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World War 1 One ww1 wwII greatwar great 1914 1918 first battalion regiment
Pte. George Watson
British Army Army Service Corps
from:Co. Down
(d.29th July 1918)
Private Watson was the husband of H. M. Watson, of Hillcroft, Clonallon Rd., Co. Down.
He is buried in Knawhill Cemetery, Knocktemple, Co. Cork, Ireland.
Pte. George Watson
British Army 1st Btn. Royal Scots Fusiliers
from:Douglas Lanarkshire
(d.18th Jul 1916)
Pte. George Meers Watson
British Army 56th Btn. Machine Gun Corps
from:Middlesborough
(d.28th Mar 1918)
Pte. George Douglas Watson
British Army 9th Btn. Royal Irish Rifles
from:13 Ruvigny Gardens, Putney, London
I just found the military service history of my late granddad, George Watson. At age 18, he joined the British Army and served with the 9th Battalion, Royal Irish Rifles, and the 17th London Regiment, with which he fought in the Great War. He returned to civilian life in 1920, but on 22 May 1928, at age 31, he died of shell shock from his terrible experiences in that war. He is buried in Putney Vale Cemetery, Wandsworth, London. I feel I need to add to Granddad George's tragic life story.
He was the love of my late nanā€™s life, and all that I knew of him was what she told me. She said he was a real cheeky, funny lad when they were courting, but at the age of 18 he felt he had to join the army to fight in the Great War. When he returned in 1920, he was a shadow of himself and suffering from shell shock. She told me he used to wake up screaming at night with cold sweats because of the horrors he witnessed at the front, and that in the end it became so unbearable with all the pain and sorrow, it eventually made him take his own young life, 7 years later, by drinking arsenic down in the coal cellar. She said that he screamed in agony for well over 3 hours until the poison finally killed him. My nan was pregnant at the time with my father. How horrific that must had been for her, no one could ever imagine.
In those days, men with psychiatric problems from the war were told to man up, but we now know they were suffering from PTSD and so many took their own lives when they returned from the front. A lot of them felt guilty because they survived and their closest friends were killed in battle. So, on this Remembrance Sunday and on the 11th, I shall be thinking not only of my great-uncle James but my granddad George as well (my nan's brother and the husband she lost to the war) for the sacrifices that they made for this country in the First World War. God bless their souls.
L/Cpl. Harold Watson
British Army 2nd Btn. West Yorkshire Regiment
from:Jarrow
(d.24th Oct 1916)
Harold Watson enlisted at Jarrow and served in the 2nd Battalion, West Yorkshire Regiment(Prince of Wales Own). He was killed in action age 19 on the 24th October 1916 and is remembered at the Palmer Cenotaph, St. Paul's Church and the Thiepval Memorial . His medal card records he was killed in action and the award of the 1915 Star, War and Victory Medals. Harold's older brother George Robert was also among the fallen in 1917.
Harold was born in Jarrow 1897 son of David and the late Annie Watson of 81 McIntyre Street, Jarrow. In the 1911 census the family were living at that address with his father David(62) widower, fitter in the shipyard, George Robert(24) single, plumber in the shipyard, William(21) also a fitter in the shipyard and Harold(13) still at school.
Pte. Harold Watson
British Army 2nd Btn. Sherwood Foresters (Notts and Derby Regt)
(d.21st March 1915)
Harold Watson was the 20 year old son of John and Ann Watson of 58 Long Row, Belper, Derbyshire. He is buried in Houplines Communal Cemetery Extention.
Pte. Harold Watson
British Army Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire Regiment
Harold Watson served with the Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire Regiment. He married Gertrude Bilbie on 23rd of July 1919.
Gnr. Harry Watson MID
British Army D Bty. 211th East Lancs Brigade Royal Field Artillery
from:Whitehaven
My father Harry Watson was Mentioned in Dispatches in 1918.(I have the original certificate.) He was involved in hand-to-hand fighting during the German Spring offensive nr Bucquoy. My dad would not speak of the war - I found out this info from a military researcher.
