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The Great War (1914-1918) Forum

Remembered Today:

The Royal Warwickshire Fusiliers


Keith Baker

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Hello everyone,

Firstly i will apologise to everyone if I am doing something wrong but it is my first attempt at doing this. I am looking for information on Second Lieutenant John Poynton of The Royal Warwickshire Fusiliers. He died on 4th of October 1917 and is buried in Poelcapelle cemetery in Belgium. I am trying to find out how he died and if he had any medal awarded to him.

Thanks.

Keith

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Just a quickie (as an extended member of the Regimental family and friend of the Royal Warwickshire Regiment Museum).. but he wouldn't have been a Royal Warwickshire FUSILIER in 1917, as the regiment didn't go 'Fusilier' until 1963.

Here's his entry from the Commonwealth War Graves Commission database:

Name: POYNTON, JOHN

Initials: J

Nationality: United Kingdom

Rank: Second Lieutenant

Regiment: Royal Warwickshire Regiment

Unit Text: 1st/6th Bn.

Age: 22

Date of Death: 04/10/1917

Additional information: Son of Edward Poynton, of Ashby, Burton-on-Trent; husband of Olive Turner (formerly Poynton), of Anglo Cottage, Killingworth Rd., Forest Hall, Newcastle-on-Tyne.

Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead

Grave/Memorial Reference: LI. E. 18.

Cemetery: POELCAPELLE BRITISH CEMETERY

No indication of any awards, but his medal index card might be around.

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He may not have had a gallantry medal, but this is probably his MIC (only Poynton in Royal Warwickshire Regiment who served abroad - who's not called Frank):

Medal card of Poynton, John

Corps Regiment No Rank

North Staffordshire Regiment 7897 Private

Royal Warwickshire Regiment Second Lieutenant

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documen...&resultcount=11

The link is just to the download page. Cost is £3.50 for a scan of the actual MIC.

This should list his Service Medals, at least and may refer to other medals, too.

Steve.

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Sorry Phil meant to say regiment and not fusiliers. Do you know where I would find his Medal record card?

p.s We went to Poelcapelle War cemetery Last week to visit his grave.

Also thanks to Steve foryour input

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Keith,

Click the link Steve put in his reply. That will give you the entry in the Index. But (as Steve says) it will cost you £3.50 to download the scan - but cheaper than a dedicated trip to Kew (where they're held on microfilm) if you're a long way away...

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1st/6th Battalion Royal Warwickshire Regiment,

143rd Brigade,

48th Division.

Pages 170 and 171 from Chapter XXI The British Offensive 1917, from "The Story of the Royal Warwickshire Regiment" by C.L. Kingsford.

A map of this battle can be found here:

http://www.westernfrontassociation.com/the...ps/ypres17c.jpg

Regards

Richard

post-1376-1127430489.jpg

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The 'Fusilier' designation is a bit of a sore point with some old Warwicks. I think I've related the story on the forum before but they were only turned into a Fusilier unit in the 1960's to facilitate their eventual absorption into one of the 'large regiments' proposed in army reorganisation. The original intention had been for the Regiment to be included in a territorially-based grouping, at various times designated the Midland Brigade Group and the Forester Brigade. Eventually they got lumped into the Fusilier Brigade (later the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers) partly because the Fusiliers had a recruiting office in Sutton Coldfield and partly because of their position in the old Army List between the 5th ( Northumberland Fusiliers) and 7th (Royal Fusiliers) Regiments of Foot. The man who had the final say in this was none other than Field Marshal Montgomery of Alamein, the senior serving infantryman in the British Army and Colonel of the Royal Warwickshire Regiment with whom he had seen distinguished service in the Great War and after. The matter was so controversial that some senior officers never spoke to one another again. Referring to the 'Royal Warwickshire Fusiliers' to some veterans of the Regiment is calculated to make the hackles rise (to coin a Fusilier phrase).

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I would like to thank each and everyone of you for the help I have recieved. As a civvy I had no idea where to start looking and I am greatly impressed with your knowledge and expertise.

This will all be passed on to my father in law as John Poynton was his Grandfather.

Once again thank you

Keith.

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