Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ

Wars and ConflictsΒ  permalink

battle at Ypres

• Message 1.Β 

  Posted by SpecialNeedsGirl (U14270238) on Sunday, 9th January 2011

  Hi
  
  We have a Reuben Evan Jones, from the 1st Battalion of the Welsh Regiment ,who was killed in action in WW1 on 17th February 1915. No body was ever found.
  He is mentioned on the Menin Gate.
  
  Please could anyone tell me
  
  1. how can I find out if his medal was claimed
  
  2. which battle he died in and where I can find more information.
  
  Many thanks

  Link to this forum: battle at Ypres

  Report message1

• Message 2

  , in reply to message 1.

  Posted by Big Nose Kate (U2898677) on Monday, 10th January 2011

  You could try the Veterans Agency and/or his regiment or regimental association

  Link to this forum: battle at Ypres

  Report message2

• Message 3

  , in reply to message 1.

  Posted by raundsgirl (U2992430) on Monday, 10th January 2011

  I suggest you try this on the FH message board. You can see his medal card online, and the Regimental Diary will give you an idea of what the fighting was that day. My great-uncle was killed on the Somme in Sept 1916 with no known grave. I have found that there were a number of skirmishes going on apart from the big battles and he may have been blown up by a shell/buried in a shellhole/ buried hastily on the battlefield. If the latter, either the site of the grave was lost, or his 'dogtag' had deteriorated and could not be identified.

  Link to this forum: battle at Ypres

  Report message3

• Message 4

  , in reply to message 1.

  Posted by FulwellLib (U14560427) on Monday, 10th January 2011

  Hi,
  
  As previously mentioned you can buy the medal card on the National Archive documents online or Ancestry.com (subscription or free in many libraries). Unfortunatly his Service Record seems to have been lost in the Second War bombing. Medals for other ranks would be sent to next of kin though they may have had to apply as he was not around- not sure on this score. His Service Number was 9635.
  
  It would seem that he was a Regular or Regular reservist as his battalion was in India at the start of the war and returned to Britain in late Dec. 1914. It arrived in France as part of the 28th Division on 18/1/15. As mentioned in a previous post he probably lost his life as part of the day to day attrition of trench warfare.
  
  Another very good web site is www.1914-1918.net called the Long,Long Trail which has sections on researching family history. Also the Imperial War Museum site has a section on Campaign medals.
  
  Best of luck
  

  Link to this forum: battle at Ypres

  Report message4

• Message 5

  , in reply to message 4.

  Posted by SpecialNeedsGirl (U14270238) on Monday, 10th January 2011

  Thanks everyone for your replies.
  
  We have a copy of the medal card - found on Ancestry. I am waiting for the 1911 census to find out wher he was living.
  
  Unfortunately his mother had died in 1897 after giving birth to her tenth living child and his father - Thomas Jones, we believe died around 1907. (such a common name!!)
  
  Stories we are unravelling about the family are quite sad.
  
  Reuben was my husband's great great uncle.
  His brother, William Ambrose - my husband's gt grandfather died at the age of 29 years, after an operation because of an industrial accident in 1905 leaving two young boys and one born a few months later.
  
  William's widow married again and moved away from Cardiff and it is only since researching the family tree that we have discovered everything. Now looking for Jones descendants in the Cardiff area!!
  
  We believe Reuben's next of kin could have been any of his surviving brohers if he bothered to name them but my husband just feels he didn't give a name.
  
  It is sad that his war records have been 'lost during the second WW as we believe it could have told us so much more.
  
  Regarding the battalion's whereabouts we know that Reuben started off in Richmond (if my memory serves me right). we can only assume that is where he did his basic training.
  
  We also know he was promoted to sergeant but this was only probably because some poor fellow was killed and he happened to be 'in the right place at the right time' for promotion. Poor fellow.
  
  I will try the Imperial War Museum to see if they can give me any info.
  
  thanks again for your replies and good luck to everyone in your personal researches
  
  Pam

  Link to this forum: battle at Ypres

  Report message5

• Message 6

  , in reply to message 5.

  Posted by Piltdown (U6504098) on Thursday, 13th January 2011

  It might be worth getting a copy of his regiment's or division's official history via an inter-library loan and having a look at the regimental diary for the period in question. The IWM or the National Records Office should have this.

  Link to this forum: battle at Ypres

  Report message6

• Message 7

  , in reply to message 1.

  Posted by FulwellLib (U14560427) on Saturday, 15th January 2011

  Hi
  Further to previous post;
  Found that RE Jones was born in 1892 in Cardiff.
  Examined the 1911 census and found a Reuben Jones as a Lance Corporal in the 1st Batt. Welsh Regiment which at the time of the census was based in Abbassia Barracks in Cairo Egypt. It states that his DOB was 1890 but it tallies with the other info on the Battalions movements to the UK in Dec 1914 and to France in Jan 1915. There are no other Reuben Jones' born within a couple of years of 1892 on the 1911 census. I think it is a reasonable deduction that it is him and that he told a bit of a fib about his age and presuming he was a good soldier it would explain him being a sergeant in 1915.
  The Welsh Regiment archive is held jointly with the South Wales Borderers archive at their museum in Brecon. The Royal Regiment of Wales web site gives details of how to contact them.
  
  Hope this has been of some use
  
  Simon
  

  Link to this forum: battle at Ypres

  Report message7

• Message 8

  , in reply to message 7.

  Posted by SpecialNeedsGirl (U14270238) on Tuesday, 18th January 2011

  Thanks Simon.
  
  Does anyone know what happens regarding death certificates for soldiers killed in action when no body is found?
  
  Is a death certificate issued and if so where can it be obtained?
  
  Thanks

  Link to this forum: battle at Ypres

  Report message8

• Message 9

  , in reply to message 8.

  Posted by Big Nose Kate (U2898677) on Wednesday, 19th January 2011

  The Veterans Agency of the Royal British Legion might be able to help or your local Registary Office

  Link to this forum: battle at Ypres

  Report message9

• Message 10

  , in reply to message 9.

  Posted by SpecialNeedsGirl (U14270238) on Wednesday, 19th January 2011

  Thanks
  
  Would the Register Office be the one where he lived before enlisting or the one where his barracks base was?
  
  Thanks

  Link to this forum: battle at Ypres

  Report message10

• Message 11

  , in reply to message 10.

  Posted by Big Nose Kate (U2898677) on Wednesday, 19th January 2011

  To be safe I'd try both but the one where he lived before enlisting would be the first port of call in my opinion

  Link to this forum: battle at Ypres

  Report message11

• Message 12

  , in reply to message 11.

  Posted by SpecialNeedsGirl (U14270238) on Wednesday, 19th January 2011

  Thanks
  SNG

  Link to this forum: battle at Ypres

  Report message12

Back to top