Royal Warwickshire Regiment 194-1919

[SandraEve]

I am trying to research war records for my great uncle George Philip May b 1894 in Birmingham.  I have found two entries for him in the absent voters list for the years 1918/1919.  The entries are 409 pte. Inf. 16th R.War Regt.   
Does anyone have any information on the regiment.  I have been unable to find any information in the National Archives.  Can find no death record.  Where would he have been serving in the spring of 1919 after the war had ended.   Any information will be much appreciated.

[whiteout7]

Royal Warwickshire Regiment 1814-1819:

"16th Battalion (3rd Birmingham Pals)
Raised at Birmingham by the Lord Mayor and a local committee in September 1914. At Moseley, Birmingham. To Malvern March 1915. To Wensley Dale and 95th Brigade, 32nd Division June 1915. To Codford, Salisbury Plain on August 1915. Landed at Boulogne 21.11.15. To 15th Brigade, 5th Division 26.12.15. To Italy 13.12.17. Returned to France 8.4.18. To 13th Brigade, 5th Division on 4.10.18. On 11.11.18 located near Le Quesnoy, France."
http://battlefields1418.50megs.com/regiment012.htm

- Maybe he was still in France in 1919 when the vote happened?

There seems to be a special site for Brimingham Pals, people are posting queries there too, you should ask with his low service number (I think) I wonder if they might have photographs of him?

http://www.birminghampals.co.uk/

There is a book too about his battalion you could borrow it from a library
http://www.historyofwar.org/bookpage/carter_birmingham_pals.html

Here is George P May's Medal Card, service number 409  (I'm pretty sure this is him)
It will tell you his first theatre of war, what medals he was entitled to
http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D3998246

Ancestry might have his attestation papers or more (I'm not a member, my soldier wasn't on there when I checked on Anzac day free day)

The Great War Forum is also a great place to post to get help
http://1914-1918.invisionzone.com/forums/index.php?act=idx

[SandraEve]

Many thanks for your help. 

[Jebber]

Have you considered this death?

Death George P May age  62
1956 Dec. qtr. Amersham 
 Vol. 6A. Page 273


Jebber

[MaxD]

Expanding Whiteout7's post - Medals -  British War and Victory medal and 1915 star, service in France started 21 Nov 1915 (accords with extract posted by Whiteout7).  No other service record found.

Poss marriage to Madeline Akers, Kings Norton dist Q2 1922.  Death found by Jebber has associated probate to widow Madeline May.

maxD

PS  Presumably you have seen/know about addresses from 1920?

[SandraEve]

Oh dear I do have a lot to learn about research.  In no time at all you all have given me so much information and leads to follow up. Thank you so much.  I don't even know about addresses after 1920. The marriage and death you have found look very promising.  I will send for the death certificate and hopefully the marriage certificate.

[MaxD]

Here's a little more.  Using the electoral rolls and address at which he is recorded as an absent voter, 158 Hampton Court Road, Edgbaston one can find him at the same address in 1901 with his parents Henry May and Elizabeth at the age of 6 and in the next census also.  His birth would possibly be the one registered Birmingham Q3 1894.  His parents were at 158 from 1901, in Ladywood before that.  His father appears to have started out as a brass worker and later became the boss of a brass foundry.  He is still at 158, with his parents in 1920 and 1922 once back from the war and in 1925 can be found, with new wife Madeline, at 108 Church Road Erdington where he is also in 1927 and 1930.  After that I can't find him with any certainty.
There'd be lots more about his family's history to be found.  Please see my PM to you separately.

maxD

[MaxD]

And more.  Your original question was about where he might have been in the spring of 1919.  For the modest sum of £3.30 you can download the war diary of his battalion for the period Oct 1918 to April 1919 from the National Archives at http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C7352255.

In outline, the 16th Warwicks final position on 11 Nov 1918 was in the area of Pont Sur Sambre.  The division to which they belonged was first concentrated around the village of Le Quesnoy where they stayed until mid December.  They then marched north east wards ("a pleasant march") to the area of Namur and Wavre across the border in Belgium.  Demobilisation from there began in February and the division was no more in May 1919.  (All this from the History of 5th Division in the Great War published in 1921).  One cannot be sure exactly where George Philip May got home but he was an absent voter when the absent voters' list for 1919 was compiled and appears on the electoral roll in 1920.

maxD

[Keitht]

Hi all,

I have spent several years researching the history of Spring Hill College, Moseley, Birmingham, where the 3rd Bttn Birmingham Pals (16th Bttn Royal Warwickshire Regt) received basic training between October 1914 and May 1915. To anyone interested in any aspect of the Birmingham Pals I strongly recommend Terry Carter's comprehensive and well researched book, Birmingham Pals, available online.

So far as we have been able to ascertain, the 16th was the only Warwickshie battalion not to publish its full war diaries and what has been quoted in this thread is, in some respects, new to me and very useful information. Thanks MaxD.

Maria Eva, I have sent you a PM.

Regards,

Keith