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The Great War (1914-1918) Forum

Remembered Today:

2nd battalion Essex Regiment


Edwardreed

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Hi

Not wishing to take take Michael's thunder, I will try to answer your query. He has not been on the Forum for a couple of weeks but may be able to answer in more detail when he again returns.

It looks like he joined on the 25th. if I read it correctly

post-10072-0-53633300-1371308623_thumb.j

Nothing else apparent until his death

post-10072-0-79434200-1371308820_thumb.j

Regards,

Graeme

Thankyou Graeme; I suspected as much. Regards - Stillearning

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Hi Graeme,

Glad to see that others share their sources as well. :)

Hi Stilllearning,

As you can see the diarist misspelled his name in the first entry -- Barrel.

He is also mentioned in an Appendix from December 1915:

LIST OF OFFICERS WHO JOINED THE 2ND. BATTALION & REMARKS FROM 22.8.14 – 31.7.15.

NAME Date of REMARKS

Joining

Battalion

2/LIEUT. P.J. BARRELL 26.3.15 Killed near Ypres on 1st May 1915.

Cheers,

Michael

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Sorry, forgot to clarify the following: for some reason the National Archives didn't publish this appendix online, I happen to have a copy of the original War Diary entry.

Cheers,

Michael

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Another nugget of information: he was killed by a sniper according to John Wm Burrows in the official history of the 2nd Battalion The Essex Regiment, page 125:

" , 2nd Lieut. P.J. Barrell being killed by a sniper." No source for this information I'm afraid.

Cheers,

Michael

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There is a picture of Barrell in the "Bond of Sacrifice". If you can't access this let me know and I can email across a copy.

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  • 2 months later...

Hi, Having just returned from Lijenthoek to revist my Gt uncles grave- I wonder if the war diarys have any info on him. 9462 died from gunshot wounds to abdomen 14-8-16 at 17CCS. the only death that day I just wonder what he was doing and how long before he was wounded.

This is my first (second) post Thanks for any help you may give.

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gerry: Adding to someone else's post often means it is missed as Pals think further posts are related to the caption and not additional requests.

You should be able to go to the sub forum "Soldiers" and "Start a New Thread" there.

Hope you felt the visit worthwhile, and whilst it is a Jewish custom, I always think it a lovely touch to leave a small pebble on the headstone just to show he's not forgotten by his family.

You probably know all this but just in case another curious Pal (in the nicest sense!) comes along this is what I have:-

PAGE, A J. Rank: Private. Service No: 9462. Date of Death: 14/08/1916. Age: 28.
Regiment/Service: Essex Regiment. 2nd Bn.
Grave Reference: IX. C. 1A. Cemetery: LIJSSENTHOEK MILITARY CEMETERY
Additional Information: Son of Mr. and Mrs. Page, of Great Bentley, Essex; husband of Alice Page, of The Corner, Great Bentley.
During the First World War, the village of Lijssenthoek was situated on the main communication line between the Allied military bases in the rear and the Ypres battlefields. Close to the Front, but out of the extreme range of most German field artillery, it became a natural place to establish casualty clearing stations. The cemetery was first used by the French 15th Hopital D'Evacuation and in June 1915, it began to be used by casualty clearing stations of the Commonwealth forces.
Name: Arthur James Page. Birth Place: Tendring, Harwich. Residence: Great Benley, Essex.
Death Date: 14 Aug 1916. Death Location: France & Flanders. Enlistment Location: Harwich
Rank: Private. Regiment: Essex Regiment. Battalion: 2nd Battalion. Number: 9462
Type of Casualty: Died of wounds. Theatre of War: Western European Theatre
Name: Arthur J Page. Spouse: Alice Clarke. Date of Registration: Oct-Nov-Dec 1914
Registration District: Billericay, Essex. Volume: 4a. Page: 1195.
To answer your question in general terms a wounded man would be treated at the Regimental Aid Post and then back to a Field Ambulance (a larger First Aid Post, not wheeled conveyance) to be assessed and attempts to stabilise the wound. He would then be passed to a Casualty Clearing Station and then back to a base hospital, possibly a "Blighty" wound back to the UK.
In Arthurs case, there were no other deaths from 10th August till his on 14th August, so very likely either he was hit on 13th or even 14th, so he wasn't suffering for very long.
They also had morphia to ease the pain, as well as have a Pal from his unit with him at the end.
Obviously I can't swear that's what happened but it is likely to be something similar.
Hope that helps
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Thanks for the info and advice- I take note. I use other forums and should have remembered. I will repost tonight a new post ;)

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  • 1 month later...

A somewhat belated entry to this thread, but maybe someone can help me.

