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General => Armed Forces => World War One => Topic started by: wilcoxon on Saturday 08 December 18 19:36 GMT (UK)
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I found a newspaper article in a Llangollen Newspaper dated 13 October 1916
It`s about a letter from Private D Richards 5534 Royal Welch Fusiliers. whose wife lives at 18 Derby Road. Wrexham.
He is a prisoner of war in Leysan. Aigles, Switzerland. he had been captured in Germany on 21 October 1914 and held there until 11 August 1916.
I really have tried to find him but drawn a blank. Shame his or his wife's first name aren't given.
Can anyone help.
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This is his POW card by the look of the final date:
https://grandeguerre.icrc.org/en/File/Search/#/3/2/255/2945654/British%20and%20Commonwealth/Military/richards
Doesn't tell you much more though except he was 1st Battalion and 5534 was a POW from 1st Bn (medal roll confirms).
MaxD
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Thanks, at least we have first name. :)
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Sarah, jane Richards b1873.
david, richards b 1878. plate-layer
bessie richards b1902.
living 18 derby rd, wrexham 1911.
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His number is 5334 and not 5534.
He enlisted in the RWF Special Reserve 11 8 1914. He went to France 6 10 1914 so good chance he had previous military experience.
Extract from RWF 1st Bn casualty book = Landed 07/10/1914. Reported missing 20/10/1914. PoW at Göttingen. Exchanged to Switzerland 11/08/1916. To UK 14/06/1918.
FindMyPast link to above book (where his initials seems to W)
https://search.findmypast.co.uk/record?id=S2/GBM/ROYALWELSHFUSILIERS/CASUALTYRECORDS1RWF1914/R/0006&parentid=GBM/ROYALWELSHFUSILIERS/020368
Absent Voters list confirms address as give by you as does a list of 1914 RWF PoWs compiled in 1918/1919
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Thanks, I did find him in the census and have traced him back, wife Sarah Jane Parry I`m stuck with.
I `m not on FindMyPast so can`t access the details.
I can`t find him on Ancestry. :(