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General => Armed Forces => World War One => Topic started by: Colin Cruddace on Sunday 30 June 13 20:40 BST (UK)

Title: Despatch Riders WW1
Post by: Colin Cruddace on Sunday 30 June 13 20:40 BST (UK)
Hi All,

I have been told that my Grandad's half-brother was posted to Salonika in WW1 as a Despatch Rider. This information was given by his wife to their son, however I can find no records for him.

Would he be a regular soldier or regarded as a civilian volunteer? I don't want to research his service, if he had any, but I would appreciate any help in solving the riddle.

Regards,
Colin
Title: Re: Despatch Riders WW1
Post by: Sharon01 on Sunday 30 June 13 20:49 BST (UK)
Hi,

A little info .

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Despatch_rider

Sharon
Title: Re: Despatch Riders WW1
Post by: James1950 on Sunday 30 June 13 21:20 BST (UK)
My grandfather was a dispatch rider in the Army Service Corps.i think most of the dispatch riders came from this Corps. They would also be assigned to various other regiments. At one point he was assigned to the Royal Artillery when he would deliver messages from the Gun spotters to the Gunners.

James
Title: Re: Despatch Riders WW1
Post by: Colin Cruddace on Sunday 30 June 13 21:29 BST (UK)
Thank you for the prompt replies, Sharon and James.

Wiki suggests that the early ones were volunteers which would explain why I can't find any records.

James, did you find anything for your Grandad?

Colin
Title: Re: Despatch Riders WW1
Post by: James1950 on Sunday 30 June 13 21:46 BST (UK)
Yes Colin. I got his service record. He was awarded the Military Medal. He had driven through what he thought was a deserted village and came under enemy fire. He realised that there was an Army convoy behind him and drove back through the village under more gunfire to warn the oncoming troops.

http://www.burnleygallantry.co.uk/gallantry/heyworthjamesrobinsonmm.htm

Kind regards
James
Title: Re: Despatch Riders WW1
Post by: Colin Cruddace on Sunday 30 June 13 22:09 BST (UK)
Thanks again James, what a heroic act indeed.

At the time, mine was apprenticed as a motor mechanic so he may well have had his own machine. The source of the information seems credible so I can only assume that he was a volunteer and that no official records exist.

Colin
Title: Re: Despatch Riders WW1
Post by: James1950 on Sunday 30 June 13 22:20 BST (UK)
Thank you Colin,

I would have thought that even volunteers would be assigned to a Regiment as otherwise they could be treated as spies if captured as a civilian.

Good luck with your search

Kind regards
James
Title: Re: Despatch Riders WW1
Post by: Colin Cruddace on Monday 01 July 13 01:25 BST (UK)
Thank you Colin,

I would have thought that even volunteers would be assigned to a Regiment as otherwise they could be treated as spies if captured as a civilian.

Good luck with your search

Kind regards
James

Hi James,

I would have thought that the opposite would have applied. A military man dressed as a civilian could be treated as a spy, but a civilian rider assigned to a regiment is still a civilian.

I've been Goggling again and there does seem to be Civilan Volunteer Despatch Riders but only commemorated on Woodbine fag cards  ::) ::)

Regards,
Colin
Title: Re: Despatch Riders WW1
Post by: James1950 on Monday 01 July 13 09:27 BST (UK)
I stand corrected  ;D
Title: Re: Despatch Riders WW1
Post by: IMBER on Monday 01 July 13 09:39 BST (UK)
The involvement of civilian motor cycle volunteers as recorded on fag packets seems to relate to Air Raid Precautions in the UK in 1938 and so cannot have much relevance to Salonika in the Great War.  What IS significant is this account which you can read online:

http://www.gutenberg.org/catalog/world/readfile?fk_files=1505880&pageno=1

A quite fascinating first hand account which I look forward to reading in its entirety. However, of more immediate interest is the fact that the writer volunteered on the outbreak of war, bought his own motor bike and was immediately enlisted as a Corporal in the Royal Engineers.

I would have thought you might also find out more by approaching the following:

http://royalsignalsmuseum.co.uk/WebSite/index.php/royal-signals-history/2011-10-26-23-11-03/corps-history

The writer of the book mentioned above first reported to the RE at Chatham and they are still represented there today:

http://www.re-museum.co.uk/

Hope that helps.

Imber
Title: Re: Despatch Riders WW1
Post by: Colin Cruddace on Tuesday 02 July 13 02:06 BST (UK)
Imber, thank you very much for that link to the personal account of a despatch rider. It is an intriguing story and gives a very personal view of the war. I've not read it all yet, but I certainly will.

Colin
Title: Re: Despatch Riders WW1
Post by: vintagesunbeam on Wednesday 11 December 13 22:29 GMT (UK)
I've been researching the 1914 Royal Engineers motorcycle despatch riders for some time now, in particular the members of 5th Signals Company to which Willie Watson (who wrote Adventures of a Despatch Rider) belonged.

All the despatch riders were volunteers who joined the Army on the outbreak of war. They were anxious to get to France because the rumour was that the war would be all over by Christmas. But they were not 'casuals' - all of them were properly recruited, promoted to Corporal, and were fully part of the military - a fact which humbled Watson and others who, as "amateurs" had great respect for the professional soldiers they served with. Many of them had relevant training (Officer Training Corps, etc) and were commissioned into other units within weeks of joining up.

I'm sure that your uncle will have a Medal Card (WO 372) and possibly, if he became an officer, a service record (WO 339) - try searching in The National Archives Discovery catalogue using these references. If in difficulty I'd be happy to look him up on Ancestry for you, just need his full name and date of birth.

Title: Re: Despatch Riders WW1
Post by: Colin Cruddace on Thursday 12 December 13 21:35 GMT (UK)
Hi vintagesunbeam, thanks for the input. I couldn't find any records for him which is what prompted this thread, but TNA and I seem to be incompatible  ;D ;D

If you can help it would be greatly appreciated. His name is Albert Ernest CRUDDACE, born 13 Sept 1896 at Low Fell (Gateshead) County Durham.

Regards,
Colin

Added: I DID find something at TNA but this suggests that he wasn't at Salonica
- The National Archives - Ref WO 409/27/39/123 Home Guard records. Albert Ernest Cruddace born 13.9.1896 - Durham Home Guard, 11th Battalion.