Researching 2 Lt H.H.T. Rees 16 Btn RWF

[Dieselfumes]

Hello all,
I am researching my great uncle Henry Hugh Tregarthen Rees 16 Btn RWF, KIA 10 July 1916 Mametz Wood.
I have been well and truly bitten by the research bug following my daughters school visit to Ypres and the battlefields of the Somme in November last year, she had to research a family member who served, as a project for the trip, and found him at Thiepval, pier 4 face A, via the CWGC web site.
I made a visit to the battlefields in March this year and found some information about HHT in the Thiepval visitor centre on the computer system there.
There are excerpts of letters to his mother from his Major, a Captain in his unit, a Sergeant and the Btn Chaplain. I was wondering where that information came from, could those letters exist in RWF archives?
I have downloaded his records from the National Archive WO 339 which shows he joined at Carnarvon 5th December 1914 as 18673 Private HHT Rees, within a month he was Lcpl and two days later Cpl and nominated 2Lt on the same day, is this time frame normal or a product of the casualties taken at that time?
I also have the Btn war diary appendix for 10/11 July which mentions him being killed whilst leading the bombers in strip trench.

The information on the computer screens at Thiepval says "he fell, shot at close quarters, and died whilst being carried to the advanced dressing station", is it possible to locate this dressing station on a map of the area?

I realise that I am so very fortunate in having this much information available to me already but as I said the bug has bitten and I would like to gather as much as possible with a view to visiting the area next year as sadly this years visit we drove past Mametz Wood and Flat Iron Copse on the way to Thiepval before I found where he had fallen.

Any comments or information gratefully received,

Kind Regards

Mike Rees

[Baconwallah]

Welcome to the Forum, Mike.

First of all, this is what I have:

Rees H.H.T. 2/Lt
Henry Hugh Tregarthen Rees, son of John and Ada Josephine Rees, of Glan Menai, Caernarfon, was commissioned Temp 2/Lt (8/1/15) to the 16th Bn, and embarked for France in Dec 1915. He was killed at Mametz Wood 11 Jul 1916 age 24. Commemorated Thiepval Memorial, France.

His promotion was unusually fast, but can be explained by the fact that the number of volunteers was so huge that no NCOs or Officers could be provided from the usual sources. This meant that anyone with more than six years of basic schooling stood a very good chance of promotion.

The letters may well be at the Museum. Best to ask Brian Owen, the Curator. His e-mail address is rwfusiliers@callnetuk.com and you'll always get a reply. But bear in mind that he gets about thirty requests for information each week, so it may take a week or so. Alternatively you can also ask the people at the Thiepval visitors centre. I'm sure they would be delighted to hear from a relative.

The location of the Aid Post will be hard to pinpoint. I do not know of any suitable source of information. Again, the Thiepval people might know more. Aid Posts were set up wherever a suitable loation could be found, and I don't think that anyone would have bothered making notes. Perhaps the War Graves Commisison have something in their files. The graves around Aid Posts were cleared and relocated after the war, so if there were any found the CWGC will have a record of the spot. If they can give you the divisional Aid Posts, you can work out the most likely one with the aid of the War Diary, the Official History and a trench map (which I can supply as a scan, if necessary).

Hope this helps.

John

[Dieselfumes]

Thanks for the response John.

I think I have most of the information available online so the link to the museum is my next avenue, thanks for that.
Also the visitors centre at Thiepval, unfortunately my visit was limited due to the tour itinerary so a return is planned for next year. It was quite a moment to discover the content of those letters at that time, having just placed a memorial at the monument.

Regards

Mike

[Hywyn]

Mike
You probably have most of this anyway but below are my Caernarfon file notes on Henry Rees.

Hywyn

The town Memorial as Hugh Tregarthen Rees

Carnarvon’s Roll of Service published in the Carnarvon Herald on 23^rd April 1915: H Rees, 2^nd Lt RWF, Glanmenai


Hy H Tregarthen Rees, Glan Menai is on a list of men joined the 16^th RWF (C&D H 19/12/1914)


Roll of Honour at Christ Church, Caernarfon: 2^nd Lt H Tregarthen Rees RWF, killed in action 10^th July 1916.

