Author Topic: Royal Army Medical Corps, Princess Louise's (Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders),  (Read 422 times)

Offline MsLadbrook2022

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Hi I wonder if you can help me. I am currently researching an ancestor Thomas Berry Born 1870 Fetteresso Aberdeenshire. I have found his Medal Rolls index card but would love to find his enlistment   enrollment. Thomas's Regiment number is 38329, S/20230, S/21138.

Thank you

Offline Andy J2022

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Re: Royal Army Medical Corps, Princess Louise's (Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders),
« Reply #1 on: Thursday 01 February 24 11:46 GMT (UK) »
It looks as though his service record has not survived*. There is a mention of him as Private T  Berry, in the 1st Battalion of the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders with the number S/20230, circa September 1918 on a casualty list (see image below). Because this was among the burnt documents in WO 363, there are no details about where he was, the exact date, or the severity of his injuries etc. He survived the war as he was transferred to the Class Z reserve on 22 May 1919.  Class Z reserve meant that if hostilities resumed he could be recalled to the colours, so presumably whatever injuries he suffered in 1918 they weren't too serious.

As you are probably aware he first went to France on 18 Sep 1915 and so earned the 1914-15 Star as well as the Victory and British War medals.

The precise order of his service appears to be:

1914 enlisted in the 10th Battalion the Royal Highlanders (the Black Watch) with the number S/21138. Here's what the excellent website the Long, Long Trail has to say about this unit: "10th (Service) Battalion [of the Black Watch] Formed at Perth on 13 September 1914 as part of K3 and came under command of 77th Brigade in 26th Division.
Moved to Salisbury Plain, Bristol, Sutton Veny.
21 September 1915: Main body landed at Boulogne. Advance party had gone the day before
."

Pte Thomas Berry then transferred to the Royal Army Medical Corps with the number 38329. It's not clear when this occurred, although the date he first went to France (Sep 1915) suggests that he was still with the 10th bn Black Watch.
Later still he transferred again to the Argylls with the number S/20230, which is the unit he was in at the end of the war.

* it is possible part or all of his record has survived among the burnt documents but because his regimental number(s) are obscured or missing his record doesn't come up in a general search. As you have probably seen there were dozens if not hundreds of Thomas or T Berrys who served in WW1.

Offline Andy J2022

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Re: Royal Army Medical Corps, Princess Louise's (Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders),
« Reply #2 on: Thursday 01 February 24 18:59 GMT (UK) »
Looking again at the partial extract from the casualty report attached to my previous posting, I noticed that Pte A Penman listed above Thomas had a service number immediately before Thomas's, indicating that they joined the Argylls on the same day. But the coincidences go much further. Like Thomas, Alexander Penman also served in the RAMC and the 10th Battalion of the Royal Highlanders/Black Watch. And his number with the Royal Highlanders is also one below Thomas's number, again indicating they joined up around the same time. Their RAMC numbers are quite a long way apart (32960 for Penman and 38329 for Thomas) so I'm not sure how to decode all that. Also, Pte Penman arrived in France a few months ahead of Thomas, on 17 Jan 1915 so he can't have been with the 10th Battalion at that point as they didn't arrive in theatre until September. His discharge date to the Class  Z reserve was also different, namely 14 March 1919. However, perhaps they were friends who joined up together - might be worth investigating further. Sadly though Alexander Penman's records also don't seem to have survived. His medal card is shown below.

Offline MsLadbrook2022

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Re: Royal Army Medical Corps, Princess Louise's (Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders),
« Reply #3 on: Friday 02 February 24 19:12 GMT (UK) »
Hi Andy

This is amazing thank you so much for your help. Very interesting as didn't realise he was injured in the war. Thank you again  :)


Offline MsLadbrook2022

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Re: Royal Army Medical Corps, Princess Louise's (Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders),
« Reply #4 on: Friday 02 February 24 19:15 GMT (UK) »
Hi

Thomas did survive the war as he lived until 1950 and had more children 😊. Its a shame his enlistment records didn't survive. Thank you again


Offline Andy J2022

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Re: Royal Army Medical Corps, Princess Louise's (Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders),
« Reply #5 on: Saturday 03 February 24 01:45 GMT (UK) »
The casualty lists contained both the injured and the sick, so it is quite possible that he was suffering from some disease, or other illness rather an injury caused by the war.  Since we can't see the category he was listed under we are none the wiser. We don't even know if he was in a general hospital or a casualty clearing station, or indeed the actual date, although since the other entries on that page refer to September 1918, I think that is probably about the right time.

Offline MsLadbrook2022

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Re: Royal Army Medical Corps, Princess Louise's (Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders),
« Reply #6 on: Saturday 03 February 24 06:39 GMT (UK) »
Ah ok. I did manage to find out on forces war records that on his medal that he had a  stripe for being wounded and his next of kin was in Leigh ? Not sure how accurate that is? as he lived in Aberdeenshire all his life.