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Wales (Counties as in 1851-1901) => Wales => Glamorganshire => Topic started by: Dannemois on Saturday 27 January 18 12:40 GMT (UK)
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I wonder if there is someone out there who recognise the photo and share details because I find it confusing. It would appear all the men are dressed in the uniform of the Welsh Regiment 16th(Cardiff City)Battalion yet the person kneeling right holding rifle served with the Royal Army Medical Corps during WW1. Hope you can help.
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Can’t help sorry Roy but an amazing picture. My grandfather served throughout the war with the RAMC.
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Could it have been taken at a military hospital?
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Hi Josey
Its possible but I do not know.
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Hi Deidre
It is a great pic but so annoying not having any details.
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Have to admit, I didn’t think the RAMC carried weapons 🤔
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Could it be a group family photograph? Mother & Daughter with Daughter's husband next to her. Father middle back and the other five their sons.
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Somehow I can not see a family going to the bother of borrowing 8 uniforms of the same regiment and where would they get the rifles?
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Dannemois I wasn't suggesting they were dressing up :-\ I have a photograph of my Great Grandfather his two sons, brother and nephew all in uniform. Also in the photograph are my Great Grandmother and their two daughters, this was taken in 1914 while the men were on Embarkation leave and the ladies are wearing very similar white blouses and black skirts, as in your photograph. Sadly only two of the men made it home, so it was a much cherished photograph.
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Ellenmai, With regards to the photo I posted it is unfortunate only one is identified and we know he served with the Medical Corps. My first question to family members was do they recognise the two women, sadly their reply was no. However what a nice thought and a great idea your family members had to have the photograph taken whilst on leave.
Kind Regards
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A quick shufti at the medal index cards throws up a very small number of men who served in both the Welsh Regiment and in the RAMC. Do you have the records of the man in the photo kneeling right?
MaxD
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Hi MaxD
I found his medal index card (William S Cresswell Pte 27885 RAMC) but I have not found his army records.
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Worth a try but it looks as if his record has not survived. Vague possibility that he joined the Welsh first. His medal records show only the RAMC from departure for Gallipoli in October 1915, if he served at home with the Welsh beforehand it wouldn't show on the medal records. No chance of dating the photo I suppose?
Did he live at Bristol Terrace Brithdir?
MaxD
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Yes Max, he did live in Bristol Terrace.
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There is a record for W S Cresswell on the British Army, British Red Cross Society Volunteers 1914-1918 list.It states he served from 5/11/1914 to 5/1919 Whole time on a Hospital Ship. Address 17 Bristol Terrace, Brithdir.
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There is a Red Cross record for a WS Cresswell of 17 Bristol Terrace who served on a hospital ship, it appears throughout the war http://www.redcross.org.uk/About-us/Who-we-are/History-and-origin/First-World-War/Card?&id=51940
A medal card has no family information - do you have evidence (other than the card) that gives your man the service number? I tentatively suggest that if the address checks out then perhaps service with the Red Cross has become mixed up with the RAMC??
Doesn't clarify the uniform puzzle though!!
MaxD
Crossed with your post Ellenmai.
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Don’t know much about military records but his service number seems high. My grandfather signed up, I believe, in late 1914, and left for Gallipoli in July 1915. His RAMC number was 1889. A friend who signed up with him was 1890.
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The number is OK. RAMC numbers were not allocated on a RAMC wide basis but rather to the unit/area they joined up. There were at least 12 men in the RAMC with the service number 1889 as your grandfather and a number who joined in 1914 with numbers starting 278xx
MaxD
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The number is OK. RAMC numbers were not allocated on a RAMC wide basis but rather to the unit/area they joined up with which had blocks allocated . There were at least 12 men in the RAMC with the service number 1889 as your grandfather and a number who joined in 1914 with numbers starting 278xx
MaxD
Thanks MaxD, useful to know. They were from Cardiff too. Apologies for hijacking your post Roy, hope you find some answers.
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Hi Max: A post card from his wife is addressed as follows:
27885 RAMC
Military Hospital
Bulford Camp
Salisbury Plain, Wilts
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Couldn't be clearer. Any ideas who the Mr WS Cresswell at No 17 was? (Theory - same man, in the Red Cross before the war, but serves in the RAMC, Red Cross keeps a parallel record of him - need to do more work on that).
Now two puzzles.
MaxD
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According to 1911 a family Butts resided at No 17. The family home of my man WSC is No 18 and it is still in the family today. No 17 on the Red Cross card could be a typing error. There is only one person and he was in No 18. Hope that makes sense.