Royal Welsh Fusiliers 14th Bn

[richt2000]

Hi all,

I've seen a lot of information about Royal Welsh Fusiliers and I wondered if anyone has any information regarding my gguncle's unit.

He was Louis (poss Lewis) Henry Stewart, 34564 Royal Welsh Fusiliers 14th Bn.

Date of Death: 29/06/1916

Cemetery: MARDEN (ST. MICHAEL) CHURCHYARD

I know this is the right man as my late nan said he was buried in Marden Church where is brother was later married.

I've been able to get a photcopy of the war diary for this date from the archives dept from Bangor University but I realise that he was wounded and then transferred back to the UK, only to die at home ( i assume ) in Kent. In 1901 he was living in Forest Gate, Essex.

Does anyone have more information on this unit that might shed some light?

Cheers

Richard

[geraint]

If you live in the Bangor area, you could go to the RWF Archives in Caernarfon and arrange a research appointment there. They would have various information on the 14th.

Read the LongLong Trail (above left) for a breakdown and summary on the RWF in war. You could also google RWF archives and hit their site. I dont have much info on the 14th apart for their involvement at Mametz 10 July 1916, but that was a fortnight after his death.

Try Ancestry for his service,and medal details - its a free service till the end of this month.

Geraint

[clive_hughes]

Hi all,

I've seen a lot of information about Royal Welsh Fusiliers and I wondered if anyone has any information regarding my gguncle's unit.

He was Louis (poss Lewis) Henry Stewart, 34564 Royal Welsh Fusiliers 14th Bn.

Date of Death: 29/06/1916

Cemetery: MARDEN (ST. MICHAEL) CHURCHYARD

I know this is the right man as my late nan said he was buried in Marden Church where is brother was later married.

I've been able to get a photcopy of the war diary for this date from the archives dept from Bangor University but I realise that he was wounded and then transferred back to the UK, only to die at home ( i assume ) in Kent. In 1901 he was living in Forest Gate, Essex.

Does anyone have more information on this unit that might shed some light?

Cheers

Richard

Hello Richard,

the 14th (Caernarfonshire & Anglesey) Bn. RWF were raised as part of the proposed "Welsh Army Corps" sponsored by Lloyd George from about October 1914 onwards. The earliest recruits were allocated a number block in the 20,000-21,000 range. The battalion was initially stationed at Llandudno with other units of the 113th (North Wales) Brigade, 38th Welsh Division, before moving in the Summer of 1915 to Salisbury Plain for further training. Many of the recruits were not from north-west Wales.

They embarked for France at the start of December 1915, but your relative wasn't with them at that point as he didn't earn the 1914-15 Star and is not on their Embarkation Roll. His Medal Card on Ancestry.com lists him simply as Henry Stewart and shows he earned the British War and Victory Medals. Technically, therefore, he first landed in a Theatre of War sometime after 1 January 1916.

His number I guess was allocated about August 1915, as a very rough date of enlistment. A few men of the 14th RWF on the Embarkation Roll have 33,000-range numbers given to July 1915 enlistments, one even as high as 36,000.

Once in France, they were sent into the line in the Laventie and Givenchy sectors until moving to the Somme early in July 1916 and the Battle of Mametz Wood which followed. Your relative must have been wounded during the trench warfare of the first half of 1916, before being sent back to the UK. Local newspapers of the period might actually report his wounding/invaliding/death either in the weekly official Casualty Lists which they published, or under local news articles.

It is just possible that his service Record survives, but as "S" surnames are not listed on Ancestry.com at present, you would need to check the microfilm copies at the National Archives Kew.

Soldiers Died in the Great War also lists him as Henry Stewart, born Barking, Essex; enlisted London, and Died of Wounds in the UK.

Hope this may be of some help.

LST_164

[richt2000]

Hi Both,

Thanks for the useful information. I'm already a member of Ancestry and have looked for his medal rolls and service card. I'll see if I can check out local newspapers for the Marden area.

Cheers

Richard