Boxer Rebellion

[Khaki]

Just been watching the movie about the Boxer Rebellion, it occurred to me, did any defenders/relief force, that are known, serve in the great war?

khaki

[clive_hughes]

I'm sure someone else will amplify this, but the Royal Welsh Fusiliers were part of the relief force and the Regt. History (as well as Frank Richards' recollections) mentions some of them rejoining in 1914.

Clive

[IPT]

You'd need men who had the China War Medal 1900.

I found Lt Col C.A.K Johnson;

http://www.dnw.co.uk/medals/auctionarchive/searchcataloguearchive/itemdetail.lasso?itemid=2223

[BottsGreys]

I have a memorial card to a German killed in the Vosges who served with the China relief force:

Army Leutnant Anton Breitschaft, 18 Bavarian Reserve Infantry Regiment.

Awarded the Military Service Cross 2nd Class with Swords, Prussian State Service Medal, Prinz Regent Luitpold Jubilee Medal, Medal of the China Campaign.

Badly wounded on an assault on Altmannskopf, 20 February 1915 and died a day later in the hospital in the hospital in Muehlback, Vorgesen.

Chris

[centurion]

The following served in the Boxer campaign -showing their rank in WW1. They were all part of the naval contingent in China

Rear Admiral Sir Roger John Brownslow Keyes

Chief Yeoman of Signals Oscar Charlton Cox (Lost in HMS Vanguard 1917)

P.O. C. Bugg (Lost in HMS Vanguard 1917)

Lieut Jack Beaumont Lemottee 13th, North Canterbury, and Westland Company of the Canterbury Infantry Battalion (formerly Sub Lt RN, Captain NZ DF) Wounded Gallipoli

Paymaster Rear-Admiral Charles Augustus Royer Flood Dunbar, R.N. C.B.E

[centurion]

To which I should add Admiral Richard Philimore who as a Captain served in both the Peking relief column and in Somaliland

[ss002d6252]

The CWGC have 36 men who are noted as having served in the Boxer Rebellion.

[Pete1052]

The 9th U.S. Infantry Regiment was in Peking during the Boxer Rebellion, where it earned its nickname "Manchus." In 1917 the unit deployed to France as part of the 2nd U.S. Infantry Division and saw heavy fighting.

http://en.wikipedia....acred-Gate.jpeg

[centurion]

The CWGC have 36 men who are noted as having served in the Boxer Rebellion.

So its probable that the number who served in both wars will be much higher.

[centurion]

Nathan E Cook US Navy not only served in the Boxer campaign but also in the Spanish American War, the Philippine insurrection, border clashes with Mexico, WW1 (where he commanded a sub chaser that sank 2 U boats) and WW2. He lied about his age when joining the Navy

[jdoyle]

Chief Gunner John David Sumner was awarded the China Medal but I'm not sure exactly what his role was.

Drowned in Gibraltar in 1915

http://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/3042911/SUMNER,%20JOHN%20DAVID

http://www.ulsterwarmemorials.net/html/portaferry__county_down.html

Indebted to GWF member FitzroyPC for information about this chap.

[James A Pratt III]

US army units involved in the Boxer rebelion: 9th and 14th Infantry, part of the 6th cavalry and one battery of the 5th artillery, The USMC and a number of ships of the USN were involved. I can savely say that some of the men who fought in this action saw service in WW I

I think there was an Indian army battalion that was captured at Kut that took part in the Boxer rebelion

In mark conrads Russian Military history page he lists all the russian army units that took part and a brief account of their operations. He also lists the Order of St George winners the most famous was then Colonel, WW I general Pavel Von Rennenkampf who commanded the Russian 1st army at the start of the war. He was relieved of command after the battle of Lodz in late 1914 and was shot by the Bolos in 1918.

[James A Pratt III]

WW I admirals Christopher Craddock (KIA at Coronel) and David Beatty both saw combat in the boxer rebelion.