Alan Greveson's World War I Forum (Page 89)

Hello Alan, I wonder if you can be of help to me again with my Coupland family. I am trying to trace two members of the family Harry and Willie Coupland. The Couplands were originally from Lincolnshire, but I cannot say for certain that the first one here, is the Harry I am looking for. There is no one with the name Willie but there is a William from Lincolnshire.

COUPLAND , HARRY Private 3135 09/04/1918 Unknown Lincolnshire Regiment United Kingdom
LEGBOURNE (ALL SAINTS) CHURCHYARD

COUPLAND , HARRY Private G/10396 28/09/1915 Unknown Middlesex Regiment United Kingdom
Panel 99 to 101. LOOS MEMORIAL

COUPLAND , WILLIAM Private 1223 01/07/1916 Unknown Lincolnshire Regiment United Kingdom
Pier and Face 1 C. THIEPVAL MEMORIAL

I should be most grateful if you an help me once more
Kind regards

Sue

Hi all.
Need help i was told that my great granfather was in ww1 but all i got is on the back of a pice of paper
in entered at warwick major for colonel 31 july 1916 I/C intantry records No7 district.
can someone help please.
thankyou

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Reply from: Alan Greveson
Date: Saturday 26th February 2011 at 12:15 AM
Dear Shaun,
Do you know what his name was, or when he was born or which regiment he served with. Anything to help the search.
Kind regards
Alan

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Reply from: Shaun
Date: Saturday 26th February 2011 at 6:10 PM
Thomas Dudley
6 july 1888

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Reply from: Alan Greveson
Date: Saturday 26th February 2011 at 11:25 PM
Dear Shaun,
Unfortunately it has not been possible to identify Thomas Dudley, born 1888, in the army records. There are numerous men of that name but no record that is certainly his. Many records were destroyed in the Second World War and it is possible his were amongst them.
If you get any further information on him let me know.

Kind regards
Alan

Dear Alan,
I have recently found a parchment signed by King George and Mjr.Gen.Trenchard, confirming my late father, Vernon Laurie Morley, as an honorary 2nd Lt. in the Royal Air Force, together with a Log book detailing service with the RFC in Belgium,(most of which is in code). I have tried, in vain, to find out more details of my father's service, and wondered if you could help. The details I have are------ he joined the Royal Signals in 1914, rose to Cpl Drill Instructor, before being sent to the Somme in 1916. He was injured by a shell blast, and was repatriated to England for treatment. After recovery, he was commissioned as an engineering officer into the RFC. I now know that he was returned to the front as a pilot with No 12 Squadron in 1918. In WW2, he was Capt. V L Morley, Sutton-on-trent section, 'A' Company, 11th Battalion, Notts Home Guard. I will be more than happy to make a donation to the RBL, as both father and mother were staunch members of the Legion.
Regards, David.

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Reply from: Alan Greveson
Date: Saturday 26th February 2011 at 2:59 PM
Dear David,
No records could be found for Vernon Laurie Morley, which seemed rather odd, given the information you provided. However, there are some records for Vernon Lawrie Morley, born 25 July 1895. His birth was registered in 1895 as Vernon Lawrie Morley and he appeared in the 1901 and 1911 censuses as Vernon Lawrie Morley, the son of Statham Morley of Beauvale Manor Farm, Newthorpe, Greasley, Nottinghamshire. In 1918 his address was shown as "Cromwell House", Castle Donington, near Derby. Three separate documents recorded his middle name as Lawrie.
There are no army records in either name. Most army records were destroyed during the air raids on London in 1940.
There is a Royal Air Force record in his name. It is an RAF record as the RFC became the RAF on April 1st 1918.

It would appear Vernon Morley joined the RAF on 11th May 1918. The record is a little faded and the numbered month is hard to decipher.

Prior to that, he could not have been in the Royal Signals in 1914, as the Royal Signals was not formed until 28 June 1920. The title 'Royal Corps of Signals' was conferred King George V in August 1920. During the First World War, signalling was the responsibility of the Corps of Royal Engineers Signal Service. The Vernon Lawrie Morley who transferred to the RAF had the RE [Royal Engineers] number 50388, so he had served with the Royal Engineers, which may correspond with the information you have indicating he was signaller.

There is no Army or RFC campaign Medal Rolls Index card for Vernon Morley in the First World War. However, many RAF officers' medals were issued by the Air Ministry and not the War Office. You could check with the MOD Medal Office.

The RFC officer's record card for Vernon Lawrie Morley is held by the UK National Archives at Kew. It has no indication he served abroad and no record of No 12 Squadron. It may be possible that he served in 1918 with No 12 Squadron while still either a member of the Royal Engineers or a "rank and file" member of the Royal Flying Corps. He was not granted his honorary Commission until 1920 (vide: "London Gazette" 26 March 1920), so any war service in France was not as an officer. He was a flight cadet from 23 November 1918.

