Biography of Private Herbert Pell (11119)
8th Battalion Lincolnshire Regiment
Died 26th September 1915

Soldier

  • Name: Herbert Pell
  • Date of birth: 1886
  • Place of Birth: Witham on the Hill, Lincolnshire, England
  • Date of Birth Registration: January – March 1886
  • Place of Birth Registration: Bourne, Lincolnshire, England

Father

  • Name: Matthew Pell
  • DOB: 1852
  • Place of Birth: Witham on the Hill, Lincolnshire, England
  • Occupation: Road labourer

Mother

  • Name: Eliza Sneath
  • DOB: 1858
  • Place Of Birth: Swineshead, Lincolnshire, England
  • Marriage: 17th May 1882 Witham on the Hill, Lincolnshire, England

Siblings: (Name), (DOB), (POB)

  • Rose Fanny Pell, 1883, Witham on the Hill
  • Herbert Pell, 1886, Witham on the Hill
  • Florence Annie Pell, 1889, Witham on the Hill

Census

  • 1891: Herbert is living with his parents in Witham on the Hill, Lincolnshire.
  • 1901: Herbert is living with his parents in Witham on the Hill, Lincolnshire.
  • 1911: Herbert is living with his parents in Witham on the Hill, Lincolnshire. The census gives him an age of 25 and he is listed as a farm labourer.
Relatives in services

  • None found

Marriage

  • No marriage for Herbert has been found and we can assume that he never had the opportunity to marry.

Newspaper Mentions

  • Grimsby Daily Telegraph Tuesday 2nd November 1915
    HEAVY LIST OF MISSING.
    THE following casualties in the Lincolnshire Regiment are reported:-
    MISSING
    8th LINCOLNS
    Pell, 11119 H.

 

  • Lincolnshire Echo Tuesday 2nd November 1915
    LINCS REGIMENT CASUALTIES
    The following officer casualties are reported from General Headquarters in France, in an updated list:-
    MISSING
    8th LINCOLNS
    Pell, 11119, Pte. H.

 

  • Sheffield Daily Telegraph Tuesday 2nd November 1915
    MISSING
    8th LINCOLNS
    Pell (11119), H.

 

  • Grantham Journal Saturday 6th November 1915
    LINCOLNSHIRE REGIMENT CASUALTIES.
    The following casualties are reported among the rank and file of the Lincolnshire Regiment, as follows:-
    8th Battalion
    Pell 11119 H.

 

  • Grantham Journal Saturday 6th November 1915
    Pte. HERBERT PELL
    Pte. Herbert Pell, 11,119, 8th Battalion Lincolnshire Regiment, son of Mrs. M. Pell, of Wytham-on-the-Hill, is reported missing since September 26th. He had served in the regiment since September of last year. Quite a number of the 8th Lincolns are posted as missing and it is quite possible, indeed, probable, that Pell is a prisoner in the hands of the Germans. An officers of this regiment, writing home from Gutersich, Germany, says:- We ere surrounded, had no ammunition left, and very few men who had not been hit, so it was all up. I don’t think we could have done anything else; we had held out for seven hours without help, and all our supports had vanished.  We are quite well treated here.  We manage to pass our time pretty well, but it is hard to be doing nothing when you want to be scrapping.”

 

  • North Bucks Times Tuesday 9th November 1915
    MISSING
    LINCOLNSHIRE REGT.,
    8th BN.
    Pell 11119 H.

     

    • Grantham Journal Saturday 23rd September 1916
      IN MEMORIAM
      PELL – Killed in action, on September 26th, 1915, Herbert (Bert), only son of Matthew and Mrs. Pell, aged 28 years, of Witham-on-the-Hill, Bourne. The trial hard, the blow severe,
      To part with one we love so dear.

    Military Records

    Attestation Papers

    • Available

    Soldier’s Died In The Great War

    • These records show that Private Herbert Pell, 1119, 8th Bn Lincolnshire Regiment was killed in action on 26th September 1915 in the Western European Theatre in France and Flanders.

    Pension Records

    • Available

    Effects Left To

    • Mother Eliza

    Medals

    • The British Medal
    • The Victory Medal
    • The 15 Star

    Memorials

     

    • Commonwealth War Graves Commission:
    • In memory of Private Herbert Pell, 11119, 8th Bn., Lincolnshire Regiment who died on 26th September 1915 Age 28
    • Son of Matthew and Eliza Pell, of Witham-on-the-Hill, Bourne, Lincs.
    • Remembered with honour, Loos Memorial
    • Panel 31 to 34.

    ©BNA

    © Picture taken by South Lincolnshire War Memorials

    © Picture taken by South Lincolnshire War Memorials

    Military Service Timeline

    • Enlisted in 2nd September 1914 in Stamford posted to the 7th Lincolnshire Regiment.
    • Posted 4th September 1914
    • Posted to the 8th Lincolnshire Regiment 15th September 1914
    • Embarked Folkstone 10th September 1914
    • Missing in Foeld 26th September 1915
    • Prisoner of war number A4991
      PELL H. Private, No 11119, 8th Lincolns. Disparu.
      Rep: Mrs Pell, Wytham on the Hill, Bourne, Linc

     

    • This is ongoing research and will be posted when completed

    Sources

    • WW1 Soldier’s Records (www.ancestry.co.uk)
    • British Newspaper Archive.
    • Fold 3
    • Find My Past
    • Genealogist
    • Forces War Records
    • British Army Service Numbers
    • War Gratuity Calculator
    • Commonwealth War Graves Commission
    • National Archives – Battalion War Diaries
    • General Registry Office