Doug Lewis Posted 22 March , 2005 Share Posted 22 March , 2005 I'm halfway through reading "Storm of Steel" by Ernest Junger. On page 125 he refers to the death of 2 Lt Oliver Chetwode Stokes Royal Munster Fusiliers,I have CWGC and ODGW information. Does any pal have anymore information on him. Regards Doug. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roy Evans Posted 22 March , 2005 Share Posted 22 March , 2005 Doug, He was gazetted from Sandhurst in 1916. Roy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Reed Posted 22 March , 2005 Share Posted 22 March , 2005 I am pretty sure there was an article about him in the WFA journal Stand To! some years ago: you can check the index on line now, I believe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nilis11 Posted 22 March , 2005 Share Posted 22 March , 2005 There is good information on John King's site on the death of Lt. Stokes Comparsion with regimental diaries show an overlap of Junger's account and other sources. http://www.juenger.org/ww1_stokes.php Niels Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doug Lewis Posted 23 March , 2005 Author Share Posted 23 March , 2005 Thank you all for your help Regards Doug Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin Feledziak Posted 2 April , 2014 Share Posted 2 April , 2014 Doug started this thread in 2005 so I has only taken me 8 Years to Get here. I was on page 125 too and thought I would have a look at Oliver. AND as always the Web always has a lead back to this forum. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest oconnom2 Posted 10 June , 2014 Share Posted 10 June , 2014 Hi, I also came across the reference to Oliver Chetwode Stokes on page 125 and was curious what else I could find out about him. I have found the 1901 Census of Ireland return for his family. You can see his entry in line 7. Unfortunately the handwriting is not that clear. in 1901 he was 3 years old. This would make him 19 at the time of his death. He was born in Queenstown, Irleand. This is now called Portlaoise. In 1901 he was living in Ballygarran, Co. Kerry. This is a townland about 8km outside Tralee, Co. Kerry. The Royal Munster Fusiliers were headquartered in Tralee. I searched for a return for the household for 1911, however, there is none. I'm surmising that Oliver and his father may have moved the England at that stage. In 1901 he is living with his Father and Grandparents. It would appear that his mother was dead. Possibly died during his birth? Census return: http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/reels/nai000893246/ Mark Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HarryBrook Posted 10 June , 2014 Share Posted 10 June , 2014 In 1911 the family was living at 32, Waterloo Road, Bedford. Oliver Stokes (head) 53 retired banker born Kent, Woolwich [His full name was Oliver Sawyer Stokes] Joan C. C. wife 37 married 14 years 2 children born Cork [so she was not dead at the 1901 census, but apparently not in the family household] Oliver Chetwode Stokes son 12 school born Cork, Queenstown Geraldine Stokes dau. 10 born school Co. Wexford, Gorey + one servant Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin Feledziak Posted 10 June , 2014 Share Posted 10 June , 2014 Morning researchers ! I think it is interesting to add items to follow the book. This is a screen grab from Google Earth. Is shows Oliver's final resting place and a basic overview of the battle area. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest oconnom2 Posted 10 June , 2014 Share Posted 10 June , 2014 Hi, One correction in my post. Queenstown is now called Cobh, County Cork. I was getting mixed up with Queen's County which was renamed County Laois after 1922. I've attached Oliver Stokes' medal card. I found the writing hard to read. Would be grateful if anyone could interpret it. I could make out that he entered the French theatre on 15 July 1916. Mark The_National_Archive_Order_()_09-06-2014T19_46_25.zip Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin Feledziak Posted 10 June , 2014 Share Posted 10 June , 2014 Hi Mark, This is my understanding of his medal card. It has his name - and Army shorthand for Munster Fusiliers and 2nd Lieutenant He was awarded The Victory medal and British War medal. He did not go out to France until September 1916 so he did not get the 1914-15 Star. Viz Victory………………….. British………………... Star…………………... I do not know what notations in the remarks section mean. I am happy that we can breathe life back into these soldiers. Now they are remembered in the Digital world they are immortal. They will be found by internet searchers. We honour them with our research. Even though Ernst and the invading German army were responsible for Oliver's death they appear to have respected him. They buried him and gave him a cross with his name in boot nails. Now carry on with the book - there are more things to study Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
