Author Topic: Arthur George Barr, What did you do in WW1???  (Read 5113 times)

Offline Andy J2022

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Re: Arthur George Barr, What did you do in WW1???
« Reply #9 on: Saturday 27 August 22 18:44 BST (UK) »
North Evington War Hospital is Leicester General today. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leicester_General_Hospital
"The War Hospital was staffed by both Royal Army Medical Corps and civilian doctors, locally recruited nurses and VADs, as well as some of the original civilian staff."

Offline Jason Jase

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Re: Arthur George Barr, What did you do in WW1???
« Reply #10 on: Saturday 27 August 22 18:53 BST (UK) »
I assume this is where they must of met.
Maybe a one night stand type of situation and they got married just because she was pregnant. That would make sense why he didn't seem to have much attachment to Daisy.

Daisy also moved back to Ridgewell as Arthur was still involved with the military and moving around. I wonder if he even knew where Daisy moved?

Offline Andy J2022

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Re: Arthur George Barr, What did you do in WW1???
« Reply #11 on: Saturday 27 August 22 19:11 BST (UK) »
Assuming he was living in Kent before he enlisted, there wouldn't have been much chance for them to have met before the war, and he went in France on 30 September 1915 having completed his basic training, so really the time in hospital, or possibly where ever he spent his week's leave after leaving the hospital were the only opportunities for them to have met in England. However she might have been nursing in France. He seems to have been based at or near St Omer (the headquarters of the RFC in France) and there were British civilian nurses in a number of Army and St John Ambulance hospitals around that area, so that is also a possibility. Might just be worth checking with the Museum of the Order of St John to see if she was serving with them. https://museumstjohn.org.uk/research/overview/
However the Alvestoke wedding and her address in Southampton both suggest that's where she was living and working before they met. Possibly he spent his 7 days leave in or around Southampton which is probably from where he would have embarked to return France after his leave ended.

Offline Andy J2022

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Re: Arthur George Barr, What did you do in WW1???
« Reply #12 on: Saturday 27 August 22 19:15 BST (UK) »
Your grandmother's date of birth suggests she was conceived around January 1916, which again makes that 7 days leave the more likely period for the one night stand.
Added
Whoops, I'm a whole year out. Of course she would have been conceived in Jan 1917 long after they were married, so this wasn't a shot gun marriage (unless she was pregnant with an earlier child we don't know about. However the dates he was in UK certainly tie in with the marriage.


Offline Jason Jase

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Re: Arthur George Barr, What did you do in WW1???
« Reply #13 on: Sunday 28 August 22 00:21 BST (UK) »
it would be interesting to find out where they met. I think we have made some good progress here

Offline Andy J2022

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Re: Arthur George Barr, What did you do in WW1???
« Reply #14 on: Sunday 28 August 22 10:33 BST (UK) »
It would also be interesting to get some more detail on his earlier service in the RFC. The record I quoted previously was his RAF docs, which included some earlier information - I assume for the sake of continuity, eg his medical history - but little about his Army service 1914 -1917. Presumably his Army docs are among the ones which haven't survived, or alternatively they were shredded by the RAF once they had extracted what they needed. Perhaps that's why his medal card hasn't turned up since the details of his 14-15 star and the victory medal are in his RAF docs. Incidentally I didn't mention it earlier but he completed his reserve commitment on 17/11/1922.

Offline ALAMO2008

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Re: Arthur George Barr, What did you do in WW1???
« Reply #15 on: Sunday 28 August 22 10:59 BST (UK) »
If he didn't leave the Forces until 1922 then his Records were Never Destroyed in the Blitz
Those Records Blitzed were in a Storeroom of Ex Service Personnel who were either Never Fit for Service or Dead or Discharged pre 1919
So his Records are still in Glasgow awaiting for you to apply for.

https://www.gov.uk/get-copy-military-service-records/apply-for-someone-elses-records
CHAPMAN ROBINSON McKAY O'MALLEY

Offline Andy J2022

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Re: Arthur George Barr, What did you do in WW1???
« Reply #16 on: Sunday 28 August 22 11:54 BST (UK) »
Alamo, It was only the Army documents which were partially destroyed by fire following the bombing in WW2. The RAF records were held elsewhere and hence, as far as I am aware, they all survived. As mentioned the Army documentation for Arthur George Barr only covered the period to 1918, so they would have been transferred to the Public Record Office (predecessor of TNA), not have been retained by the Army Department for pension purposes, as was the case with the burnt documents. AG Barr transferred to the RAF Reserve on 25 Jan 1919, so had no reckonable service after that date. 

Offline Andy J2022

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Re: Arthur George Barr, What did you do in WW1???
« Reply #17 on: Sunday 28 August 22 12:10 BST (UK) »
This from a TNA Research Guide:
Quote
RAF service records (1918-1939)

Look in the RAF service records for RFC airmen who served after April 1918. Search the RAF service records (AIR 79) on findmypast (charges apply).

British Army personnel records (1914-1920)

The service records of RFC airman who died or were discharged before the foundation of the RAF were kept with the British Army personnel records.
My added emphasis. Barr was discharged from the Army 31 Mar 1918 prior to his transfer to the RAF on 1 Apr 1918.