Researching soldiers Annezin Cemetery WW1

[elsinore]

2886 Private Frank Arthur VINEY d. 25th May 1915
Birth Registration 1895 Lambeth Q4 1D 522

Parents: Arthur VINEY m. Fanny GANE 1890 Lewisham Q3 1D 1642

1911 Census at 42 Canterbury Grove, West Norwood, Surrey
Arthur VINEY 48 Window cleaner b. Breamore, Hampshire
Fanny VINEY 48 b. Catford, London
George Edwin VINEY 19 Apprentice bookbinder b. Norwood
Mabel Mary VINEY 16 Student b. Norwood
Frank Arthur VINEY 15 Apprentice watch and clock maker b. Norwood
Maud Alice VINEY 13 b. Norwood

Arthur and Fanny had another son, William Thomas b. 1892 Lambeth Q4 1D 532, died 1894 Lambeth Q2 1D 304


Frank Arthur enlisted in the 23rd (County of London) Battalion, London Regiment at Clapham Junction on the 12th September 1914.
On 14th March 1915 the battalion embarked at Southampton, en route to France, arriving at Le Havre on 15th March 1915.
After spending three days at Arques, the battalion moved on to Lespesses and St Hilaire. After a week's training, the battalion marched to La Beuvriere, where it remained until the first week in April.
During April the battalion marched to Oblinghem and then on to Les Glaugmes. Mesplaux, Les Facons, Allouagne, Auchel, Les Chocuaux. From mid-April the battalion was engaged in fighting, suffering its first casualties.
May saw action on a number of fronts, with increasing numbers of dead and wounded men. On 24th May, the battalion relieved 22nd Battalion in the trenches at Givenchy. In the afternoon of 25th May, the battalion received orders to attack the German trenches 200 yards to the south. By 26th May, the battalion had captured the German trench but had suffered 499 casualties, dead and wounded. The battalion was relieved and marched to billets in Le Quesnol.

It is difficult to determine the exact place that Frank fell. Annezy, where Frank is buried, is to the west of Bethune, whereas Givenchy is the the east. Until the battle of 25th May, all fatalities were individually recorded in the war diary. Frank's name does not appear.

Frank was buried in Grave No 4 at Annezy Communal Cemetery.

In September 1915 Frank's mother, Fanny, received some of Frank's possessions; wristwatch, scissors, purse, chain and identity disc. In April 1916 Fanny wrote to the records office asking if they had any of Frank's letters and photographs, which he had been carrying in his wallet. The response was negative.

There is evidence that Frank's brother George may have served and survived:
200071 Lance Corporal George Edwin VINEY, 1/5th Battalion East Surrey Regiment
1939 Register has a George E VINEY, bookbinder.

Any information and/or photographs gleaned from newspapers and other sources may be added at a later date.

Peter

[elsinore]

2nd Lieutenant Paul William John STEVENSON

Thanks are due to some wise men on the Great War Forum, who gave me this link:

https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/i...ject/205389180

So now we have a photograph of Lt. STEVENSON and an obituary.

Peter

[christanel]

Thank you for all your work on this thread Peter. I keep revisiting the ones I have done to see if I can find anything else especially for those who are a bit of a mystery eg. James Wood(s)/McCarthy. So if I do find anything else I will add it to the thread.
Christina

[elsinore]

Thanks are due to you, Christina, for doing the lion's share of the research!

I will also be nibbling away to find additional information, as and when I can.

Peter

[elsinore]

It is difficult to determine the exact place that Frank fell. Annezin, where Frank is buried, is to the west of Bethune, whereas Givenchy is the the east. Until the battle of 25th May, all fatalities were individually recorded in the war diary. Frank's name does not appear.

2886 Private Frank Arthur VINEY

On 21st May 1915, 4th London Field Ambulance moved to Annezin and took over the Boys School.
On 25th May the unit also took over the Girls School to use as an overflow hospital.

From 4th's war diary:
26th May. Half a bearer sub-division sent up to reinforce the bearers at Pont Fixe. Casualties were very rapidly coming in all night 25/26 May and by 9pm over 500 casualties had passed through the Field Ambulance.

Pont Fixe was a bridge over the canal at Cuinchy.

It's reasonable to conclude that Private VINEY was wounded in an attack in the area of Festubert/Beuvry/Cuinchy and then taken by ambulance to the 4th Field Ambulance at Annezin.

Peter

[elsinore]

So John born c1880 but I am having difficulty finding anything for him in Scotland prior to 1901. I can't see a birth for a John Knott(s) 1875-1885 There's a Joseph Knott born in the Gorbals 1877 but I think he was signing up to the Canadian Expeditionary Force in 1815 and single.

I think a typo led you astray, Christina.
John KNOTT's age should read 31.

1911 Census at 113 Crown street, Hutchesontown, Glasgow
John KNOTTS 40 Engineer's labourer
Agnes 38
Thomas 11
Agnes 2

John KNOTTS b. 1870 Hutchesontown. Ref: 644/10 504

So John was 45 when he died.

Both he and James WOOD (see #34) died at Bethune on consecutive days. Neither record indicates whether they were killed in action or died of wounds. The war diaries for 1st Battalion Cameronians records that it moved back from Cuinchy via Beuvry to Bethune on 12th and 13th November 1915. Its last recorded action was on 7th November when 4 named men were 'killed in a sap'. Perhaps KNOTTS and WOOD were wounded in that action and died a week later.

Peter

[christanel]

Hi Peter
thank you for taking another look at these men.
I have been taken up with things medical for a few weeks and probably will be for a while yet so my concentration is shot.
Hopefully I will get back in to some deeper stuff soon.
Christina

[elsinore]

No problem, Christina. I'm just adding the military 'story' for each man, when time permits.

We're half way there and there is no time constraint, so you take it easy and look after yourself.

Peter

[Glenalla]

Hi,

In advance of our local Nov 18 centenary celebrations, I've been doing research on our local war memorial in Old Kilpatrick, Dunbartonshire , Scotland. The Daniel J Hendry is the one born in 1893 and married to Catherine Mulgrew. I'm trying to track down any offspring. Here's the war memorial https://www.tracesofwar.com/sights/1...Kilpatrick.htm. Kind Regards Florence

[mschollaert]

Hello
Thank you all for your help.
My students have finished the story of "their" british soldiers and will never forget it.
As promised, here is their work
Thanks again for your help
Myriam