Help with identification of regiment and name

[louisemcm]

Wow!
Thank you so much Andy!
The troop being based in Ipswich would explain how my ancestors knew Ernest Palmer and the Colonel and the other names mentioned.
I will have a look at the material you suggested. Thank you!
The twins that the letter mentions are two little children that my great-grandmother adopted, I think after the death of her son, Albert Edmund Nuttall in 1915. He served in the RAMC and drowned when the Royal Albert went down.
I hope the Colonel survived the war and if so, I could track down any of his descendants who might be interested in seeing part of a letter that he wrote from the front.
I've been trying to see if any siblings of Ernest Palmer had descendants who would like to see the letter too.
Best wishes
Louise

[jim1]

The 2/2 FA diary is on Ancestry so also at TNA.
However I can tell you that the diary gives no details
on the 1/12/17 other than engaging in normal duties.
Ferreting around I found that on 15/11/17 32 stretcher bearers
were sent to 2/1 FA who were at Beugny (France) supporting an operation
being undertaken by the 56th. Div. (Cambrai Operation)
On the 30th. of Nov. - 2nd. Dec. the Div. suffered counter-offensives
resulting in many casualties.
The 2/1 FA C.O. doesn't mention men from his unit being killed or wounded
but he does give overall numbers admitted which may include his own men.
On 1/12/17 he states 194 OR's were admitted & 3 died.
It's more than possible one of those was Ernest.
I would suggest that your man was one of those bearers sent from 2/2 FA to 2/1 FA
& lost his life rescuing others.
As has been said it was a very dangerous job.

[louisemcm]

The 2/2 FA diary is on Ancestry so also at TNA.
However I can tell you that the diary gives no details
on the 1/12/17 other than engaging in normal duties.
Ferreting around I found that on 15/11/17 32 stretcher bearers
were sent to 2/1 FA who were at Beugny (France) supporting an operation
being undertaken by the 56th. Div. (Cambrai Operation)
On the 30th. of Nov. - 2nd. Dec. the Div. suffered counter-offensives
resulting in many casualties.
The 2/1 FA C.O. doesn't mention men from his unit being killed or wounded
but he does give overall numbers admitted which may include his own men.
On 1/12/17 he states 194 OR's were admitted & 3 died.
It's more than possible one of those was Ernest.
I would suggest that your man was one of those bearers sent from 2/2 FA to 2/1 FA
& lost his life rescuing others.
As has been said it was a very dangerous job.

Thank you so much for this information. Best wishes

[Andy J2022]

Louise,
Just to save you some time searching on TNA, the link to the 2/2 London Field Ambulance war diary is: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C7354923
Correction. I think that TNA or someone at the War Office has misidentifed the War Diary. The one in the link appears to be 22 Field Ambulance commanded by Major SA Archer RAMC which deployed to France in 1914.

[louisemcm]

Louise,
Just to save you some time searching on TNA, the link to the 2/2London Field Ambulance war diary is: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C7354923

Thank you so much. I'll have a look

[louisemcm]

The 2/2 FA diary is on Ancestry so also at TNA.
However I can tell you that the diary gives no details
on the 1/12/17 other than engaging in normal duties.
Ferreting around I found that on 15/11/17 32 stretcher bearers
were sent to 2/1 FA who were at Beugny (France) supporting an operation
being undertaken by the 56th. Div. (Cambrai Operation)
On the 30th. of Nov. - 2nd. Dec. the Div. suffered counter-offensives
resulting in many casualties.
The 2/1 FA C.O. doesn't mention men from his unit being killed or wounded
but he does give overall numbers admitted which may include his own men.
On 1/12/17 he states 194 OR's were admitted & 3 died.
It's more than possible one of those was Ernest.
I would suggest that your man was one of those bearers sent from 2/2 FA to 2/1 FA
& lost his life rescuing others.
As has been said it was a very dangerous job.

Thank you so much for this information. Best wishes

I forgot to ask - what is an OR that you mentioned above?
Best wishes

[Andy J2022]

OR = Other Rank. Technically anyone who is not a commissioned officer, but frequently used to describe privates, lance corporals and corporals, as distinct from Senior Non Commissioned Officers (SNCOs) and Officers. Roughly synonymous with the term Rank and File, sometimes shown as R&F.

[louisemcm]

Thank you Andy

[Andy J2022]

Louise, In case you missed it, I have given you an incorrect link above. Just seeing if I can find the correct one.