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Remembered Today:

Help with finding what soldier died of


milford_lass

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Have found a record for a soldier who served with the 9th battalion Welsh regiment, he was 15 when he he was killed on 25 September 1915, we where led to believe he was killed gun fire but on this record states under his name died of small pox, I have written evidence where a fellow soldier wrote home that his friend was missing on the battlefield so not quiet sure what to do believe his name was Richard Flynn born 1899 Milford haven Pembrokeshire service number 37701 any help would be really appreciated does M.P.D. mean missing presumed dead ?

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Hi milford_lass,

 

My guess would be that as your man was recorded as 'missing presumed dead' on 25th September 1915, and as the 'died smallpox' is in the 'box'  of the line associated with 33702 A Vickers, it was Vickers who died from smallpox. The same thing seems to be replicated on the page for Pipe and Rixon - the former being discharged in 1918, and the latter dying of disease in 1916.

 

Regards

Chris

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THANK YOU Chris, he was the youngest service man to die from our town there was also a younger boy who was a month away from his 14 birthday who signed up, he and his 3 mates where gassed, Matthew survived his 3 mates died Matthew wax sent home because he was so young, but signed up again on a mine sweeper and served in ww2

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ML

 

There is a thread here which will give you some detail about 9 Welsh on 25 Sep 1915, the first day of the Battle of LOOS, where they lost 13 Officers and 229 Other Ranks in a very short time during an advance. You need to find TOPIC 216757.

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Hi Milford Lass,

Intrigued that I can't find a record of his birth in Free BMD or Ancestry.

He's on the 1901 Census, but I can't trace him in 1911.

I see his parents Richard and Alice (Lewis) married in Pembrokeshire in 1893.

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1911 census still in Milford Haven. Trafalgar Road as per 1901

Cannot find birth reg at the moment. But found a baptism on 1/2/1899. DoB given as 1/1/1899. This record shows Richarrd George Flynn. Parents Richard Henry and Alice. Address Trafalgar Road as per 1901 census.

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The effects records state he died  '25 Sep 16 , on or since presumed' which means he was missing and presumed dead.

 

Craig

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  • 3 weeks later...

Hi guys,

He signed up a month before his 15 birthday I could not find his birth on free bmd, found his parents, too on 1901 1911 his dad is Irish, I found a record he died between the 21st and 26th September, I have just helped put a book together for Pembrokeshire schools about the service men and women, thank you soton mate for the link, Mark 1959, there was flu going round Milford haven at the time of his birth I lost my 2x great nan, and my great nan and she was 8 months pregnant, lots christened children early cos  of disease which I guess you knew hun 

The topic number will not open 

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  • 4 years later...

Hi, Richard Flynn (37701) was my Great Uncle. My Grandfather was his brother William Gordon Flynn.

Their father, Richard Henry Flynn (1867 approx.) was born in the Waterford area. Their mother, Alice Flynn (Nee Lewis - 1872 approx.) was born in Pembrokeshire.

Richard MPD/died age just 15 years old, on 25th September 1915. The story we were told growing up was that he looked a little older than he actually was, and, (like many others), people would harass the family in the street spouting "Why wasn't he in the army, at the front like everyone else?" and he was even was given a white feather by someone (the cowards sign). This apparently prompted him to sign up despite being far under the official recruitment age.

The regiment chapel is at Llandaff Cathedral, Cardiff. In the chapel are hand-written books with the names of the regiments fallen, in all campaigns, I believe. You can ask to view the page your ancestors are on. Richard's name is there too. Of course, I have visited to pay my respect.

If anyone has any more info, I would be only too glad to hear it.

 

The photo I've been told is of some of the men and boys of the Milford Haven Welsh regiment... maybe Richard is one of them. But we don't know as there is no photo of him in the family.

 

image.jpeg.ce22423bc81e3dff7a00fe421799b449.jpegimage.png.786bd050d4c9052c5749ec8bdbb0e272.png

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  • Admin

Welcome to the forum.

@milford_lass last visited in. 2021, I’ve tagged her so she may see this. 
I will be at Loos in 2 weeks, so can pay my respects for you at the Welsh Regiment panel.

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Jog my memory before the 18th please! 

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42 minutes ago, Doobreydo said:

Richard MPD/died age just 15 years old, on 25th September 1915.

It has been established that he was 16yrs 8 months when he died.

On 05/10/2018 at 05:58, Mark1959 said:

But found a baptism on 1/2/1899. DoB given as 1/1/1899. This record shows Richarrd George Flynn. Parents Richard Henry and Alice. Address Trafalgar Road as per 1901 census.

 

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3 hours ago, Doobreydo said:

If anyone has any more info, I would be only too glad to hear it.

Pte Flynn enlisted Manchester (Soldiers Died in Great War) around 21 -25 May 1915.  It was relatively common for underage soldiers to enlist away from the town where they were known.  He would have had to make a false statement as to age to enlist. That became his "Army age", when parents tried to intervene, even with a birth certificate they had many obstacles to overcome.  I never discount family stories but it seems more likely here was a young man as was so often the case looking for adventure and three square meals a day.

