Robert Owens (21272) Kings Liverpool Regiment 11th batt

[chriscarter]

Hello,

I have recently discivered that I had a great-great-great uncle Robert Owens who joined the Kings Liverpool Regiment on 10th November 1914 when he was 19 years 4 months old.

He deployed to France on 18th May 1915 and "died of wounds" 3 months later on 23rd August 1915.

He is buried at Longuenesse (St. Omer) Souvenir Cemetery in the Commonwealth War Graves cemetry and is commemorated on the Clifton Junction War Memorial.

I would like to try to find out a little more about him and wonder if anyone can help point me in the right direction.

Some questions I have:

• Do we know where the 11th Battalion KLR were and which battles they took part in?
  
• He "died of wounds" - I wonder if they were sustained in a particular attack?
• Is his death likely to be reported in a newspaper and would that still exist?
• Is there a photo of him from when he enlisted?

Poor chap seems to have been quite unlucky - only in Flanders for a matter of weeks before being injured and dying.

I'd be very grateful if anyone can help with any info or pointers.

Many thanks
Chris

[Hawker Hurricane]

The war diaries for the 11th Bn., King's Liverpool Regiment may be accessible via the National Archives, which may tell exactly where the Battalion was engaged in August 1915. I suspect that Robert may have been a victim of one of the many smaller engagements along the line on the Pas de Calais. St. Omer was the location of the No.10 Stationary Hospital, where he was reported to have died from gunshot wounds to the head and abdomen, only a short time after being wounded (possibly even the same day judging from the telegram receipts in his service papers on Ancestry). Only 25 men were buried in Longuenesse (St. Omer) Cemetery in the whole month of August so that would fit with these being those who similarly died of wounds or other injuries after making it to the hospital.

His name does not appear in the index to the Manchester Evening News for the period, but he may have been in one of the local newspapers for Salford or Swinton. I believe these are available on microfilm at the Salford Local History Library at Peel Park, Salford. If there was a newspaper entry, this may also have carried a print of his photograph. I don't have an index for these newspapers.

I hope this is of some help to you.