The RAF Museum website describes the process of becoming a flight cadet: "At the Cadet Wing pupils received basic military training during a two-month course which included drill, physical training, military law, map reading and signalling using Morse code. Once completed they moved on to the School of Military Aeronautics to begin a two-month course of military training and ground instruction. The topics covered included aviation theory, navigation, map reading, wireless signalling using Morse code, photography and artillery and infantry co-operation. The students were also taught the working of aero engines and instruments and basic rigging..."

Vernon's record shows 10 TTW 16.6.18 (No 10 Technical Training Wing)
50 CW (50 Cadet Wing, Denham) unless it is 5 OCW ? (No 5 [Officer?] Cadet Wing, St Leonard's on Sea)
2 S of A 6.9.18 (No 2 School of Aeronautics, Oxford)
Arm Sch Ux 27.10.18 (Ground Armaments School, Uxbridge)
Det Arm sch Ealing 2.12.18 (Ealing was a detachment of Uxbridge)
Arm Sch No 6A (No 6a Air Armaments School ?)
Harrowby Dispersal Station 26.2.19 (possibly RAF Gantham)

Grantham was home to No. 12 Flying Training School RFC.

Vernon was a Flight Cadet from 23 November 1918. He was granted an honorary commission on 26 March 1920 effective from the date he was demobilised. The wartime Reserve was deemed to have ended on March 31st 1920.

His commissioning date was recorded in the London Gazette of 26 March 1920. "The undermentioned Cadets are granted Honorary Commissions as 2nd Lts., with effect from the date of their demobilisation". You can search the London Gazette online at:
http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/search
Use the "enter your own date" option (26 March 1920) and search for "Vernon" rather than Morley in the "exact phrase box". It seems to work better that way.

His record card can be downloaded from the UK National Archives website (£3.50). It is in catalogue reference AIR 76/358. Go to:
http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/records/looking-for-person/officerroyalflyingcorps.htm?WT.lp=rg-3123
Click on: search Royal Air Force Officers' Service Records. Click on "search" in the next link under "introduction" and enter Vernon Morley.

The MoD Medal Office information is at:
http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/DefenceFor/Veterans/Medals/ContactingTheMedalOffice.htm

Kind regards,
Alan

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Reply from: David Morley
Date: Tuesday 1st March 2011 at 5:05 PM
Dear Alan,
Many thanks for your prompt reply, and the information. I have located three medals---The British War Medal, the Victory Medal and the 1939-1945 Defence Medal. I am sad that no records exist for my father's WW1 service, but a relative has provided two photographs that have the ranks and names of those shown, including my father's. One is of Drill Instructors, Signal Depot, R.E., Birmingham, dated July 1916, and the other is W.O's and N.C.O's, 'A' Signal Depot, Bedford. He also believes that my father spent some time at RAF Cardington, working with airships. In the light of your information, I remain puzzled by the flying log book entry dated 06-10-1918, which reads---"Pilot, Lt.VLMorley, Observer Lt. A McQueen, took off at 12.15pm, arrived over Comines(near Belgium border) at 1.10pm at 12000 feet.Activity at railhead, three troop trains with steam up, transport on road, barges on canal, other troops resting. Two aerodromes in area, one with a 'tee', visibility fair."
Best Wishes, David.

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Reply from: David Morley
Date: Wednesday 2nd March 2011 at 3:10 PM
Dear Alan,
As promised, a donation has been sent to the Royal British Legion.
Regards, David.

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Reply from: Alan Greveson
Date: Wednesday 2nd March 2011 at 5:11 PM
Thank you, David.

Alan

Hi Alan, Please can you find any information on my Great Grandfather Ernest Alexander. The only paperwork i have on him is a reserve army discharge form B108D dated 30 june 1938. On that it states that he served in the Royal Army Service Corps and enlisted on 29 June 1915 at Caerphilly. His number was T/4573 and had the rank of Driver. his year of birth was 1896 and he served for 3 years 257 days. I would really appreciate any information on what he did and where he served. Many Thanks. Tracey Clarke

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Reply from: Alan Greveson
Date: Friday 25th February 2011 at 8:33 PM
Dear Tracey,
No service record has survived for Ernest Alexander T/4573. There is no entry for him with that number on the Army Medal Rolls index which implies he did not receive any campaign medals and therefore may not have served abroad. As neither record has survived it is not possible to state what his service was.
Kind regards,
Alan

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Reply from: Tracey Clarke
Date: Saturday 26th February 2011 at 10:20 AM
Dear Alan,
Thank you for your reply. I know he was awarded the war medal and the victory medal. I tried searching the Army Medal Rolls whithout any success which made me wounder if the army number on the reserve discharge form is incorrect. I have also seen a very faded photogragh of him in his uniform but that gives no clues. I will do some further family research and try to get some information on his personal details.Was it unusual for someone to be on the reserve list for such a long time after the war? Can you tell me what the T in his service number stood for. (I assume it may be transport).It would a shame if his record of duty during that period is totally lost.

