Having written about nearly 100 ancestors, it occurred to me that there were a good proportion of them who had died for their country during World Wars. This may be due to the fact their information may be easier to find than other mere mortals but in any case I thought it would be appropriate to provide a brief resume and list them in the order their deaths took place so that they could be remembered. To read their individual blogs just click on their names. So far, my research has found 10 servicemen and 3 civilian ancestors who died during the two world wars.
1915
Serjeant Percy Thomas Ross reached the rank of Corporal during the Boer War and, under fire, tried to rescue an officer who had been mortally wounded, for which he received the Distinguished Conduct Medal. Percy signed up for service during WW1 and was sent to France with the 23rd London Regiment. The British lost 16,648 casualties during the 11 days of the Battle of Festubert (15 - 25 May 1915) and it was on the last day of the battle that Percy was killed, aged 42, just two months after arriving in France. He is remembered on Le Touret Memorial maintained by the CWGC and on a family grave. He was a 2nd cousin 2 x removed.
Second Lieutenant Victor Bradshaw Haskins of the 3rd East Surrey Regiment (attached to the 5th Shropshire Light Infantry) died ten weeks after arriving in France in the muddy trenches of Ypres on 20th November 1915, aged 24. He is remembered at Ypres Reservoir Cemetery and was a great uncle.
1916
Lance Sergeant Robert Learmouth Sandeman of the Scots Guards (2nd battallion). On the 15th November 1916, aged 25, he "was treacherously killed by one of a party of Germans who he and other guardsmen were bringing in as POWs after an attack on enemy trenches. The deceased had been in front of the party directing the way when he was shot from behind". Robert was killed just three days before The Battle of the Somme finished. He is remembered on the Thiepval Memorial and was a 2 x great uncle.
1917
Sergeant James Walker Sandeman (Robert's younger brother) of the Royal Scots Fusiliers. He died on the 19th April 1917, aged 24. He died during The Second Battle of Gaza in Palestine. The advance started at 7.15 a.m. and "all along the front the infantry were brought to a halt well short of their objectives while suffering heavy casualties from shrapnel shells and machine gun fire. .... The battle was a disasterous defeat for the British. They made no progress, inflicted little damage and suffered heavy casualties". He is remembered on the Jerusalem Memorial and was a 2 x great uncle.
Serjeant Percy Thomas Ross reached the rank of Corporal during the Boer War and, under fire, tried to rescue an officer who had been mortally wounded, for which he received the Distinguished Conduct Medal. Percy signed up for service during WW1 and was sent to France with the 23rd London Regiment. The British lost 16,648 casualties during the 11 days of the Battle of Festubert (15 - 25 May 1915) and it was on the last day of the battle that Percy was killed, aged 42, just two months after arriving in France. He is remembered on Le Touret Memorial maintained by the CWGC and on a family grave. He was a 2nd cousin 2 x removed.
Second Lieutenant Victor Bradshaw Haskins of the 3rd East Surrey Regiment (attached to the 5th Shropshire Light Infantry) died ten weeks after arriving in France in the muddy trenches of Ypres on 20th November 1915, aged 24. He is remembered at Ypres Reservoir Cemetery and was a great uncle.
1916
Lance Sergeant Robert Learmouth Sandeman of the Scots Guards (2nd battallion). On the 15th November 1916, aged 25, he "was treacherously killed by one of a party of Germans who he and other guardsmen were bringing in as POWs after an attack on enemy trenches. The deceased had been in front of the party directing the way when he was shot from behind". Robert was killed just three days before The Battle of the Somme finished. He is remembered on the Thiepval Memorial and was a 2 x great uncle.
1917
Sergeant James Walker Sandeman (Robert's younger brother) of the Royal Scots Fusiliers. He died on the 19th April 1917, aged 24. He died during The Second Battle of Gaza in Palestine. The advance started at 7.15 a.m. and "all along the front the infantry were brought to a halt well short of their objectives while suffering heavy casualties from shrapnel shells and machine gun fire. .... The battle was a disasterous defeat for the British. They made no progress, inflicted little damage and suffered heavy casualties". He is remembered on the Jerusalem Memorial and was a 2 x great uncle.
Private Frank Arthur Musgrove of The Queens (Royal West Surrey Regiment) (2nd battalion The Queen's Own Buffs). Died of his wounds on the 5th October 1917, aged 19, during what became known as 'Passendale 1917' - probably wounded during Battle of the Menin Road Bridge (20th September) or Battle of Polygon Wood (26th September) or Battle of Broodseinde (4th October). Over the period of 100 days there were over half a million Allied casualties with a gain of only a few miles. He is remembered at Godewaersvelde British Cemetary and was a great uncle.
1942
Flying Officer Gerald Eugene Musgrove was killed on 22nd February 1942 when his Hurricane collided with an Army Lysander over Totnes during a training exercise. Gerald was just 21 years old. He is remembered on the Wendover CWGC Memorial with his father and brother. He was a first cousin once removed.
