Frank Cox, Northumberland Fus.

[Alan24]

I'm trying to find a CWGC record for Private Frank Cox Northumberland Fus. who was killed in action on 8th Aug 1917 at Nieuport. Joined Sept. 25 1914.

He is the third of 3 brothers killed in the Great War.

His brothers, Thomas and Fred, were killed on the first day of the Somme, 1st July 1916 and Battle of Jutland 31 May 1916 when HMS Queen Mary was sunk.

I believe that these 3 brothers/sons represent the greatest loss by a single family in the City of Winchester.

Any help would be appreciated. It may be something in the details above are not quite right which is why I can find the two brothers but not Frank.

Details I have come from the Winchester War Service Register, published 1921.

Regards

Alan.

[Graham Stewart]

16/967 Pte Frank Cox, served with XV Platoon, 'D' Coy, 16th Bn, Northumberland Fusiliers and is buried Ramscappelle Road Military Cemetery,Belgium. He was actually KIA on the 8th June 1916 and not 1917 as you have recorded, which is recorded in six sources.

[Alan24]

Graham,

That's great, still couldn't find his details using his service number on CWGC but went the cemetery details then listed casualties and found him that way.

Still a query over the date...CWGC has him down as 9th Aug 1917 which is only one day out from his listing in the WWSR.

If he had died on 8th June 1916 then this would be all the more tragic as all 3 sons would have been lost in the space of a month.

It's also stange that the other brothers have "Additional Information" on the CWGC i.e. Son of George & Ellen Cox, but Frank has nothing, not even his first name is recorded.

Frank Cox aged 18 is listed as a Book Binder, son of George & Ellen Cox and born in Winchester on the 1911 census.

Does this tie in with other details you have?

The WWSR says he first enlisted with N. Fus. and I was wondering how a resisdent of Winchester who volunteered in 1914 could have been placed in the NF? maybe they were billeted in Aldershot?

Regards

Alan.

[Graham Stewart]

Graham,

That's great, still couldn't find his details using his service number on CWGC but went the cemetery details then listed casualties and found him that way.

Still a query over the date...CWGC has him down as 9th Aug 1917 which is only one day out from his listing in the WWSR.

If he had died on 8th June 1916 then this would be all the more tragic as all 3 sons would have been lost in the space of a month.

It's also stange that the other brothers have "Additional Information" on the CWGC i.e. Son of George & Ellen Cox, but Frank has nothing, not even his first name is recorded.

Frank Cox aged 18 is listed as a Book Binder, son of George & Ellen Cox and born in Winchester on the 1911 census.

Does this tie in with other details you have?

The WWSR says he first enlisted with N. Fus. and I was wondering how a resisdent of Winchester who volunteered in 1914 could have been placed in the NF? maybe they were billeted in Aldershot?

Regards

Alan.

Going to have to check this one out further regarding date of death, as SDGW also gives 9/8/17 and wonder if I got the date from the War Diary, Medal Rolls, MIC, or even St.Georges Gazette. Always a problem when dates don't match. Battalion History doesn't even have him in the Roll of Honour and the nearest they got to Winchester, was Codford St.Mary in Wiltshire.

On top of which the Battalion History has them being relieved on the 9th August 1917 by the Lancashire Fusiliers, but no reports of any casualties, but they were in the Line in June 1916!!

[CROONAERT]

16/967 Pte Frank Cox, served with XV Platoon, 'D' Coy, 16th Bn, Northumberland Fusiliers and is buried Ramscappelle Road Military Cemetery,Belgium. He was actually KIA on the 8th June 1916 and not 1917 as you have recorded, which is recorded in six sources.

Graham,

On 8th June 1916, the Lombartzyde sector (from the sea to just before Nieupoort) was held by the French 29th Infantry Division (along with an attachment from the 106th Territorials) and the area to the south (down as far as the Ypres Salient) held by the Belgian Army. Wouldn't it ,therefore, be a little odd for a man from the 16th NFs to be buried at Ramscappelle Road Military Cemetery if he died on this date, especially when his battalion was some 80 miles (as the crow flies) to the south?

In August 1917, they were in the Flemish coastal area, so the 1917 date certainly looks the most likely (to me anyway) .

Dave

[Graham Stewart]

Graham,

On 8th June 1916, the Lombartzyde sector (from the sea to just before Nieupoort) was held by the French 29th Infantry Division (along with an attachment from the 106th Territorials) and the area to the south (down as far as the Ypres Salient) held by the Belgian Army. Wouldn't it ,therefore, be a little odd for a man from the 16th NFs to be buried at Ramscappelle Road Military Cemetery if he died on this date, especially when his battalion was some 80 miles (as the crow flies) to the south?

In August 1917, they were in the Flemish coastal area, so the 1917 date certainly looks the most likely (to me anyway) .

Dave

Dave - Will go with that one and alter my data accordingly.

[Alan24]

Thanks for clearing up the original question guys.

It is now clear that he was one of 5 brothers who served and one of the 3 who were killed.

I find it odd that the CWGC has no additional information provided by the family unlike the 2 brothers and he is just known as 'F. Cox.'

Graham mentions that he is also not in the Battalion RoH, not check the shot at dawn lists, but wonder if there's a darker side to this storey?

Regards

Alan.

[CROONAERT]

Graham mentions that he is also not in the Battalion RoH, not check the shot at dawn lists, but wonder if there's a darker side to this storey?

Probably not. More likely just a clerical error (Rolls of Honour are rarely 100% accurate or complete).

Dave.