The Shallis Boys

CNN have just released online a short film about the Shallis family who lived in 10 Ranelagh Road in Harlesden. The film tells the family’s very sad story of loss during the First World War. George and Kate Shallis had 10 children and when the war broke out George joined up and encouraged his sons to do the same. The eldest son George died when the ship he was serving on went down after striking a mine. Bret Shallis died fighting in the army in Turkey and Harry died fighting on the Western Front. Leo Shallis died at the Battle of Jutland in the North Sea, the largest naval battle of the war.

John Gordon Shallis was spared military service. This image (© Crown Copyright)  is taken from one of the documents held at The National Archives and explains why John was excused military service. 

 

We are very lucky that the records for the Military service appeal tribunal survive for Middlesex and this record (along with other papers) regarding  John Gordon Shallis is kept safe for researchers now and in the future. The other Middlesex tribunal records show that very few men were excused military service and so the Shallis story is a particularly interesting story as well as being a particularly sad one.

 

Click here to view the CNN film.

To search and download for free The National Archives Middlesex military service appeal tribunal 1916-1918 records click  here.

For more information about the Battle of Jutland visit the Imperial War Museum website by clicking here.