potty5 Posted 13 October , 2012 Share Posted 13 October , 2012 Dear forum members, have gone round and round with this one. I have been researching the local war memorial in Shavington (nr Crewe, Cheshire) and can find all the men bar one. His name is Harold Potts. This has drove me up the wall as my surname is Potts and he may be a distant relative. Anyway today I have learnt on good authority that Harold Potts was a POW and am wondering if there are any POW lists out there. What I can gather is that Harold Potts was in the Cheshire Regiment and was captured quite early in the war. Any info on this man would be a great help. The CWGC and Soldiers Died CD-Rom have been checked without success. Thanks alot. PS Have found a Harold Potts on the 1901 census aged 5, son of Arthur and Harriet Potts of 172, Main Road, Shavington. This could well be him, as by August 1914 he would be around 18 years of age. Have checked the local papers up to and including 1924, which was when the Shavington war memorial was unveiled. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stebie9173 Posted 13 October , 2012 Share Posted 13 October , 2012 There is an MIC for 10315 Harold Potts, Cheshire Regiment - to France 16-8-1914 (presumably 1st Battalion) and MIC marked as "POW". He appears as Missing on a Casualty List in the Times of 6-11-1914 (casualties reported from base on 3-9-1914) He was probably captured on 24-8-1914 at Audregnies. Steve. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ss002d6252 Posted 13 October , 2012 Share Posted 13 October , 2012 10315 Harold Potts Went to France on 16 Aug 1914, MIC shows him as a POW. Times of 26 Apr 1915 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stebie9173 Posted 13 October , 2012 Share Posted 13 October , 2012 PDF of 1st Cheshire War Diary for 1914: http://grandadswar.mrallsophistory.com/files/War%20Diary.pdf Steve. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IPT Posted 13 October , 2012 Share Posted 13 October , 2012 There is an MIC for 10315 Pte Harold Potts, Cheshire Regiment. This states that he went to France 16/8/1914 so he must have been a pre-war soldier, and says "P of W". This man appears in a number of missing lists in the Manchester Evening News from September 1914. His address is given as New Street, Crewe. EDIT - Steve is right. He was reported missing on 24/8/1914. He would have enlisted around December 1913. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roughdiamond Posted 13 October , 2012 Share Posted 13 October , 2012 Have you thought of looking for a post-War death cert for Harold? As the Memorial was unveiled 1924, it could be he was returned at the end of the War and died prior to the names being finalised for engraving on the Memorial. I can recall a case quoted on here of an ex-Soldier being killed in a mine accident being added to a War memorial, there's also the chance that he returned with TB or another illness related to his captivity that eventually killed him. Either way post-War death is a possibility. Sam Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ss002d6252 Posted 13 October , 2012 Share Posted 13 October , 2012 The only matching record on FreeBMD is Deaths Jun 1919 Potts Harold age 22 Chorlton 8c 792 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roughdiamond Posted 13 October , 2012 Share Posted 13 October , 2012 He's a possible, would Chorlton be Chorlton-cum-Hardy in Manchester? Maybe a patient in one of the local Hospitals? There's also the 1919 Absent Voters list to consider. Sam Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim_Grundy Posted 13 October , 2012 Share Posted 13 October , 2012 It looks as though you've got your man. My great uncle died on 6th January 1922 and he's on our local war memorial, dying as a result of complications following his gassing during the war. Two others commemorated on the same memorial - Hucknall - died after the war of malaria that they'd contracted whilst serving in Salonica. Such men are often not commemorated by the CWGC and a search of the local newspapers is normally the best means of finding out what happened to them. Good luck with your search. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nthornton1979 Posted 14 October , 2012 Share Posted 14 October , 2012 He served in 'A' Company and was reported 'Missing' on 24th August 1914. http://grandadswar.m.../orig_batt.html That was Captain Dyer's company and it is those who are depicted in the famous painting, fighting in the open cornfields. See here - http://www.first-wor...hp?ProdID=23374 Neil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stebie9173 Posted 14 October , 2012 Share Posted 14 October , 2012 I guess I should have investigated the website with the war diary link a bit further! Steve. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mercian Volunteer Posted 23 October , 2012 Share Posted 23 October , 2012 I would suggest with the number 10315 Private Potts could well have been a special reservist and not a profesional soldier. Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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