George Keeves, Somerset Light Infantry POW

[RickW]

Hello, Im looking for any info regarding George Keeves who I believe was a POW. He died in July 1918 and is buried at Hautmont cemetary. Can anyone shed any light on the POW camp for Hautmont? Or any records? Many thanks in advance.

[dundeesown]

Hi and welcome to the forum,best to have a look on The Long Long Trail ( llt ) top left next to donations.Research a Soldier.may help you.

Gary

[Doug Johnson]

If he is buried at Hautmont then reading the CWGC notes on this cemetery, he most likely died of wounds in enemy hands. Technically he was a PoW but not in the full sense of being in a camp somewhere but died in the local hospital undergoing treatment (good or bad).

Doug

[BMoorhouse]

Rick,

Welcome to the forum.

I'm unsure how much information that you have on Pte George Keeves?

He served with the 7th Somerset Light Infantry and is most likely to have been wounded in the March 1918 offensive when the battalion was partially overrun - the remainder making a fighting retreat in extremely difficult circumstances. This fighting took place with the battalion originally holding positions along the Crozat-St Quentin canal roughly from St Simon towards Jussy. (This is South-West of St Quentin).

The cemetery where he is burried was used for German dead and for Allied prisoners who died in German Hospitals (this information coming from the Commonwealth War Grave web site regarding this cemetery).

Regards,

Brendon.

[RickW]

Rick,

Welcome to the forum.

I'm unsure how much information that you have on Pte George Keeves?

He served with the 7th Somerset Light Infantry and is most likely to have been wounded in the March 1918 offensive when the battalion was partially overrun - the remainder making a fighting retreat in extremely difficult circumstances. This fighting took place with the battalion originally holding positions along the Crozat-St Quentin canal roughly from St Simon towards Jussy. (This is South-West of St Quentin).

The cemetery where he is burried was used for German dead and for Allied prisoners who died in German Hospitals (this information coming from the Commonwealth War Grave web site regarding this cemetery).

Regards,

Brendon.

[RickW]

Thanks both for the input. Like you , Brendon, I have come to the same conclusion. According to the War Diaries, the 7th wasnt just partially over-run, it was more or less destroyed during that offensive. Approx 150 listed as MIA. A whole lot more KIA or injured, which took the number of men in the 7th to just under 30. Thanks for your input, it is appreciated.

[BMoorhouse]

Rick,

The figures from the war diary are a little misleading as they rely on muster rolls at the time of the retreat . The battalion muster roll on the 26th March showed only 21 men under 61st Brigade command, however a large number of formed up elements from the 7th Battalion fought on independently and/or with other units as the British Army staged an incredible fighting retreat.

By the time the battalion was 'reformed' at Quevauvilliers on the 2nd April it took the addition of some 522 officers and men to bring the battalion 'practically up to full strength' (per Major Chappell). This suggests that 400-500 men were able to reform the battalion before these drafts.

Casualties from 22nd March to 2nd April were around 54 killed in action/dow. Normally the injured to killed ration was 1 killed to 2 injured. This would suggest that approximately 160 men were killed or injured during the fighting retreat. Approximately 400 men would therefore have been captured.

As an organised independent battalion it had ceased to exist - but at that time the retreating men formed composite units, which was a real testament to the fighting spirit of the British Army in that sector given the immense blow that they had delivered against them.

Regards,

Brendon.

[smilingjim]

Hautmont POW camp in Northern France, (from a letter written on 10th November, 1918, by a resident), informed a POW's mother, because she had promised she would, that her son was healthy. She also wrote the prisoners were not allowed to send or receive any communication. Neither the POWs nor the residents were allowed to talk to each other. The POWs had been there since April 1918 and had been scheduled to be moved to Belgium on the 16th October, 1918. The town was recaptured by the Allies on the 8th, November, 1918. Unbeknown to the writer. the POW in question had escaped with a companion before the scheduled move. Information from elsewhere indicates it was a working camp: The camp itself was bad, POWs had a hard time and were short of food. They used leaves from trees as tobacco.