Strange, bizzarre and unlucky deaths

[WhiteStarLine]

Here is a sad one from the Battle of Hamel in July 1918, when John Monash successfully experimented with small arms resupply via parachute. Try to imagine how hard the pilot tried to regain control of his aircraft.

One particular instance is reported of an airman with observer who when throwing his box of

ammunition out attached to parachute had the misfortune of a rope fouling in the wing

and tearing the fabric off one side. By skilful management he contrived to regain control

of his machine which had tipped up on edge and passing control to his observer he crawled

out on the undamaged wing to counter balance the weakened wing. Under these

conditions the plane was brought down from over 1200 feet altitude to within 100 feet of

the ground when something again went wrong and the machine crashed. The pilot on the

wing was killed & observer seriously injured.

[silkman3811]

I know of a soldier who was killed by a runaway tram which jumped its brakes and ran back down a hill.It toppled on the man and a family walking past killing all of them.

I think this also happened to a Macclesfield soldier of the Cheshire Regiment who had survived the war and was on occupation duty in Germany in 1918/19. I read it in the local newspaper of that vintage while doing some research.

Oh the irony...

Steve

[auchonvillerssomme]

I know this isn't WW1 but desperately sad. 2 local casualties I researched from WW2, the brothers FIRTH, Charles RASC and Stanley REME had fairly safe (relatively) jobs, which pleased their mother. Charles was a supply driver and Stanley a vehicle mechanic. Charles was killed when part of a British anti-aircraft shell fell on his head. Stanley drowned when the recovery vehicle he was in sank after driving off a landing craft into deep water.

[nthornton1979]

A/Captain Alexander Herbert Robins MacKay MC, 5th Battalion Canadian Infantry,

Acting Captain MacKay was accidentally killed during a machine-gun demonstration. The report of Lieutenant A. M. Boyd at the Court of Enquiry reads:

‘On the 2nd day of February 1917 Capt. A. H. R. MacKay expressed the desire to have a demonstration of the Lewis Gun given to him by Lieut. W. Willis. On the evening of the above date a Lewis Gun was brought to the Mess Room of “B” Company. With the Gun were a few cartridges which I did not examine, but which I took for granted to be dummies. Lieut. Willis began his demonstration by stripping the Gun, I did not pay particular attention to what was being done or said. I heard the report of the Gun and looking up saw Capt. MacKay sitting right opposite the muzzle of the Gun. He was staring wildly and realizing that something had happened to him I ran to his assistance as also did Lieut. Willis. Looking at Lieut. Willis, Capt. MacKay said, “Good-bye old chap - write to my wife”. He expired immediately afterwards. Lieut. Cummings ran for the doctor who arrived about seven minutes after the accident had occured.’ The Court of Enquiry found that Captain Mackay had met his death accidentally.

Neil

[leighc]

Pte Richard Warne MM, 31st Battalion AIF, was tragically killed after surving almost 3 years on the Western Front after he jumped from a moving train at the station within sight of his parents home in Owanyilla near Maryborough, Queensland, at 5 am on 25 August 1919. He'd arranged to catch this particular train to arrive early in the morning and surprise his parents but the driver wouldn't stop at the station, but would slow down. He was dragged under the train after missing the platform and fataly injured. A woman discovered him a couple of hours later and went to a nearby farmhouse whose residents made their way to the station to discover the soldier was their son. He died soon after. The full sad story is at the link below.

http://www.anzacday.org.au/history/ww1/anecdotes/warne.html

[silkman3811]

Private Joseph Potts from Kerridge, near Macclesfield, Cheshire died 19 July 1916, aged 18 years

Accidentally drowned whilst swimming in the lake at Southhill Park training camp at Old Warden, Bedfordshire, shortly before his Battalion was due to cross to France.

His grave was discovered untended and overgrown by a local couple, Kim Taylforth and John Oliver, who were inspired to adopt and maintain it. They also created a website to encourage others to do the same for such "forgotten" interments.

http://wargravesinbritain.bravehost.com/joepottsstory.html

[River97]

51501 Private Leslie Worthington was on his way to Europe from Australia in June 1918 when the troopship stopped in New York. A number of soldiers decided to jump ship with Leslie being one of these. Something went wrong though and when he landed on the pier he smacked his head on the floor, rolled off the edge and drowned in the harbour. Leslie was a success of the IFCP, being brought in on 23 November 2011.

