Terry Carter Posted 12 November , 2003 Share Posted 12 November , 2003 Hi folks I know this might be a long shot, but, someone out there might be able to help. With the latest news of bodies being found near Ypres, one of the old cleaners where I work mentioned his father being rescued from a water filled shell hole by a comrade during an attack at 3rd Ypres. He ended up in hospital but was posted as 'missing in action'. This guy reckons his father enlisted at 14 and was 15 when posted to France, and 16 at Passchendaele. His name was William Henry Buffery and he came from Birmingham and he was thought to have joined a battlion of the Black Watch. I have done a 1901 Census check and there is a William A Buffery, aged one, living in Birmingham. (A could be mixed up with an H) As anyone got him down on a list at all? and thus could let me know which battalion he served in. Thanks Terry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Morgan Posted 12 November , 2003 Share Posted 12 November , 2003 Take care Terry! I'm sure you know this, but according to "family history" a surprising number of soldiers were decorated for rescuing "a general" under fire, or were killed on the very day the war ended, or were recommended for the VC but a spiteful sergeant wouldn't allow it, or..... were battle-worn veterans at age 16. Tom PS - "Soldiers Died" has only three soldiers called Buffery - and all from Birmingham. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Pete Wood Posted 12 November , 2003 Share Posted 12 November , 2003 PS - "Soldiers Died" has only three soldiers called Buffery - and all from Birmingham. He might have lived, though..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Ian Bowbrick Posted 12 November , 2003 Share Posted 12 November , 2003 One thought the letter 'A' looks like the letter 'H' the way some people write it and as the 1901 census on-line was transcribed from handwritten returns there may have been some confusion here? But as Tom says if family legend was anything to go by the classrooms of England would be empty as everyone was at the front Ian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Morgan Posted 12 November , 2003 Share Posted 12 November , 2003 PS - "Soldiers Died" has only three soldiers called Buffery - and all from Birmingham. He might have lived, though..... I was assuming that he did survive, Pete, I was just noting the Birmingham connection. Tom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Pete Wood Posted 12 November , 2003 Share Posted 12 November , 2003 Oops. Sorry. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terry Carter Posted 12 November , 2003 Author Share Posted 12 November , 2003 I take on all your points and I was also sceptical about his father. Yes his father survived because the cleaner where I work is around 60 ish and his father must have been 45 ish when he was born. I am going to try and glean more info tonight (hey its better than working!) I also noted the three casualties on Soldiers Died had Birmingham connections. Cheers Terry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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