My dad's brother was killed in WW1 but I know nothing of him except for an old photo. I always regret not asking enough questions when I was a young man. My dad's brother was named Edward. My dad did once mention to my brother that he also served in Gallipoli. I remember when I was a small boy dad talking about an incident where he had to put cloth round a horse's hooves so as not to make a noise. This didn't register with me then, but I have often thought since that it might have something to do with Gallipoli.
Capt. Herbert Gilles Watson DFC.
Australian Imperial Force 2nd Signal Troop
from:Australia
Herbert Gilles Watson was born in New Zealand in 1890. A clerk when war broke out he enlisted on the 28 October 1914 and was assigned to 2nd Signal Troop. He embarked with his unit on the 22 December 1914 on board HMAT Borda and then underwent training in Egypt. He went ashore at Gallipoli at 7am on 25 April 1915. He was evacuated to England in July 1915 with scalded feet.
By 1918 Watson had transferred to the Australian Flying Corps (AFC), and was posted to 4th Squadron, AFC. He was awarded a Distinguished Flying Cross on 3 August 1918, the citation for which reads: "Whilst on offensive patrol he encountered several Pfalz scouts, one of which he shot down. He has also in three weeks shot down four enemy machines and destroyed a balloon, attacking the latter at 6,000 feet, following it down to 1,000 feet, when it burst into flames". By early October 1918, Watson had downed fourteen craft, three of these being balloons. He returned to Australia on 21 November 1918 on board HT Suevic. Herbert Watson died in Brighton Beach in 1942.
Capt. Herbert Sanderson Watson
British Army 8th Btn. Gordon Highlanders
from:Penshaw House, Fence Houses, Co Durham
(d.26th Sep 1915)
J. Watson
British Army 10th Btn Royal Irish Rifles
(d.1st Jul 1916)
Sgt. J. H. Watson
British Army 24th (Tyneside Irish) Battalion Northumberland Fusiliers
from:Dunston
J. J. Watson
British Army British West Indies Regiment
(d.5th April 1916)
Private Watson was the son of Mrs. Sarah T. Watson.
He is buried in the Somerset Military Burial Grounds in Bermuda, Grave 18.
Pte. James Richard Watson
British Army 11th Btn. Manchester Regiment
from:Scunthorpe, Lincolnshire
Pte. James Nutall Watson
British Army 5th Btn. Seaforth Highlanders
from:Bolton
(d.9th April 1917)
My great grandfather James Nuttall Watson fought in World War I. I gather from dates that he died at Arras. but that's all I know. His father's name was James Nuttall Watson (Snr). His mother was Emma Yates. They came from Bolton Lancashire. .
James Watson
British Army 34th Coy. Machine Gun Corps
from:Glasgow
Pte. James Watson
British Army 18th Btn. Durham Light Infantry
Gnr. James Watson
British Army 36th Siege Battery Royal Garrison Artillery
from:Wymondham, Norfolk
(d.3rd May 1917)
My grandfather James Watson was a teamsman (horse man) on a farm, according to my mother he said "if the young ones can go to war so can I" and then he enlisted. He was killed by German artillery at Athies and buried in the local communal cemetery.
Pte. James Thomas Watson
British Army 20th (Wearside) Battalion Durham Light Infantry
from:Chester le Street
(d.25th Oct 1918)
While researching family tree I came across the records in the Burnt records section on Ancestry for James Watson killed in action France and Flanders. He was not on the Commonwealth War Graves list and not specifically mentioned in Durham Record Office DLI Records. Although not a direct ancestor he features on my tree. Ancestry have images of his attestation record, so wondering why he is not on CW Graves site
James Thomas was born in Chester le Street in 1897 the son of Thomas and Louisa Alvina Watson nee Wilson. He married Mary Middlemass in 1908 and had four sons and one daughter. He served as a private in 20th Bn DLI and was killed in action 25th of October 1918 at Heestert, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium. I am wondering if he is on the war memorial in Chester le Street?