As for the train thing mentioned above. There are at least two other Australians who died in similar circumstances during the first war; Sergeant Stanley Jeffrey in New South Wales and Sergeant Ernest Welchman in Western Australia.

Cheers Andy.

[silkman3811]

Two men, 242130 Pte. J. MAHER and 242690 Pte. William H. COLLIER, both of 2/5th South Lancashire Regt. (attached to Army Service Corps) died of acute alcohol poisoning in No.8 Rouen Hospital on 15/01/1918.

They had been assigned to Base Supply Depot fatigue duty, which involved working in the Rum Store bottling, corking and packing rum for distribution to the battalions. They were poorly supervised and the temptation proved too great... both men succumbing to acute alcoholic poisoning (despite the best efforts of the medical staff). They are buried at Bois Guillaume Communal Cemetery. Due to the circumstances of their deaths (deemed to be caused by self-inflicted wounds), the issue of a Memorial plaque and scroll to their respective next of kin was denied.

The service record (all 75 pages!) of Pte. William Collier (aged 24) , contains correspondence from the board of enquiry showing the nature of the mens deaths resulted in significant changes in the Army's attitude to the Rum ration.

1) Strict orders have been given that practice of allowing men to drink rum and of issuing it to the working parties is to cease forthwith.

2) Disciplinary action is being taken in the case of C.S.M. Eages and Sgt. Pollard for neglect of duty on the day in question.

3) The officaers concerned have been censured for allowing the practice of promiscuous drinking by the working parties to creep in.

4) The decanting areas have been fenced in and will be wired to prevent the possibility of rum being handed out to men in the other part of the hanger.

5) Orders have been given that no casual labour is to be employed in the decanting areas.

6) The O.C. No.2 Base Supply Depot has been directed to draw up Standing Orders for the supervision of this work.

7) Relief's have been arranged for the N.C.O's, so they will not be kept too long at the work of supervision.

[sw63]

McMULLAN, Daniel, 8444, Pte, 2nd Irish Guards and a former member of the Irish National Volunteers, was killed on the 29th September 1916 while making tea.

He had lit a fire and was waiting for the water to boil when there was an explosion; it is thought that an unexploded munition was detonated by the heat of the fire.

He was born in Rasharkin and had family at Rosnashane. He was the elder son of Daniel & Sarah McMullan, Killane, Ballymoney, Co. Antrim.

He is buried in Etaples Military Cemetery, Pas de Calais, France.

[garfyboy]

Theres a story i heard about a british and german soldier both dead and stood bolt upright against the side of a trench both with each others bayonets stuck in one another!!

I,m sure a Mametz wood story!?

[Stoppage Drill]

I hope Pals will indulge me in relating a non-WW1 story. The connection is "unlucky deaths" and I was at second or third hand to it. The incident, now almost 50 years on, deserves to be remembered I think.

In June 1963 the 1st Bn of my regiment was taking part in company training at Sennelager just a few weeks before the end of a Rhine Army tour and RHE.

On Wednesday 26 June three Belgian Air Force C-119's carrying a company of Belgian Para-Commandos took off from Melsbroek (now Brussels International) intending to drop them on a DZ at a place called Geseke, which is on Route 1 between Paderborn and Soest. The drop was cancelled, and as the paras were due to take part in an exercise it was decided to land at RAF Gutersloh to drop them off. Hannover ATC handed landing approach control to Gutersloh, and the aircraft were directed to take a descending U turn which took them over Sennelager ranges.

Range Orders were that firing should stop at 1200, but - you know how it is - nobody wants to take a few rounds of ammo back to the compound, hanging around waiting for the storeman who can't be found, blah-de-blah, so you blitz it off.

