Missing in Action

[jim_davies]

One of the areas that I'm interested in is the investigation and conclusions made during the war of those men reported as missing in action.

The two main actions that I've looked at are the 6th Lincs at Sulva Bay in early Aug 1915 and the 1/4th Lincs at the Hohenzollern Redoubt on 13 Oct 1915.

The majority of the men inititally reported missing, were presumed dead about a year after the action, with reports being placed in the local newspapers in Aug-nov 1915 to the affect that Pte ____ is now officially considered to have been killed on_____.

In a minority of cases there were a couple of men (in my group) whose disappearance were "cleared up" within a few months. Usually as the result of eye witness statements concerning the death of the men.

In at least one case, the soldier is still considered missing in mid 1918.

Now for the problem I've encounter with one particular man: Frank Green, 1/4th Lincs.

He is first reported wounded (with eye witness report) at the Hohenzollern Redoubt. Later this is amended to wounded and missing, and finally to missing believed killed-all from newspaper in Oct and Nov 1915-(his records do not appear to have survived).

At the end of Nov 1915 there's an article saying a letter has been received by the family that his body "has been discovered close to the German lines".

So at this point I've assumed that he's now considered to be confirmed KIA.

However, in Sept 1916 (at the similar time as many of the Hohenzollern Redoubt men are being reported as officially presumed KIA) there's a report saying that he's now officially posted as presumed killed, no news having been received of him..."

Why would a report of his body be discounted? Surely if there were any doubt of the identity no-one would have written to the family saying they'd found his body? Any thoughts or other ideas on this topic.

Jim

[Ken Lees]

"Why would a report of his body be discounted? Surely if there were any doubt of the identity no-one would have written to the family saying they'd found his body? Any thoughts or other ideas on this topic."

Perhaps the person writing to say that his body had been found was not writing from an official perpsective. It could have been someone who knew the deceased soldier, who believed, rightly or wrongly, that the body had been found. Maybe the identification was not sufficiently proven to the satisfaction of the authorities.

Ken

[mcderms]

After any action when the rolls were called/taken, the NCO or officer responsible would ask the men in a platoon, squad or unit if they knew what had happened to anyone missing. A man seen killed would go down as KIA but pretty much everyone else ended up as MIA - this included wounded either taken to a dressign station or waiting to be recovered, prisoners and those who died out of site of their comrades or were simply blown to pieces. In the coming days, weeks and months, these MIA would be tracked down - usually after their relatives had received the dreaded telegram - and the correct news sent out. It's not that unusual for this to take a lot longer especially in the case of men seen to be captured as some subsequently DoW and some, unfortunately never made it to the cages. Combine this with confusion over names, dates, locations and obtuse POW info and you could see an MIA dragging on for over a year.

Hope this helps.

[Guest Ian Bowbrick]

Perhaps the person writing to say that his body had been found was not writing from an official perpsective.

My thoughts exactly.

To give you a for instance. A Pte Charles Bushell of the Hampshire Regt was reported as missing in action in July 1916 on the Somme. Three months later this is upgraded by the War Office to killed in action and his widow is granted a pension. A month or so later Mrs Bushel receives a letter from France form a man purporting to be the 'late' Pte Bushell, who is being treated in a French hospital and has been badly wounded. The WO check it out and find that the notification of his presence was lost. Anyway the WO confirm that it is him and write a very apologetic letter to Mrs Bushell saying how sorry they are to have put her through such an ordeal and by the by she needs to re-fund them the widows pension she has received to date

This story has a happy ending because Pte Bushell recovers fully and goes on to serve in an Agricultural Coy of the Labour Corps near his home.

It all boils down to 'official notification'.

[jim_davies]

Thanks for the thoughts on this one.

I guess official notification is the key, and there's no way of telling whether the soldier(s) who discovered Pte Green's body reported it throught the appropriate channels.

Pity there's no way of tracing the soldier in question or his precise unit-article mentions Royal Fusiliers. The timeframe involved would suggest that it would be at least a month since Green's death.

Interesting story about Pte Bushell. I have a local lad on two memorials who came home in the mid 1920s-they removed him from the wooden memorial, but not from the brass one because of cost considerations!

Cheers,

Jim