News was received last week that Lt Hugh Rees, 16^th RWF second eldest son of the late Mr John Rees, Glan Menai, North Road, Carnarvon had been killed on the battlefield. It was only about two weeks ago that he was home with his family. (HC 25/7/1916 photo with article)

Gravestone at St Peblic Churchyard (GFHS MI Pt5 J390) commemorates Hugh Tregarthen 2^nd Lt 16^th Bn RWF killed in action at Mametz Wood 10^th July 1916 aged 24 years.

CWGC: Second Lieutenant Henry Hugh Tregarthen Rees, 16^th Battalion RWF died 11/7/1916 aged 24 years. Son of John and Ada Josephine Rees, of Glan Menai, Carnarvon. Commemorated on Pier and Face 4A, Thiepval Memorial (having no known grave)

1901 Census finds Henry H T Rees aged 8 yrs at Glan Menai with his parents John Rees, a Ship-owner, mother Ada, and brother John T 9 yrs, Louis T 7 yrs and Albert T 6 years.

[Hywyn]

His brother Louis Tregarthen Rees was in the Canadians

Here are his attestation papers

http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/d...3hbvdapr3h20d0

[Hywyn]

His brother Albert Rees was said to be in the Denbighshire Hussars Yeomanry (DHY)in April 1915.

He is Albert Tregarthen Rees Corporal 216068 Denbigh Yeomanry later Cpl 235839 in Royal Welsh.

His papers exist showing a discharge address of 12 Curzon Rd, Prenton, Birkenhead with his mother as next of kin at this address. Haven't read them properly yet but looks like he served some time late 1918 with 2nd Bn RWF. Do you have access to Ancestry?

Hywyn

PS Lots of other Rees in C'fon inc a VC namely Captain Lionel Wilmott Brabazon Rees if you know any to be cousins etc.

[Baconwallah]

You can e-mail the Thiepval Visitor Centre at thiepval@historial.org so why not give it a try.

John

[Hywyn]

Mike

I have gone through various 'unprocessed' bits and bobs that I have and I see that I have a scan of the Carnarvon Herald report of his death (with photo) and it also quotes the letters from Major McLellan, Captain H R Davies both of 16th RWF and also a Mrs Jones of 1 Penrhyn Crescent Llandudno where he was billeted whilst the Battalion was there prior to going overseas. Mrs Jones was in constant touch with 'her men' and had had a number of letters from Hugh and the others including one from an unnamed man stating 'Rees' and others were casualties.

It is possible that these are the letters you have seen at Thiepval (in what form were they?) either deposited by another family member or a RWF researcher?


You can have a copy of the scan if you want it.

Hywyn

[Dieselfumes]

Hywyn

Many thanks that is excellent work!

Yes I would love to have a copy of the newspaper report and I think that is likely the source of the information at the Thiepval visitor centre.

The information appeared on screen when I typed in his name and I managed to take a decent photo of the screen.

Albert Tregarthen Rees is my grandfather and until your input I had nothing to go on.
Like many he did not speak of his experiences to anyone. My father could not remember his regiment beyond Denbighshire Hussars and says his father never spoke of his service to him.

There is another Rees brother who served, William Richard Tregarthen Rees again I have nothing on his service.

Louis T, Albert T and William R T all survived

Thanks again Hywyn and John for your help, as you can see this is beginning to snowball.

Regards

Mike

[Baconwallah]

There is another Rees brother who served, William Richard Tregarthen Rees again I have nothing on his service.

Louis T, Albert T and William R T all survived

Mike, you probably mean 89847 William RT Rees, RWF, of 1 Strand, Ferndale. Unfortunately his service and pension records have been destroyed.

If he's the one, I have two more from Ferndale in the 1st Bn:

Rees, Oliver, 14886 L/Cpl
Born Ferndale, Glamorgan. Landed 18/02/1915. KiA 16/05/1915, age 24. Buried Cabaret Rouge British Cemetery, Souchez.,
Rees, Richard, 4930 Pte
Bron in Pontygwaith, Ferndale, Glamorgan. Special Reserve. Landed 02/11/1914. KiA 30/10/1914. Commemorated on the Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial.

The service record of Richard Rees still exists.

John