shaw brothers

[franco1472]

hello everyone happy new year please could some kind person help me out here looking for information on my uncles thomas shaw and joseph h shaw both lived in ormskirk in lancashire both served with the kings liverpool regiment joseph joined the 3/9th in nov 1915 thomas was wounded on 8th may 1915 he was with the 9th kings liverpool hoping some kind person could find there army numbers so i can get there medal cards all the info i have supplied came from the local newspaper archives thx frank

[RWFmedals]

Frank

This might be a bit difficult. I've had a quick search for you but there are 10 possibilities for Thomas and a few for Joseph of your relatives.

It might be a process of elimination - ie checking the medal rolls at the NA - ie, Thomas must have a 1915 star so you could eliminate those who don't. Like for the MIC's below.

http://www.documentsonline.nationalarchive...y=*&queryType=1

[franco1472]

thx for the quick reply

frank

[Promenade]

Frank,

I think that this is the information you are after - if it is then there is no need to pull any MICs:

-----------------------------------------------------

Pte THOMAS SHAW No 1511 1/9 KLR.

Enlisted 16/6/11, to France 12/3/15 (with his Bn), discharged through wounds 31/7/16, Silver War Badge No 92751. The Ormskirk Advertiser of 2/12/15 reports (with a photo), as you know, that he was wounded in the chest on 8/5/15. He was aged 23 and the son of Mrs Shaw of Moorgate Ormskirk who had another son in the Territorials.

The following is an extract from the 1/9 KLR War Diary and it seems more likely that Thomas was wounded on 9/5/15:

Richebourg L'Avoue - Essars

8/5/15 9pm

Battalion moved into battle positions in subsection D2 at Rue du Bois. Transport at Mesplaux.

9/5/15

Attack by 2nd Infantry Brigade. Battalion moved into 3rd line of trenches at 5.30am and into front line at 6am to support 2nd Kings Royal Rifle Corps. Battalion ordered at 11.15am to assault enemy's position at 12.40pm. Attack was postponed until 4pm, but at 1.45pm these orderes were cancelled. At 1.45pm Battalion withdrew to 1st Reserve trenches to re-organise. 'A' and 'C' Companies moved into support line at 4pm and the remainder of the Battalion at 4.25pm. At 7.30pm the Battalion was relieved by 1st Coldstream Guards and marched via Le Touret to Essars.

Casualties:- Officers, 2 killed (Major TJ Bolland and 2nd Lt DG Mathwin), 3 wounded (Lt and Adjt AW Fulton, 2nd Lt P Diggory, 2nd Lt E Payne), other ranks 12 killed, 66 wounded and two missing. These two men reported later.

-----------------------------------------------------------------

A/Cpl JOSEPH SHAW No 331708/4452 1/9 KLR.

Enlisted 6/11/15, To France in probably in 1916, discharged 14/12/18 aged 25, Silver War Badge B336720.

It is possible that my fiend Ken Lees (who specialises in 9 KLR) may be able to add more information

Happy New Year

Joe

[Ken Lees]

Frank,

Much of my information on the Shaw brothers comes from the Ormskirk Advertiser. I quote it here in case you don't have all the details. I would be very interested to add any information to my files that you may be able to provide, either now or in the future.

Here is what I have:

Thomas Shaw was the son of Charles Shaw, or Moorgate, Ormskirk. He was wounded in the chest and shoulder at Festubert and this would have been the first time he and his battalion were involved in a major attack.

from the Ormskirk Advertiser (13th May 1915):

"ORMSKIRK MAN SERIOUSLY WOUNDED

Yesterday morning, Mr Charles Shaw, of Moorgate, Ormskirk, received a letter from the lady superintendent of the Rawal Pindi British General Hospital, Boulogne-sur-Mer, France, stating that his son, Pte. Thomas Shaw of the Ormskirk Territorials (9th King’s Liverpool Regiment) had been admitted to the hospital suffering from wounds to the chest and shoulder. She was afraid he was seriously hurt, but was quite sensible and able to give his address.

