South Warwickshire Family History Society War Memorial Transcription Project
The Fallen Men of South Warwickshire - World War One |
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Military History |
| Theatre of War | Medals | Commonwealth War Grave or Memorial |
|---|---|---|
| France & Flanders | British War & Victory Medals | Orchard Dump Cemetery |
| Arrived in Theatre | Medal Citation (if app) | SWFHS Area Memorials |
| After 1 Mar 1916 in France | ~ | Temple Balsall Cemetery Gates |
| Balsall Common | ||
| Action, Battle or Other Reason Killed | Date and Place Enlisted | |
| Battle of Arras | November 1915 in Coventry | Other War Memorials |
| Place of Death | Date and Place Mobilised | |
| Arleux near Arras | February 1916 in Coventry | |
Circumstances of Death
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Albert is listed by the CWGC of dying on 14th May 1917 during the Battle of Arras. However the below referenced letter from the RAMC doctor who treated him, and reproduced in the Coventry Standard on 1 June 1917, is dated 13th May 1917. He was originally buried at map ref 51B.B.5.d.5.6 which is on the very southern edge of Arleux-en-Gohelle between the Rue d'Arras and Rue d'Oppy. Map it here https://www.tmapper.com/. The 16th Battalion war diary entries for the 13th and 14th are transcribed below along with the article from the Coventry Standard referenced above. War Diary 13th & 14th May 1917Arleux - 12th – 5.40pm: Message from 15th Infantry Brigade to say that on the right of 13th/14th Bn would be relieved by 1st Norfolk Regiment & on relief would withdraw to Farbus Wood area. 10.33pm: Enemy opened intense bombardment on front line Arleux Village & Arleux Loop. Arleux - 13th: Enemy artillery not so active. Battalion relieved by 1st Norfolk Regt. Farbus Wood area – 14th: Relief complete 1.40am. On the night of 15th, 16th, 17th 2 Coys worked on making tracks & wiring the Arleux Loop. Coventry Standard ReportCoventry Standard - 1st June 1917 KILLED IN ACTION Mrs Twissell, of Redfern Cottages, Balsall, has received the following letter from Captain J.A. Tippet, R.A.M.C., notifying her of the death of her son, Private Albert Twissell, of the 16th R.W.R. 16th Royal Warwickshire Regiment, B.E.F., France, May 13th, 1917 Dear Madame, – Though a stranger to you, I hope you will accept my real sympathy in the loss of your brave son. I am the medical officer of his regiment, and I thought you would like perhaps to hear the circumstances of his death. He was on duty in the front line when a shell burst close in front of him and wounded him mortally just above the left eye. He was brought to my aid-post within a few minutes. I saw him at about four o’clock a.m., and he died at just 7 a.m. He was never conscious from the moment he was hit, and, I am convinced, felt no pain. For him as a person this life ended at the explosion of the shell, and though his poor body breathed for a little longer, he himself had already reached his ‘rest billets. He was buried by his comrades near the place where he gave his life for his country. One of them who had been a preacher before the war read the Burial Service, as it was impossible to get a clergyman. I cannot, of course, tell you just where his grave is, but in a few weeks the War Office will be able to give you information. Yours sincerely, JOHN A. TIPPET (Captain, R.A.M.C). The above article was originally transcribed by Solihull Life. |
| Personal & Family History |
| Birth Date/Place | Baptism Date/Place |
|---|---|
| Apr Qtr 1895 in Burton Green, Warks | 14 Aug 1898 in Kenilworth |
| Parents Names | Abode |
| John and Elizabeth Twissell | Redfern Cottages, Balsall |
| Schools | Colleges |
| ~ | |
| Address History | Employment History |
| 1895 - Burton Green | 1911 - School |
| 1901 - Burton Green | |
| 1911 - Birmingham Road, Kenilworth | |
| 1915 - Redfern Cottages, Birmingham Road, Balsall | |