Identical Twins

[Skipman]

Leslie and Victor Gallie, identical twins with as near as damn it, identical service history. Both mobilized same date and both served with 150th Siege Battery. It also looks (to me) as if their service records are identically burnt, so may have been filed together?

How unusual is this, particularly twin brothers serving in same unit in 1916?

Leslie Mervyn Gallie

Victor Alexander Gallie

Mike

[WhiteStarLine]

Here are two eighteen-year old identical twins, both school students, who embarked from Melbourne in May 1917. Both served in the 10th Field Artillery Brigade: Alexander & Rudolph Bailey were photographed on the Ascanius by Sapper Eric Frost, who was asked to look after them. The identity of the middle soldier is unknown.

[Guest]

Thanks for that. I would have thought twins would have been separated?

Mike

[Stebie9173]

William Herbert Denton and John Sidney Denton of Rushden were identical twins (born 2 Nov 1890) - both were commissioned as a Second Lieutenants in the Northamptonshire Regiment on 4th January 1916, and both were promoted to Lieutenant in November 1917, effective 4th July 1917 (effectively 18 month promotions). They both joined the 2nd Northamptons on 26th April 1918. Both were posted Missing on the Aisne on 27th May 1918, spending the rest of the war confusing German prison guards in camp parades. The only minor difference was that William was in "B" Company and John in "C". Both relinquished their commissions on 30 September 1921.

http://www.rushdenhe...Cricketers.html

Both were county cricketers, as was their younger brother Don (Arthur Donald) who didn't let the "inconvenience" of losing a leg during the war stop him playing cricket (with a runner, of course) after the war.

Steve.

[Guest]

Thanks Steve. You really couldn't make it up.

Cheers Mike

[Will O'Brien]

Harry & Fred Burnell from Newport Pagnell both served with the 7th Bn Wiltshire Regt in Salonika after both transfering from the Oxford & Bucks Light Infantry. Harry & Fred were killed on the 24th April 1917 aged 23 during the night attack on the western side of Lake Doiran. The only difference is that Harry is buried in Doiran Military Cemetery whilst Fred has no known grave & is listed on the Doiran Memorial

[Guest]

Twins Alfred & Arthur William Souls fell within 4 days of each other.

Mike

[Guest]

Percy Douglas, and Charles Croxton Marriner both Auckland Regiment

Mike

[moggs]

Ina 4256 and Clement 4257 Moore were taken on strength of the 14th Battalion AIF in March 1916. They were both killed on the same day, 3rd July 1916, in the aftermath of the raid at Bois Grenier - the first stunt by the 14th on the Western Front. They were 36 years old.

Jonathan

[Guest]

Sidney and Richard Gordon Crowley

Mike

[WilliamRev]

In his book "Mud and Khaki" H.S. Clapham relates his experiences in 1915 in the Ypres Salient at St. Eloi and Sanctuary Wood. On 4th June 1915 he mentions a pair of very polite twins who arrive to join his battalion, 1st Honourable Artillery Company (3rd Division), but doesn't give their name; they seem to survive until the end of the book, October 1915 at least.

I wonder if anyone can identify them? Are they among the twins mentioned early on in this thread - like so many Territorial units,1st HAC was full of law clerks and university students etc., and was richly plundered for officer-material after Loos in Sept 1915, so it is entirely possible that they were commissioned into other units. Any ideas?

William