Perth Digger Posted 14 July , 2019 Share Posted 14 July , 2019 On 24 June 1919 a question was asked in the House of Commons about 64946, Pte Joseph Hall, 12/13th Northumberland Fusiliers. He was captured in April 1918. The question was asked of Winston Churchill if Hall had been repatriated or was dead. Churchill said he had not been repatriated and had not been reported dead. I looked him up on CWGC and he is reported dead on 10 October 1918, although the final Graves Registration Form gives a date of 21 October 1918. He was buried by the Germans in Erquelinnes Com Cem, quite near Mons, together with another 18 (presumably) POWS, who all died within a few days of each other. The GRU did not get round to registering these graves until 1923, which explains why Churchill did not know of his fate. My query is: would it have been likely that these men died from influenza, or might there be alternative explanations? I attach the Graves Registration Form. Thanks Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jay dubaya Posted 14 July , 2019 Share Posted 14 July , 2019 Have you checked for PoW cards at ICRC? They may state a cause of death J Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Perth Digger Posted 14 July , 2019 Author Share Posted 14 July , 2019 No I haven't, Jay. I've looked at a couple of others on the list on Ancestry, with one just saying "died". I'll try a couple and get back if there is anything to report. In the aftermath of the Armistice there were at first about 4000 POWs who were declared Missing, with the number reducing to 2900 within a few months. As Hall would have been one of these, I guess that the others were too. I don't know whether there was a POW camp near there, or whether these were men forced to work just behind the lines. Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Perth Digger Posted 14 July , 2019 Author Share Posted 14 July , 2019 Jay Yes, it looks like the influenza epidemic explains the large number dying within a few days. I looked up Frederick Charles Cubbage (2nd Worcs) and it says he died of Lungentzundung (pneumonia). There are others on the same ICRC list dying of bronchial catarrh etc. Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jay dubaya Posted 14 July , 2019 Share Posted 14 July , 2019 (edited) Here's one from the GRRF Mike, if I recall 'infolge' translates as 'as a result of'....I'll leave the rest of the translation for you J Edited 14 July , 2019 by jay dubaya Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Perth Digger Posted 14 July , 2019 Author Share Posted 14 July , 2019 Yes, that's pneumonia. Thanks Jay. I can't find Hall on ICRC yet. Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jay dubaya Posted 14 July , 2019 Share Posted 14 July , 2019 7 minutes ago, Perth Digger said: Yes, that's pneumonia. Thanks Jay. I can't find Hall on ICRC yet. I couldn’t find any Halls’ and searching on an iPhone has nearly broken me J Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie2 Posted 14 July , 2019 Share Posted 14 July , 2019 11 minutes ago, Perth Digger said: Yes, that's pneumonia. Thanks Jay. I can't find Hall on ICRC yet. Mike 1 minute ago, jay dubaya said: I couldn’t find any Halls’ and searching on an iPhone has nearly broken me J You won‘t find him, the index cards for the name Hall are all missing. Charlie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Perth Digger Posted 14 July , 2019 Author Share Posted 14 July , 2019 J W Robertshaw, 1/7th West Yorks, is interesting. ICRC reported in July 1917 that nothing was known of him. But he is on a German list of 7 October 1918. No evidence that he died. Sorry, Jay, and thanks Charlie. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie2 Posted 14 July , 2019 Share Posted 14 July , 2019 By chance I found Hall, he also died of pneumonia. https://grandeguerre.icrc.org/en/File/Zoom/E/04/01/C_G1_E_04_01_0216/C_G1_E_04_01_0216_0157.JPG/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jay dubaya Posted 14 July , 2019 Share Posted 14 July , 2019 11 minutes ago, charlie2 said: You won‘t find him, the index cards for the name Hall are all missing. Thanks Charlie I wasn’t aware of that J Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie2 Posted 14 July , 2019 Share Posted 14 July , 2019 Kay died of gastro enteritis. Strange that he is reported as being from an unknown regiment and without a number and christian name. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie2 Posted 14 July , 2019 Share Posted 14 July , 2019 (edited) 1 hour ago, Perth Digger said: J W Robertshaw, 1/7th West Yorks, is interesting. ICRC reported in July 1917 that nothing was known of him. But he is on a German list of 7 October 1918. No evidence that he died. His death is recorded on a third index card https://grandeguerre.icrc.org/en/File/Details/5324189/3/2/ Edited 14 July , 2019 by charlie2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Perth Digger Posted 15 July , 2019 Author Share Posted 15 July , 2019 Thanks very much, Charlie. Did you notice that the German Death List was dated 25 September 1919, nearly a year after his death. It is not surprising therefore that he was still missing when mentioned in Parliament. Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie2 Posted 15 July , 2019 Share Posted 15 July , 2019 Yes, I had noticed the date, it is probably the latest one I have seen. Charlie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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