At 1205 one of the aircraft was struck in the starboard wing by a descending WP 3" mortar bomb which ignited the fuel tank. The despatchers started to chuck the paras out of the port door - the starboard one was unusable due to the flames coming back, and they got 8 out, I think. The aircraft crashed near Detmold with the loss of about 39 in total, including the brave dispatchers who stayed at their posts. Many of the men were Congo veterans.

I was not in Rhine Army with the Bn at that time, but the mortar platoon commander was sent to a non-job in London District where I knew him, and then he disappeared from view.

[nthornton1979]

An officer behind the lines was killed by a machine gun which he was standing infront of. He'd asked for a demonstration and it was thought it had blanks in it/ or wasn't loaded (?)

A Military Medal recipient was killed on his way home after the war. He jumped from the train near his house but suffered horrific head injuries and was found barely alive the following morning. His parents rushed their but he died shortly after.

During the bad weather a soldier looking for shelter on the beach at Gallipoli tried to squeeze into some sort of large container but it was already jammed full of men. He found somewhere else to shelter but the next day when the weather had died down he saw that the men in the container were all dead. They'd crawled in for shelter and been poisoned/gassed to death.

A soldier, whilst sleep walking, fell to the ground floor from a building. He lived long enought to explain what had happened but later died.

Neil

Jsut realised that one of mine is already mentioned on post 55

Neil

[RaySearching]

The following chap must rank as one of the unlukiest soldiers on the Great War

definitely a stange bizzarre and unlucky death

Whilst looking through the service files of John Thomas (honestly)

I came across the following entry in the records

John sadly died of his wound 9 days later

regards Ray

[Guest gregnsmith]

My great grandfather Frederick william pyman a sergeant in the gloucesters was killed accidently by a fellow solider, who had been cleaning his gun.

[IPT]

On 17th October 1916, M2/073276 Pte Walter Ernest Darling Coppin, ASC was cleaning out the Sergeant Major's tent with M2/073279 Pte John Hiatt.

He found a whisky bottle hidden under a table and took a swig. Unfortunately, it contained not whisky but liquid tear shell gas which had been used for training. He died at 21 Field Ambulance that evening.

[IPT]

On 1st May 1915, Lt Col Richard Nelson Bendyshe RMLI was giving a tour of trenches to his Australian counterpart whose 6th Battalion AIF was relieving his Deal Battalion, when he was shot by a Royal Marine, before his counterpart and others were bayonet charged by the marines.

From RND Casualties of the Great War;

6th Bn Australian Imperial Forces was to take over trenches held by Deal Bn. commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Bendyshe. Lieutenant Colonel McNicoll with Bendyshe and his Regimental Sergeant Major with some runners went for a recce. It was nearly finished and they rounded a corner when the marines started shooting at them. Bendyshe and his Regimental Sergeant Major were both killed. The Marines then charged with bayonets fixed and fortunately McNicoll was not stabbed. The runners were screaming at the Marines and finally quiet was restored. McNicoll ended up with cut hands from grabbing at the bayonets. They carted him off to the beach, bandaged his hands and gave him some sedatives (probably a bottle of rum). He stayed there the night and returned in the morning to his unit." ; The Regimental Sergeant Major cannot be identified at present ; 2nd Lieutenant Raymond Humphrey Quill RMLI & his (12th) Platoon of 'C' Company, Deal Bn., were returned to HQ the following morning but 2nd Lieutenant Quill was returned to his trench.

I've read elsewhere that Lt Col Bendyshe shouted at a marine in the trench to keep his head below the parapet. The marine responded "Yes sir" before shooting him.

[David Porter]

241186 Pte Harold James Kirby of 5th Bn. Yorkshire Regt. died on April 22, 1917. He was accidentally gassed by fumes from a brazier.

[toofatfortakeoff]

British cavalry officer Major Summerford

However, four years after his death, his stone tomb was destroyed - it was struck by lightning!

I belive this Majot holds the record for lightning stirkes (Guinness records) Still thats no way to er ''conduct'' yourself.

[toofatfortakeoff]

I have a Barton man who went aboard an HMT because someone jumped ship, and he was torpedoed on that duty.. Also a veteran I knew from the South Staffordshires was returning to the front and saw a Leicesters man some way behind Ypres I think. (close enough to see his badge going home on leave smiling, with his rifle slung as Jack told me. Jack was gravedigger for Barton after the war and in the second wr, a pitfire landed in the cemetery with a pilot burning inside it.

