Regimental Identification

[tisgrannie]

Thanks for that Annie. I even tried to find him and family on 1901 census Tremeirchion or Angelsey had no shows.
Maybe I'll try some other way.
Thanks love
tisgrannie

[Old Bristolian]

I'm intrigued now - May i ask where the dedication is? I certainly havn't seen it before. It must date from 1919 or later as John Williams the father died in early 1919.
John senior was a game keeper & moved his family around regularly. The eldest children were born in Caernarvon & Llanystumdwy respectively & then three boys in Denbighshire, followed by several more elsewhere. The 1901 census found the family at Llanengan on the LLeyn & the 1891 at Llandwrog. Ellen Williams was born in Mold.
The Medal card shows both Gunner & Bombadier - does this mean he was promoted before his death (& thus both photos could be him?)

Steve

[atom12]

Hi All

Just checked-out John's Regimental number and it transpires that it is SDGW that have made the typo and transposed his number.

Yes, if the medal card has both Gunner, and Bombadier, it means  John was promoted.  It seems the CWGC site never updated its records.

Are you meaning this below Steve?  It is his commemoration in the Commonwealth War Graves site:

Name: WILLIAMS, JOHN
Initials: J
Nationality: United Kingdom
Rank: Gunner
Regiment/Service: Royal Field Artillery
Unit Text: 56th Div. Ammunition Col.
Secondary Unit Text: attd. "Y" 56th Trench Mortar Bty.
Age: 22
Date of Death: 01/07/1916
Service No: 79034
Additional information: Son of Ellen Williams, of 11, Tai Newydd, Brynsiencyn, Llanfairpwllgwyngll, Anglesley, and the late John Williams.
Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead
Grave/Memorial Reference: IV. M. 8.
Cemetery: HEBUTERNE MILITARY CEMETERY

Anne

[Old Bristolian]

Thanks Anne

Its nice to have all the additional detail - John was my wife's Grandfather & we visited the grave at Hebuterne many years ago, but only recently have I researched the family. By the way, John's daughter, Ellen, my mother-in-law is still hail & hearty at the age of 90 - she was born two months before his death.

Steve

[M.T.H]

does this mean he was promoted before his death (& thus both photos could be him?)

Hi Steve,

If I was shown the photo's, and knew no other information, I would definatley say that they are of the same man, either that or they're twins

Mick

[atom12]

Hi Steve

It is so good to have your mystery solved satisfactorily and to find that  John was promoted.  Yourself, your wife and mother-in-law must be feeling elated at the news.  It is good to know Ellen is still hale and hearty.

You can most certainly see the likeness in the two photos, but I could not be  initially positive when a Bombadier was not showing up on the commemoration sites.  Thank goodness for his medal card turning up trumps, and with his correct regimental number.

Anne 

[tisgrannie]

Well done everybody A job well done!!
kind regards
tisgrannie

[Old Bristolian]

There is still one problem remaining - I have a letter written three weeks before his death & he still refers to himself as Gunner John williams, & all his medals & commemorative plaque refer to gunner as well. The right-hand photo was taken in Caernarvon, I guess in early 1916. Surely if he was proud enough to have his photo taken with his new stripes, he & his family would have called him Bombadier?

Steve

[old rowley]

Could it be that he was a bombadier but was demoted back to gunner seeing that the information that Annie put up has him as Bombadier followed by Gunner? Just a thought.

old rowley