William Mallows-Grenadier Guards-27770

[Keith Mallows]

I have recently visited the grave of my only descendant to have died inthe Great War.

He is buried in Etaples Cemetary. He enlisted in December 1915 and joined at Caterham in November 1916.

He died of wounds (gassed-shell) on 14 September 1917.

The 1st battalion was formed into the 4th Division and were involved in Pilckem Ridge & Langermarck battles.

I can find no reference of gas being used in the war diaries for the periods July to September 1917.

Was it just a common occurance by then and not specifically mentioned?

As he is buried someway from the battlefield, does this mean he was transferred to a hospital near by?

Any help or views on this would be appreciatted

[the gunners dream]

Hi Keith,

The reason he was away from the front is because he died of wounds, see below:

Etaples was a base area, with base hospitals, so he would have been evacuated pending further treatment etc.

Diary entries always depend on the person writing them, some were detailed and others were very brief. It might be an idea to look for entries that mention bombardments and look for clues that mention the loss of ORs on that day.

Steve

[Stebie9173]

As a Guardsman, William's service records will probably still exist. Have you contacted the Regimental Archivist at Wellington Barracks, Birdcage Walk?

Steve.

[Keith Mallows]

Hi Keith,

The reason he was away from the front is because he died of wounds, see below:

Etaples was a base area, with base hospitals, so he would have been evacuated pending further treatment etc.

Diary entries always depend on the person writing them, some were detailed and others were very brief. It might be an idea to look for entries that mention bombardments and look for clues that mention the loss of ORs on that day.

Steve,

Many thanks I have the diary entries and will read a bit closer,and I was not aware of the significance of Etaples as a base area

[Keith Mallows]

As a Guardsman, William's service records will probably still exist. Have you contacted the Regimental Archivist at Wellington Barracks, Birdcage Walk?

Steve.

Thanks for this I have got copies of all his records and discovered that he had a son who the family seems to have had no knowledge of and died in the early 1970's. I am currently rying to find out if he had any family and am waiting for a copy death certificate.