BPJermyn Posted 1 February , 2012 Share Posted 1 February , 2012 I'm sure that this has been discussed in a previous post/ forum however I cannot find it - who is considered the first British casualty of WW1? This came to mind as on the new CWGC website you can export your results . i.e All United Kingdom soldiers killed between 1/7/1914 - 12/12/1918 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
auchonvillerssomme Posted 1 February , 2012 Share Posted 1 February , 2012 The first British o/r was Pte John Parr Rank:Private Service No:L/14196 Date of Death:21/08/1914 Age:20 Regiment/Service:Middlesex Regiment 4th Bn. Grave ReferenceI. A. 10. CemeteryST. SYMPHORIEN MILITARY CEMETERY Additional Information: Son of Edward Thomas and Alice Rosina Parr of 52 Lodge Lane, North Finchley. Believed to be the first British battle casualty of the war. but what is not so commonly known is the first officer THOMPSON, GEORGE MASTERMAN Rank:Lieutenant Date of Death:22/08/1914 Age:24 Regiment/Service:Royal Scots 1st Bn. and Gold Coast Regiment, W.A.F.F. Grave Reference CemeteryWAHALA CEMETERY Additional Information: Croix de Guerre with Palms (France). Son of Col. George William Thompson, (Commanding Royal Scots), and Mrs G. W. Thompson, of Beechwood, Burley, Hants. The First British Officer killed in action in the war. A Special French Army Order was published on 20th October commending his gallantry and the fine example he gave to the French soldiers temporarily under his command. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bruce Posted 1 February , 2012 Share Posted 1 February , 2012 He lies buried just nine yards...yes, nine....from the last British casualty, killed just before 11am on November 11th 1918. Over 4 years, over 900,000 British, Empire and Commonwealth dead, yet separated by just nine yards. St. Symphorien is a fascinating place to visit. Bruce Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
auchonvillerssomme Posted 1 February , 2012 Share Posted 1 February , 2012 Does anyone knwo the circumstances of the death of BRADSHAW, Alfred A Rank:Private Service No:15220 Date of Death:21/08/1914 Regiment/Service:Royal Fusiliers 4th Bn. Grave ReferenceXVIII. D. 1-16. CemeteryCEMENT HOUSE CEMETERY Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tipperary Posted 1 February , 2012 Share Posted 1 February , 2012 He lies buried just nine yards...yes, nine....from the last British casualty, killed just before 11am on November 11th 1918. Over 4 years, over 900,000 British, Empire and Commonwealth dead, yet separated by just nine yards. St. Symphorien is a fascinating place to visit. Bruce Some amount of suffering and loss in that nine yards.john Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John_Hartley Posted 1 February , 2012 Share Posted 1 February , 2012 Ah, now then. The title of the thread refers to "soldier", yet the OP refers to casualty (presumably fatal casualty). Assuming the latter was meant then it would be the crewmen of HMS Amphion which hit a mine on 6 August. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sotonmate Posted 1 February , 2012 Share Posted 1 February , 2012 I raised a similar question on a soldier who was killed on 21 Aug 1914. He was "reconnoitring at around midnight" and was shot by a French piquet nearby.Bombardier Ketteridge at Montay. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keithmroberts Posted 1 February , 2012 Share Posted 1 February , 2012 Re t Bradshaw SDGW just records DIED, , but also in Cement House is one of first the British army officers, killed in action the following day, Captain J E Knowles, Middlesex Regiment. Keith Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BPJermyn Posted 1 February , 2012 Author Share Posted 1 February , 2012 Some amount of suffering and loss in that nine yards.john That is something - poetic and someone symbolic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BPJermyn Posted 1 February , 2012 Author Share Posted 1 February , 2012 He lies buried just nine yards...yes, nine....from the last British casualty, killed just before 11am on November 11th 1918. Over 4 years, over 900,000 British, Empire and Commonwealth dead, yet separated by just nine yards. St. Symphorien is a fascinating place to visit. Bruce This cemetery is popularly believed to contain the graves of the first (Private John Parr) and the last soldier (Private George Price) to be killed during the 1914-18 War. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anthony Pigott Posted 1 February , 2012 Share Posted 1 February , 2012 On 02/02/2012 at 05:05, sotonmate said: I raised a similar question on a soldier who was killed on 21 Aug 1914. He was "reconnoitring at around midnight" and was shot by a French piquet nearby.Bombardier Ketteridge at Montay. Bombadier Ketteridge was also discussed in this thread: Anthony Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RaySearching Posted 1 February , 2012 Share Posted 1 February , 2012 And the first soldier to die on British soil during the bombardment of the Hartlepool's Theophilus Jones 18/295, 18th Bn., Durham Light Infantry who died on 16 December 1914 Age 29 Son of Mrs. L. Jones, of 44, Ashgrove Avenue, West Hartlepool. His brother Alfred also fell Hartlepool (Stranton) Cemetery regards Ray Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bill24chev Posted 1 February , 2012 Share Posted 1 February , 2012 As john Hartley said the first casualties occurred on 6th August 14 when HMs Amphion sank. To be pedantic, the casualties included obout 12 Royal Marines (all RMLI) these would have been the first "soldier" casualties of WW1. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tharkin56 Posted 1 February , 2012 Share Posted 1 February , 2012 Wasn't there are programme on sky called the First and the last, i seem to remember a focus on a Canadian http://cefww1soldiergprice.blogspot.com/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