Again, thank you for your help

Tracey Clarke

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Reply from: Alan Greveson
Date: Saturday 26th February 2011 at 6:11 PM
Dear Tracey,
T stood for Horse Transport. Reserve service after the First World War ended on March 31st 1920, so Ernest may have re-enlisted and served after the war. If that were the case, his service record would be held by the UK Ministry of Defence.
The MoD will release certain amounts of information depending on whether you are next of kin or not. You can apply using the forms for next of kin, or with permission of next of kin, or as a general enquirer. See:
http://www.veterans-uk.info/service_records/service_records.html
You may need proof of death; date of birth; next of kin's permission unless you are the direct next of kin; a cheque and completed forms Part 1 and 2. The next of kin form (Part 1) is for completion by the next of kin of deceased service personnel (or enquirers with the consent of next of kin). Look for "Service records publications" under "Related pages" and follow the instructions. The Part 2 form is entitled: "Request forms for service personnel – Army" found under "Related Pages". A cheque for GBP 30 should be made payable to "The MoD Accounting Officer" and sent to Army Personnel Centre Secretariat, Disclosures 2, Mail Point 515, Kentigern House, 65 Brown Street, Glasgow G2 8EX Scotland with all the paperwork.
Kind regards,
Alan

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Reply from: Tracey Clarke
Date: Sunday 6th March 2011 at 12:21 PM
Dear Alan,
Accepting that his service number maybe wrong, i have managed to find out that he was originally from Horseshoe Cottage, Kew Lane, Calne, Wiltshire, and his next of kin would have been his mother Mary and his fathers name was William. When he moved to Wales his occupation was a miner (like so many) and he was living in the Caerphilly area. The faded photograph i have shows a uniform with a bandolier across his chest. There is no evidence that he re-enlisted after the war and he returned to his previous occupation. He had two medals as stated in previous message.I hope this small amount of information helps.

Many Thanks,
Tracey Clarke

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Reply from: Alan Greveson
Date: Monday 7th March 2011 at 1:50 PM
Dear Tracey,
I'm afraid I still cannot find any record that identifies Ernest Alexander.

Kind regards,
Alan

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Reply from: Tracey Clarke
Date: Monday 7th March 2011 at 8:47 PM
Dear Alan
Thankyou for your time and patience. I can only assume the records were lost during WW2. I think what you do is brilliant to help relatives trace long lost family heroes and i will gratefully donate to your chosen charity.
Many Thanks
Tracey Clarke

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Reply from: Tracey Clarke
Date: Tuesday 25th October 2011 at 12:33 PM
Dear Alan,

Further to messages posted in March i have now located my grandfathers WW1 service number as T/36179 Ernest Alexander and he received the Victory and War medals. I would really appreciate any information on what he did or where he served,or what his duties were.
Many Thanks,
Tracey Clarke

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Reply from: Alan Greveson
Date: Tuesday 25th October 2011 at 3:44 PM
Dear Tracey,
No individual service record appears to have survived for Ernest Alexander T-36179 so it is not possible to provide any details for him. He served in the Army Service Corps. As he did not qualify for the 1914-15 Star for service abroad before December 31st 1915, he did not serve abroad until after January 1st 1916. It is not possible to say where he served.
His number was pre-fixed with a T which indicated he worked with horsed transport. You can read about the role of the ASC on the website: "The Long, Long Trail".
Kind regards,
Alan

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Reply from: Tracey Clarke
Date: Tuesday 25th October 2011 at 4:11 PM
Dear Alan,
Thankyou for trying. Its a shame that these records were lost and i shall never know what my greatgrandfather did. However i have located his medals and seen them and i also have a photograph of him in his uniform which i know a lot of people would love to have so i am lucky.
Again, many thanks for your help and i think it is a great thing that you do.
I will make a donation to your favourite charity

Regards,
Tracey

My mother was orphaned as a 7yr old in 1941. All she wants is a photo of her father as she has none, so we are hoping to find at least one somewhere for her. He was born in Salisbury, Wiltshire.
His details are as follows. Robert Lawrie: Born 1909 died 1941
Enlisted Plymouth 16.9.39. Regular Army. 56th heavy Regiment.
At time of death he was in 'Royal Army Ordnance Corps, attd Royal Artillery' (written on his headstone Portsmouth cemetery).
Thanks

