Trebrys Posted 16 December , 2009 Share Posted 16 December , 2009 Would the powers that be out there be able to help me, please? I'm trying to find out what happened to Driver Joseph Patten (29005) RFA who was killed whilst on duty with the 85th Small Arms Ammunition Col. on 23 October 1916. He was a native of Cardiff who died aged 20. He is buried at Lahana Cemetery so I suppose that this might help pinpoint the action. His brother also died in the conflict a year later on the Western Front. Any information at all would be gratefully received - no matter how trivial - as I hardly know anything about the events there. I have recently bought "Under the Devil's Eye" which should help but anything else would be a bonus. Many thanks, Trebrys. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trebrys Posted 17 December , 2009 Author Share Posted 17 December , 2009 I have since found out via River97 that Patten was accidentally killed near Paprat on 23 October 1915 while on active service. Would it be at all possible to know what happened? If it is noted in De Ruvigny's Roll of Honour that it was accidental then surely the details would be known somewhere?? Where would this source be, I wonder? Many thanks to all who've taken an interest......especially River97 and jay dubaya! Trebrys. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
apwright Posted 17 December , 2009 Share Posted 17 December , 2009 His must be one of the "41 ... graves in Plots II and III [which] were brought in from the two front line cemeteries at Paprat (about 12 km north-west of Lahana) and from other small burial grounds" after the Armistice, according to the CWGC description for Lahana Cemetery. Paprat is now called Pontokerasea in Greek. Just type "Pontokerassea, Greece" into Google Earth. Adrian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trebrys Posted 17 December , 2009 Author Share Posted 17 December , 2009 Adrian............. I'm absolutely speechless by this! DIOLCH YN FAWR! MANY THANKS! Do you think that it would be possible to find out what was the accident that killed him? Trebrys. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
River97 Posted 17 December , 2009 Share Posted 17 December , 2009 Trebrys, There may be info contained in the unit war diary, which should be held at the National Archives at Kew. Cheers Andy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trebrys Posted 17 December , 2009 Author Share Posted 17 December , 2009 Thanks again. The family has informed me that Joseph Patten died when a trench collapsed on him! How sad! Regards, Trebrys. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aneurin Posted 17 December , 2009 Share Posted 17 December , 2009 I have the following on the Patten brothers in addition to the infomation in De Ruvigny's Roll of Honour: Both Joseph and Alexander attended Roath Road Wesleyan Church, Cardiff. The church magazine (Roath Road Roamer 15) records that Joseph was killed accidentally when his dugout collapsed. He had been serving for 16 months in Egypt and Salonika. The Western Mail 14/11/16 has a photo. Roath Road Roamer Aug. 1917 says Alexander was medically rejected 5 times and eventually accepted by the RAMC and transferred to the 13th Gloucesters. Returned to the Western Front for the second time after being gassed. Killed two weeks later. The South Wales Daily News 9/7/17 has a photo. Gwyn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trebrys Posted 17 December , 2009 Author Share Posted 17 December , 2009 Diolch yn fawr, Gwyn! All of this is very interesting and I'm sure that if the family doesn't already have this information that it'll be most pleased to have it! Many thanks! Trebrys. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trebrys Posted 19 December , 2009 Author Share Posted 19 December , 2009 Information from the family tells me that Joseph was one of seven who died when the dugout collapsed - I'll chase after the records somehow.....or ask the Forum's experts to see if they have the information at hand. I wonder if collapses like this were common? Trebrys. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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