auchonvillerssomme Posted 2 February , 2012 Share Posted 2 February , 2012 On the theme, first Australian serviceman WILLIAMS, WILLIAM G.V. Rank:Able Seaman Service No:294 Date of Death:11/09/1914 Regiment/Service:Australian Naval and Military Expeditionary Force R.A.N. Grave ReferenceAA. B. 3. CemeteryRABAUL (BITA PAKA) WAR CEMETERY Additional Information: W.G.V. Williams was the first recorded Australian casualty of the First World War. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin Michelle Young Posted 2 February , 2012 Admin Share Posted 2 February , 2012 The casualties in Cement House must have been moved in because they are from the Mons area. Michelle Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keithmroberts Posted 2 February , 2012 Share Posted 2 February , 2012 That is certainly the case for captain Knowles who was initially buried at Maisieres Communal Cemetery Extension. Keith Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
W.J.Caughey Posted 2 February , 2012 Share Posted 2 February , 2012 Ok, am i missing something here, found these WW1 service personal on new CWGC website, are one of these casualties not considered the first British casualty of WW1? DAVIES, G Private CH.8671== 04/08/1914 Royal Marine Light Infantry United Kingdom Special Memorial, Row 1. ST. PANCRAS CEMETERY VILES, JOSEPH Private 7297== 04/08/1914 Somerset Light Infantry United Kingdom O. B. 2. BATH (ST. JAMES'S) CEMETERY WEST, S E Staff Serjeant 7376== 04/08/1914 7th Dragoon Guards (Princess Royal's) United Kingdom Face 1. KIRKEE 1914-1918 MEMORIAL Walter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RaySearching Posted 2 February , 2012 Share Posted 2 February , 2012 Ok, am i missing something here, found these WW1 service personal on new CWGC website, are one of these casualties not considered the first British casualty of WW1? DAVIES, G Private CH.8671== 04/08/1914 Royal Marine Light Infantry United Kingdom Special Memorial, Row 1. ST. PANCRAS CEMETERY VILES, JOSEPH Private 7297== 04/08/1914 Somerset Light Infantry United Kingdom O. B. 2. BATH (ST. JAMES'S) CEMETERY WEST, S E Staff Serjeant 7376== 04/08/1914 7th Dragoon Guards (Princess Royal's) United Kingdom Face 1. KIRKEE 1914-1918 MEMORIAL Walter Walter I should have added as a direct result of enemy action on my post (killed in action) (not simply died) regards Ray Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
W.J.Caughey Posted 2 February , 2012 Share Posted 2 February , 2012 Thanks Ray, interesting post leads to a lot of other first casualties, i have in my file's Rifleman 19557 Samuel Hill, Royal Irish Rifles 22/10/1915 first Ulster Division to be KIA. Walter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GrahamC Posted 2 February , 2012 Share Posted 2 February , 2012 This cemetery is popularly believed to contain the graves of the first (Private John Parr) and the last soldier (Private George Price) to be killed during the 1914-18 War. There's also Pt. G E Ellison at St Symphorien - possibly the last Englishman (as opposed to Canadian). The TV programme - mentioned elsewhere - went into fine detail as to the hours and minutes between the two. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
auchonvillerssomme Posted 2 February , 2012 Share Posted 2 February , 2012 As a matter of interest the CWGC now lists Price as the last Canadian soldier killed during WW1, I'm sure it used to state 'British' soldier. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
healdav Posted 2 February , 2012 Share Posted 2 February , 2012 Unknown to just about everyone is that there was at least one "British" casualty when Fort Loncin at Liège was blown up. It is some years since I was there, and I can't remember whether there was on or two men. It may be possible to find the names. I seem to remember that one of them was born or lived at Gravesend. I presume the father was Belgian and therefore the son was liable for Belgian service. He must have died on 2 or 3 August 1914. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
auchonvillerssomme Posted 3 February , 2012 Share Posted 3 February , 2012 Unknown to just about everyone is that there was at least one "British" casualty when Fort Loncin at Liège was blown up. It is some years since I was there, and I can't remember whether there was on or two men. It may be possible to find the names. I seem to remember that one of them was born or lived at Gravesend. I presume the father was Belgian and therefore the son was liable for Belgian service. He must have died on 2 or 3 August 1914. Have I got it wrong? I didn't think Germany entered Belgium until August 4th and the attack on Liege took place on 5th August, the explosion above was on the 14/15th August. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CROONAERT Posted 3 February , 2012 Share Posted 3 February , 2012 Have I got it wrong? . I'm sure you haven't as the first acknowledged Belgian Army deaths of WW1 took place on 4th and 5th August ( the very first being 318 Rtr. Antoine Ad Fonck, 2e Regiment de Lanciers who was killed at La Croix Polinard (Thiminster) on the morning of 4th August) dave (Incidentally though, there is a memorial to two infantrymen at Vise - Sdt. A van Gastel from Antwerp and Sdt. J.Maulus, both of the 12th Linie Regt - stating that they were the first Belgian soldiers to fall in action. However, van Gastel died on the 5th August and Maulus on the 6th... ... Wachtmeister Jean Pierre Thill and Wachtmeister August Bouko of the Rijkswacht te Voet were the first Belgians to die at Vise on 4th August anyway!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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