By the previous morning’s post, Mr Shaw had received a letter from his son saying that they were in the trenches and that the bombardment was terrible, but that he was quite well."

from the Ormskirk Advertiser (17th June 1915):

"ORMSKIRK MAN’S WOUNDS

Pte. T. Shaw, of the Ormskirk Territorials, son of Mr Chas. Shaw of Moorgate, Ormskirk, who was recently wounded in the arm and chest is now at a military hospital at Ashbourne, Derbyshire where he is progressing as satisfactorily as can be expected. He has, however, very little use in his wounded (the left) arm up to the present."

from the Ormskirk Advertiser (29th July 1915):

"STILL IN HOSPITAL

Pte. Tom Shaw, of Moorgate, Ormskirk, of the 9th King’s is still a patient in the Red Cross Hospital, Ellastone, near Ashbourne, Derbyshire, where he is slowly but surely recovering from severe wounds received in action. He has been an inmate of three hospitals covering a period of twelve weeks. He writes to say that everyone connected with the above institution are very kind and attentive to him and his compatriots."

Joseph H Shaw was the 4th son of Charles Shaw.

from the Ormskirk Advertiser (6th April 1916):

Pte. J. H. Shaw, aged 21, 4th son of Mr Chas. Shaw of Moorgate, Ormskirk, joined 3/9th King’s in November last and is now doing duty with the 1/9th in France. An older brother Pte. Thomas Shaw was badly wounded at Festubert but is recovering.

On 28th June 1916, the 9th King's Liverpool Regt took part in a series of large scale trench raids in the Wailly Sector, north of the Somme. These raids were designed to draw German attention from the Somme. Joseph Shaw was one of those involved in the raid. He wrote home about his part in the attack, in which his friend Joe Williams, also from Ormskirk, took part. The letter was published in the local newspaper as follows:

from the Ormskirk Advertiser (6th July 1916):

As was expected many of our local soldiers are occupied in the big and successful push that is going on slowly but surely in France, and up to this morning it is known that one, alas, poor Joe Williams, has fallen and that several are wounded.

A stirring story of an incident in the big move contained in a letter received by Mr. Chas. Shaw, of Moorgate, Ormskirk from his son Pte. Joseph H. Shaw, who is attached to the Ormskirk Territorials. He writes:-

“I volunteered along with Joe Williams and many others to go on a bombing attack, to raid the German trenches, under thick gas and thick smoke, for which we had been in training for a few days behind the lines. At 5.30pm on ____ , with our gas helmets on, we went over the parapet. Shrapnel and bullets were flying all the way, and that was the last time I saw poor Joe. We went over and came back again, and we only had five casualties, two killed and three wounded, but we did not go to advance, but just for information, and we were successful. Afterwards we received two telegrams, one from the General and the other from the Major-General sending in their congratulations on our great success and thanking us heartily. We have got one or two days rest now behind the lines, where the General inspected us with smiles all over his face.

“All the lads feel really downhearted about poor Joe’s death, for he was well liked by all the battalion and also he was the best bomb thrower in the battalion, in fact the whole Division. I believe _____ ______ (an Ormskirk soldier) is recommended for the DCM for carrying wounded under heavy fire. It was my first time in real action, but I have come through quite well. I have got a small touch of gas but it was only a sniffle. After we got back to our trench a funny thing happened. Suddenly a hare popped its head over the top of the trench. It was gassed and we made a grab at it but it jumped back and then came again, and the boys got it that time, but it died soon afterwards from the effect of gas.

“The bombardment was very heavy on both sides, and it was a marvel to me that more did not get it for shells were bursting all round us. It was simply murderous. The shells were knocking our front line to atoms, but goodness knows what their front line was like afterwards. Am sure poor Joe’s death was quite instantaneous. The trenches are in an awful state with mud and water, and the battalion have been in for twelve days”

from the Ormskirk Advertiser (24th August 1916):

"SECOND SON TO BE WOUNDED

Another Ormskirk Territorial to be in hospital as a result of the recent fighting is Pte. Jos. H. Shaw, son of Mr. C. Shaw of Moorgate, who is suffering from shell shock and the effects of gas poisoning. He is at the Denmark Hall Military Hospital in London. His elder brother, Pte. Thomas Shaw, was wounded last year at Festubert and has since been discharged.

Mr Sheridan and Mr Shaw, the fathers of the soldiers referred to above, will be remembered by old football enthusiasts as two prominent members of the Ormskirk Wanderers Football Club."

I hope that helps.

Regards,

Ken

[Ken Lees]

Thomas Shaw:

[Ken Lees]

and Joseph Shaw: