The Queens Own Royal West Kent R

The Queens Own Royal West Kent Regiment

Private R W Buss

Private Robert William BUSS, G/11777, 10th Battalion, Queens Own Royal West Kent Regiment, died of wounds, 10th Casualty Clearing Station, Flanders France, 20th May 1917, age 22.

Born at Wateringbury, Kent, son of Robert Markham & Flora Edith Buss.

16th June 1895, Baptism of Robert William Buss, son of Robert Markham & Flora Edith Buss.

1911 Census - Coxheath, Wester Hill, Linton, Maidstone, Kent - Robert Buss, head, age 41, married, farm bailiff, born Nettlestead, Kent; Flora Buss, wife, age 38, married 18 years, 2 children, both still, alive, born Wateringbury, Kent; Robert Buss, son, age 15, single, farm labourer, born Wateringbury, Kent; May Buss, daughter, age 10, school, born Wateringbury, Kent; Eliza Buss, mother, age 76, widower, born Maidstone, Kent; William Sales, boarder, age 33, singe, farm labourer, born Wateringbury, Kent.

27th November1915, East Peckham, married, Edith Ellen Bassett, of Hadlow Stair, Tonbridge, Kent.

Enlisted Tunbridge Wells, Kent, age 20 years & 219 days, height 5ft 7¼ inches, weight 126lbs. Resided Hadlow Stairs, Tonbridge Kent. Formerly labourer.

Separation allowance of 16/- a week and allotment of pay of 3/6 a week paid to wife.

10th December 1915, enlisted; 11th December 1915, to Army Reserve; 21st January 1916, mobilized; 22nd January 1916, posted 3rd Battalion, Royal West Kent Regiment; 15th March 1916 to 25th April 1916, Fort Pitt, Chatham, Influenza; 6th January 1917, posted 10th Battalion, Royal West Kent Regiment; 7th January 1917, disembarked; 27th January 1917, admitted to 24 General Hospital Etaples; 15th February 1917 from 6 Convalescent Camp to 40th Infantry Base Depot, Etaples; 22nd February 1917, admitted to 4 General Hospital; 1st March 1917, admitted 6 Convalescent Camp; 16th March 1917, from 6 Convalescent Camp to Infantry Base Depot; 23rd March 1917, being in a verminous condition, forfeits 7 days pay; 30th March 1917, proceeded to join Unit in the Field; 20th May 1917, died of wounds, gun shot wound right leg, fractured femur, accidentally inflicted by Private F Martin, 11415.

24th May 1917 - Report on accidental wounding on 4th May 1917 of No.11777 Pte R Buss

No.19172 L/Cpl Philpott H W states - On the morning of the 4th May at about 6.30am I was in charge of No.9. Sentry Post Front Line. I ordered 2 of my sentries to clean their rifles. No.11415 Pt F Martin was one of these. I saw him remove his magazine and place it on the ground. A minute later I heard a report and Pte Buss was hit. Pte Martin opened his bolt and an empty cartridge case was released.

No.11415 Pte Martin F states - At about 6.30am on the 4th May I was cleaning my rifle. I removed the magazine and not knowing there was a cartridge in the chamber, released the trigger, the bullet hit Pte Buss in the thigh.

No.11777 Pte Buss R states - At about 7 o'clock this morning, I was in the Front Line Trench with No.11 Platoon in trench No.024/025. I walked down the trench to get my breakfast, and as I did so was shot in my right leg. The shooting was done by Pte Martin, who was cleaning his rifle which went off just as I had got to within 3 yards or thereabout of him. It was quite an accident.

25th May 1917, Private F Martin, 11415 was tried by FGCM for accidental death & wounding of men of various units, and sentenced to 42 days Field Punishment No.1., remission NIL.

3rd December 1917, Pension of 18/9 a week awarded to widow and one child.

Buried at Lijssenthoek Military Cemetery, XII. B. 14., Poperinge, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium.

This page was last updated on 15-Jul-2017.