Pte. John Watson
British Army 1st Battalion Royal Scots
from:Arbroath, Forfarshire
(d.12th May 1915)
John Watson was lost during fighting at Sanctuary Wood, Zillebeke, he was 20 years old. The son of John and Jane Watson of 21 Glover Street, Arbroath, Forfarshire. John is remembered in Ypres on the Menin Gate.
Sgt. John Watson
British Army 8th Btn. Yorkshire Regiment
from:Jarrow
(d.10th Dec 1917)
John Watson, Sergeant 20343, enlisted at South Shields in February 1915 and served in the 8th Battalion Yorkshire Regiment. He died age 20 on the 10th December 1917 and is remembered at Jarrow Library and is buried in Mont Huon Military Cemetery, Le Treport. His medal card shows the award of the 1915 Star, War and Victory Medals.
John was born in Jarrow 1897, son of Mary and the late Charles Watson of Jarrow. In the 1891 census Charles(28) and Mary(21) living at 12 Frederick Street Jarrow, seem to be the most likely family but unable to find in any later census returns as Charles may already have died by 1901.
Cpl. John Watson
British Army 23rd (4th Tyneside Scottish) Btn Northumberland Fusiliers
from:37 Monk Street, Gateshead
My grandad, Jack Watson, was reported missing in action at Roeux,in France, on 29th April 1917. He was a prisoner of war in Germany, for at least part of the time at Gustrow, but I have not yet discovered when he was repatriated. My grandma, Harriet, gave birth to twin girls in the summer of 1917, but they both died by the end of that year, so Jack may never have seen them. Harriet already had her hands full with four other children, aged between eleven and two.
Pte. John Stanley Watson
British Army 18th Btn. Durham Light Infantry
Pte. John Watson
British Army 10th Btn. Royal Dublin Fusiliers
from:Kilcock, Co. Kildare
(d.30th Oct 1918)
Private John Watson was the son of Mrs. Anne Watson, of Connaught St., Kilcock, Co. Kildare. He was 23 when he died. He is buried in the Balfeighan Cemetery, Co. Meath.
Cpl. John Victor "Darky" Watson
British Army 5th Btn. Worcestershire Regiment
from:Friar Street, Worcester
John Watson served with the 5th Battalion, Worcestershire Regiment.
Sgt. John Douglas Watson
British Army 9th Btn. G Coy. Gordon Highlanders
from:Aberdeen
This post card was sent by my great-uncle Douglas Watson, to his brother James Innes Watson. John died at Loos six months later. On the reverse of photo is written, "9th Gordons, G Company , 12th Platoon, in genial mood! Taken at Perham Down, Hants, on Sunday 21st of March 1915. Hope you're still fit. 6th Gordons have evidently been getting it. No word, Jean says, lately from you, soon, I hope. My beauty is rather marred by the white spot. Douglas."
Joseph Watson
British Army 11th Btn Royal Irish Rifles
(d.1st Jul 1916)
Pte. Joseph Watson
British Army 13th Coy. 1st Btn Coldstream Guards
from:Aycliffe
Pte. Leonard Watson
British Army 10th Btn. West Yorkshire Regiment
from:Eavestone, Yorkshire
(d.1st Nov 1916)
Leonard Watson was aged 21 when he was killed. He came from a family of five, four brothers and one sister. Leonard was married in Jan 1916, his daughter was born in September 16. Leonard died in trenches on the Transloy Ridges.
Sea.2nd.Cl. Lewis Earl Watson
United States Naval Reserve USS Arcadia
from:Maine
Radioman Second Class Lewis E Watson reported aboard USS Arcadia and transited the Atlantic five times, carrying cargo and troops in both directions during 1919.
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