Jump to content
Free downloads from TNA ×
The Great War (1914-1918) Forum

Remembered Today:

Anvache: KRRC?


high wood

Recommended Posts

Can somebody please look on Ancestry to see if there are any service papers to a young soldier called Anvache who served in the KRRC?

The enclosed photograph is captioned, Mrs Anvache and son and was taken at Westcliffe on Sea in Essex. There are three soldiers called Anvache on the medal index cards:

21080 Pte Charles Anvache, Essex Regt,

5/9416 Pte B (possibly Benjamin) Anvache, Rifle Brigade later 20468 Ox & Bucks Light Infantry,

95204 Pte Albert George Anvache, King's Liverpool Regiment.

I am not sure if any of these are our man, but any help would be appreciated.

post-6480-1216798885.jpg

post-6480-1216798896.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hello,

It looks like he is wearing the badge of the King's Royal Rifle Corps. Don't know if that helps? This unit may not appear on his MIC if he did not go overseas with them.

I have done a quick check of on Ancestry, but I did not find anyone with that Surname. I don't subscribe to Ancestry, but you can still search there data base for names without seeing an image of the results.

Stewart

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Long shot alert ! :D

Could the name be AUVACHE and the badge that of the City of London Rifles? (I think it was similar to the KRRC.)

If so, there are some papers in the Pension Records for one Ernest Gordon Thomas AUVACHE who enlisted in the 3/6th Londons (CoLR) on 20 May 1915 (regtl. no. 4001, home address 1 Oakleigh Park Drive, Leigh-on-Sea, Essex), and served a grand total of 197 days before being "discharged in consequence of having made a mis-statement as to age on enlistment, para 392 VI a King's Regulations 1912" on 8 December 1915.

He gave his NoK as his mother Caroline Laura Auvache of the above address.

BMD records show he was born in Camberwell in the 2nd Quarter of 1899, so would have been only just 16 (if that) on enlisting. (He gave his age as 19 years 0 months). Your chap certainly looks young enough!

Caroline Laura LONG had married George Thomas AUVACHE in London City in Q1 1874. The father died in Rochford, Essex, in Q1 1908 aged 52.

The mother would be about 60 in 1915 - does she look old enough?

1901 census (surname indexed as AUONCHE)

Elm Road, Leigh-on-Sea, Essex

George T, Head, 47, Law Writer, born Bethnal Green

Caroline L, Wife 45, born Battersea

Alfred Charles, Son, 18, born Clapham

Florence Emily, Dau, 16, born Clapham

William I[saac], Son, 14, born Islington

Ellen R[hoda], Dau, 13, born Islington

Rhoda E[dith], Dau, 10, born Islington

Ethel, Dau, 7, born Camberwell

Ernest G T, 1, born Camberwell

As I say, a long shot, but I can't find anyone else on Ancestry with a KRRC connection.

Adrian

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Adrian,

a superb piece of deduction.

Firstly, the cap badge is almost certainly that of the 6th (City of London) Battalion London Regiment, (City of London Rifles) as the battle honours are only visible on the upper arm of the Maltese cross. Mrs Auvache is wearing the "sweetheart" version of the capbadge as a brooch.

Secondly, the name Anvache/Auvache is written in a style which could be read either way.

Thirdly, the photographers address is, 243 Leigh Road, Westcliffe-on-Sea, Essex, which puts the photograph in the right geographical area, Leigh on Sea being next to Westcliffe-on-Sea.

Finally, and what clinches it for me is the caption, "Mrs Auvache and son". this is not the sort of wording that I would expect a family to use when writing on the back of a photograph. It has the feel of a newspaper caption for a photograph.

I imagine that the story of Ernest Auvache, the underage soldier, appeared in a local newspaper with a copy of the photograph attached. Presumably, the reporter asked for a photograph of the soldier with his mother for the article and wrote his own caption.

It would be interesting to see if the article appeared in a Southend newspaper in December 1915 or thereabouts.

Would it be possible to send me a copy of the pension papers as an email attachment?

Many thanks for your time and effort.

Simon.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...