1942
Flying Officer Gerald Eugene Musgrove was killed on 22nd February 1942 when his Hurricane collided with an Army Lysander over Totnes during a training exercise. Gerald was just 21 years old. He is remembered on the Wendover CWGC Memorial with his father and brother. He was a first cousin once removed.
1944
My grandfather on my birth tree, Bill Anderson (aka Lamond), served with the Army Service Corps in WW1. He was a baker between the wars and in WW2 again served with the RASC, presumably making bread for the troops. He went to France with the British Expeditionary Force before being evacuated from Dunkirk with a puppy called Yorkie under his great coat. He then went to North Africa where he was captured by the Italians at Tobruk (June 1942) and taken to a POW camp in Italy. When the Italians capitulated (about September 1943) he escaped and at some point was subsequently recaptured by the Germans. He was being taken by train to a POW camp in Germany on 28th January 1944 - the train he was being transported in was going over a bridge to the north of Orvieto in Italy when it was bombed and destroyed by the Americans. He was 47 years old. Hundreds of POW's of all nationalities died, including Bill.
My grandfather on my birth tree, Bill Anderson (aka Lamond), served with the Army Service Corps in WW1. He was a baker between the wars and in WW2 again served with the RASC, presumably making bread for the troops. He went to France with the British Expeditionary Force before being evacuated from Dunkirk with a puppy called Yorkie under his great coat. He then went to North Africa where he was captured by the Italians at Tobruk (June 1942) and taken to a POW camp in Italy. When the Italians capitulated (about September 1943) he escaped and at some point was subsequently recaptured by the Germans. He was being taken by train to a POW camp in Germany on 28th January 1944 - the train he was being transported in was going over a bridge to the north of Orvieto in Italy when it was bombed and destroyed by the Americans. He was 47 years old. Hundreds of POW's of all nationalities died, including Bill.
Hugh 'Pops' Benson was 62 years old when he died on 12th July 1944 in Stalag IV B in Muhlberg, South of Berlin. He served with the Royal Field Artillery in the Boer War at Ladysmith, with the 1st Mounted Rifles during WW1, before being captured during WW2 at Tobruk while serving with the 1st battalion of the Royal Durban Light Infantry. The unique photograph opposite was taken in the POW camp where he was being given a military funeral by both his comrades and his German captors. He was a great uncle.
Godfrey Dennis Musgrove, better known as Bobby, signed up for the RAF Volunteer Reserve after his brother (Gerald) had been killed. He was diagnosed with leukemia and died aged 22 in the RAF hospital, St Athan, on 18th October 1944. Like his father and brother, he is remembered on the CWGC memorial at Wendover. He was buried with his brother and the gravestone says: "Great Pals - To their gay and gallant spirit a happiness which once has been is imperishable. R.I.P." He was a first cousin once removed.
1945
Christina Chatterton Bird (aged 76) (my 2nd cousin 2 x removed), her sister Gertrude Pattie Friend (aged 70) (2nd cousin 2 x removed) and Gertrude's daughter Christine Chatterton Friend (aged 37) (3rd cousin 1 x removed) are all civilians commemorated on the CWGC website. They were killed in Wanstead, on the north eastern corner of London after a V-2 rocket landed on their house at 06.24, probably when they were still asleep. Official sources record that it killed 14 others in the surrounding streets, with 6 injured and 27 slightly injured. We know the rocket fell on 26th January 1945 but the death certificate says "dead body found 27th January".
Godfrey Dennis Musgrove, better known as Bobby, signed up for the RAF Volunteer Reserve after his brother (Gerald) had been killed. He was diagnosed with leukemia and died aged 22 in the RAF hospital, St Athan, on 18th October 1944. Like his father and brother, he is remembered on the CWGC memorial at Wendover. He was buried with his brother and the gravestone says: "Great Pals - To their gay and gallant spirit a happiness which once has been is imperishable. R.I.P." He was a first cousin once removed.
1945
Christina Chatterton Bird (aged 76) (my 2nd cousin 2 x removed), her sister Gertrude Pattie Friend (aged 70) (2nd cousin 2 x removed) and Gertrude's daughter Christine Chatterton Friend (aged 37) (3rd cousin 1 x removed) are all civilians commemorated on the CWGC website. They were killed in Wanstead, on the north eastern corner of London after a V-2 rocket landed on their house at 06.24, probably when they were still asleep. Official sources record that it killed 14 others in the surrounding streets, with 6 injured and 27 slightly injured. We know the rocket fell on 26th January 1945 but the death certificate says "dead body found 27th January".
George Musgrove, father of Gerald and Bobby (see above), won the Military Medal and the Distinguished Conduct Medal during WW1. He lost his leg near Ovillers during a battle on the Somme. He joined up again for WW2 and was a Major in the Royal Army Pay Corps (RAPC), which was responsible for administering all financial matters in the British Army. George died, aged just 48, on 10th June 1945 after catching pneumonia following an operation for a duodenal ulcer. He is commemorated on the CWGC memorial at Wendover, as are his two sons who died before him.