Guest Posted 17 September , 2019 Share Posted 17 September , 2019 Just found this forum after a trip to Arras to visit my great uncle and wanting to find out a little more background on him so hope someone can help ,he is SGT Thomas R Cass 73459 51st Machine gun corps killed 14-6-18 and buried in Aubuigny en Artois near Arras Many thanks Neil C Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark1959 Posted 17 September , 2019 Share Posted 17 September , 2019 (edited) Welcome. Thomas Richard Cass You are lucky some of his service papers survive and are available on Ancestry, FMP etc. A good deal can be gleaned of his service from these damaged papers. There are witness statements as to how he died. This was by accidental wounding in the abdomen by another Sgt cleaning a revolver. This occurred at 0845 on 13/6/18. It appears he died of these wounds at 57 Casualty Clearing Station the following day. The 57th CCS used the cemetery where he now rests in 1918. He was previously in the West Yorkshire Regiment with the number 12369. Edited 17 September , 2019 by Mark1959 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IPT Posted 17 September , 2019 Share Posted 17 September , 2019 The Sergeant who shot him died of wounds four months later. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MaxD Posted 18 September , 2019 Share Posted 18 September , 2019 (edited) He was in C Company which had been relieved in the line on 9 June and were resting in billets in the village of Ecurie just north of Arras. The Casualty Clearing Station where he succumbed to his wounds at Aubigny en Artois is about 10 miles to the west of Ecurie. Max Edited 18 September , 2019 by MaxD Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Clifton Posted 18 September , 2019 Share Posted 18 September , 2019 His MGC battalion was part of 51st (Highland) Division, formed in Feb/March 1918 by amalgamating the brigade and divisional MG Companies. If he was in C Company, he had probably been in 154 Brigade MG Company before that. Ron Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johntaylor Posted 18 September , 2019 Share Posted 18 September , 2019 I've just looked at the service record - what a tragic story. I wonder if the family were told any of the details at the time? I guess the local papers might reveal more. John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark1959 Posted 18 September , 2019 Share Posted 18 September , 2019 I cannot see anything on the British Newspaper Archive on an initial sweep. A tragedy for all concerned. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted 19 September , 2019 Share Posted 19 September , 2019 Thank you to all for your replies I had seen somewhere before it was accidental but the detail is fantastic . A trip to the Hull family history centre is required to find out more if possible. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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