Pte Henry HASSALL Sth Lanc Regt died 09/01/1915

[christine liava'a]

Remembering Today:

Pte Henry HASSALL, 2002 2 Bn, South Lancashire Regt, who died on 09.01.15. Niederzwehren Cemetery, Germany

Name: HASSALL

Initials: H

Nationality: United Kingdom

Rank: Private

Regiment: South Lancashire Regiment

Unit Text: 2nd Bn.

Date of Death: 09/01/1915

Service No: 2002

Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead

Grave/Memorial Reference: X. E. 16.

Cemetery: NIEDERZWEHREN CEMETERY

Location Information: The cemetery is located 10 kilometres south of Kassel and 2 kilometres from the main road from Kassel to Marburg. Approach Kassel on the A49 motorway leaving at junction Kassel Niederzwehren, which forms the Frankfurter Strasse. The first right hand turning leads into the Dittershauser Strasse. Continue on this road which becomes a narrow road at the bend. Follow the bend to the right, where the cemetery is clearly signposted, which leads to a small crossroads. Turn left at the crossroads where Niederzwehren Cemetery becomes visible from the roadside. The Commonwealth plots now form a separate cemetery lying beside the Russian cemetery.

Historical Information: The cemetery was begun by the Germans in 1915 for the burial of prisoners of war who died at the local camp. During the war almost 3,000 Allied soldiers and civilians, including French, Russian and Commonweath, were buried there In 1922-23 it was decided that the graves of Commonwealth servicemen who had died all over Germany should be brought together into four permanent cemeteries.

Niederzwehren was one of those chosen and in the following four years, more than 1,500 graves were brought into the cemetery from 190 burial grounds in Baden, Bavaria, Hanover, Hesse and Saxony. There are now 1,795 First World War servicemen buried or commemorated in the Commonwealth plot at Niederzwehren. This total includes special memorials to 13 casualties buried in other cemeteries in Germany whose graves could not be found.

The following cemeteries are among those from which graves were brought to Niederzwehren: BAYREUTH TOWN CEMETERY, Bavaria. 24 burials of 1918. DARMSTADT FOREST CEMETERY, Hesse. In use from 1915. 102 burials. DIETKIRCHEN PRISONERS OF WAR CEMETERY, Hesse-Nassau. 45 burials (28 of Irish regiments) of 1914-18. FREIBURG IN BREISGAU MAIN CEMETERY, Baden, 43 burials of 1918. GERMERSHEIM CEMETERY, Palatinate. 26 burials of 1915-1918. GIESSEN MILITARY CEMETERY, Hesse. 99 burials of 1914-1919. GOTTINGEN MILITARY CEMETERY, Hanover. 88 burials of 1914-1919. HAMELN PRISONERS OF WAR CEMETERY, Hanover. 70 burials of 1915-1918. INGOLSTADT CEMETERY, Bavaria. 23 burials of 1917-1918. LANGENSALZA PRISONERS OF WAR CEMETERIES No. 1 and No. 2, Prussian Saxony. 225 burials of 1915-1918. MAINZ MILITARY CEMETERY, Rhein-Hessen. 23 burials of 1915-1919. MANNHEIM MAIN CEMETERY, Baden. 21 burials of 1916-1918. MESCHEDE PRISONERS OF WAR CEMETERY, Westphalia. 49 burials of 1917-1918. OHRDRUF PRISONERS OF WAR CEMETERY, Thuringia. 107 burials of 1915-1918. PADERBORN CEMETERY, Westphalia. 29 soldiers burials of 1914-18. QUEDLINBURG CENTRAL CEMETERY, Prussian Saxony. 102 burials of 1914-1918. SENNELAGER PRISONERS OF WAR CEMETERY, Westphalia. 32 burials of 1914-1918.

No. of Identified Casualties: 1791

[christine liava'a]

So, was he a POW, or was his body brought from some other cemetery?

[Guest Hill 60]

SDGW:

Born: Birkenhead.

Enlisted: Liverpool.

Cause of death: Died.

[Greenwoodman]

I've done some research on a John William Hassall, also of the 2nd South Lancs, killed in 1917. And his brother Arthur, 1st/7th Cheshires, killed in Gallipoli. As far as I can see after a glance at the census, no relation to Henry.

Only one Henry Hassall on the 1901 Census, shown as born and living in Birkenhead. Age 13 at the time of the census, making him around 28 when he died.

[Guest Pete Wood]

The Hassall name does appear to be quite common in the North West of the country, looking at the large number on SDGW.

This soldier must have been a PoW to have been buried in Germany. There were no occupation forces until much later.

The 2nd Bn was in action from the very beginning of the war. Hassell must surely have been an old [bEF] contemptible......?

Paul Hinckley has a website called http://www.oldcontemptible.com

[John_Hartley]

Henry is not remembered on the War Memorial in his native Birkenhead, nor, apparently, anywhere nearby.

"The First Seven Divisions" only makes passing reference to the 2nd South Lancs - mentioning they had heavy casualties on 7/9/14. Could mean he was wounded and taken prisoner?

John

[Guest Pete Wood]

Looking at SDGW, there were quite a few more dates on which 2 S Lancs were in action, taking casualties, and that Hassall could have been taken prisoner:

24.8.14 - 28.8.14

7.9.14 (which John mentioned)

20.9.14

24.10.14

A steady stream of casualties for dates in late October, November, and throughout December (with quite a few on Christmas Day and Boxing Day).

Hopefully Terry will have something in the original register.

[Terry Denham]

Nothing additional in register