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General => Armed Forces => World War One => Topic started by: Horsley2016 on Tuesday 06 May 25 19:03 BST (UK)
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Hello there,
I'm looking for any information I can find on a Private Charles Hessey (born 1876, Liverpool) His number (I think) was 96726 and he was of the 19th K (Kings?) Liverpool. Although I am an avid 'social' family researcher, I'm afraid I lack huge skills on knowing how or where I could find his serving information out about him. I believe he was a Prisoner of War (possibly taken whilst lying wounded at the Somme but family hearsay only) and went to Zerbes camp working the salt mines. I am not very good at understanding divisions /battalions etc so am struggling to track 'who' her served with. Any help would be gratefully received.
M
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Start with The Long Long Trail website (https://www.longlongtrail.co.uk).
Navigate through Regiments and Corps, The Infantry Regiments, and King's (Liverpool) to get to:
https://www.longlongtrail.co.uk/army/regiments-and-corps/the-british-infantry-regiments-of-1914-1918/kings-liverpool-regiment/
Scroll down to find 19th (Service) battalion:
19th (Service) Battalion (3rd City)
Formed in Liverpool on 29 August 1914 by Lord Derby, in the old watch factory at Prescot.
30 April 1915 : came under orders of 89th Brigade, 30th Division.
Landed at Boulogne in November 1915.
14 May 1918 : reduced to cadre strength.
19 June 1918 : attached to 66th (2nd East Lancashire) Division and absorbed by 14th Battalion.
Scroll down to find links to 30th Division.
Where you will find a list of battles.
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As for your chap's service records - some two-thirds of all the WW1 service records were lost in a WW2 bombing raid.
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To see details, use P code in "letter" and reference nos 24643 and 42966 in turn -
https://grandeguerre.icrc.org/en/File/Details/3774364/3/2/
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You can see/get his medal card FREE at the National Archives - requires registration first.
Note his No. is 46126
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As hanes teulu says, his number was 46126. He was in A Company, 19th Battalion The King's (Liverpool) Regiment. This was one of the Pals Battalions. He was captured on 22 Mar 1918 at Roupy. His next of kin was given as Mrs C Hessey of Toxteth, Liverpool. According to his POW record his date of birth was 6 Nov 1875
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There is a tree on Ancestry with an image of a 1918 letter to him from Buckingham Palace, apparently hand-written by the King. I feel that I can’t post an image here, even though I could, via a screenshot.
The first paragraph is:
The Queen joins me in welcoming you on your release from the miseries and hardships, which you have endured with so much patience and courage.
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Re POW record, column 5
a. = place of capture
c. = previous abode
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According to his POW record his date of birth was 6 Nov 1875
However the 1939 Register gives his date of birth as 6 Nov 1876 while living at 3a Caryl Gardens, Liverpool with wife Sarah and son James born 1912.
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THANK YOU all so much. Really, to have so many knowledgable replies in a short space of time is really appreciated. Thank you. I have much to follow now and hopefully uncover.
I do have the image from the King and also some rough family notes made by relatives of the past - that's where the prisoner story comes from with the Zerbes reference.
This side of the family are incredibly difficult to decipher - large families with multiple same names and unreliable dates of births etc!!
Again really kind of you all to give up your time and send so much help my way - I'll get cracking!
M
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[
Have put his Medal Cards on Our Pals Memorial Forum for King's Liverpool Regt under his correct Name
url=https://postimages.org/](https://i.postimg.cc/Dyy38S62/30850-A000733-02141.jpg)[/url]
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Charles Enlisted 1915 into Liverpool King's Regt as Chas E Hessey Pte 46126 these numbers appear to be allocated to the 1st Garrison Btn King's Liverpool ( though he was Never Born or Baptised as Charles Edward )
and many after Training were Transferred to the Pals Btns King's Liverpool - mostly 18th Btn King's
But he was sent Overseas to France in 1916 with the 19th Btn
and Captured as a POW 22 March 1918
Unaware that the 19th Btn had been Disbanded
and those still serving had been Transferred to other Btns
He was a POW for 11 Months until February 1919 when he was Repatriated as new number 96726 and probably Demobbed Class Z onto the Reserve as WW1 hadn't ended yet.
But his Two Medals inscribed as Chas E Hessy - he never returned them for correction of the Spelling
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[
Have put his Medal Cards on Our Pals Memorial Forum for King's Liverpool Regt under his correct Name
url=https://postimages.org/](https://i.postimg.cc/Dyy38S62/30850-A000733-02141.jpg)[/url]
Thank you so much. Is there a link to this page
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I've just been following all the threads and learning a lot along the way! I'm still not sure I fully understand the divisions/battalions etc but I think I found a link on Wiki - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/89th_Brigade_(United_Kingdom) that suggests his unit were in Roupy at the beginning of the spring offensive - which ties in the POW record of where he was captured.
The camp Langenstraza, ties in with the stories around being sent down the saltmines with Russian POWs as I read this area was renowned for it's saltmines. Although the original family story suggests he was captured at the 1st July 1916 Somme (but could easily have been confused as the Wiki reference has them around the Somme in 1918 at point of capture) and sent to Zerbes (which doesn't seem to exist but Zerst does.)
Grateful to all the help.
M
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Just search on Facebook = The Liverpool Pals Memorial Pages
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According to his POW record his date of birth was 6 Nov 1875
However the 1939 Register gives his date of birth as 6 Nov 1876 while living at 3a Caryl Gardens, Liverpool with wife Sarah and son James born 1912.
Spot on Andy
His GRO Birth Index was Registered December Quarter 1876 not 1875 Mother's Maiden Name = Rigby
He was born as Charles
on Census as Charles
Married as Charles Died as Charles -
strange he told the Army that Edward was his Second Name.
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Possibly he adopted the 'Edward' to differentiate himself from his father who was also Charles Hessy (and who incidentally spent some time in the early years of the twentieth century in the workhouse).
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Possibly he adopted the 'Edward' to differentiate himself from his father who was also Charles Hessy (and who incidentally spent some time in the early years of the twentieth century in the workhouse).
Possible Theory Andy
But some Researchers of the Family have his Father as Charles Edward also.
Most Odd