My Great-Grandfather, Private 6122 William Richard Belcher, died of wounds on May 9th 1915 at No.11 Hospital Bolougne. He served with the 2nd Battalion Essex Regiment from November 1914, having previously served in the 1st Bn Essex in the Boer War and re-enlisted at the beginning of the Great War. He is buried in Bolougne Eastern CWGC cemetery

I'm assuming he would have been wounded sometime in the preceeding 2-3 weeks, when the Battalion was serving in the Ypres salient.

We know very little, his death certificate says "died of wounds" but nothing else. Can anyone suggest if there is a source of Hospital or CCS admissions etc which may indicate when, where and how he was wounded ?

Any help or advice greatly received

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Hello Paul

As they say in Westminster

I refer the Hon Gen to my earlier answer

...... Adding to someone else's post often means it is missed as Pals think further posts are related to the caption and not additional requests.

You should be able to go to the sub forum "Soldiers" and "Start a New Thread" there.

In your GGF's case I note that he is buried next to another 2nd Bn Essex man

BELCHER, WILLIAM RICHARD. Rank: Private. Service No: 6122. Date of Death: 09/05/1915. Age: 35.
Regiment/Service: Essex Regiment. 2nd Bn.
Grave Reference: VIII. C. 9. Cemetery: BOULOGNE EASTERN CEMETERY
Additional Information: Son of William and Martha Belcher. Served in the South African Campaign. Born in Plaistow, London.
MAYNARD, JOSEPH ALBERT. Rank: Private. Service No: 312004. Date of Death: 09/05/1915.
Regiment/Service: Essex Regiment. 2nd Bn.
Grave Reference: VIII. C. 8. Cemetery: BOULOGNE EASTERN CEMETERY
Now you'd need to know what was happening so reference to the War Diary may explain events better.
My feeling is that these two men may have been seriously wounded perhaps a week earlier , sufficient to get them back as far as Boulogne but not back to the UK, before they succumbe to their wounds.
Many of the casualties in early May were not identified and are commemorated on the Menin Gate.
That sometimes indicates they were not recovered but buried by the Germans and their final resting place lost in the fog of war.
Hope it helps, but start a Topic of your own with his details, Regiment and see what else comes out!
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  • 4 months later...

Hello Paul,

I think that your GGF William, may be commemorated on an unusual memorial in East London. The names of 169 men (who died in WW1, from the parish of Plaistow) are cast into the bells of the Memorial Community Church, Barking Rd, E13. One of these men is Pte. W BELSHER. Obviously the spelling is different to your GGF so I had a look at the CWGC website and there are no men listed as died during the Great War with the surname Belsher. I think its a spelling mistake and it probably should be W Belcher and your GGF has a strong link to Plaistow.

There is a website with a history of the bells and a link to the names of the men recorded on them. There is also a a link to an audio clip from a local radio station with a short report and a tune from the memorial bells.

Website. memorial cc the memorial bells

The site is looking for relatives of the men commemorated to get in touch and from the research they have done they think there are many mistakes regarding the spelling of the mens names.

Not the info you asked for but hopefully interesting.

All the best.

Joe.

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  • 7 months later...

Hi. I am researching William Albert Sharpley. 2nd Battalion Essex. Was with Essex at break out of war. Died 1st day of Somme. Received Medal of St George 2nd Class (Russian). Recorded 24/8/15 in London Gazette 9214 Acting Company Serjeant-Major William Sharpley, 2nd Battalion, Essex Regiment (attached 3rd Battalion). Also mentioned in London Gazette 28/3/16 receiving DCM for saving an Officers life in the heat of battle. He also boxed for the regiment in 1914 and palyed one game for Leicester Fosse (now City) v Leeds City before the war. Quite a hero but died so young aged 24. Born in Bow London. Any help would be appreciated particularly around the battles that the regiment would have been involved in. Happy to purchase. Many thanks.

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Sharpley is mentioned quite a few times in the regimental history. If you send me a personal message with your email address I'll send you the details.

Ali

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  • 2 years later...

Hi, I have been researching my great uncle for many years. His name was Private 19459 Harold Jones, he served with 2nd Battalion Essex Regiment and was killed in action at the Somme on 1st July 1916. I have located his grave and have now been able to have made arrangements for his name to be added to the war memorial in Bilston from where he originated from (for some unknown reason his name was not added).

It took me several years to find him (Jones is a difficult name to research as you can well imagine) however, I could never locate any photographs of him or his regiment. I realise it would be a miracle to find a photograph of him but was wondering if anyone has a photograph of the regiment around the time he was serving up until his death. I was lucky to locate a photograph of his brother's regiment (He served with the Canadian Army and was killed in action 3 weeks before) and was able to pick out his brother from the regimental photograph. I am keeping fingers crossed that I may have the same luck if such a photograph of my uncle's regiment exists and could be shared.

Regards

Steve  

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