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The Great War (1914-1918) Forum

Officer POWs 4th Royal Fusiliers


Perth Digger

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4th Royal Fusiliers fought in the Great War from Mons onwards and in 1914 suffered very heavy officer casualties. Yet looking in Cox & Co's List of British Officers Taken Prisoner it appears that not one 4th Battalion officer became a POW during the war, let alone in 1914. I suppose that some officers used other Agent companies and therefore possibly would not be on this list, but it does seem a remarkable "statistic". Unless the List is unreliable.

Mike

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FMP has six officer enquiries re POWS via ICRC from 4 Bn Royal Fusiliers (and a Bandmaster too)

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Hi David

Thanks for this. Is this just for 1914 or for the whole war? I don't think the inquiries got positive results, eg, 2nd Lt J.S. Orbell (later reported to have been shot by the Germans while wounded in October 1914).

Mike

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An example of a 1914 4th RF pow, released 1918, is 2Lt Frederick Arthur Sampson. He was promoted Lieut and Capt whilst in captivity and continued to serve postwar. I note he was shown as released in some records as under 1st and 2nd Bn Officers? ..Edit but icrc card shows 4th RF

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Edited by charlie962
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Mike, it was the whole war on FMP results and some of them could have had negative results to the enquiry. Of course it was a crude set of search parameters so may not be a complete set of data.

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51 minutes ago, DavidOwen said:

Mike, it was the whole war on FMP results and some of them could have had negative results to the enquiry. Of course it was a crude set of search parameters so may not be a complete set of data.

I tried similar and had to scratch around to find Sampson.

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Thank you David and Charlie. Sampson was indeed with 4th Royal Fusiliers and wounded in the stomach at Le Cateau on 26 August 1914. Cox and Co has him as being in 1st Royal Fusiliers. He was interned in Holland in January 1918 and repatriated in September 1918.

Another in Cox & Co as being in 1st RF was Captain Mowbray Cole, who must have died in German hands on 14 September 1914. He's commemorated on La Ferté Jouarre Memorial. 

Memo to self: don't rely on details in printed works.

Mike

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The third officer POW in Cox & CO for 1914, Lt R.W. Jackson, was also wounded in 4th RF, although the date given, 20 October 1914, is probably wrong.

MIke

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