In all likliehood he was initially posted to the 3rd Battalion for training.  He was posted to the 9th Battalion, I suspect to bring them up to strength for active service overseas, and apparently landed with the main body on the 18th July 1915. Training of an infantry soldier was usually twelve weeks, but it appears he had just eight weeks or so in the UK before being posted to France.  The battalion embarked from Southampton on the 18th July on the troopship Mona Queen,they landed at Havre the following day.

They remained in billets until the 20th August when the companies rotated and familiarised themselves with trench warfare.  After a brief spell on reserve they finally moved into the front line on the 4th September 1915 where they remained until the 12th September, their casualties were relatively light during this period, no more than three a day.

They moved back into the line on the 20th September to prepare for the attack on the 25th.

As noted previously in this thread the 9th Battalion suffered heavily on the 25th September 1915. The Battalion advanced from the trenches at 6.30a.m, by 6:45 a.m. they had over 200 casualties from shrapnel and machine gun fire; many of these losses were the in the Companies in the support trenches waiting to go over the parapet. The attack stalled and survivors made their way back to the start point.  At 1.30 p.m what remained of the battalion was ordered to withdraw.

Pte. Flynn had less than six months service, two months in France and a week or so in the front line before he was killed.

The war diary is here on Ancestry if you subscribe

or can be downloaded for free from TNA if you register

https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C7353064

 

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Hi people, Thank you so much for the info.

I've never been able to find a birth record for Richard Flynn and I'm surprised to hear that there's a baptism record. I thought, and the family has always been told he was 15. We didn't know he had a middle name either. It's filling in little gaps. Cheers!

Thank you for the regiment history for that particular battle. Again, I knew very little. If there's more, I would love to know.

Regards

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Whilst his full name was Richard George Flynn

The records show he served as plain Richard Flynn 

His father Richard "Henry" Flynn made a claim for a dependants pension 

The address given on application in 1919  37 Priory Road Milford Haven

21631176_FlynnRichard(37701).jpg.b63c9c8aa8e2680f36a2dd3a1ae6ccdb.jpg

Note the second name of Richard (George) has been crossed out on the pension ledger card,  I assume for the ledger card  to correspond with his "army name" 

The name he served as

 

Ray

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Hi Michelle

as posted above and reason being this was posted in 2018 about Richard was I and some others from milford where putting together a WW1 book to comemorate the soldiers of Our Town. The local school also added drawings they had done to the book and info they found. I came on to see was there any info on Richard and the other 4 teenagers who joined up the youngest being Herbert Matthew Kingston who was 2 weeks away from his 14th birthday, yes his street address is correct but i also remember growing up with a irish lady also known as Mrs Flynn in Cromwell Road, which is not far from priory road. i have the names of all the soldiers in the photo above the 4 youngest in the photo are the two back row on the right hand side and fron row the two in the middle Matthew Kingston is 2nd in on the left we where told Richard Joined up in Milford if you want all the info i have on him I can post here for you

Shirl

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just spoke with doobreydos son

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  • 2 weeks later...
  • Admin

@Doobreydo

Said hello today 

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5C936D6F-AB4B-40AE-8B55-596C8A2AC9A4.jpeg

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On 07/03/2023 at 06:46, Doobreydo said:

I've never been able to find a birth record for Richard Flynn and I'm surprised to hear that there's a baptism record.

Looking at the 1901 England and Wales census, Richard's mother's name is Alice. The oldest son, Albert, is 4 which implies a birth year of 1896/97 so given Alice's age in 1901 you're looking for a marriage between a Richard Flynn and and an Alice Somebody before this date, but not too much earlier. This then leads to the marriage between Richard Flynn and Alice Lewis that was registered in Haverfordwest in the second quarter of 1893, which is the same district the family are living in the 1901 census. Searching the GRO Indexes for male Flynn births, with a mother's maiden name of Lewis, in the period 1896 to 1900 only produces two births in all of England and Wales, both of which are registered in Haverfordwest. The first is the oldest son in the 1901 census, Albert, the second is a George Henry Flynn who's birth was registered in the first quarter of 1899, which ties in nicely with the birth of Richard George Flynn on 1 January 1899. I'd suggest that Richard George Flynn's birth was actually registered under the name George Henry Flynn and for some reason the name Richard was added and the Henry was dropped sometime between the registration of his birth and his baptism on 1 February 1899.

FLYNN, ALBERT  EDWARD  Mother's maiden name: LEWIS  

GRO Reference: 1896  J Quarter in HAVERFORDWEST  Volume 11A  Page 1220

FLYNN, GEORGE  HENRY  Mother's maiden name: LEWIS  

GRO Reference: 1899  M Quarter in HAVERFORDWEST  Volume 11A  Page 1168

 

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  • 3 weeks later...

Hello everyone,

I do apologise for not replying earlier. Life is very busy.

Thank you to all who have done that bit of research. I didn't know about Richard's birth/name, etc. It's fab that, that info has come to light. I know a bit more info on Albert and my Grandfather William Gordon.

Albert, when he was still a young man, lost a leg on a fishing vessel (I believe it was). He got it caught in some mechanism on board.
The whole family had TB at times, hospitalizing them. My Grandfather had stunted growth in one leg due to the TB he suffered as a child.

Thank you so much Michelle Young for taking the time to pay respects to my Great Uncle at the memorial. I really do appreciate that.

Many, many thanks to all.

 

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