The mysterious case of the missing Allens

[Chris_Baker]

Transcribed from the Stratford-on-Avon Herald, 25th september 1915:

"Sad Family Record. Pte Albert Edward Allen, of 25th Bn Middlesex Regiment, has had no fewer than 6 brothers killed during the war, and he himself is in hospital at Grey Towers, Hornchurch. The names of the brothers:

Reginald, Grenadier Guards, killed in France.

Leonard, Royal West Kents.

Arnold, RFA.

Albert, Australian Contingent.

Stanley, RFA.

Frank, Middlesex, all killed in Dardanelles.

Pte A.E. Allen is the only survivor of the brothers. There are 3 sisters, two of whom, Mary and Eliza are Red Cross nurses, and have been wounded in France and the Dardanelles respectively. The other is a nurse in a London hospital. Allen lived at Enfield before he enlisted."

When I read this I though, blimey I ought to look them up. To my surprise I can't find a single one of them in Soldiers Died or on the CWGC website. A number of ideas spring to mind:

- was the journalist drunk, or sold a story?

- was it a quiet week in Stratford?

- is the surname wrong?

- are other names, or regiments wrong?

Has anyone come across this tale before?

[Annette Burgoyne]

Hi Chris

This day and age many people make up stories just to get in the papers or on TV, but evan back in the Great War I guess there were those who would pull a trick like that. I'll be watching this post with interest too see if they are found, a very unlucky family if it is true.

Annette

[ianw]

Chris,

I had a look at CDGW and failed to get a single toe hold - the surname Austin suggested itself but was a dead end. That does seem to be a very unlucky family to have lost so many sons by 1915, so perhaps a bit of embroidery or perhaps a complete fabrication in return for several pints. Of course , the old problem with christian names and family names could yet explain this riddle and reveal it as a true tragedy.

[Tim Birch]

A wounded nurse Eliza in the Dardenelles?

To the best of my knowledge there were no women ashore, the CCSs being manned by medical orderlies. Wounded men were transported to hospital ships and from there to hospitals on the islands or in Egypt.

I don't know of any hospital ships being hit, they were well offshore and away from the fighting.There could, however, have been a risk from submarines. Any records of a hospital ship being torpedoed?

This "family" seemed to enjoy more than its fair share of bad luck and the story looks more and more like a fabrication.

Tim

[Guest Pete Wood]

It's early in the war, so most (if not all) of the siblings would have been born before 1901 - they couldn't all have lied about their age - and so must be on the census.

The least common christian names are Arnold and Leonard.

I have just tried punching their names in to the census search engine, using ALLEN, ALLAN, ALEN, ALAN, ALLIN, ALLYN etc etc and I can't get a match - where they're living close, let alone in the same parish.

This sounds like a 'sympathy tale' to me....

[Tim Birch]

I've been thinking more about this article.

I wonder if Private Allen had been saved by a special squad sent in by the War Office when they learnt of the deaths of his 6 brothers so as to spare his family further grief? It is probable that he would have refused to leave his mates and come out with them until he had helped them wipe out a strong patrol of the German Army which was heading for the village in which they were entrenched.

It would make a really good story line for a film.

Tim

[michaeldr]

Put Albert Allen into the AWM search and turn-up two

but both are Albert Edward Allen

and both died later; 1916 & 1917

Must be unusual to have two brothers with the same first names;

Albert Edward Allen & Albert Allen???

All very strange; of the options which you offer Chris I will go the "quiet week in Stratford"

Regards

Michael D.R,

[michaeldr]

Tim,

I am inclined to agree with you that this particular story is a fabrication,

however with ref to nurses serving in the Gallipoli theatre and their being casualties, the mother of the late Dr. John Laffin served on Lemnos with the 3rd Australian General Hospital as Sister N. A. Pike.

Dr. Laffin quotes her in his 'Damn the Dardanelles!'

"Several hospitals with nurses were working apart from ours - the 2nd Australian Stationary Hospital, the 1st and 3rd Irish-Canadian Hospitals and English hospitals. Two Canadian sisters were among the dysentery victims and were buried with the men in the Allied cemetery."

Regards

Michael D.R.

[Peter Beckett]

Chris,

I did a search in the AWM First World War Nominal roll and there are 2 Albert Allens

Albert, Australian Contingent

Albert Allen 4428 5th Batt enlisted 5 Nov 1915 returned to Australia 21 May 1916

Albert Allen 4638 52nd Batt enlisted 12 July 1915 returned to Australia 14 Jan 1917

Peter

[Neil Mackenzie]

Peter.

I had found 5 men with the name Albert Allen (spread over 2 pages) but they all returned to Australia so it does sound as if the story is untrue.

Neil

[Howard]

My grandfather was an Albert Edward Allen, L10103 1st Batt. Middlesex. There is a family story that he or his brother-in-law visited their own grave on the Western Front but we have no proof whatever. The name is fairy common along with the Christian names so that makes it harder to look up. As far as we know, the only family member killed was Arthur Worby, G/61093 The Queen's (Royal West Surrey Regt.) so no Allens.

At least it counts out one of them!

He died in 1962.

Howard

[Terry]

While this story may be a fabrication, there were many families which had more than their share or sorrow. The MacLean family of Big Island, Nova Scotia, sent three sons and a daughter overseas. Neil (age 27) died on 16 Sept.,1916 with the 25th Bn. James (25) died on 21 June,1917 while serving with the 85th Bn., and Hector (23) was lost on 12 Jan.,1918, also with the 85th. Only the daughter came home.

[Adam Harland]

Four Anderson brothers, all ex Fettes College ( like our own good PM?!?) died in the war, all with the colours. The oldest, and the last to die was William Herbert CO 12th HLI, who was killed leading a counter attack in March 1918, and winning a posthumous VC. He was born in 1881.

The others were Charles Hamilton Anderson, b 1888, KIA 19/12/14 with the HLI,

Alexander Ronald Anderson KIA at Vielle Chapelle 8/10/15 and Edward Kerr Anderson, b 1896 and killed in an accident at Winchester 16/3/18 as a Capt in the RFC. As far as I can tell this was all the children of the family.

[ianw]

I offer up again the 5 Taylor brothers of Leatherhead who are commemorated at the Thiepval Memorial, Menin Gate and a burial in each of Ypres, The Somme and Leatherhead churchyard. A sixth brother lost a leg ! The unluckiest family ? There just must be a family who lost 6.