RootsChat.Com
General => Armed Forces => World War One => Topic started by: pritchardgeo on Wednesday 22 August 18 12:39 BST (UK)
-
from scant records am looking for any records of an ernest robert thomas born welshpool abt 1899 fought in the first world war r.w.f famile seem to think he was at mametz wood
father william wife jeanetta any pointers info please
brian
-
When or where did he die?
-
Not much I'm afraid. It appears that 13th to 15th Battalions RWF were in 113th Brigade, 38th (Welsh) Division. Mametz Wood was part of Somme offensive 1916.
-
from scant records am looking for any records of an ernest robert thomas born welshpool abt 1899 fought in the first world war r.w.f famile seem to think he was at mametz wood
father william wife jeanetta any pointers info please
brian
Does r.w.f. refer to the Royal Welsh Fusiliers?
The first thing we need to know is - did Ernest die in the Great War? The HMSO publication (1922?) "Soldiers Died in the Great War" is a good (though imperfect) starting point. It is often easier to research a serviceman who died than one who survived.
The next step is to find Ernest's Service Number and Battalion. Many "New Battalions" were formed and one regiment could have battalions fighting in different places).
Once we know the battalion, there are War Diaries and regimental histories online which would help track Ernest's movements.
If you are very lucky, Ernest's military record and medical record might have survived and be online.
Philip
-
sorry i know this will be near impossible from the records and information we have.
he did survive the war.
and probably signed up in welsh in the early part and probably under age when he signed up.
so if born in 1899 was around 15 or 16 years of age.
sorry for the lack of information
cheers.brian
-
from scant records
What records have you looked at?
There's only 1 candidate. Pte. Ernest Thomas (no middle initial) 24816 13/RWF.
This man has the 15 Star & first went overseas 1/12/15 so must have joined Aug./Sept. 1915 at the latest.
No service record survived.
However the 13th. were at Mametz Wood.
No way of knowing if this is your man.
-
thank you very much
at the very least its something to go on
brian
-
When Ernest Thomas RWF 24816 was admitted to Croesnewydd Military Hospital, Wrexham with an illness in 1917 his place of abode was given as Llandudno.
(The actual admissions register, which is at Ruthin Record Office will give his age etc. I only made brief notes)
There is a RWF Ernest Robert Thomas and he was RWF 77214 later London Regt 497913. Nil records that I can see. This RWF number is far too high for 1916 Mametz. It was allocated in February 1918.
-
The 6 digit number is a TF number allocated when they were re-numbered in 1917. The London Regt. was TF.
-
TF block 490001 to 510000 was allocated to 13th Bn London Regt.
His number is pretty high in that block i.e nearly 8000 men were numbered before him. 497913 not allocated in 1917 I'd say.
http://www.longlongtrail.co.uk/soldiers/a-soldiers-life-1914-1918/renumbering-of-the-territorial-force-in-1917/renumbering-the-tf-infantry-in-1917/
Just looked at his Medal roll. It says served in a theatre of war 1 6 1918 to 11 11 1918. So, he went over as RWF 77214 on 1 6 1918, served RWF 9th Bn, transferred to London Regt 13th Bn 497913
https://www.ancestry.co.uk/interactive/5119/41629_636897_11186-00123?pid=120354&backurl=https://search.ancestry.co.uk/cgi-bin/sse.dll?indiv%3D1%26db%3Diwoservicemedalawardrolls%26cp%3D0%26_F8007A65%3D497913%26_F8007A65_x%3D1%26new%3D1%26rank%3D1%26redir%3Dfalse%26uidh%3D000%26gss%3Dangs-d%26pcat%3D39%26fh%3D0%26h%3D120354%26recoff%3D98%2B99%26ml_rpos%3D1%26requr%3D281767034519552%26ur%3D0%26lang%3Den-GB&treeid=&personid=&hintid=&usePUB=true&usePUBJs=true
(We still don't know if he is the Welshpool man though!)
-
thank you
if he signed up in welshpool under age early 1914 hope there will be some records of him in the rwf records in wrexham museum. will certainy be trying to invertigare your first post then.
thanks again