Guest proust117 Posted 8 August , 2004 Share Posted 8 August , 2004 I am doing (amateur!) research on soldiers killed in action during "the 11th hour": 10:00am-11:00am, Nov 11, 1918. Thus far, I have come across two: Canadian George Price (much discussed, shot by sniper at approx 10:58am in the action at Mons), and Ray Kistner of Ohio, killed by a shell fragment at approx 10:40am. I am just getting started on this research, and am thus some combination of naive and ignorant, so do not assume I already know anything at all. I'm interested in lists of KIA by date (which would at least narrow things down to 11/11/18), specific cases (such as Price and Kistner), and, in general, information and thoughts about the process by which the date and time of the armistice were chosen, and the process by which action petered out during those final hours. I'll have to track down a copy of "The Last Day, the Last Hour", for more info on Currie/Mons/Price. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris.wight Posted 8 August , 2004 Share Posted 8 August , 2004 Hi Proust117. Welcome to the Forum! You will find this thread relevant to your research, link. Garth (Mordac) posted a list of CEF men who died on the 10th/11th, received from the CWGC. You can download it in pdf format. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rmtruby Posted 10 November , 2004 Share Posted 10 November , 2004 Remembering the men who were killed within the last 24 hours of the war. I've just re-read Martin Marix Evans's book Over The Top: Great Battles of the First World War (1956). Towards the end of the book, he mentions Private George Price: "On 11 November the Canadians were in Mons, the scene of the first action in which the BEF had fought. The Armistice was due to come into force at 1100 hours. At 1058, in Ville-sur-Haine, to the east of the town, a shot rang out and Private George Price fell dead. Peace fell across the Western Front. Some rejoiced, others stood stunned by the silence." Can anyone expand on this story? Thanks Ray Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john w. Posted 10 November , 2004 Share Posted 10 November , 2004 According to Sodliers Died in the Great War 495 died that day, timings I dont know John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Posted 11 November , 2004 Share Posted 11 November , 2004 There was an article in last Saturdays Magazine supplement of the Independent Newspaper on American and Geramn soldiers killed in the final hours before the armistice. Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jayne w Posted 11 November , 2004 Share Posted 11 November , 2004 The article in last saturdays Independent was by a chap called Joseph E Persico and it was extracts from his book that has just been published entitled" Eleventh month, Eleventh day, eleventh hour:Armistice Day 1918, World War 1 and its Violent Climax. Published by Hutchinson at £20. Jayne Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2lewis's Posted 12 November , 2004 Share Posted 12 November , 2004 Hi, There is an entry in "Forgotton Voices of WW1" that you may care to read. It is a little distasteful read but gives a charecter set. Cheers Mark Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terry Posted 12 November , 2004 Share Posted 12 November , 2004 Last night here in Canada CBC rebroadcast a documentary entitled "The First and the Last" (or something similar, which told the stories of Pte.John Parr, Middlesex Regt., KIA 21 Aug.,1914, and Pte.George Price,28th BN.,CEF, KIA 11 Nov.,1918; the first and last members of the British & Empire forces to die in WW1. Quite well done, and ironic and sad that they died not far from each other and are buried fairly close together. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Half-pint Posted 12 November , 2004 Share Posted 12 November , 2004 I missed that particular CBC show ... there were so many programs to choose from! After watching "John McCrae's War" on SCN (a Saskatchewan station), I tuned in to (was it a "Fifth Estate" show?) the WWII story of E. Hernst whose plane went down near Exeter, his late-in-life quest to find the actual spot, and the assistance and interest given by the locals. As for "The First and the Last," is this a regularly broadcast show during the Remembrance "season"? Alison Causton Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terry Posted 12 November , 2004 Share Posted 12 November , 2004 Hi Alison, I'm not sure when I first saw it - perhaps it was last 11 Nov. By the way I also watched the program about the RCAF fellow's quest to find out where his Werllington had crashed. Well done, I thought, and I was impressed at how sharp the fellow was. How many of the Guinea Pig club can still be around? