Is this lad telling porkies?

[museumtom]

I have come across a report once in a newspaper where a lad said he buried his brother who was killed on the battlefield, when he actually survived the war. Here is another possible mis-reported dead brother or is it. I cannot find him. I would very much appreciated your comments please.

Kind regards.

Tom.

[ss002d6252]

Misreporting of deaths isn't too unusual- especially if a body has been badly damaged and tags aren't available. It's possible he saw his brother get hit and when he came back be found the remains and assumed it was his.

I've just seen a letter where a man swore his best mate was killed next to him whereas he was only badly wounded and turned up in hospital later.

Craig

[seaforths]

Similar incident in the last few days with me. However, this death was mentioned in a private diary. I couldn't find the death on CWGC or SDGW so I put his name into ICRC and discovered the man he thought dead was in fact wounded and captured.

[museumtom]

Thank's lads, I thought so.

Kind regards.

Tom.

[KGB]

I am researching the Fureys (Connaught Rangers) and things get conflated. My guess is that someone wanted home leave and out comes an exaggerated tale. That said, my Great Uncle was with his eldest brother when he was k.i.a. Happened a lot in battalions/companies where families were together.

[ss002d6252]

I am researching the Fureys (Connaught Rangers) and things get conflated. My guess is that someone wanted home leave and out comes an exaggerated tale. That said, my Great Uncle was with his eldest brother when he was k.i.a. Happened a lot in battalions/companies where families were together.

My example was for a T.F. man so there's normally plenty of reports of uncle this and cousin that.

Craig

[healdav]

I read about a WW2 case where a man to the end of his life swore that he saw his brother shot somewhere in Hungary They were not British).

The survivor went to live somewhere in Britain, and never knew that not only did his brother survive unharmed! he went to live in the same city. Sadly, they never met.

[redbarchetta]

How is it he was already "accustomed to seeing things in trenches but..." when he was at Mons in August 1914??! Smacks a little of 'playing to the audience' to me.

James

[KGB]

How is it he was already "accustomed to seeing things in trenches but..." when he was at Mons in August 1914??! Smacks a little of 'playing to the audience' to me.

James

Or "The angel of Mons" itself? I am old enough to remember vets saying that it appeared to them. Now whether it was mass hysteria or not, it all traces back to a story called "The Bowmen" written just afterwards.

[corisande]

There is a slightly longer report in the Kildare Observer

A slight thrill of excitement passed over Naas this (Friday) morning when a rumour spread that a private in the Dublin Fusiliers who had been to the front had returned to the Depot. The inevitable stories of terrible massacres and the Germans toll were soon afloat, exaggerated out of all proportion to the real tale it is scarcely necessary to say, though the soldier's story as told me was thrilling enough to satisfy the most morbid.

Here was no weather. Beaten soldiers decorated with scars and reduced to emaciation, or bearing on his countenance a reflection of the horrors of the campaign. Instead, I found a beardless boy, in truth, of fresh complexion bronzed by the French and Belgian sun, an intelligent young man, active though he limped slightly from the effects of the injury he sustained, telling a plain unembroidered story of war horrors, a coherent narrative though confused - as one might naturally expect - with regard to place names, and bearing the impress of truth.

In reply to my question he told me that his name was Bergin - Private Bergin, of the 2nd Battn. Royal Dublin Fusiliers - he was a native of Dublin, his age was 19 and half years, and he had been three years a soldier. "On Wednesday week", he said, "We were in action outside Mons from early morning till 9 o'clock at night. I saw no Germans, but we knew they were in front of us. Their shells fell all round, about and amongst us, and I saw many of my comrades stretched wounded in the trenches. We got no chance of firing, as we saw nothing to fire at. Anything would have been better than lying there waiting for - we knew what the shell fire was kept us up all day. We got accustomed to it after a while, and our fellows were in good spirits considering what we had to put up with without doing anything ourselves. About three o'clock to see MY BROTHER'S HEAD BLOWN OFF by a shell. He was close beside me at the time and I can't tell you how I felt. It was terrible! You get accustomed to seeing things in trenches, but when I saw my own brother killed I needn't tell you it upset me.

The firing went on all day, and at 9 o'clock at night - it was very dark at the time - we got the order to retire. We were glad to be allowed to do something, even though it meant retiring. We were out of the trenches in a moment. I left my rifle and my cap in the trench. We thought we were in a pretty level field and retired quickly when twenty or so of us found ourselves FALLING INTO A PIT, which had not been seen in the darkness. We were all more or less injured by the fall, and I got my back hurt. I have almost recovered from the effects now except that I am a bit stiff and then there was more waiting. We did not know where we were, and our comrades had gone on without us. In the darkness we could do nothing but lie there, many of us in pain. WE LAY ALL NIGHT IN THE PIT. A sort of sand pit, and early next morning we were picked up by the medical corps.

"We heard or saw no Germans, and I can tell you we were glad to see British soldiers again. We were taken across country to Boulogue and shipped to England. I have been in Gosport Hospital and was discharged yesterday morning. From there I was sent over here.

"Have you had enough of fighting?" I asked. "No" was his reply, "I want to go out there again. I have offered to go again as soon as they can send me. I have got a pass for the day now to go and see my mother and sister. They are alone at home and there were only the two boys - my brother, who was killed, and myself.

Noticing the stained and bedraggled condition of his Khaki Uniform. I questioned him about it. "Yes", he said, "These are the clothes that I went to the front in. A bit dirty, aren't they? You can't keep very clean in the trenches, or out of them for that matter, in time of war. You will notice my numerals - the Regimental shoulder badges - are missing. They were taken by the French girls, who came to us for souvenirs. That word was about as much as we could understand of what they said. They came to us as we marched through the towns and villages and cut off our numerals as keepsakes. THE FRENCH PEOPLE WERE VERY KIND TO US, and cheered us everywhere we went. They gave us food and seemed glad to see us.

"Where did you get that? I asked pointing to a small square of tri-colour ribbon - red, white, and blue - which he wore in the front of this cap.

"That ", he replied, "was given to me by a French girl before I left Boulogue. My cap badge had been taken as a souvenir a short time after I arrived".

"No", he said in answer to another question, "I was not in the Depot here before I went away. We were stationed at Gravesend before we went to the front. I came over without a cap, and I got this one I am wearing when I came here".

Then with a Military salute, he left me to prepare for the train to see his mother and sister in Dublin, and to bear the sad news of his brother's terrible death - if they had not already heard it.

There are 3 MICs for RDF men who were at Mons with name Bergin, James, William (POW), William (POW) and W

The most likely explanation is that it was his brother William who was taken POW. It would take a dint of research to check it further ! Remember that the newspaper report is dated 5 Sep 1914, and it would be understandable that his brother's POW status would not have been confirmed at that time. The speed of events is breath-taking - 2 RDF only arrived in France on 23 Aug, and he was back in Dublin by 5 Sep

[museumtom]

Thank you everyone for all your help and views. Corisande, well done, a great bit of sleuthing, thank you all most kindly.

Kind regards.

Tom.

[seaforths]

A number of Bergins as POWs here:

http://grandeguerre.icrc.org/en/File/Search#/3/2/107/3847643/British%20and%20Commonwealth/Military/Bergin

Scroll to the last card, this might be the particular William, registered 29 Aug 1914.

Edit: should have said, the Bergins are listed under Bereton - sorry.

[museumtom]

Thank you Seaforths, much appreciated.

Kind regards.

Tom.