20792 Pte Albert Lamb 2 Bn KOYLI

[kerry]

Clutching at straws here, would it have been possible for him to have been posted missing (his name is on the Menen Gate) if he had not been killed (and body not found) but if he had been taken prisoner, then died of wounds before the Red Cross registration caught up with him. If so, would the Germans have buried him in one of their cemeteries?

I only consider this extreme outside possibility because Bn records show that one man struggled back after that night, as late as 12 May, claiming that pockets of men were living on raw potatoes and water, fighting off German attempts to take them prisoner, but with no hope of getting back to Trench39-40 (Zwaerteleen Salient).

An extremely long shot but the family story is that he was killed in the same action with Harry Checkley who joined up with him. Yet the CWG record shows that Checkley died in July that year.

Any thoughts?

Kerry

[Guest j monteyne]

Clutching at straws here, would it have been possible for him to have been posted missing (his name is on the Menen Gate) if he had not been killed (and body not found) but if he had been taken prisoner, then died of wounds before the Red Cross registration caught up with him.  If so, would the Germans have buried him in one of their cemeteries?

I only consider this extreme outside possibility because Bn records show that one man struggled back after that night, as late as 12 May, claiming that pockets of men were living on raw potatoes and water, fighting off German attempts to take them prisoner, but with no hope of getting back to Trench39-40 (Zwaerteleen Salient). 

An extremely long shot but the family story is that he was killed in the same action with Harry Checkley who joined up with him.  Yet the CWG record shows that Checkley died in July that year.

Any thoughts?

Kerry

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Kerry,

Can't offer any further info, I am presuming you have seen the KOYLI war diary posting elsewhere on the web.

I have been trying to do a bit of research on my great uncle Harry Radford. He was Pte 20496 2nd battalion KOYLI, and was also posted as killed in action 7th May 1915. His name is on the same panel as Albert Lamb's and Alfred Langley's. He was also from Sheffield from a mining family, one of his brothers was killed in the mines during WW1, by a weird coincidence he was killed the day the family received news of Harry's death. Harry was 17 when he died so I wouldn't think he had been a soldier long either.

It would seem likely that they were killed in the same action at Zwarteleen and that's my reason for contact. Have you any other information on what happened during that raid?

There is a KOYLI museum within Doncaster Museun Service I have contacted them as well.

I hope to hear from you soon.

Regards.

John Monteyne.

(this is my first posting - so I hope it makes sense)

[Max]

This is Harry Radford's memorial on the Menin Gate

[Max]

And Albert Lambs

[Guest j monteyne]

Max

Thanks for picture, I have visited the Menin Gate but that was over 40 years ago and didn't have a picture. Nice to add it to the file.

John Monteyne

[Max]

No probs John