Pte R Sheen-5th Welsh

[Dannemois]

Searching for details on a Pte R Sheen who is named on the Brithdir (Rhymney Valley) memorial, I found the following newspaper article: Merthyr Pioneer, 11 Sept 1915; “News has been received from the War Office that Private R. Sheen, Charles Street, Brithdir, of the 5th Batt. Welsh Regiment, has been killed in action in France”.

The CWGC only as one soldier named Sheen on their database, Private 2876, Reginald Charles Sheen, coincidently also of the Welsh Regiment 5th Battalion, his date of death 20 Aug 1915, remembered on Panel 140 to 144 of the HELLES MEMORIAL. Strangely enough the commemorative scroll of this soldier tells us that he enlisted at Brithdir. His usual place of residence was Brynmawr and he is remembered on the Govilon War Memorial, the village where he lived with his grandparents.

I checked with the Regiment Archives held at Brecon and they only have details on Reginald Charles Sheen

The LLT have the regiment “Landed at Suvla Bay 9 August 1915”. Am I right in thinking that the newspaper reporter has made a serious error. Is it also possible that R Sheen and RC Sheen are the same person?

[johnnie]

SDGW only has one real match (that I can see) and that is the R C Sheen that you have identified.

The dates would fit, so I wonder if there has been some error in the recording of the place of death.

Johnnie

[clive_hughes]

Newspaper reports are valuable to us; but from experience they can also be riddled with minor errors of date, age, unit, and yes, even theatre of war. Unless some other evidence can be found the contrary, I'd be inclined to accept it is the same man.

Clive

[Dannemois]

Thanks both; my sentiments totally. I have found many, who enlisted whilst lodging/boarding in Brithdir, had only been in residence a short while, coming to the village to work in the local coal mines.