Genealogy Chat

Have looked on the CWGC site for this person and also on war memorial site, but so far no luck. Does anyone know of any other sites where I can look please?? Jennie

Are you sure they were actually in the forces and died during WW1? Could they have died during the flu epidemic which followed WW!? Jay

Are you willing to share any relevant info about the person you're looking for? Perhaps different eyes/brains can come up with some ideas? Christine

Have just downloaded his medal card (on O/H's card)-anyway I assume it's his as only a second initial is given. Am awfully dense, blonde etc but it gives very little info. I don't think I will cause offence by giving his name-two of us are trying to find out more. He was called Robert Watson and was born in 1898 so was only a little boy really. I find these war deaths tragic. The least I can do is find out more about them when they died so young. Jennie

Hi What area would he have been in at time of death???? ie birmingham, manchester etc Could he have been a civilian caualty rather than serving in the forces??? Debbie

I understand that he died off Jutland-he was in the army so suppose he was being transported somewhere. Jennie

Jennie, if you look at the 'Military' section of 1837 online you will see more databases to try. Kate.

Will try that. Must go and walk the dog as she has had her legs crossed all afternoon! Jennie

If you know the date of death it may be possible to find a troopship that sank the same day off Jutland. However, I find it hard to imagine why a troopship would be in that area when the Western Front was so far to the South. I do recall that HMS Hampshire was sunk in that area with Lord Kitchener on board in 1916 en route to Russia. Could he perhaps have been amongst his staff? Was it 1918 or later? He could have been part of the expeditionary force on its way to Archangel to fight the Bolsheviks? The date is the key.

This is still puzzling me. On his medal record he is listed under two corps: Norfolk regiment and Royal Irish Rifles. His medal card gives no date of death. On the CWGC site an RC Watson with the number given on his medal card was killed in June 1917. I feel this must be the correct one. Does anyone know which battle he may have been in? Is it possible that he died elsewhere and there is only a memorial here. Apparently Birmingham City Library has a book called 'Soldiers who died in the First WW' I shall check before going there but it is somewhat closer than Kew for me. Jennie

Hi, have you tried,,, http://www*inmemories*com/ (swop the stars for full stops) Barbara..xx

Hi Jennie, You can also search 'Soldiers died in the great war' on 1837online, I found all my ancestors that died in ww1 on there. It gives a little bit more info too such as where enlisted and place of birth and residence...it's well worth a look! Deb

This is very confusing. You said that your ancestor died off Jutland, now you say he is buried in France. I think you need to give us the complete details you hold and maybe then we can help. The latest information you give is: Name: WATSON Initials: R C Nationality: United Kingdom Rank: Rifleman Regiment/Service: Royal Irish Rifles Unit Text: 9th Bn. Date of Death: 07/06/1917 Service No: 41386 Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead Grave/Memorial Reference: III. C. 224. Cemetery: BAILLEUL COMMUNAL CEMETERY EXTENSION (NORD) Bailleul is a large town in France, near the Belgian border. It became an important railhead, air depot and hospital centre, with Casualty Clearing Stations quartered in it for considerable periods. It was a corps headquarters until July 1917, a month after your ancestor died, when it was severely bombed and shelled, and after the Battle of Bailleul (13-15 April 1918), it fell into German hands and was not retaken until 30 August 1918. The extension was used until April 1918, and again in September, and after the Armistice graves were brought in from the neighbouring battlefields. It contains 4,403 Commonwealth burials of the First World War.

Have you got a place of birth for him?? I am looking at the possibles on soldiers that died in the great war AND there are a LOT of R and Robert Watsons!!! Deb

The soldier who died on 7th June 1917 from the 9th Royal Irish Rifles was almost certainly a casualty of the battle of Messines, as the regiment shows a lot of casualties for that day. Medal card of Watson, Robert C Corps Regiment No Rank Norfolk Regiment 26730 Private Royal Irish Rifles 9/41386 Private I still don't see how this can be connected with somebody who died off Jutland. Can you explain your reasoning?

I am worried......How do you know you have the right medal card? I wasn't quite sure what you meant about the middle initial? You said his name was Robert, but you have the medal card for Robert C Watson?? Have you got the birth cert for your Robert? Have you checked the next of kin details on the CWGC site (those that have them!) in the hope of a match to his birth record? There are over 120 R Watson's killed in WW1 who were UK citizens. Did he have a middle name? Merry

Merry, I don't think we should put any more effort into this until we've had some answers to our questions. I'm sure we could answer this very quickly but we need some facts to start with. We can't do this while key information is being witheld.

Sorry, didn't know this was going to generate much interest and went and did something else... Will put in everything I know in a moment. Jennie

Well done Jennie. I'm sure with a brood of five you've got your hands full. That's why you need our assistance!

His birth was registered in Yarmouth in qtr 1 of 1898. He was called Robert Christmas Watson.(Not many of that name about so that is fairly conclusive) His death off Jutland was family rumour-possibly as no one knew how he died something had to be suggested to tell to people. My father insists that he was in the Norfolk Regiment as all the young men joined that one-which ties in with the medal info. Just to confuse the issue a bit more. there is a photo of him as a young man wearing naval uniform with a generic HMS hatband-this could have been taken before the war. Don't think any of that is much use but if it helps I would be grateful. Jennie