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The Great War (1914-1918) Forum

Remembered Today:

2nd Battalion KOYLI 1st to 12th Dec 1917


BobMason

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My Three Uncles Ernest, George and Harry Maywall were all in the 2nd Battalion KOYLI. The family story is that in December 1917 they were all in a trench and a shell came over and blew them all out of the trench. Harry got a wiff of gas and his legs full of shrapnel that he carried till his death in 1964. George was physically unhurt (apart from the gas) but badly shocked from which he never recovered. Ernest was badly wounded and was taken to St Julian Dressing Station, Nr Ypres where he died. His grave is in the St Julian Dressing Station Cemetery.

I am the last Maywall alive today (I am the son of the youngest Maywall girl). I realised that no one from the family had ever visited Ernest's grave so my wife and I booked a holiday in Ypres. This turned into a pilgrimage as we visited many of the cemeteries and battlefields around Ypres. When we returned home we decided to try to find out where and when my uncles were wounded. As they are all dead now I can't ask them but wondered if anyone has a copy of the 2nd Battalion war diaries for the relevant period (1st to 12th Dec 1917). The only service number we have is Ernest’s copied from the War Graves site. It is 13002.

Thanks for reading this and thanks in advance if you can help

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Hi Bob,

Harry's MIC indicates that he served in the Army Service Corps (regimental number T/450823) after the King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry (reg. no. 46463) and was entitled to the two medals, British and Victory. Ernest was additionally entitled to the 1915 Star and he first went into the French theatre of war on 22.7.15. Other than that and the notification of the entry in the medals roll I can't glean any information from their MICs. Unfortunately I can't find one for George, but that may be Ancestry's filing - my great-uncle Gaetano Verrico got filed under Varrico Gattano and it was only thanks to the excellent researchers on here that his papers surfaced, so hopefully someone can take this further. I'm tied for time and can't check whether any service records have survived and again I'm sure someone will look for you.

Louise

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Bob, I'll reply on this thread as you already have a response here.

It looks as if the major action was on the 2nd December with the 52 of the 69 deaths in the period 1st to 14th Dec occurring then.

He is the only casualty on 17th and being at a Dressing Station, he may have been wounded and died that day, rather than have lingered in a Dressing Station since the 2nd. If so, then the trench where it happened shouldn't be too far from there.

It's hearing your story of 3 brothers all serving in the same unit and being blown up together underlines the potential terrible cost of "Pals" Battalions. Your grandmother could have had an even worse Christmas losing all 3 sons at the same time.

Slightly off topic, if you want one of the most haunting images of WW1, try and get hold of the poem set to the tune of "The Black Bear" commemorating the Calgary Highlanders attack at St Julien. You can read the words here St Juliens Wood which are evocative enough, but with a Pipe Band accompaniment, I defy you to keep a dry eye. I think the 78th Frasers did it many years ago....

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Thank you Louise for the info - we didn't know about Harry's change to RASC. He was another one who wouldn't talk about his war service. I have both Harry's and George's war medals (Pip, Squeak and Wilfred I think they are called). Ernest's medals I have never seen.

Kevin just a little tale about medals. Violet (George's Wife) had both Harry's and George's medals from WW1. Every November the 11th she used to get them out and put them on the TV ready for 11 o'clock before she went to work. When Remeberence Day moved to Sunday, she didn't go to Chapel but instead used to sit at home and watch the service with the medals in her hand. She would never let us join her so I don't know what went through her mind but it must have been bitter sweet.

Thank you both for your replies

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are you sure about George serving during WW1 and the medals being his? Any chance you could photograph the ones belonging to George and upload?

Looking at Ancestry, the 2 older brothers plus daughter Mabel are with the parents (in Sheffield) on the 1901 census but not George. No sign of him at all.(Ancestry has the family indexed as Maywell in the 1901 census). Father Isaac from Dudley; mother Elizabeth and the kids from Derbyshire.

Ancestry has a birth record for George 1905 Sheffield. Marriage record to Violet in 1937, Sheffield. Death record for George in 1967 in Sheffield giving age as 61. Given the rarity of the name, these probably all relate to your George and the birth/death records would put him as being too young to have served during WW1. Possibly the medals you have belong to Ernest or perhaps George served during WW2?

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Johnny how right you are. I have always accepted the family story and never looked at the dates. George was indeed born in 1905 so was far too young to have served in WW1. My Mother Lilian was born on 1908 making her the youngest of the family. Now I will have to look for another reason for George's war story.

I have got out all the medals out and they are - Ernest Maywall 13002 KOYLI, 1914-5 Star, WW1 Medal and Victory Medal. Harry Maywall 46463 KOYLI, WW1 Medal and Victory Medal. I also have the letter from the Infantry Office in York to notify Ernest's parents of his death.

Thank you all for your help you have taken me further in one day than I have managed on my own. All I need to find now is someone with a copy of the 2nd Bat KOYLI war diary for the first three weeks in December 1917.

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  • 9 years later...

I have recently obtaineda  copy of 2nd Batt KOYLI war diary. is there a specific part you were interested in?...just joined the forum so I can see its a few years ago since your post was placed. let me know if i can be of any help

 

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