John_Hartley Posted 20 May , 2003 Share Posted 20 May , 2003 In a vain hope of finding one of the "unknowns" on the memorials, I've just done a final trawl of CWGC for my George H Thomas. And I noticed Pte George Henry Thomas, 2284, 12th Bn, Australian Infantry who died on 23 July 1916 - ALLEGEDLY AGED 74 !!!! Surely this is a mistake - unless someone knows different ..................... John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sgt York Posted 20 May , 2003 Share Posted 20 May , 2003 John, The age is a mistake, he was 24. Details from AWM: Thomas, George Harold Number: 2284 Rank: Private [Pte] Unit: 12th Bn Service: Army Conflict: 1914-1918 Date of Death: 23/07/1916 Place of Death: Cause of Death: Memorial Panel: 67 Cemetery or Memorial Details: 26 Villers Bretonneux-France Next Of Kin: Place Of Enlistment: Hobart, TAS Native Place: Notes: THOMAS, Pte. George Harold, 2284. 12th Bn. 23rd/26th July, 1916. Age 24. Son of John and Margaret Thomas. Born at Stoke-on-Trent, England. Source: AWM145 Roll of Honour cards, 1914-1918 War, Army Ronnie. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John_Hartley Posted 20 May , 2003 Author Share Posted 20 May , 2003 Phew, that's a relief, Ronnie. Now all I need you do is come up with a George from Cheadle, Cheshire, and I'll be a really happy Pal. John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terry Denham Posted 21 May , 2003 Share Posted 21 May , 2003 John After reading your posting last night re the 74 year old (!), I got in touch with my contacts at CWGC and this error was corrected at 9.20 this morning. It was a simple scanning error. When the new site goes live you will see the amendment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John_Hartley Posted 21 May , 2003 Author Share Posted 21 May , 2003 Cheers, Terry. By the way, is there any news of a date for the new site? jOHN Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terry Denham Posted 21 May , 2003 Share Posted 21 May , 2003 No news yet. I said elsewhere on another thread last week that I had thought the timescale was ambitious knowing the amount of work to be done. I'll post the date as soon as I know it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
182 CEF Posted 22 May , 2003 Share Posted 22 May , 2003 In the CEF there was a Black man named Brooks. He joined a Western Battn as a cook and was over 70 when he did so. He had been a Confederate soldier during the US Civil War. He lived until just after the Second World War. If anyone is interested I will find more info on him. I have the book somewhere Dean Owen Whitby Ontario Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest FRANKBARTHOLOMEW Posted 23 May , 2003 Share Posted 23 May , 2003 Just out of interest, The oldest soldier to die of wounds in WWI was Lieutenant Harry Webber, of the South Lancashire Regiment. He died in 1916, aged 67 (some sources say 68!). Can anyone find an older war veteran? Cheers, Frank Bartholomew Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest FRANKBARTHOLOMEW Posted 23 May , 2003 Share Posted 23 May , 2003 Correction- It was Henry Webber- 7th Battalion South Lancashire Regiment. He was wounded at the Battle of Mametz Wood in July 1916, and died on July 21st 1916 (aged 68). I've just found him on the internet. He was a member of the London Stock Exchange for over forty years. My question is, "How did he manage to get to the front line, let alone into the New Army?" Frank Bartholomew Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul guthrie Posted 23 May , 2003 Share Posted 23 May , 2003 There are those out there who know a lot about this man. I can tell you he had two sons in the army who outranked him. Wish I could remember how he got in but do not though I have had the story told to me. Is he mentioned in First Day On THe Somme? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Hill 60 Posted 23 May , 2003 Share Posted 23 May , 2003 Is he mentioned in First Day On The Somme? Page 293, 'The First Day on the Somme': 'On 21 July, Leiut Henry Webber's battalion, the 7th South Lancs, which had missed being thrown into the battle on the afternoon of the first day, moved up to relieve a battalion in the front line near Mametz Wood. That night, Henry Webber took up supplies as usual with the battalion transport. Leaving his men to unload the horses, Webber went over to where the C.O. was talking with a group of Officers. Into this routine, peaceful, evening scene, there suddenly dropped a single heavy German shell. When the smoke and dust had cleared, it was found that twelve men and three horses had been hit. Henry Webber lay unconscious, badly wounded in the head. He, and the other wounded were rushed to a Dressing Station, but for Webber it was too late. He never recovered consciousness and died that night. The news of the death of this sixty-eight year old warrior was noted in high places. His family recieved special messages of sympathy from the King and Queen and from the Army Council - unusual tributes to a dead Lieutenant of infantry. Webber's devotion to duty was furthur honoured when he was mentioned in the C-in-C's Despatches. Webber's wife never recovered from the shock of his death and died two years later but, ironically, his three soldier sons all survived the war'. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon Furnell Posted 23 May , 2003 Share Posted 23 May , 2003 Evening all. As i remember,it was by annoying the hell out of the war office. From the start of the war he tried to enlist,but was obviously told he was to old. That wasn't a good enough excuse for him,so i believe he took matters as high as he could go. In the end they relented and he joined up,serving as a Quartermaster with the Lancs. As has already been said,he was wounded by a single shell that came over and landed just as he arrived near the frontline,and died the next day. There is an account that i have read about him,i believe in Martin Middlebrooks book"First Day Of the Somme",and both of his sons were officers during the war and both survived,i seem to remember. A remarkable story and such a shame that Mr Webber didn't make it. Having said that,he was doing what he wanted to do and had fought so hard for. All the best. Simon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Reed Posted 23 May , 2003 Share Posted 23 May , 2003 The oldest soldier to die of wounds in WWI was Lieutenant Harry Webber, of the South Lancashire Regiment. He died in 1916, aged 67 (some sources say 68!). Perhaps not quite - it was Lt Col Jasper Myers Richardson, Agricultural Officer, V Corps., Royal Garrison Artillery, who died on 30th March 1918 - aged 68 according to CWGC, but 69 according to his school roll of honour. He is buried in Etaples Military Cemetery (XXVIII. F. 3.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CROONAERT Posted 23 May , 2003 Share Posted 23 May , 2003 Does anybody know any details about the oldest soldier to have served and actually survived? (Field Marshalls excluded) Similar to this, who was the youngest? Dave. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest FRANKBARTHOLOMEW Posted 26 May , 2003 Share Posted 26 May , 2003 That's a tricky one. My great-uncle, Arthur Parkin, enlisted in the army aged 14 (in 1914), and served at the Somme- surviving. He enlisted claiming to be 19, and was never found out! He did survive the war, though- and used to laugh about how he'd conned the Recruiting Staff into believing his 'age'. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now