Pte Harry Francis WEAVER, 1 Welsh Gds, KiA 8.4.16

[Guest Pete Wood]

Remembering Today:

Pte Harry Francis WEAVER, 1720 1 Bn, Welsh Guards, who died on 08.04.16. Ypres Reservoir Cemetery, Belgium

Name: WEAVER

Initials: H F

Nationality: United Kingdom

Rank: Private

Regiment: Welsh Guards

Unit Text: 1st Bn.

Date of Death: 08/04/1916

Service No: 1720

Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead

Grave/Memorial Reference: I. B. 22.

Cemetery: YPRES RESERVOIR CEMETERY

Enlisted Barry, Glamorganshire

Killed in Action

[Guest Pete Wood]

Pte Arthur Albert Villeneuve, of the same unit, was also killed in action.

Terry D, please could you look at the CWGC details for this man. There appears to be a transcription error which has occurred when his details were optically recorded. He is listed as VILLENEWE, even though his next of kin details are shown as Villeneuve, and SDGW shows Villeneuve also.

Villeneuve is buried next to our man.

[Guest Pete Wood]

I have found a Henry Francis Weaver born in the September quarter of 1896, in Islington.

It would make our man around 19 years of age.

Villeneuve was also a London man and the same age. It makes you wonder if these guys were pre-war friends....

[Terry Denham]

RT

Error reported at 10.15am.

Also another with the same error! Checked against his Attestation Papers.

Two birds with one stone. Well done.

Name: VILLENEWE

Initials: A

Nationality: Canadian

Rank: Private

Regiment: Canadian Infantry (Quebec Regt.)

Unit Text: 22nd Bn.

Date of Death: 04/10/1916

Service No: 61688

Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead

Grave/Memorial Reference: II. C. 7.

Cemetery: REGINA TRENCH CEMETERY, GRANDCOURT

[Terry Denham]

RT

Both errors now corrected to VILLENEUVE.

[Guest Sheriffjs]

Hi I've just joined the Great War Forum, hence why i have only just updated your post.

I have been researching the local Pontypridd newspaper the Observer wheree Albert joined the Welsh Guards and i found an article concerning Pte Arthur Albert Villeneuve ( 1718) dated Sat 22nd April 1916 as follows:

"Official intimation has been received of the death in action of Private A A Villeneue, Welsh Guards, son of Mr. + Mrs. A Villeneue of Pencoed Avenue, the Common Pontypridd. The sad news was received from the Rev Llewellyn Jones Chaplain, who stated that on the evening of the 7^th of April Private Villeneue was struck by a German shell and killed instantly. The deceased solider was but 20 years of age and was formerly a bandsman of the local Salvation Army corps. Prior to enlisting he was employed as a clerk by Councilor Hopkin Morgan J.P. It appears that the deceased and his friend were killed by the same shell."

Also it does not seem that there were any other enlisted men of the Welsh guards killed on 8th April 1916 aside from Henry Francis Weaver, hence why it seems that Henry is in fact Albert's friend.Which seems to go back to London as on the 1911 census Henry appears to be living in Cardiff and then enlishts in Barry (Cardiff).