high wood Posted 13 May , 2010 Share Posted 13 May , 2010 This photograph is of H Wills, KRRC taken at Alten Grabow in July 1918. His home address was 1, Norman Street, Netherfield Notts. There are several candidates: R/12493 Harold Wills R/41704 Harold C Wills R/27559 Henry Wills Does anyone know if any of these men were PoWs? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
River97 Posted 13 May , 2010 Share Posted 13 May , 2010 There are four 'H Wills' listed in the MIC's on Ancestry. Harold Wills R12493 was issued the SWB - so, maybe, Harold C. Wills R41704 was discharged on 12 Sept 1918 - probably not, Harold G. Wills C1229 nothing else mentioned on MIC - maybe not, and Henry Wills R27559 nothing else mentioned on MIC - maybe not. No service records available for any of the above. No pension records either. Cheers Andy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KevinBattle Posted 13 May , 2010 Share Posted 13 May , 2010 For what it's worth, Harold G Wills C/1229 is a CWGC casualty Name: WILLS, HAROLD GODFREY Initials: H G Nationality: United Kingdom Rank: Rifleman Regiment/Service: King's Royal Rifle Corps Unit Text: 11th Bn. Age: 21 Date of Death: 20/09/1917 Service No: C/1229 Additional information: Son of Michael Harry Wills and the late Agnes Mary Wills, of 25, William St., Limerick. Born at Bristol. Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead Grave/Memorial Reference: Panel 115 to 119 and 162A and 163A. Memorial: TYNE COT MEMORIAL No other H Wills KRRC Casualty. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grantowi Posted 13 May , 2010 Share Posted 13 May , 2010 The 1911 only shows 2 H WILLS WILLS, Harry Lodger Single General Labourer born 1883 in London Camden Town Living at Rampton Asylum Lodging House South Leverton Lincoln WILLS, Hammet Head Married Wood Turner born 1889 in Cum Greystoke Penrith Living at 53 Lincoln St Worksop Norman Street starts at #3 on the street search Grant Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
apwright Posted 13 May , 2010 Share Posted 13 May , 2010 Norman Street starts at #3 on the street search 1 Norman St is there, but for some reason it's been indexed as 1 Godfrey St. Doesn't help, though, as there's a Mr Penistone PAGET & family living there in 1911. His handwriting is a bit scruffy, but it clearly says Norman St at the bottom of the form! Adrian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
high wood Posted 13 May , 2010 Author Share Posted 13 May , 2010 I am wondering if I have read the initial wrongly. What do you think? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rockdoc Posted 13 May , 2010 Share Posted 13 May , 2010 The next most obvious choice, I would have thought, is a very strange K. To be honest, my first reading of it was Lt! Keith Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
high wood Posted 14 May , 2010 Author Share Posted 14 May , 2010 There is a Henry Mills, age 5, living in Nottinghamon on the 1901 census. I have not downloaded the details. He doesn't seem to be still in Nottingham in 1911. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonathan D'Hooghe Posted 14 May , 2010 Share Posted 14 May , 2010 Definitely Wills not Mills. The initial certainly looks like an H but the formation of the first character is identical to the S in street. So could it be S I Wills or S J? Wills Does the Star of David stamped on the card have any relevance other than the obvious? J Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonathan D'Hooghe Posted 14 May , 2010 Share Posted 14 May , 2010 Ancestry shows a Sydney Wills in KRRC A204207 - sorry if I am suggesting a wild goose chase because I still think that it is most likely an H J Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MBrockway Posted 15 May , 2010 Share Posted 15 May , 2010 The initial certainly looks like an H but the formation of the first character is identical to the S in street. I disagree: identical they definitely are not: Definitely an "H" for me. Cheers, Mark Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MBrockway Posted 15 May , 2010 Share Posted 15 May , 2010 Pals, In my view WILLS, Rfn Harold C, R/41704, can be eliminated. He was discharged from 6/KRRC on 12 Sep 1918 with Wounds. Enlisted 14 Jul 1916. 6/KRRC was one of the Reserve battalions. Recuperating men were usually posted to 5/KRRC or 6/KRRC while waiting to see if they would become fit enough to return to a fighting unit, sometimes progressing through both. I'd say the chance of the Germans repatriating an ordinary rifleman POW due to physical condition between July and September 1918 must be extremely low. Incidentally there is also an MIC for a WELLS, Rfn Harold C, R/41704 in 12/KRRC. Almost certainly a typo on the campaign medal MIC. The SWB index card and the SWB List both clearly have WILLS. Cheers, Mark Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MBrockway Posted 15 May , 2010 Share Posted 15 May , 2010 Pals, Further information - but nothing conclusive, sadly - on WILLS, Harold, R/12493 ... 28 Apr 1915 - enlisted 24 Aug 1915 - embarked France 26 Sep 1919 - Discharged, Wounds His MIC Date of Embarkation does not tie up with any of the battalion embarkation dates, so he must have been sent out as a replacement draft. The KRRC battalions in the Field at that date were 13/KRRC and lower (save 5th & 6th Reserve btns). He appears on the KRR's SWB List dated 11 Feb 1920 with Unit as "Depot" and Served Overseas as "Yes". Cheers, Mark Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MBrockway Posted 15 May , 2010 Share Posted 15 May , 2010 Pals, As matter of general interest, the 1918 KRRC Chronicle reports that there were 4,243 KRRC men held as POWs at the declaration of the Armistice on 11 Nov 1918. Made up as follows: 3,949 - In enemy hands 121 - Repatriated 59 - in Switzerland 50 - in Holland 64 - Reported Dead 4,243 TOTAL The vast majority of these men were captured in the Kaiserschlacht March 1918 German offensive when 14th (Light) Division (7th, 8th & 9th KRRC) was virtually annihilated, but there were further large enemy captures at the Battle of the Dunes in July 1917 (2/KRRC - 404) and at Cambrai in Nov/Dec 1917 (10th & 11th KRRC - approx 1,000). I only have sketchy interim POW figures, which I'm giving here with a huge caveat and for illustrative purposes only ... Jul 1915 - 450 30 Nov 1916 - 510 27 Jan 1917 - 505 End 1917 - approx 1,300 but "likely to exceed 2,000" 11 Nov 1918 - 4,243 (see above) [Edit: note that these interim figures do not include those reported as dead and, sometimes, those sent to neutral countries. I've been "collecting" them for my own informal purposes to give me an idea of the regiment's PoW position as the War progressed. They're mostly gleaned from the Annual Reports of the KRRC Ladies Guild Prisoner of War sub-committee, who were organising food parcels, clothing etc., rather than properly assembled official statistics, so need to be used with great caution. Nevertheless they are a useful insight.] Prior to Nieuport, the majority of the regiment's losses were killed and wounded. I have been looking for a definitive KRRC POW roll for years, but have yet to find such gold dust! If any Pal has such a thing, let me know .... Cheers, Mark Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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