Help Knowing Where To Look Please

[Horsley2016]

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

[KGarrad]

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.

[KGarrad]

As for your chap's service records - some two-thirds of all the WW1 service records were lost in a WW2 bombing raid.

[hanes teulu]

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/

[hanes teulu]

You can see/get his medal card FREE at the National Archives - requires registration first.

Note his No. is 46126

[Andy J2022]

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

[AlanBoyd]

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.

[hanes teulu]

Re POW record, column 5
a. = place of capture
c. = previous abode

[Andy J2022]

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.