Yates, 2nd Bn, Worcestershire Regiment

10029 Private George Yates of the 2nd Battalion, Worcestershire Regiment was killed in action on the 22nd October 1914, one of 425 men to die on this date.

George's army number indicates that he joined uthe Worcestershire Regiment around July or August 1906 and he was probably therefore on the Reserve when war was declared. His medal index card indciates that he arrived overseas on 30th August 1914.

George was born in Stourbridge and living in Tipton when he enlisted at Worcester. He has no known grave and is commemorated on the Menin Gate.

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