I have been trying to discover more about my grandfather's war service and would be grateful for any information as I seem to have hit a blank wall. My grandfather, Edward Hall, born at Morley in 1886, was a corporal of the KOYLI 4th battalion 'C' company based at Ossett, Yorkshire. He and his colleagues were the first local men to be called into regular service with the army on general mobilisation in 1915. His daughter (my aunt) has told me that he fought at Ypres and La Somme, where he was captured in 1916 and became a prisoner of war in Germany. As a prisoner he worked in the German coal mines under difficult conditions until the end of the war.
I have tried to ascertain my grandfather's army number by writing to the KOYLI museum at Doncaster - they can only trace one Edward Hall who served in the 4th KOYLI during WW1, and this number is 200070, if this helps.
I look forward to receiving any information eg. about his war postings, or any other relevant information that could point me in the right direction to find out more. Many thanks.

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Reply from: Alan Greveson
Date: Tuesday 22nd February 2011 at 5:03 PM
Dear Susan,
No service record appears to have survived for Edward Hall. A Medal Rolls index card showed he earned the 1914-15 Star, The British War Medal and the Victory Medal. It recorded he entered France on 13th April 1915 which was the date the 4th Bn KOYLI entered France.
The 4th Battalion King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry was a pre-war territorial battalion of part-time volunteers. Its headquarters were at Wakefield and its companies had drill halls in various towns, including Ossett. When war was declared on August 4th 1914, the Territorial Army was mobilised. The 4th KOYLI moved to a camp on Doncaster race-course but then moved to Gainsborough in November 1914. In February 1915 they moved to York. The battalion served with the 148th Infantry Brigade in the 49th Division.
The 4th Battalion travelled by train at midday on April 13th 1915 from York to London and then to the south coast from where they crossed to France. They first served in the trenches at Bois Grenier in the Ypres sector. From July to December they were in the area of the Yser Canal, in trench routine. On December 28th they moved to a rest camp at No 6 Rest camp at Beaumarais near Calais. During the first eight months in France the battalion was not involved in any major battles, just the daily grind of trench warfare. However, the Brigade in which they served lost 58 per cent of its men through death, wounds or sickness.
From Beaumarais the men were moved south to the Somme area in the New Year of 1916. By March the 4th Battalion was at Acheux. Trenches in the winter were notorious for being knee-deep in water and had to be pumped out, day and night. In April the battalion moved to Rubempre and Talmas on the Amiens-Doullens road. They underwent some training that emphasised the "assault of trenches" rather than the static warfare they had experienced. The training continued in May, with working parties helping to construct a railway. The preparations were for the forthcoming Battle of the Somme. At the end of June the 4th Battalion marched forwards to trenches at Aveluy Wood, a position they were in on the morning of July 1st 1916, the opening day of the first battle.

The International Red Cross Archives in Geneva may have a record of his prisoner of war camps. See:
http://www.icrc.org/web/forms/webforms.nsf/F_Archive?OpenForm&ParentUNID=FC2FA71E2991A657C12572E200322DD7
Searches cost 200 Swiss francs.

There is more detail about the 4th Battalion in the book "Saturday Soldiers" by Malcolm J Johnson, published by the Doncaster Museum Service, 2004, ISBN 0-903524-30-9.
Kind regards,
Alan

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Reply from: Susan Colledge
Date: Friday 4th March 2011 at 10:43 PM
Dear Alan

I am thrilled to receive your reply to my message concerning my grandfather Edward Hall, and am truly grateful for the time and trouble you have taken to pass on this information. My aunt, his only surviving child, has often said she would like to know more about her father's war record and I look forward to passing this information on to her too. Thankyou for also pointing me in right direction re prisoner of war records. I have read many of the other messages and replies on the site and you seem to be very busy, but I know your work must be highly valued and appreciated. Thankyou once again from a delighted researcher.

Could you please tell me why a childs birth certificate should stamped with the stamp of the new army infantry offices perth and what was the new army?
thank you mr j dewar.

