Worcestershire Regiment

Hi Peter and Allan,
hope it is OK with a few Gheluvelt questions?

First, I wonder if you have anything new on Laban Harris, 12846?

Also, I have come across extant medal reports of trios to:

Victor Godwin SWANN, no.12679, KIA at Messines in october 1917

&

Daniel Hughes, 10463 and entitled to SWB.

All the best,
Lars

Hi Lars

I have found the following information from the Worcester Herald.

12846 Pte L Harris reported as 12845 Wounded in the 13 February 1915 edition.

12679 Pte V Swann reported as 2nd Battalion Wounded in the 23 October 1915 edition.

This is the really interesting one.

10463 Pte D Hughes from Bilston.

Reported as Rejoined 5th Battalion on the 11 January 1915 in the 16 January 1915 edition.

Reported Wounded in the 6 February 1915 edition.

Reported Wounded in the 25 November 1916 edition.

He looks to me a good candidate for Gheluvelt. Maybe Peter has him on his list.

Regards Allan

Allan, many thanks for a quick reply! Is there any reason that you don't think Harris would be a candidate for a charger, or did I misunderstand your post? All three came to France 12.8.14.

Kind regards,
Lars

Hi Lars

Harris may well have been at Gheluvelt as the wounded reports did not always come through quickly, especially during the early days. I think they may have had a few more important things to do that send casualty reports in at the time.

As I said Hughes was almost certainly there.

Swann may have been but there is no report of him being wounded.

I have not completed 1917 yet, but I will look out for Swann KIA and let you know.

Regards Allan

Thanks Allan, very much appreciated!
/Lars

Hi Lars,

I can't add anything more than Allan about your three Gheluvelt men. At the moment all 3 are down as maybe at Gheluvelt with no reports in newspapers found so far to suggest they were wounded. The list at the moment holds 1661 names of which 334 I'm sure were at Gheluvelt. Victor Godwin Swann is down as V.E. Swann on the Cathedral list and I have Daniel L. Hughes down as a pre war regular. Will keep you informed on any new information that I find (if any). Still a long haul and a lot of visits to the Central Library and searches on Ancestry if I'm ever to complete this listing.

Regards

Peter

Peter, thank you very much for taking the trouble to answer. Laban Harris14 trio is now on it's way to my collection. It seems he never bothered to collect his clasp & roses for the star unfortunately, nothing on his MIC to indicate this.

Kind regards,
Lars