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The Great War (1914-1918) Forum

Remembered Today:

A brother AND sister killed while serving in WW1


Guest Pete Wood

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We've all come across multiple family deaths. But it is usually the men of the family - brothers, father and sons etc.

I stumbled across the following brother and sister:

Name: HACKETT, LEARO AYLMER HENRY

Initials: L A H

Nationality: United Kingdom

Rank: Captain

Regiment: Royal Irish Rifles

Unit Text: 10th Bn.

Secondary Regiment: formerly Royal Munster Fusiliers

Date of Death: 24/04/1918

Awards: MC

Additional information: Son of Edward A. and Emilie Elliott Hackett of Castletown, Ballycumber, King's Co.

Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead

Grave/Memorial Reference: III. A. 7.

Cemetery: MINTY FARM CEMETERY

Name: HACKETT, VENICE CLEMENTINE HENRIETTA

Initials: V C H

Nationality: United Kingdom

Rank: Nurse

Regiment: Voluntary Aid Detachment

Date of Death: 13/10/1918

Additional information: Daughter of Edward A. Hackett, of Castletown Park, Ballycumber.

Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead

Grave/Memorial Reference: In South-West part.

Cemetery: BALLYCUMBER (LISS) CHURCHYARD

Has anyone else come across similar examples...??

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I know of one example of a father and daughter dying in WW1.

Lt Col George Boudrie O'DONNELL

Royal Defence Corps Died 20.10.19

Member Phyllis Eileen O'DONNELL

Women's Royal Air Force Died 10.12.18

Admittedly, both just after the armistice but both qualifying for war grave status and buried in Brighton (Bear Road) Cemetery, Sussex.

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Out of interest I have looked through my records of WW1 female casualties and to be honest I have stopped at the letter G as instances where females and brothers, sisters, husbands and fathers died serving their country in WW1 is quite common. As instances of this Rose Cotton, worker 44785, QMAAC died 23/10/18 whilst her brother William was killed in action 2/9/16 whilst serving with the Queen's Royal West Surrey Regiment. Helen Isabella Court, or the WRNS died 15/11/18 and her headstone includes that of her sister Hilda Kate Court, Army Pay Department who died 12/10/18. Another case of two sisters who died in the service of their country is the Drewry's. Harriett Hawkesworth was a telephonist WRNS and died 31/10/18. Her sister Dorothy was also a telephonist WRNS and died 25/2/1920. Mildred Davis died of pneumonia 8/10/18 whilst with the French Red Cross and is buried in Mazargues War Cemetery, Marseilles. She was the wife of Capt. Reginald Noel Davis (of Newcastle on Tyne) of the 2nd Battalion West Riding (Duke of Wellington’s) who was killed in action 12th October 1916. Stuart (used as a female first name) Gartside-Tipping died 6/3/17 whilst working with the Women’s Emergency Canteens and is buried in the Vauxbuin French National Cemetery. Her husband was Lieut.Commander Henry Thomas Gartside-Tipping, R.N who died 25/9/1915 aged 67. He drowned when H.M.Yacht Sanda was sunk by gun fire off the Belgian coast. Apparently at the time he was the oldest naval officer serving afloat. I am sure that I can find quite a few more instances.

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  • 8 years later...

We've all come across multiple family deaths. But it is usually the men of the family - brothers, father and sons etc.

I stumbled across the following brother and sister:

Name: HACKETT, LEARO AYLMER HENRY

Initials: L A H

Nationality: United Kingdom

Rank: Captain

Regiment: Royal Irish Rifles

Unit Text: 10th Bn.

Secondary Regiment: formerly Royal Munster Fusiliers

Date of Death: 24/04/1918

Awards: MC

Additional information: Son of Edward A. and Emilie Elliott Hackett of Castletown, Ballycumber, King's Co.

Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead

Grave/Memorial Reference: III. A. 7.

Cemetery: MINTY FARM CEMETERY

Name: HACKETT, VENICE CLEMENTINE HENRIETTA

Initials: V C H

Nationality: United Kingdom

Rank: Nurse

Regiment: Voluntary Aid Detachment

Date of Death: 13/10/1918

Additional information: Daughter of Edward A. Hackett, of Castletown Park, Ballycumber.

Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead

Grave/Memorial Reference: In South-West part.

Cemetery: BALLYCUMBER (LISS) CHURCHYARD

Has anyone else come across similar examples...??

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The Hackett family suffered even worse than outlined above. There was another son besides Learo, Eric Adrian Nethercote Hackett. He was a 2nd lieutenant in the 6th Bn. of the Royal Irish Regiment. He was a victim of the Somme campaign and died on 09/09/1916, aged 21. He is listed on the Thiepval Memorial.

The sister, Venice Hackett, who was born in Scotland during the time that her father was the contractor's engineer for the Glasgow Corporation Waterworks, lived most of her short life around Portarlington and Clonmel, Ireland. Both parents were Irish. The rumours still circulating that Venice died when the RMS Leinster was torpedoed can be dispelled when referring to her death certificate issued at St. Mary, St. Marylebone, London. It shows that the single lady died from influenza and pneumonia on returning from her war nursing duties abroad. Her death occurred during the worst week of the Spanish Flu epidemic in London.