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Reply from: Alan Greveson
Date: Monday 21st February 2011 at 9:47 PM
Dear Mr Dewar,
The "New Army" was Kitchener's New Army raised after August 1914 when volunteers were called-for to create a new army of soldiers in addition to the existing British Expeditionary Force and the Territorial Force. Unlike the other belligerent nations, Britain did not have compulsory military service in peacetime, so it had no great reserve of trained manpower. Kitchener predicted the war would last a long time and would require a new army of men – hence the name. The men formed the new Service battalions that were raised for wartime service only in the various regiments and corps. After March 1916, they were replaced by compulsory national service. Soldiers who opted to allot a portion of their pay to their wives or dependents had that amount of their pay topped-up by the government in the form of a separation allowance paid to their wives with a supplement for each child still at home. Soldiers had to produce evidence of marriage and their children's births, either in the form of a statement from their church minister or a justice of the peace, or they had to produce their marriage certificates and their children's birth certificates. The certificates were generally "certified" by an officer who entered the details on the man's service record and signed the record as being true "as per certificate".
The new army infantry offices at Perth would have been the army Scottish Infantry Records Office at Perth which remained there until about 1963. It appears some orderly room clerk has stamped your relative's certificate, probably as a receipt to show it had been received in the orderly room on a given date in the way that incoming mail was stamped to mark the date it had been received. The certificate would then have been returned to the man's wife at her home address.
Kind regards,
Alan

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Reply from: Jim Dewar
Date: Saturday 26th February 2011 at 6:45 PM
Hi Alan,
Thank you very much for your reply to my fathers query about the New Army Stamps on my grandfathers birth certificate. The reason this is so important is because there is no fathers name registered on the birth certificate so my great grandfather is a mystery and I am told that anyone who may have known his identity over the years refused to talk about it. I had hoped that the stamps on the certificate may have been for some form of maintenance and I wondered if it would be possible to trace this soldier from the dates on my grandfathers birth certificate. Thats my question, do you think its possible and if so do you know where the records may be held? I would very much appreciate any help you can give me in this respect as I feel it is our only oportunity to solve this mystery
Thank you again for your help
Kind Regards
Jim

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Reply from: Alan Greveson
Date: Saturday 26th February 2011 at 7:22 PM
Dear Jim,
If you know the soldier's name and regiment, or his year and place of birth, it may be possible to trace him by searching the surviving Army service records on the Ancestrry.co.uk website. Some libraries provide free access to the site.
Kind regards,
Alan

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Reply from: Jim Dewar
Date: Sunday 27th February 2011 at 12:08 AM
Thank you for your quick response, unfortunately I know absolutely nothing about the soldier. I had hoped that somehow my grandfathers birth certificate could help to identify him. I hoped that the 1915 date and my grandfather (Frederick Dewar) being a dependent maybe could be linked to a soldier. Perhaps clutching at straws and such a search is not possible? If this is the case I don't see any way forward unless you can suggest anything.
Kind Regards
Jim Dewar

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Reply from: Alan Greveson
Date: Sunday 27th February 2011 at 4:50 PM
Dear Jim,
It is not possible to search for a soldier's record without knowing his name. If the soldier were claiming an allowance for your grand-father, he may have married the child's mother (Dewar?), in which case you may have a name that could be searched. However, there would be nothing in a military record to indicate paternity.
There were occasions when mothers of illegitimate children married the actual father after the birth. On other occasions the mother would marry and the child would be accepted by the new husband. The child could easily take the husband's surname or keep the mother's surname.
The records that might show the putative fathers of illegitimate children tend to be the earlier (17th -19th Century) baptism records and records of the "parish chest" such as illegitimacy bonds (naming the father) and parish correspondence; overseers' accounts and churchwarden's accounts. These records are generally held by the local County Record Office.
Poor Law records from the late 19th Century and early 20th Century would show a mother's claim for child support. This was often in the form of "out-relief" paid by the board of governors of workhouses. These records would not indicate the putative father, but would place the mother in context, often with an address and indicating the number of children being supported. Surviving records are generally held at County Record Offices.
The child's baptism record should be checked. These are in the parish registers held at County Record Offices.
If the illegitimate child eventually married, the marriage certificate should name a father. However, if the child was not aware he was illegitimate, the named father might be the "adoptive" father.
The child's birth certificate should show two addresses: place of birth and mother's address. If they match, the child was probably born at home. If they don't match, the child was probably born at a nursing home, workhouse infirmary (the local "free" hospital) or at a relative's home. Some workhouses used a postal address on birth certificates, so it is always worth looking up the address in the censuses on either side of the birth date.
You can reconstitute the mother's family through the census returns. The family may be shown with lodgers or boarders. Sometimes these lodgers and boarders go on to marry members of the family.
The mother may have known who the father was. The child often would not know he was illegitimate and may have accepted that the mother's husband was his natural father.
The birth certificate is a snapshot in time. If the mother married shortly after the birth she may have married the actual father.
I have known people discover they were illegitimate long after their mother and "father" had died, when being asked to produce a birth certificate – only to find one did not exist in their current surname. I have researched "innocent" mothers with an "accidental" illegitimate child only to discover they had had four illegitimate children.
The circumstances of illegitimacy are varied. More often than not, the actual fathers escape us.
Kind regards,
Alan

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Reply from: Jim Dewar
Date: Sunday 27th February 2011 at 11:18 PM
Thanks for all your help Alan, I will look into these possibilities.
Kind Regards
Jim

I am trying to trace information about my Grandfather, 541940 Leonard John Bradley, attached to "B" Signals Depot - Bedford at 21/10/1915.

