First British Soldier Killed

[CROONAERT]

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.

Sdt Robert Demaret, Vestingsartillerie Liege, born in Brixton, UK on 13th April 1896, died at Ft.Loncin on 15th August 1914 (same day that the first soldier in a British regiment was to be KIA... 7057 Pte. Bai of the Gold Coast Regiment who was KIA at Agbeluvoe, Togo)

dave

[healdav]

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.

Yes, typo. But, actually Germany entered Belgium for the first time on 3 August. But no one told the government!

[Chris_Baker]

I was today looking to find the date on which the first man of the 1st Cameron Highlanders lost his life to enemy action. I was expecting it to be on or after 5 September 1914 when the battalion joined 1st Brigade. But "Soldiers Died" shows Duncan McDionald to have died (killed in action) on 13 August 1914 and CWGC confirms it, adding he was aged just 16. The battalion war diary was destroyed on the Aisne. He has no known grave. So who is this boy and did he really die on 13 August? How?

Personal suspicion: it was 13 September 1914.

CWGC details: http://www.cwgc.org/search-for-war-dead/casualty/723050/McDONALD,%20DUNCAN

[GrahamC]

Personal suspicion: it was 13 September 1914.

You are probably right as the the LLT states:

"1st Battalion 14 August 1914 : landed at Le Havre as Army Troops.

5 September 1914 : joined 1st Brigade in 1st Division."

So if he was killed on 13 August it was the day before his Bn. landed!

Graham

[P. J. Clarke]

The first Irishman who died was a County Mayo man, who lived in Ardoughan, Ballina. He was Pte. Stephen Kennedy, No. 10691, 2nd Battn. Connaught Rangers. He died from wounds in Athis Mons, France, on the 22nd August, 1914, and is buried in the beautiful Athis Mons Communal Cemetery. Grave ref. Military plot 2.29. Two of his brothers also died in the war: William, DCM, kia in1916, and John, kia in 1918. They also served in the Connaught Rangers.

[madgarry]

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.

Spot on mate, the first officer to die was Staff Paymaster Joseph Theodore Gedge RN,who drowned 6 Aug 1914 when HMS Amphion was sunk, he is recorded on the Swanley memorial in Kent as the first British officer to die, he was my 4th cousin 4x removed....

[kildaremark]

Regarding Bombardier Ketteridge, killed on 21st August. I always understood him to have bben killed by the French but have looked at the War Diary of the 15th Brigade which contradicts this:

21st August 8 p.m. "Lt. Younger proceeding forward with billeting party was fired on in error by French picquet. He retired with his party to Le Cateau where No. 1 Sec DAC 5th Div also mistook the party and fired killing Bdr Ketteridge and severly wounding Cpl Atkins."