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Half-pint Posted 13 November , 2004 Share Posted 13 November , 2004 Terry ... Yes, I thought the fella looked rather younger than the 83 the narrator cited. I thought they said he was the last survivor of his branch, in Alberta was it? ... and he attended a British meeting at East Grinstead, and there seemed to be only a dozen or so in attendance there. Alison Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terry Posted 13 November , 2004 Share Posted 13 November , 2004 Alison, I was channel surfing last night before I went to bed, and on CBC Newsworld, they have the usual news tickertape running across the bottom of the screen, and I caught the tail end of what looked to be an advertisement for that First & Last program. It sounded like it was going to be shown again at 10:00pm but I'm not sure what night! Check you TV guide. Cheers, Terry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BeppoSapone Posted 13 November , 2004 Share Posted 13 November , 2004 According to Sodliers Died in the Great War 495 died that day, timings I dont know John I wonder how many were actually killed after 11 am? IIRC, somewhere I read that large numbers of soldiers wanted to be able to say that they fired "the last shot of the war". At 10.59 and 59 seconds, plus a split second, they fired their weapons. Did I read about this last "barrage", or have I imagined it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul guthrie Posted 13 November , 2004 Share Posted 13 November , 2004 I think Parr & Price are buried in St Symphorien the most beautiful of all cemeteries of this war. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joris Ryckeboer Posted 13 November , 2004 Share Posted 13 November , 2004 Soldier Hector Lefebvre (21ste Linieregiment, Belgian Infantry regiment) from Westouter, was killed at 10 o'clock on 11/11/1918 at Sleidinge. His Pals thought he made an mistake about the hour! He was shot while leaving enthusiastic the trench! According to Piet Ghielens (IFF), 8 Belgian soldiers died that morning. Joris Westouter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DirtyDick Posted 13 November , 2004 Share Posted 13 November , 2004 Hi Alison, I'm not sure when I first saw it - perhaps it was last 11 Nov. By the way I also watched the program about the RCAF fellow's quest to find out where his Werllington had crashed. Well done, I thought, and I was impressed at how sharp the fellow was. How many of the Guinea Pig club can still be around? Terry There was a recent programme on the BBC concerning The Guinea Pig Club - and their pioneering NZ surgeon - and their time at the Royal Victoria Hospital in East Grinstead (still a functioning NHS hospital and still specialising in maxilio-facial and advanced dental surgery). It featured heavily interviews of survivors. Quite a few around, and happily most still possessing their faculties and living independently even if most are in their mid-80s and had been disabled/disfigured for three-quarters of their lives. They even have their own song. Richard Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KONDOA Posted 13 November , 2004 Share Posted 13 November , 2004 It seems partially evident to me that these late deaths are infantry deaths. The war diaries I have for mainly RA groups show that they were stood down several days before the 11th for the Fourth Army. The 47th London Division was actually on its way to billets at 11 :00 on the 11th I have more similar extracts. Its reasonable to suggest that many of these deaths were not the fault of the heirarchy but of troops, with a few exceptions for offensive action.Post armistice deaths are significant as it involved the handling of sunstantial quantities of live ammunition and duds. Roop Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BeppoSapone Posted 13 November , 2004 Share Posted 13 November , 2004 I can't spell McIndoe either Dick During WW2 my mother worked for a time as a volunteer at the Royal Victoria Hospital Convalescent Home, which was in Hampshire. She then lied about her age to join the ATS before being caught, thrown out and then training as a nurse. All inspired by the bravery of these men. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyHollinger Posted 14 November , 2004 Share Posted 14 November , 2004 On Nov 11, the History Channel had a program on called The Last Day of World War One. It seems the US divisions in the line each attacked that day to the total of over 3,200 casualties. (The program inferred these were KIA) casualties. It seems there was a Congressional Investigation of the units involved and blame was laid squarely on Pershing and his Divisional commanders ... but squashed by the Democrats in early 1919. This could all be History Channel History (?) ... but seems very interesting ... more people died on that day between 5 AM and 11 AM than at Pearl Harbor or 9/11 ! Anyone else see this show or know if it is "true?" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DirtyDick Posted 14 November , 2004 Share Posted 14 November , 2004 I can't spell McIndoe either Dick That's the chap, Tony, knew it was Mc or Mac something or other. Or, in honour of his NZ stock 'Thit's the chip'. Richard Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhilB Posted 14 November , 2004 Share Posted 14 November , 2004 A UKHistory programme today gave L12643 Pte G.E.Ellison 5 Lancers as the last man killed. Oddly, he`s also buried in St Symphorien. Phil B Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcderms Posted 15 November , 2004 Share Posted 15 November , 2004 The 14-18 documentary series stated that one British unit had to deal with a German machine gunner who refused to stop firing after 11:00. Also that when a RFA unit lost its CO as KIA just before 11:00, the unit continued to fire into the silent German lines for over an hour after the Armistice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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