Ancestry WW1 records

[Bo the Bodger]

Well I have just been crying my eyes out! The new records that have just gone on line confirmed my suspicions that one of my cousins was under age in WW1. However what has caused the tears to flow is that he enlisted in April 1915 (standing 5ft 2in with a 33in chest) and was sent to France on 21-09-1916. His mother wrote on 8 Dec 1916 saying that her son was underage (I'm not sure why that didn't happen earlier - it could've been because their father had been in the 19ths Lancers) and was advised on 13 Dec 1916 that she needed to send in his birth certificate - which she did on 16 Dec. They wrote to her on 19 Dec to say that they would put matters in train. They wrote to France on 21 Dec to request that he was sent home. He was KIA on 21-12-1916 aged 17. His elder brother Ralph had been killed on 25-09-1916.

[John-Nihon]

That is ever so sad Bo.

[jenoco]

That is so sad. I have also found two deaths I was previously unaware of - one 19,the other 21.

[Jill on the A272]

His poor mother must have been devastated.

[shirleymay]

I also found out from these long awaited 'burnt records' that my grand father's brother William, who I knew had been KIA & have visited his grave in Belgium, had been engaged.

His brother was sent a letter asking him to forward William's personal property to her. Ethel then received all his medal's & Princess Mary's gift to all soldier's serving on 24th Dec 1914. What was this????

Ethel Maud Beddows, lived in Erdington, Birmingham. I've tried to find her on the 1911 census, no luck.

[Janet in Yorkshire]

Princess Mary's gift was treats for the soldiers, bought with money subscribed by members of the public.
I believe the bits & bobs included sweets, tobacco and something useful, all placed in a metal tin. I think the tin had a crest on it and was inscribed.

Jay

[Janet in Yorkshire]

What I think was one of the cruellest things of all was the special plaque/scroll sent out on behalf of the King & Queen, thanking parents for having made the "supreme sacrifice" when several of their sons had been killed in action. I think it was three or four dead sons and then you got one.
How horrific was that?

Jay

[Christine in Herts]

Well I have just been crying my eyes out! The new records that have just gone on line confirmed my suspicions that one of my cousins was under age in WW1. However what has caused the tears to flow is that he enlisted in April 1915 (standing 5ft 2in with a 33in chest) and was sent to France on 21-09-1916. His mother wrote on 8 Dec 1916 saying that her son was underage (I'm not sure why that didn't happen earlier - it could've been because their father had been in the 19ths Lancers) and was advised on 13 Dec 1916 that she needed to send in his birth certificate - which she did on 16 Dec. They wrote to her on 19 Dec to say that they would put matters in train. They wrote to France on 21 Dec to request that he was sent home. He was KIA on 21-12-1916 aged 17. His elder brother Ralph had been killed on 25-09-1916.

How desperately cruel.

Similarly cruel coincidences still happen, sadly.

Christine

[lorry53]

Princess Mary's gift was treats for the soldiers, bought with money subscribed by members of the public.
I believe the bits & bobs included sweets, tobacco and something useful, all placed in a metal tin. I think the tin had a crest on it and was inscribed.

Jay

Yes, you're right, Jay. There were different contents for smokers and non-smokers: The Princess Mary Christmas Box 1914.

The release of these records is going to prove poignant for a lot of people like Bo, I suspect. I haven't managed to find my grandfather's details yet (he survived the war), but I'll keep looking.

[Jac]

One family in my tree lost 3 sons in WW1 Some really sad stories from all wars

[Bo the Bodger]

There are letters in the records from their father asking for the scroll, plaque and medals which they eventually received in 1921. As a postscript their younger sister died of the flu in 1919.