And the man was blown to bits in front of him the next minute.

[RaySearching]

From my notes ( run over by a Train)

Private GEORGE ARUNDALE

55032, 2nd/4th Bn., Duke of Wellington's (West Riding Regiment) (transport Section)

George was called up for service in the later stages of the war he enlisted on the 26^th June 1918 whilst residing

with his parents at 58 Egerton Street Middlesbrough giving his occupation as a horseman

Aged 19 on the 26th May 1919 On duty in Germany, George was instructed to proceed to Ahrem (a small village near Cologne)

with a horse drawn general service wagon,

whilst travelling along the ERP-Lechenich Road a train approached which startled the horses,

George was thrown from the horse driven wagon, between the wheels of the train and run over, killing him instantly

George can be found on the 1911 census residing with his parent’s George a chemical works labourer and Mary Arundale and siblings

at 58 Egerton Street Middlesbrough

Born Middlesbrough and enlisted Richmond

COLOGNE SOUTHERN CEMETERY

regards Ray

[clive_hughes]

Just some unlucky rather than bizarre deaths.

On 3 November 1916, the L&NWR steamer SS Connemara left Greenore en route for Holyhead, but in the storm that was raging she was struck by another vessel and both sank with heavy loss of life.

Aboard the Connemara was an Irish-born soldier. In 1915 he had joined the Manchester Regiment. Wounded by GSW which fractured his right arm on 1 July 1916 at Montauban, he was invalided to the UK and spent a couple of months in hospital before going home on convalescent leave. However, he didn't report to his Depot on time and claimed firstly that he'd not been ordered to, and then that he didn't have a railway warrant for the journey.

The Depot eventually got the local police to apprehend him as an absentee, and sent a two-man escort...all three died in the tragedy.

Clive

[RaySearching]

FELL FROM A TROOP TRAIN

Sergeant ALFRED MATTISON WRAY

21447 20th Bn Durham Light Infantry

Alfred enlisted on the 9th November 1914 giving his age as 19 (he added two years to his age he had just

turned 17) his occupation given as a clerk

Alfred fell from a troop train near Nordkerque station at Andruich sustaining abdominal injuries on April 6th

1918 aged 19, declared dead, his body was removed from the station to no 35 General Hospital Calais France

He was the son of Joseph Wray a butcher (died 1913) and Mary Ellen Wray of 17 East Street Middlesbrough

(later of 2 Hanson Street Redcar)

Alfred can be found on the 1911 census residing with his parents and siblings at 17 East Street Middlesbrough

a schoolboy aged 12

Born and enlisted Middlesbrough

LES BARAQUES MILITARY CEMETERY

info from surviving papers on Anc*

regards Ray

[healdav]

I came across the story of a soldier in the French army who was in Lyons on leave, was mugged in the street one evening, and died of his wounds. No record of whether his assailant was found.

[ALCTay]

Staff Sgt Thomas Middleton HULME,an electrician with the Royal Engineers on duty with Director of Works B.E.F. 1919

Staff Sgt HULME died from a fractured skull after trying, and failing to beat a train across a level crossing.

The enquiry into his death is in his records and concludes: No 184987 Staff Sgt T Hulme, R.E. met his death on duty whilst riding a W.D. motorcycle the lack of judgement he displayed being the result of nervousness and small experience... he and he alone was to blame in disregarding the signal of the traffic sentry to stop. I do not consider the sentry to blame as the deceased apparently acknowledged the warning of the traffic sentry by slowing down then changed his mind and decided 'to chance it'

[toofatfortakeoff]

Theres a story i heard about a british and german soldier both dead and stood bolt upright against the side of a trench both with each others bayonets stuck in one another!!

I,m sure a Mametz wood story!?

from A Brass hat in No Mans Land I think or another F P Crozier book the Men i killed...there were many in the ferocity of the fighting pinned up dead against each other held up by ach others bayonets in this manner at Amiens.