I think he the "B" Signals may have been part of the Royal Engineers.

I understand that he may have suffered an injury to his foot when it was run over by a gun carriage during a parade.

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Reply from: Alan Greveson
Date: Monday 21st February 2011 at 11:57 PM
Dear Chas,

There appears to be no record of your grandfather Leonard John Bradley in the Army Medal Rolls Index or the service records. It is possible he did not serve abroad, which would account for his not having any medal record. The Royal Engineers Signals certainly did have a depot at Bedford, but if a man were "attached" to it, it does not necessarily mean he was a member of the Royal Engineers.
You should consider his civilian occupation before the war and his age to see if those may have influenced his being attached there.
If you have any other details, let us know, as something may turn up.
Kind regards,
Alan

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Reply from: Chas
Date: Tuesday 22nd February 2011 at 1:12 PM
My Grandfather was a railway clerk at Newington Railway station (Kent) where he was working with the morse signalling equipment.He "signed up" shortly after the commencemnet of war, however his record card shows he started at Bedford in 1915, so there appears to be a gap between him resigning from Chatham & South Eastern Railways and being in Bedford?
You are correct in the fact that he never served abroad.
I think his is one of the "Burnt Papers" referred to at Kew, although I was hoping to track some information through his service record.
Kind regards,

Hi, I am trying to trace my Grandfathers military service, but am completely stuck. He was John Edward Thomas born 1888, North Shields, Northumberland.Died
14/02/1969.
I have trawled through ancestry records,but cannot be sure which(If any) are my Grandad. All I know is he served with the Northumberland fusiliers, and
also he was a prisoner of war in Germany. I phoned up local library in North Shields but their absent voters list for 1918 are missing. If anyone could give me
any advice of where to look I would be most grateful. Thankyou.

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Reply from: Alan Greveson
Date: Monday 21st February 2011 at 4:49 PM
Dear Sue,
Unfortunately it is not possible to identify John Edward Thomas unless you can discover his regimental number or the battalion he fought with. Of the six soldiers named John Thomas who served with the Northumberland Fusiliers there were three who survived. There were two named Edward Thomas. As no service record appears to have survived it is not possible to positively identify your grandfather.
Having said that, the medal index cards of the three surviving John Thomases do give some clues. One was for a John Thomas who lived at Wrexham and initially joined the Royal Welsh Fusiliers and transferred to the Northumberland Fusiliers on 11 August 1917.
Another was a Silver War Badge record for a John Thomas who was discharged from the Northumberland Fusiliers depot on 14th November 1917 after being wounded. He enlisted on 7 November 1916 and appears not to have served abroad.
That leaves one: John Thomas 83869 who qualified for the British War Medal and the Victory Medal. As he did not qualify for the 1914-15 Star for service abroad before December 31st 1915 he went abroad after January 1st 1916.
There is no guarantee this is the right man. However, you could pay for a search of the International Red Cross archives to see if this man was taken prisoner. The searches are expensive but it may be the only way to establish his record. See:
http://www.icrc.org/web/forms/webforms.nsf/F_Archive?OpenForm&ParentUNID=FC2FA71E2991A657C12572E200322DD7

Kind regards,
Alan

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Reply from: Sue
Date: Monday 21st February 2011 at 10:04 PM
Dear Alan,

Thanks so much for replying to my inquiry regarding my Grandfathers records. I think the only way forward is to pay for the search at the IRC. I only
discovered this forum last week, and just have to say your knowledge is outstanding!.A donation to the British Legion will be given. Once again many thanks.

Dear sir i am trying to trace details of my grandfather richard steadman service number R4157 he served with hawke battlion rnvr and was injured in his right ankle i,m trying to find out where about he was injured in france i know that he was at the feild hospital in rouen and then brought back to england he was injured on the 10/1/1918 .also would like to know what medals he would of been entitled to any help woul be appreciated rgds neil

