HAMEL MILITARY CEMETERY, BEAUMONT-HAMEL (WORK IN PROGRESS) 

 

Casualties from 2nd R.M. Bn Royal Naval Division (Royal Marines Light Infantry) KIA 30 October 1916. A working party from Englebelmer.

 

A comment from a friend about her great uncle Oswald led me to research the manner of his death in the Great War, and in doing so I discovered that he was killed alongside 8 other men from the Royal Marines Light Infantry near Hamel in the Somme Department in Northern France, famous for the battles of the Somme and Baument-Hamel fought there in 1914-1918. He and his colleagues were a working party sent up from their rest area at Englebelmer to work on trenches, probably in preparation for the planned and upcoming assault on the German lines in November 1916.  RIP Private Oswald Fisher, and his colleagues from 2nd Royal Marines Battalion, (Royal Marines Light Infantry), Royal Naval Division. They were probably engaged by artillery fire after having been observed working on the trenches.

 

First Name

Surname

Age

Rank

Service No

Grave No

Notes

Albert Richard

CANTY

26

Acting

Corporal (Paid)

Had previously been Sgt

 PO/16534

II. C. 25.

Born 19/4/1890 Bethnal Green, London

Sister: Annie Cavill. 15 Glaskin Road, Wells Street, Hackney, London

Joined RN 16 Nov 1909 as Officers  Cook L1339 transf RMLI 27 Sep 1912, last ship HMS Dryad

Missing middle finger right hand

 William John

BEGGS

21

Private

 PLY/16347

II. C. 27.

Relative Mrs Charles Beggs

Born Belfast 10Jul1895

Father Wiliam J Beggs 10 Swift St, Belfast

Mother Mrs E M Beggs

Killed in working party from Engelbelmer

OSWALD

FISHER

21

Private

 PLY/585(S)

II. C. 20.

Son of Thomas D. and Edith Fisher, of 11, Mark St., Paddock, Huddersfield.

HAROLD

HAINES

23

Private

 PO/16735

II. C. 28.

Son of Mrs. Mary Ann Slade, of Stall Knoll, Longhedge, Corsley, Warminster, Wilts.

 Harry

HIGSON

27

Private

 PLY/382(S)

II. C. 24.

Enlisted Manchester 25/9/1914

DOB 7 Jan 1889, Lincoln City, previously a barman.

Father William Higson Mother Mary Elizabeth Higson of 16 Church St, Kearsley, Bolton, Lancs.

(Brother James Andrew Higson won the DCM. Seeking confirmation and citation.)

AMOS

HILLS

23

Private

 CH/534(S)

II. B. 13.

Dob 9/2/1893 Leigh, Kent

Father Samuel Hills, Mother Mary Hills

William

LEWIS

22

Private

 PLY/914(S)

II. C. 14.

Aged 22. Born c1895 in Rishton, Lancs, son of John and Elizabeth Lewis.

DOUGLAS

MACKIE

22

Private

 PO/807(S)

II. C. 26.

Son of Peter and Bella Mackie, of 10, Whitehall Place, Aberdeen.

 Francis Joseph

WALSH

19

Private

 PLY/17586

II. C. 19.

Born 2 Mar 1897 Belfast, County Antrim. Roman Catholic.

Mother Mary Walsh, 225, W 68th St, New York City, USA

Enlisted 9 Nov 1914 Belfast

Father  J?  54 Chatham Street Belfast

Originally buried Hamel German Cemetery?

 

Biography Private Oswald Fisher 2nd RM Bn, RN Division, RMLI

Gallery

 

Feel free to browse through my gallery images below.

Private Oswald Fisher 2nd R.M. Bn, Royal Naval Division (Royal Marines Light Infantry)