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General => Armed Forces => World War One => Topic started by: mickawinn on Monday 19 May 14 07:51 BST (UK)
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Robert was born in 1895 in Crunwear, Pembrokeshire and lost a leg during WWI. I have been unable to trace service records for him on Ancestry or Find my Past. I realise that they could be amongst the lost records but can anyone suggest where I might be able to find him. I know he died in about 1964.
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Hi
A lot of WW1 records were lost during the Blitz.
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Have you looked for a Pension record.
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Did he stay in Wales or possibly move to the midlands?
Cathy
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Any surviving photos or medals...if he lost leg there should be a SIlver war badge entry but its a very common name so lots to choose from.
Local papers had details of lads wounded
Ady
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We need a Regt. & no. for him.
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Thanks for the responses. I thought Ancestry had the pension records, are they somewhere else? He didn't stay in Wales, he married Florence Salisbury in 1917 in Brentford, had two children and died there. Can't find any medal entries for him and we have been told he was in the Welsh regiment. These are all family stories including that he had 8 bullet wounds, hit by a machine gunner, which resulted in his lost leg. Experience tells me some of these stories sometimes get exaggerated.
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LINK If this topic on another forum was not started by you it may be of interest (http://www.forum.liverpool-genealogy.org.uk/viewtopic.php?f=30&t=12184)
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I can see just 1 Robert Morris Welch Regt. on the SWB list that was discharged because of wounds & his no. is 13060. Enlisted 31/8/14, discharged 9/8/16.
There are others but their ages are wrong or cause of discharge (sickness).
May not be him of course.
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Hi
There is a small newspaper piece of 1916 which mentions a Robert Morris aged 21 who was from the Welsh Regiment and whom was wounded and lost a leg. Sounds possibly like the soldier from Jim1 s post. It mentioned him returning home to Blackheath.Will check but think paper was the tamworth Herald.
Cathy
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Tamworth Herald 9th Sep 1916
He had 27 wounds, 17 of them Bayonet wounds and a leg amputated.
Possibly a coincidence as home town Black Heath does nt fit.
Cathy
Added... although there is a Blackheath in Essex
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Same piece also in the Cheltenham Chronicle 9 Sep 1916.
Cathy
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I think that the newspaper items may be possible Cath. As I said he married in 1917 in the district of Blacheath. I have found the medal record but even with the number 13060 I cannot find service or pension records. May have to accept they are amongst the lost.
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Hi,
The medal card for Robert Morris 13060 is available but unfortunately I can t find any other records either.
Robert mentioned in the newspaper was 21 and single in 1916.
Another rather gruesome detail was that he had a inches long piece of bayonet taken out of his breastbone that he had shaped to hang on his watch chain.
What a pity his records don t seem to have survived , they would have made interesting reading.
Best wishes
Cathy
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Enlisted Aug 1914 discharged august16 with wounds from Silver War Badge Roll on ancestry
Ady
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Sounds like the Somme.
He might have been here as he appears to have reached the German trenches by the nature of his wounds.
High Wood:
Frank Richards in Old Soldiers Never Die describes the conditions in High Wood at about this time. Parts of the parapets of trenches contained the corpses of those killed in earlier attacks, and he describes heads, arms and legs sticking out. Because of the severe firing, the bodies of men killed had been used as shields by the survivors, and they had then been covered by earth to build up a parapet. Now, when shells landed near, during a very heavy bombardment which the 2nd Royal Welch Fusiliers endured, the dead were blown out of these pararpets once more. Reading this, it is perhaps not surprising that so many killed in High Wood have no known grave.
There were minor advances however - some more of Intermediate Trench to the west of High Wood was taken on the 11th of August, plus some of the Switch Line.
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Cath,where did you look up the newspaper items?
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Hi,
Do you have a sub to FindMyPast ? They are available there
Cathy :)
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Thanks.
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Hi, there are newspaper articles and photos of Robert Oliver Morris available if you are still researching him.
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Hi. Yes I am. Are they on findmypast?
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No I have one of him in his uniform which I will forward to you. My sister should have the news clippings and photo of his wounds. He was our uncle.
We have another cousin researching also. I've been having a break and had to change my email address.
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Thanks in anticipation.
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:) can confirm all the research above is correct. There was another newspaper article with a photo of Robert showing his wounds. I no longer have access to that but he lived in Lampeter velfry, Narberth, Pembrokeshire at the time. The article said he was a "local" hero so perhaps you could find which newspapers fit that criteria.
Robert initially enlisted with the Welsh Horse regiment which later was absorbed into the Welsh Fusiliers.
I have a photo of him in his uniform on a tree on Ancestry. Have no objection to anyone viewing or sharing it.
I'm not good at military stuff or tech, but am told that the uniform was that of the Welsh Horse regiment and his stripes indicate his rank. Not sure if that's of interest to anyone.
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He was in the 1st. Batt. (but may have been transferred) & discharged 9/8/16.
Went overseas 1/4/15 which qualified him for the 15 Star.