staunton Posted 4 January Share Posted 4 January https://ourheroes.southdublin.ie/Serviceman/Show/17051 Second Lieutenant Oliver Chetwode Stokes Regiment: Royal Munster Fusiliers Date published: 04/05/1917 Killed in action: Yes Date of death: 04/03/1917 Cemetery: Assevillers New British Cemetery, Somme, France Plot: II. G. 7. Information: Second Lieutenant Oliver Chetwode Stokes, Royal Munster Fusiliers, was the only son of Mr. and Mrs. Oliver Stokes, of 44 Waterloo Road, Bedford, and grandson of the late Major-General O. R. Stokes, R.A., of Lassinagh, Tralee, and, on his mother's side, of the late Crewe Townsend, Esq., of Firmount, Co. Cork. He was educated at Hydneye House School, Willingdon, Eastbourne, and Bedford School, from which he passed into Sandhurst in 1915. In April, 1916, he received his commission in the Royal Munster Fusiliers, and went to the front in the following September. He was wounded a few days later, and on recovery rejoined his battalion. He was killed on the night of March 4th. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
staunton Posted 4 January Share Posted 4 January https://images.app.goo.gl/Dd8X7ft2SKPuTZ6S9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TullochArd Posted 24 May Share Posted 24 May (edited) On 04/01/2024 at 17:04, staunton said: https://ourheroes.southdublin.ie/Serviceman/Show/17051 Second Lieutenant Oliver Chetwode Stokes Hello Martin. I note your interest in the Royal Munster Fusiliers. Like Doug Lewis in the original post I too have been reading Storm of Steel and similarly paused at the paragraph regarding the 2 RMF patrol of 4/5th March 1917 led by 2Lt Oliver Chetwode Stokes. Considering both sides persistence, often at great human cost, to identify their opposite numbers, OCS’s lack of care in not “sanitising” his kit prior to the patrol is indeed remarkable. Moving on, I went a stage further read 2 RMF War Diary (Source: NA) for that night which gives the British side of the story and it is interesting to “compare and contrast” it with German version (Storm of Steel p125) offered by Ernst Jünger. I attach both versions for ease of reference….this is a forum after all. I must confess to liking the RMF’s disregard for the accepted formality of War Diaries and their inclusion of an unusual amount of detail particularly OR names. An interesting side story develops from this; we can now see that the wounded Sergeant that Jünger mentions is actually 4170 Sgt Thomas Howley DCM* from Twoclay, Co. Clare incorrectly recorded in the diary as Hawley (actually a 2 RMF Sgt Hawley was killed the previous year). The wounded Howley later died around six weeks later at Sennelager PW Camp on 19 April 1917. I did not follow up on the ICRC records. * 1558 SUPPLEMENT TO THE LONDON GAZETTE, 13 FEBRUARY, 1917: “8/4170 Sjt. T. Howley, R. Muns. Fus. For conspicuous gallantry in action. Although wounded, he remained at his post and handled his men with great courage and determination.” Edited 24 May by TullochArd Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
staunton Posted 24 May Share Posted 24 May Many thanks Ian ! Am on hols and can't access everything but here is Howley from ICRC records, (PA # on top right), born 1877 so hitting 40, could have been a re enlisted ex serviceman. Bn enlistment prefix shows 8th Bn (47 bde, 16 Div) disbanded Nov 16 (medal rolls would confirm) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
staunton Posted 24 May Share Posted 24 May https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/903627/t-howley/ his CW WGC entry at NIEDERZWEHREN CEMETERY, which is mostly POWs. Transferred there from Sennelager camp. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TullochArd Posted 24 May Share Posted 24 May 4 minutes ago, staunton said: ........born 1877 so hitting 40, could have been a re enlisted ex serviceman. Bn enlistment prefix shows 8th Bn (47 bde, 16 Div) disbanded Nov 16 (medal rolls would confirm) SDGW has him as "Formerly 1720, R. Irish Regt., D.C.M." ....... that beats me as it surely contradicts quite a few other sources? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
staunton Posted 24 May Share Posted 24 May Will check that out. 8th RMF may have been topped up with excess recruits from 6th R Irish in same bde while training in Ireland, as latter got an entire company from Guernsey Militia and another one from Derry Irish National Volunteers who enlisted as a group. This would be confirmed if BW VM Roll shows service with RMF only. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TullochArd Posted 24 May Share Posted 24 May 16 minutes ago, staunton said: This would be confirmed if BW VM Roll shows service with RMF only. ....... reads "8/R.Muns.Fus Sjt" followed by "4170 2/R.Muns.Fus" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
staunton Posted Sunday at 18:02 Share Posted Sunday at 18:02 RMF Service bn Serials between 4165 and 4294 in SDGW are all ex R Irish but have 1914/15 Star Dates/BWVM for original 8th RMF personnel. This suggests a transfer of about 130 from 6th R Irish to 8th RMF before departure to France, including Howley. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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