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Reply from: Alan Greveson
Date: Monday 21st February 2011 at 4:28 PM
Dear Neil,
Richard Steadman enlisted under the Derby Scheme in December 1915. This was a last call for volunteers before compulsory conscription in 1916. Men could "volunteer now and join later". He was sent back to his civilian job to await call-up. Richard Steadman was called-up on 26th June 1916 and was posted to the 4th Reserve Battalion of the Royal Naval reserve for the Royal Naval Division. The Royal Naval Division was formed to fight as soldiers when the Royal Navy was fully manned and did not require further recruits. He went to France on 19th October 1917 and was at the RND base depot at Calais before being posted to the Hawke Battalion on November 13th 1917. Two month later he was shot in the right ankle on 13th January 1918 and was treated at No 6 General Hospital at Rouen before being sent to hospital in the UK at Devonport on 17th January 1918. He was granted two weeks leave from 3rd to 17th June 1918, which was probably at the time he was released from hospital. He remained in the UK on the strength of the RND Command Depot and was demobilised on January 21st 1919.
The only major engagement the RND fought during his time in France as at Welsh Ridge on 30/31 December 1917.
His service record card is available to download from the National Archives. See
http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documentsonline/royalnavaldivision.asp
He would have qualified for the British War Medal and the Victory Medal.
For more on the Royal Naval Division see:
http://www.1914-1918.net/63div.htm

Kind regards,
Alan

Hi all,

I wonder if someone has information or can help on where to look for information on the 84th Company Royal Garrison Artillery.

I am trying to trace details of my Grand Uncle (Samuel Cohen) who was serving with them in South Africa (known date 1911). He was born (as best I know) in either 1889 or 1890 (no certificates held). He was originally from the East End of London and is noted on the 1911 Census as being in South Africa at this time.

Any additional history would be much appreciated.

Thanks

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Reply from: Alan Greveson
Date: Friday 18th February 2011 at 9:03 PM
Dear Ivor,
Samuel Cohen enlisted as a gunner in the Royal Garrison Artillery at Stratford, London, on 4th November 1908. He stated his age was 18 years and eight months. He was born in the parish of St George in the East, Stepney, Tower Hamlets. He was Jewish and his father was Hyman Cohen, a boot finisher who was born in Austria. His mother, Leah, was from Poland. They lived at 4, Norfolk Buildings, a tenement block on Crellin Street near Langdale Street, off Cannon Street Road.
As a recruit, Samuel joined the No 1 Depot Company of the RGA at Newhaven, East Sussex. On January 22nd 1909 he was posted to the 21st Company RGA in the UK (The company may have been in Scotland). On October 5th 1909 he was posted as being absent without leave and he was arrested by the civilian police in London as a deserter on 3rd November 1909 at Thames Police Court. He was sent back to his unit to await trial and was convicted of desertion on 26th November 1909. He was in detention until December 31st 1909.
On February 9th 1910 he was posted to the 84th Company RGA serving in Cape Town and Simon's Town. Samuel remained in South Africa for the next six years. He passed his third-class certificate of education in October 1910 and on August 2nd 1912 he was posted to the 97th Company of the RGA at Simon's Town, Cape of Good Hope District. He remained with the 97th Company and served with them at the outbreak of the First World War. He was on duty at Cape Colony between 5th August and 25th October 1914. He was then on duty during the South African rebellion 26th October to 8th December 1914. See:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maritz_Rebellion
He returned to Cape Colony between 9th December and 20th December 1914. The next day, December 21st, he took part in the campaign in German South West Africa until 26th July 1915. He returned to Cape Colony on July 27th 1915 until 18th July 1916. Samuel passed a course in signalling on 27th August 1915. He was married to Ethel Alberts at Cape Town on 16th January 1916 by Rabbi H. B. Bender. On 18th July 1916 the 97th Company RGA was re-designated the 1legal 85th Siege Battery RGA and returned to the UK. Excluding travelling time, Samuel was posted to the UK until 16th October 1916.
On October 17th 1916 the 185th Siege Battery landed in France. On May 13th 1917 Samuel was posted as a gunner to the 11th Siege Battery, remaining in France. He was wounded in the left leg in July 1917 and was returned to the UK on 22nd July 1917. He remained in the UK until discharged on medical grounds on 11th July 1918.
Samuel qualified for the 1914-15 Star, the British War Medal and the Victory Medal. He was granted the Silver War Badge to show he had served his country and had been wounded.
His service record can be downloaded from the Ancestry website (charges apply). Many libraries offer free access to Ancestry.

Kind regards,
Alan

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Reply from: Ivor
Date: Tuesday 22nd February 2011 at 8:34 AM
Hi Alan

Thanks for all your effort, it really is appreciated and respected. You have provided more that I could have expected.

Thanks once again.

Ivor

Searching for details of Private Robert Roy, born 17 Nov 1877 Mains of Errol, served with Black Watch 1895-1901; Umballa, Bitipur, Benares India between 1897 and 1901

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Reply from: Alan Greveson
Date: Thursday 17th February 2011 at 10:39 PM
Dear Alice,

Take a look at the commercial Findmypast.co.uk website and look for the service record of Robert Roy born 1875, Perth, who served in the Dragoons. He enlisted in the Royal Scots Greys but immediately transferred to the Royal Highlanders (The Black Watch) and served in Africa and India. His record names his father. He might be the man you are seeking. Ages of birth can differ if a man wanted to appear older. I can't transcribe the details for you as that would be in breach of the Findmypast terms and conditions, but the site doesn't charge much for 'pay as you go'.

