Lt WW Morgan - Hawke Bn

[Neil Mackenzie]

I was at the Kenley Memorial Hall, near Purley in South London this morning. This hall in a memorial to Lt William Watkins Morgan of the RNVR (Hawke Division) and was built by his father.

Surprisingly the memorial plaque - which is quite nice and includes a likeness of William - says he died at Gallipoli in July 1915 whereas CWGC has his date of death as 19th June 1915.

Are there any experts out there who could advise which is more likely to be correct or who could give any more info on William?

Many thanks.

Neil

[McNamara]

ID: I22042

Name: William Watkins MORGAN

Sex: M

Birth: 1886 in Wandsworth, London, England

Note: Mar Qr 1d 720

Note: Times 30 Mar 1916: "Hawke Battalion, Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve . He arrived on the Gallipoli Peninsula at the end of May 1915. He led his company to attack a Turkish trench on June 19 and nothing has been heard of him since."

this is all i have found about him!!!

regards

[Neil Mackenzie]

Thanks j.M

Wonder why the memorial plaque says July 1915 - his father must have known he had not been seen since 19 June. Maybe he thought he had been wounded/taken prisoner and died later.

Thanks again.

Neil

[horatio2]

From the RND memorial database:-

He commanded 'A' Coy of Hawke Bn. having been commissioned into the RND (RNVR) on 7 August 1914. He was born on New Year's Eve 1886 and his father was Sir Charles Longbridge Morgan, C.B.E., of Woodhurst, Kenley, Surrey. He was educated at Trinity College, Cambridge and was a lawyer. The CWGC date is correct - he was missing in action on that date.

Jerrold's "The Hawke Battalion" has a very full account of the action on 19 June.

[McNamara]

the news confirming the death of his son must have reached him in july,

regards

[michaeldr]

From 'The Hawke Battalion' by Douglas Jerrold

see page 29 - early (JAN?) 1915 the rebuilding of the Hawke Battalion after Antwerp

"The balance of the officers of these companies (A & B as they eventually became)

were drawn from the civilian officers as they were passed out of Colonel Ramsden's training school;........

'A' Company, Lieutenant W. W. Morgan, RNVR. (in command)"

see page 66/67 - After the debacle of the 4th June, General Paris was anxious to advance his firing line by minor operations in order to reduce the ground to be covered by assaulting troops in any future main attack. Opposite the centre of the RND line was an advanced Turkish position which it was decided to take to ensure a substantial gain of ground. The Hawke Battalion were given the job to do on the 19th but as a daylight attack was out of the question, it commenced at half an hour past midnight and without preliminary bombardment.

"Punctually at 12.30 am [00.30 hrs 19th June 1915] Morgan led out his platoon from the sap-head, and giving the word himself led the attack.

From that moment the fortunes of this miniature battle alternated with bewildering speed. Advancing with more enthusiasm than method, and adopting the old-fashioned and probably mistaken habit of cheering as they advanced, the assaulting line was seen to reach the trench; then there was a burst of firing from the enemy and five minutes' pause, broken only by a confused shouting of orders by officers separated from their men; then a swift and inexplicable retreat. Morgan himself had reached the neighbourhood of the trench with some of his men, and had there been killed. That much is certain, but the rest was confusion."

You may find that more info on this man is held on The Jack Clegg Memorial Database of Royal Naval Division Casualties of The Great War

See https://www.military-genealogy.com/rndAbout

regards

Michael

PS: Sorry H2, my typing is very slow and I did not see your reply above

Edited 27 July , 2007 by michaeldr

[Neil Mackenzie]

Thanks everbody. I tried the military-genealogy website but it did not give anything more.

Neil