Guest clogauminer Posted 30 November , 2011 Share Posted 30 November , 2011 Hi, My grandfather's eldest brother was a Robert Owen Thomas and was a Lance Corporal with the Royal Welsh Fusiliers 9th Bn. I have found the following details on the CWGC site Name:THOMAS, ROBERT OWEN Initials:R O Nationality:United Kingdom Rank:Lance Corporal Regiment/Service:Royal Welsh Fusiliers Unit Text:9th Bn. Age:28 Date of Death:29/08/1918 Service No:20915 Additional information:Son of John and Sarah Thomas, of Glesgoed, Llanfachreth, Merioneth. Casualty Type:Commonwealth War Dead Grave/Memorial Reference:VIII. H. 12. Cemetery:NIEDERZWEHREN CEMETERY From information passed on from my father, it seems that he was taken as a POW during some confusion as to who had a particular trench as it had changed hands many times during that period and taken to a camp in Germany where he died from starvation. A fellow POW from the same village was with him but survived and came back to tell the story. Any further information would be greatly appreciated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davidmichaeljarvis Posted 30 November , 2011 Share Posted 30 November , 2011 Hi. I've had a quick look on Ancestry for his service records. I looks like they did not survive the blitz. Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davidmichaeljarvis Posted 30 November , 2011 Share Posted 30 November , 2011 Hi again. Had a look at SDGW. The only additional info is that he signed on at Liverpool. Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sotonmate Posted 30 November , 2011 Share Posted 30 November , 2011 MT His Medal Card shows first landing in France on 2 Dec 1915 so he was entitled to three campaign medals. His Battalion War Diary is at Kew under WO95/2092 (Jul 1915 to Mar 1919) but is not yet digital. It will give you a day-to-day summary of their position and actions from his arrival to the day of his capture. Sotonmate Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bernard_Lewis Posted 30 November , 2011 Share Posted 30 November , 2011 There are some files at the National Archives about the conditions in German POW camps. In the WO (war office) series but I can'r recall the file ref. Might be worth a Google but I don't think these files have been digitised so a trip to Kew or help from a Pal would be needed. Bernard Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sotonmate Posted 30 November , 2011 Share Posted 30 November , 2011 WO161 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest clogauminer Posted 30 November , 2011 Share Posted 30 November , 2011 Thanks for the replies, they have given me direction for my next search Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hywyn Posted 30 November , 2011 Share Posted 30 November , 2011 According to their embarkation roll Robert initially went to France with the 14th Bn on 2/12/1915 although the roll states Llanfachreth, Anglesey!! He has obviously been transferred at some stage to the 9th Battalion. The 9th Battalion was heavily hit by the German Offensive in Spring 1918 and many were taken prisoner. I can't see his number amongst them although I'm not confident that I have a list of them all. However, the family story does not seem to fit with being overrun by the German push. What was the name of the other man from the village? I have about 20 RWF from there. Pte 25546 David Jones from Penrhos, Llanfachreth (family later Caetyddyn, Cross Foxes ) also died as PoW 7/2/1917. John Thomas of Glasgoed was Pte 89614 in RWF. Nothing further as to which Battalion etc and nil records that I can see.The only other Thomas I have is William Owen Thomas of Bwlchrhoswen who was 336217 in 419th Agricultural Coy of Labour Corps. Hywyn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hywyn Posted 30 November , 2011 Share Posted 30 November , 2011 Possibly the other one was Pte 25271 Silvanus Henry Jones MM of Caelleci, Llanfachreth? If so, and both were taken PoW same time then Robert would have been taken during the German Offensive as Silvanus appears on a huge list of men taken during that period as was 26228 Lewis Williams of Tynant, Dolgellau. Hywyn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clive_hughes Posted 1 December , 2011 Share Posted 1 December , 2011 Hywyn, I too was foxed for quite some time by the appearance of R.O.Thomas in the 14th battalion's embarkation roll with a seemingly bona fide Anglesey address. There are various parishes in North Wales which have identical names, and this can then throw the research off course. Llanfachraeth, Anglesey only suffered a couple of fatalities in the Great War. Clive Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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