Sons and fathers

[Rob Chester]

My Grandfather, L/10906 Patrick Kelly served as a private in the 2nd Battalion Queens West Surrey Regiment. I believe that his father (that is my Great Grandfather) was also in the regiment, he is on the medal list as Private 20270 Patrick Kelly later Private 65069 in the Labour Corps. Sadly the records of Pvte 20270 Kelly have been lost so I will never know for sure, but my Great Aunt, (she would have been Pvte 20270 daughter) told me her father had joined up in WWI and that he had been injured (in an accident, she said, falling from scaffolding) and been rendered deaf as a result. If that is right he must be 20270 Pvte Kelly as there are only two Patrick Kellys in the regiment!

Both men survived the war but both suffered, Pvte 20270 was rendered deaf and Pvte L/10906 was severley wounded on the Somme and only narrowly escaped being killed. He lived with effects of his injury for decades after the war.

[grendav2001]

northern daily mail

west hartlepool

21 january 1915

booth

on saturday, 16th january, 1915, while serving their king and country aboard hms char (late n.e.r. tugboat stranton), william and edward booth, 10 dover street, west hartlepool, aged 58 and 22 respectively.

[kenmorrison]

On the memorial for the Burgh of Maxwelltown and the Parish of Troqueer in Dumfries, there are two fathers and sons.

Thomas Bennett had worked along side his son James in a peatworks near Dumfries when they enlisted. James served as Private, 1767 and 240445, in the 1/5th (Dumfries and Galloway) Battalion of the King's Own Scottish Borderers, at Gallipoli, Egypt and Palestine where he died of wounds received at Gaza on 23 April 1917. He was 23. Thomas served in the same Battalion as Private, 1915 and 240521. He was also wounded at Gaza and was transferred to the 2/7th Northumberland Fusiliers. He died in his barracks in Cairo on 8 September 1917. He was 54.

In the same battalion were Robert McCardle and his son Peter, who was a boy-messenger at Dumfries Post Office. Robert served as Private, 1975, and was lost at Gallipoli on 12 July 1915. He was 44. One week earlier, on 5 July, Peter, as Private 1324, had died of his wounds. He was just 18.

[rolt968]

An interesting father and son from Newtyle, Angus.

Maxwell Gordon Beverley (abt 1868-1940), (655) Sergeant (eventually WO2). Went to France 1/11/1914 with 1/5 Black Watch.

(He was a long serving Volunteer and Territorial and had served in the Boer War.

DCM: LG 5 Aug 1915.

Maxwell G[ordon] Beverley (abt 1898-1952), (1907 and S/43097) Private. Also served with Black Watch.

MM: LG 13 May 1919 (Serving with 1 Black Watch).

Roger.