Kind regards,
Alan

Dear Alan,
My wife is researching her Grandfathers history and has come up against something of brick wall regarding his military record and involvement in the first world war. Like a lot of people involved in the first world war he was always reluctant to talk about it, so the details that the family have are basic. Could you please try to find out a bit more detail about him and his regiment.

Surname: CLARK
Christian Name: ALFRED
Nationality: BRITISH
Rank: DRIVER
Regiment: ROYAL FIELD ARTILLERY
Regiment Number: 46504
Medals: Victory RFA B176 Page 15147, British RFA B176 Page 15147, 15 Star RFA/3/A13 3783, S.W.B. List R.A. 1046, Theatre Of War France
Date Of Enlistment: 28th November 1914
Date Of Discharge: 24th October 1917 (Physically Unfit)

His Date Of Birth was 23rd January 1894 and there is a serial number on his miltary card: 7529.

Any further details of his service that you can give will much appreciated.

Many thanks

Nick & Dawn

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Reply from: Alan Greveson
Date: Wednesday 16th February 2011 at 9:39 PM
Dear Nick,
No individual service record appears to have survived for Driver Alfred Clark so it will be very difficult to establish which Brigade of the Royal Artillery he served with. The actual medal rolls which are numbered on the medal index card are held at the National Archives and may show which unit he served with. The 1914-15 Star medal roll is RFA/3A page 3783 which will be in catalogue reference WO329/2534 "Royal Field Artillery other ranks: medal rolls RFA/3A; RFA/3B; RFA/4A; RFA/4B. Pages 3697-4030. 1914-15 Star. C 525"
He qualified for the Silver War Badge for wounds or sickness and was discharged from the Army in 1917 as unfit for further service which would indicate he had been seriously wounded.
Local newspapers for the town where he lived may have reported his being wounded.
Kind regards,
Alan

Dear Alan,
I wonder if you can find out anything about this serviceman for me please? He was my mother's uncle and so far I know very little about him.

With many thanks

Pete

Name: WALKER, WILLIAM HENRY
Initials: W H
Nationality: United Kingdom
Rank: Private Regiment/Service: York and Lancaster Regiment
Unit Text: 13th Bn. Service No: 13/753
Age: 29
Date of Death: 01/07/1916
Additional information: Son of Ed. J. Walker, of Patrington, Hull; husband of Jane E. Walker.
Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead
Grave/Memorial Reference: Pier and Face 14 A and 14 B.
Memorial: THIEPVAL MEMORIAL

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Reply from: Alan Greveson
Date: Wednesday 16th February 2011 at 5:10 PM
Dear Pete,

William Henry Walker served in the 13th (Service) (1st Barnsley) Battalion of the York and Lancaster Regiment. No individual service record has survived. However, the 13th Battalion was raised as a Pals battalion and was better known as the Barnsley Pals. "Soldiers Died in the Great War" (HMSO 1921) recorded that William Henry Walker enlisted at Barnsley. His regimental number was clearly issued by the Pals battalion, as 13/ 753. A Medal Rolls Index card showed he qualified for the British War Medal and the Victory Medal. As he did not qualify for the 1914-15 Star for service in a theatre of war before December 31st 1916, he did not apparently serve abroad until after January 1st 1916.
However, the 13th Battalion York and Lancaster Regiment was part of the 31st Division which was sent to Egypt in December 1915 and many of the units arrived in the New Year, missing the deadline for the 1914-15 Star by one day. As the Battalion did not sail until December 1915, it is most likely that William served with it from the time it was raised.
The 13th was created at Barnsley on 17th September 1914 and trained at Silkstone. In May 1915 it joined the 94th Brigade at Cannock Chase before moving to South Camp at Ripon. The Brigade suffered from severe shortages of arms, ammunition and equipment so it was September 1915 before it could move for training and firing practice at Fovant on Salisbury Plain. In December 1915 the 31st Division was sent to Egypt and was complete at Port Said by 23 January 1916. The Division took over part of the Suez Canal defences and Divisional HQ moved to Kantara on 23 January. In March they were sent to France in anticipation of the offensive on the Somme. On the opening day of the Battle of the Somme on July 1st 1916, the Barnsley Pals attacked the village of Serre. William was killed in this attack.
The history of the battle is well documented at:
http://www.pals.org.uk/barnsley/index.htm

Kind regards,
Alan