The Hackett family are mentioned in a new publication by the Kilbeggan Heritage Group. It is sponsored by Westmeath Community Development Ltd. 'Who Answered the Bugle Call? Kilbeggan and Neighbourhood during World War One' is available in some of the book outlets in Athlone, Mullingar and Tullamore and on email (rjmett@gmail.com).

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They are all listed in the 'Offaly War Dead'

Another brother, Edward Fawcett Hackett died in 1915.

Cheers.

Tom.

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Heres a couple of bother and sister buried in same grave.

BOUE-BLANDY, CHARLES REGINALD

Rank:Second Lieutenant

Date of Death:18/04/1916

Age:26

Regiment/Service:South Lancashire Regiment

5th Bn.

Grave ReferenceD. C.E. 1.

CemeterySOUTHPORT (BIRKDALE) CEMETERY

BOUE-BLANDY, STELLA ROSE

Rank:Sister

Date of Death:13/01/1919

Age:32

Regiment/Service:Queen Alexandra's Imperial Military Nursing Service

Grave ReferenceD. C.E. 1.

CemeterySOUTHPORT (BIRKDALE) CEMETERY

KNOX, WILLIAM

Rank:Second Lieutenant

Date of Death:31/10/1918

Age:19

Regiment/Service:Royal Air Force

30th Training Depot Station

Grave ReferenceM. 10302.

CemeterySOUTH SHIELDS (HARTON) CEMETERY

KNOX, JANE

Rank:Forewoman

Service No:15646

Date of Death:11/11/1918

Age:31

Regiment/Service:Queen Mary's Army Auxiliary Corps

R.E. (Chatham)

Grave ReferenceM. 10302.

CemeterySOUTH SHIELDS (HARTON) CEMETERY

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As I recall the Boue-Blandy's are on the memorials on Ainsdale village green and in St John's CofE, Ainsdale. Bruce Hubbard will be able to give more details I think

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  • 4 months later...

Lieutenant Sydney Crawford of the Royal Dublin Fusiliers and his sister Letitia Harriette Hill were lost in the sinking of the R.M.S. Leinster on 10 October 1918. His body was washed ashore on the west coast of Scotland and he is buried in Kirkbean, Kirkcudbright. Her body was never recovered. Although, strictly speaking, she doesn't meet the criteria of having served in the war, she was the wife of Captain Valentine Hill, Royal Field Artillery.

Again, though she did not serve in the war, widow Fanny Wookey was lost on the R.M.S. Leinster. Her son Second Lieutenant Frederick Wookey, C company, 1st Royal Irish Regiment, had been killed in action 19 March 1915. Both of their bodies were recovered.

Lieutenant-Colonel Charles Blackburne D.S.O. 5th (Princess of Wales') Dragoon Guards was lost on the R.M.S. Leinster with his children Beatrice Audrey(11) and Charles Bertram (known as Peter) (7). The bodies of father and son were recovered. Also lost was the children's governess Rose De Pury. The sole survivor of the group was Charles's wife Emily. She remarried and was killed in the Blitz in the Second World War.

Oak

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Also lost on the R.M.S. Leinster, with her husband Thomas, was Charlotte Foley. Her body was recovered and buried in Glasnevin Cemetery, Dublin. Her brother, Pte. Christopher Barrett 228th Employment Company, Labour Corps (previously 3rd Northumberland Fusiliers) died from his wounds in hospital in England. He was buried in Birmingham on 13October 1918. The Foleys had been on their way to visit Christopher when they were lost. Their deaths left ten children orphaned. Thomas Foley was brother-in-law to the tenor John McCormack. McCormack and his wife Lily (nee Foley) adopted the youngest child, 16 month old Kevin. With financial provision from the McCormacks, the other nine children were reared by Lily's mother and older sister.

Oak

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  • 3 years later...

Hi all

came across this thread whilst having a good read through all the posts. It jogged a memory. I used to be a gardener for the CWGC and one of my postings was St Sever cemetery in Rouen. I remember that in the officers plots there was a brother and sister buried. It took some searching but I finally found them. Daisy and George. They died just over five weeks apart.

WARNOCK, ELIZABETH McMATH (DAISY)
Rank:Nurse
Date of Death:05/05/1918
Age:31
Regiment/Service:Voluntary Aid Detachment 10th (Glasgow) Detachment attd. 8th General Hospital
Grave Reference: Officers, B. 4. 23.
WARNOCK, GEORGE MUIR
Rank:Lieutenant
Date of Death:29/03/1918
Age:25
Regiment/Service :Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders 6th Bn. Awards:Mentioned in Despatches Grave Reference: Officers, B. 2. 20.
Their parents were
William and Mary Malcolm Elizabeth Muir Warnock, of 19, Westminster Terrace, Glasgow, late of Holytown, Lanarkshire.
Daisy died of septicemia and George of his wounds
Daisy is listed above George in the grave register.

post-4112-0-21763600-1451739965_thumb.jp

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