Re: George William Hudson 1886 in Coldstream Guards
Ted, yes that is my man but it was this article that said he joined the Coldstream Guards but I could not find the papers for the Cioldstream Guards unless I need to go to the opticians
It shows his award of the 1914 Star was made just prior to the start of WW1. He also seems to have been taken prisoner though the Red Cross records are very short of detail.
Sorry, not been able to see any service records for his Coldstream Guard service.
Here's his record for his first stint in the army in 1904 when he was still in the militia):
Re: George William Hudson 1886 in Coldstream Guards
Hi Ted,
Maybe he’d been transferred to the reserves? That could explain why he was home in 1911. (My great-grandpa was also in the Coldstream Guards. They transferred him to the reserves after 3 years service and discharged him 6 years later.)
Re: George William Hudson 1886 in Coldstream Guards
John and Ted
"It shows his award of the 1914 Star was made just prior to the start of WW1. He also seems to have been taken prisoner though the Red Cross records are very short of detail."
George QUALIFIED for the 1914 Star because he arrived in France in August 1914. He was AWARDED the Star in 1922.
The Red Cross records for PoWs are replete with details if you are willing to think laterally.
George was in a list of 171 "ENGLANDER" PoWs who were incarcerated at the Neuhammer am Queis camp in South West Poland (between Dresden and Wroclaw).
For each man there is Name, Rank, Regiment (sometimes Battalion), Home town and where captured. For George he was Private, 1st Batt Coldstream Guards, home Rawmarsh and captured at Ypres.
In the list there are 34 (incl George) who were Coldstream Guards (and always 1st Batt if mentioned) and all were captured at Ypres. I have found that at least 6 of of those 34 have their Army records available on FMP. In each of those 6 cases the man was listed as missing on 29th October 1914. Also in each of those 6 cases the man was repatriated at end December 1918 (in one case it mentions through Dover).
A quick Google reveals:
"Then, in August 1914, three Coldstream Battalions were deployed to France, and saw action at Mons, the Marne, and the Aisne before being committed to the defence of Ypres where the 1st Battalion almost ceased to exist at the Battle of Gheluvelt."
So George was captured on 29th Oct 1914 at Gheluvelt and spent the next 4 years in PoW camp Neuhammer am Queis in Poland. He was repatriated at the end of Dec 1918
John, you can find more details of the Battle of Gheluvelt on line. Also on CWGC you should be able to find how many Coldstream Guards died on 29th Oct 1914.
You know Georges parents so it is very simple to find his birth date and from there his 1939 Register entry, his marriage and his death.
Re: George William Hudson 1886 in Coldstream Guards
Dave,
What a fantastic find thank you.
Permission please to copy and save this info as a document.
John
PS just wondering why it says home town of Rawmarsh when he was born in Sheffield, wonder if he was told to lie or was he living at Rawmarsh when he enlisted.
This fascinating and very detailed memorial adds interesting detail to what happened to George immediately after capture. It seems they first went to Schneidemuhl camp in north west Poland where 8 wounded Coldstreamers died. The survivors then moved to Neuhammer am Queis in mid 1916.