William DEVLIN, died Limburg POW camp in 1916

[corisande]

I wonder if anyone can add to the information I have on William Devlin

William Devlin was born 1878 and died age 38 in Limburg POW camp in 1916. He was Private 8635 in Royal Dublin Fusiliers. There were reports in Parliament that he had been shot by a German guard (erroneously ascribed to the Munsters, rather than the Dublins - I am satisfied from the records that he was in RDF)

The relevant bits from my information are

1. On 10 July 1916 the British Government were informed by the American Ambassador here that another British prisoner, William Devlin, of the Royal Munster Fusiliers, had also been shot at one of the Limburg working camps.

2. CWGC shows
Name: DEVLIN, WILLIAM
Rank: Private
Regiment/Service: Royal Dublin Fusiliers
Unit Text: 2nd Bn.
Age: 38
Date of Death: 03/07/1916
Service No: 8635
Additional information: Nephew of Christina Doran, of 48, South Great George St., Dublin. Native of Dublin.
Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead
Grave/Memorial Reference: XIV. D. 5.
Cemetery: COLOGNE SOUTHERN CEMETERY

3. His MIC (given on my linked web page, shows "Died"

Can anybody help with any more information on William Devlin? Was he shot, or did he die of TB or one of the other diseases that haunted POW camps. Was this just wartime propaganda?

As far as I can see, the British government never pursued the matter further.

[ShaunJ]

Have you reviewed the documents in the National Archives?

A search for "William Devlin" Limburg  brings up 3 hits:

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/search/quick_search.aspx?

[corisande]

Yes, those references are contemporaneous, ie 1916, and are the reports that circulated apparently following the US ambassador's visit to Limburg.

There is nothing that I can find post 1916

[corisande]

Somebody has today sent me the transcription of the trial from the original German of the guard that killed him.

There is a great deal of detail as to what happened on the day Devlin was killed, but it boils down to ..

The copy of the trial report (sent by the American Ambassador by the Germans) says that the shot was fired by Gefreiter Wust at Kordorf on 2nd July 1916 and that the Germans were taking no further legal proceedings against Wust. The German trial concluded that Wust fired in self defence. Devlin was said to have attacked Wust, and in spite of 2 warning shots continued to attack. Devlin died at 3.30am on 3rd July 1916.

There does not appear to be any follow up by the British.

[Noor36]

You have probably seen these but just in case...

Images removed, but can be found via a search of this site:

http://www.irishnewsarchive.com/

[Noor36]

And newspaper picture of William



His awards