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Remembered Today:

First soldier to die during the war


museumtom

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Is it known who was the first soldier to died during the war? If the war started on 28/07/1914, would a serving soldier who died on that day be the first?

Kind regards.

 Tom.

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" I'm sure that this has been discussed in a previous post/ forum."

 

I had one of my vague ideas that we'd had several other threads along these lines, but I can't find them. Even mmore vaguely, I think there's been debate about "dying" (as from natural causes or in an accident) and "being killed in battle".

 

Moonraker

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Thanks guys, you are right of course, I was just double checking my dates.

Kind regards.

 Tom.

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Tom has not specified  a nationality and Googling, even without specifying one, usually leads to John Parr.

 

However

 

Albert Mayer

 

died on August 2, and there may be earlier contenders from other nationalities, given the rush and chaos of mobilisation.

 

Moonraker

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I think John Parr was the first British soldier who died in France. You could argue that it was Archduke Franz Ferdinand on 28 June.

 

As sassenach suggests, it was probably a Serb, since according to Alaric Watts:

"An Austrian Army, awfully arrayed

Boldly by battery besieged Belgrade."

 

Ron

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If we're talking about other nations, Jules André Peugeot was the first French soldier to die in the war, on the 2nd August 1914 in Joncheret ... in a gun fight with the aforementionned Albert Mayer !!!  

And for Belgium, that honor befalls Antoine Fonck, on the 4th August 1914 in Thimister. Fonck belonged to the 2nd Regiment Lancers. There's a monument at his place of death and he's buried in the village, it's not far from where the boyfriend lives... I'll go and make some pics next week. 

 

M. 

Edited by Marilyne
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What happened was I got excited when I found a soldier who died in service on 28/07/1914 and I wondered what the accepted dates for inclusion were. My hands are up, I was wrong, that's why I checked here. sorry lads.

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No worries... it's the sort of "discoveries" that can teach us all something!!! 

 

M.

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1 hour ago, Ron Clifton said:

I think John Parr was the first British soldier who died in France.

 

Strictly John Parr may have been the first British soldier to be Killed in Action in Belgium but there is some doubt about that here https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-28442670. It is claimed that an official at the Middlesex Regiment's record office thought John Parr was still serving with his battalion on 27th January 1915! Sir James Grierson died in France on 17th August 1914 and so he might have been the first British soldier to die in France.

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I cannot find my copy of the History of the Togoland campaign, but any British death there before 21st August would be in consideration as the Germans surrendered on 26th August.

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In “The World’s War” by David Olusoga he claims the first and last British casualties were both in Africa.  Whether there were earlier and later in other theatres I have no idea.

Edited by Heid the Ba
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Quite possible, given that we landed in Togoland on 9th August and the Germans finally surrendered at Abercorn on 25th November? Although I would say that he has discounted the Russian campaign as not being WW1.  

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According to a search of Soldiers Who Died, on Ancestry, the earliest British death of WW1 is Private Joseph Viles  of Somerset Light Infantry who died in Britain on 4th August 1914 and is buried in Bath. Presumably, this is the CWGC headstone with the earliest date.

 

The first man shown as Killed in Action and which can be confirmed by date on CWGC Records is  Private 9437 George Gooch  1st Northants. whose death was reported in France and Flanders and who is commemorated on the La Ferte-Sous-Jouarre memorial. Also shown on the same memorial is 16 year old 9518 Duncan McDonald of 1st Cameron Highlanders who is shown as killed in Action 13th August 1914,although, my suspicion is that the correct date should be 13th Sept. 1914.

 

On subsequent dates prior to the date of Parr’s death there are several other men shown KiA, died or died of wounds  in France and Flanders. I suppose that each individual name would need further investigation as recorded dates for deaths are sometimes inaccurate.

 

The first German and French deaths are reported on the 2nd August the day before Germany declared war on France when Albert Mayer shot dead Jules Andre Peugeot and was in turn shot dead.

 

Archduke Franz Ferdinand was wearing the uniform of an Austrian General when he was killed in Sarajevo so perhaps he is the first soldier killed in the war.

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There must be an interesting story behind Gooch's death. According to the War Diary, 1/Northants was still at Blackdown on 11 Aug 14. It did not embark until 12 Aug and arrived at Le Havre on 13 Aug. His CWGC entry states 'died'.

Acknown

Perhaps he was on some sort of advance/reconnaissance party.

Edited by Acknown
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47 minutes ago, ilkley remembers said:

Archduke Franz Ferdinand was wearing the uniform of an Austrian General when he was killed in Sarajevo so perhaps he is the first soldier killed in the war.

I don't think you can say he was "killed in the war" because when he was killed there was no war. You might say he was the first casualty of the events that led to the war.

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As long as we're at it, the first Americans (as in belonging to the AEF) were Private Thomas Francis Enright, Corporal James Bethel Gresham, and Private Merle Hay. they were killed in Artois on the 3rd November 1917

All three were reburied in the States after the war, Enright being honored by the city of Pittsburgh and reinterred with full military honors.

 

M.

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On 07/01/2019 at 12:18, ilkley remembers said:

 

 

Archduke Franz Ferdinand was wearing the uniform of an Austrian General when he was killed in Sarajevo so perhaps he is the first soldier killed in the war.

 

Many a time in these gender conscious days we are reminded of the millions of men AND WOMEN who were killed in the Great War.

 

How fitting that the first military victim was accompanied by his wife, and that gender equilibrium was upheld.

 

Phil

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11 minutes ago, phil andrade said:

 

Many a time in these gender conscious days we are reminded of the millions of men AND WOMEN who were killed in the Great War.

 

 

Indeed... and so it's only fitting to add to this list Staff Nurse Ethel FEARNLEY, Queen Alexandra's Imperial Nursing Service, the fist woman to have died in the War, on the 23rd November 1914. She is buried in Boulogne Cemetery.

 

M.

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Hair splitting here. Sailors are sometimes referred as soldiers of the Crown.

 

What about the sailors killed on HMS Amphion on the 6th August 1914? Sunk by a mine so presumably enemy action. 132 Crewmen died.

 

They may not have a land grave but they did die in the service of their country two weeks before Parr. Nobody seems to remember them.

 

 

 

 

 

Edited by Gunner Bailey
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We remember them Gunner, 13 were from the 26 counties.

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Gunner Bailey has a point there!!!

Moreover, listing the CWGC databe in order of the date of death, the first one is Indian bearer SANA, Army Bearer Corps.

Not sure he died because of the hostilities.

 

M.

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As far as the RFC goes, the first casualty was incurred when Lt Robert R. Skene and Air Mechanic Ray Barlow were killed on 12 August 1914, at Netheravon I believe?  The first RFC casualty in flight, were Lts Waterfall and Gordon Bayly, killed in action on the 22nd August in Belgium.  They were shot down by small arms fire.

 

Oh and apropos of nothing in particular:

My sister's married quarter was near SHAPE, equidistant from the site of the first shots Memorial and the last Empire casualty memorial.  About 2-300m!  We were frequent visitors as this offered a brilliant base for touring the battlefield and duty free wets!

Edited by BullerTurner
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