Service Records help please. Need more eyes!

[Matt R]

Hi forum members,

I have recently visited Kew and stumbled (albeit it accidentally) on my great great uncle's war service records. His name was Patrick Hughes but has enlisted under the name Frederick. His address matches as does next of kin so I know it is him...maybe captain/officer was hard of hearing or Patrick was too shy to correct him.

There are two pages of this record that have me stumped. There are abbreviations and numbers and letters which I dont have a clue what they mean. Can anybody please clear this up for me?

I know it is alot to ask but I was wondering if someone could look at this record and explain Patrick's movements and the dates he moved, in a more clearer format. I realise some of the record is missing due to burning. This would help me greatly and would mean I can clearly explin to myself and my gran exactly where and when Patrick served. Maybe even the battles he would have taken part in.

If it helps he served in the Royasl Field Artillery under the number 114045, but under the name Frederick Hughes.

Regards and thanks in advance, this really would mean alot. I'm gonna post on the Great War Forum also when the admin accept my registration.

Reaybo

[Matt R]

Here is the info on the following page...

Reaybo

[forester]

Reaybo,

I'll have a go at the first page. He is a Driver throughout (Dr), so I will omit that column.

18/10/15 Attested and posted to Depot (Woolwich)

27/10/15 Posted to 3B Reserve Brigade (possibly 17th Reserve Battery)
[I cannot find the location of 3B Res Bde at the moment]

12/2/16 Posted to what is probably 4A Reserve Brigade, Woolwich.
               19th Reserve Battery

15/3/16 Posted Expeditionary Force (presumably the date he was drafted overseas)

4/4/16 Posted to C Battery 117th Brigade
[This was a Howitzer Battery in 26th Division: Theatre of War = Salonika]

Became
20/7/16 Posted to D battery 116th Brigade  [117 Brigade left the Division in June 1916 and moved to Egypt. It looks like he stayed in Salonika]

13/12/17 [I can't read the entry, but it would appear, looking at the next page, that it is about the time that his overseas service came to an end as 15/1/18 he seems to be posted to No 4 Depot (Woolwich)]

Here are a few useful links to pages on the Long Long Trail

http://www.1914-1918.net/26div.htm

http://www.1914-1918.net/rfa_units.htm

http://www.1914-1918.net/artillery_home.htm

I'm afraid that some of it is guesswork, especially without access to the full record.

Phil

[LJReb123]

Reaybo

I'm not an Artillery expert but I'll have a go for you.

As I understand it tracing men of the Artillery can be very difficult so I would expect this to be quite a find.

I'll read from left to right, top to bottom.

Woolwich is the regimental Depot (Base and training centre) and he joined on 19/10/15 having been 'attested' ie sworn in on 18/10/15. His rank is recorded as 'Driver' (Dr). Signatures on the right are the Adjutant's and various Captains for the CO and give some pointers as to his postings.


27/10/15 Posted to the 17th (reserve) battery, Reserve Brigade.

12/02/16 Posted to the 19th (reserve) battery, Reserve Brigade.

15/03/16 British Expeditionary Force

07/05/16 To No 19 (Section?) C Battery, 117 Brigade. Effective 04/04/16.

(26th Division from formation in September 1914 until June 1916, when left Salonika for Egypt. Joined 74th Division 9 August 1917, and served until Armistice.

Source: http://1914-1918.net/rfa_units.htm)

Became

13/08/16  To No 33 (Section?) D Battery, 116 Brigade. Effective 20/09/16.

16/12/17  Base Posted. Effective 13/12/17.

(Figures before '/' Day number in year I think).

15/01/18 Depot. Effective 16/01/18.

27/01/18 3rd Reserve Brigade. Effective 23/01/17.

22/04/18 A Battery, 32 Brigade. Effective 18/04/08.

12/05/18 Headquarters, 64th Howitzer Brigade. Effective 15/15/18.

19/05/18 No 2 Section, 64th Howitzer Brigade. Effective 17/15/18.

05/10/18 No 2 Section, 64th Howitzer Brigade Discharge Centre.
(Next bit very difficult - 'Quartermaster can now ...for mulemaster as ). Effective 02/10/18.

(don't even know if there is such a rank? Might be the Chardonnay!! )

12/10/18 Transferred to Class P Army Reserve. Effective 04/10/18.

Phew  

Hope this helps.

David

[forester]

Looks like we agree on the first page David.

Reaybo,

I don't know why he came home at the end of 1917. Do you know if he was wounded?

What was his pre-war occupation? That might help us unravel the details of his Discharge to Class P.

Do you have the page that lists the periods of home and overseas service?

My interpretation of the second page is tending to it being Home Service.

 I read it as 321 Bde, like David, but that would appear to be a Territorial brigade, which seems odd.

The later postings I read as being HQ of 64th (Home) Division possibly.

Phil

 

[Matt R]

Hi guys,

This is brilliant thankyou so much. Patrick (or Frederick!) is particularly close to my gran's heart she will be overwhelmed by all of this.

However, she says her granny (Patrick's mum) always said Patrick was wounded and came home with a massive back wound which she happened to see one day when he was getting dressed. I do not know if he came home as a result of that wound in Dec1917-Jan1918, but it is interesting to see that the last date mentioned is October 4 1918...five days later Patrick died at his home in Scotland.

I know that Patrick died of "Influenza" and I am thinking maybe he was wounded in the back at the end of December 1917, and stayed in Wollwich whilst his wound healed a bit, then visited his mum in Scotland where she saw the healing wound. It maybe whilst he was in the final stages of recovery that he caught influenza. Either way this guy's story is a pretty sad one

Thankyou again for clearing up all the info for me. I have the page you request I will post it in a few minutes time. It is burnt however

Reaybo (Thankyou!)

[Matt R]

Here is the attachment mentioned previous. As you can see its heavily damaged at the top.

Also, I forgot to answer in my last posting. Patrick/Frederick was a coal miner, born 1896 in Holytown, Motherwell.

[Matt R]

Sorry to bother you guys again. Can I ask what effective means in terms of the record? e.g "16/12/17 Base Posted. Effective 13/12/17" I did wonder why the dates in the left column were after those mentioned in the right column.

Reaybo

[Matt R]

Also, I'm thinking that the bit next to 5/10/18 says "Discharge Centre ______ Command".

This is really frustrating lol.