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Remembered Today:

Englishman in the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers?


Nucular

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Hi,

My first post here, so hello all!

This may well be a horribly basic question, so I apologise if so – but I’m finding it a bit tricky to work out how WWI records & histories work.

I’m trying to find out more about my great grandfather, Edward William Garner Althorpe (b. 1895 in Kettering, Northamptonshire), known to all as ‘Buller’.

The thing that’s confusing me is, despite being Kettering born and bred, and I believe signing up in Northampton, Buller served with the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers. Everything I can pull up about the RIFs tells me they’re a Northern Irish regiment, and I haven’t seen anything in their official or unofficial websites around and about which explains what my great granddad was doing there.

Was this common?

I have lots of other questions too, but I thought I’d start with the most simple!

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Welcome to the Forum.

It might indicate that your grandfather enlisted in the army later in the war, when soldiers were sent to units rather than serve with the unit of their choice, which was often (but not always) their local regiment.

Have ytou tried looking through editions of the local papers?

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Nuke,

Replacements sent to the unit I am researching came from all over. The unit, 4th Highland Mountain Brigade, RGA (TF), was a northwestern (Islands and Highlands) Scottish Territorial Force unit. In some batteries Gaelic was spoken. They took in the soldiers whole heartedly, calling them all "Londoners" and forged friendships that lasted for many decades after the war. Some of the "Londoners" learned rudimentary Gaelic which bonded them even more dearly to the original members left and the replcements from home.

I hope this helps, but the link referred to by Chris explains it very well, as usual.

Mike Morrison

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Kate, Chris & Mike, thanks so much for the pointers and welcomes :)

It's been baffling me for a while, I didn't realise that was 'normal'! Now I need to figure out from Chris's excellent link whether it's because it was choice, transfer, conscription or late enlistment. I don't think he was conscripted (he spent the rest of his long life bitter at having been influenced by the propaganda), but I only know he was an Inniskilling after he was wounded and returned to the front line, so that sort of transfer is a possibility I guess?

Have ytou tried looking through editions of the local papers?

It was a local paper which gave me the Inniskilling info to begin with (an article written by his mother after he was reported missing), but I haven't properly accessed that resource yet. Are all recruitments reported in the locals, or is the information 'pot luck'?

Replacements sent to the unit I am researching came from all over. The unit, 4th Highland Mountain Brigade, RGA (TF), was a northwestern (Islands and Highlands) Scottish Territorial Force unit. In some batteries Gaelic was spoken. They took in the soldiers whole heartedly, calling them all "Londoners" and forged friendships that lasted for many decades after the war. Some of the "Londoners" learned rudimentary Gaelic which bonded them even more dearly to the original members left and the replcements from home.

Fascinating! I hope I come across detail like this in my research. I know he had (and lost) some good friends out there, but I've only recently realised they may have been Irish.

Once I've got my head around this one, the next thing is for me to figure out which battalion he was with. Any tips on that one gratefully appreciated too!

Will/Nuke :)

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The 1918 Kettering Absent Voters List has the following Althorpes on it:

Frederick Althorpe, 51 William Street, 59006 Pte., 1st Garrison Bn. Bedfords

Harry Althorpe, 2 Tanner's Lane, Kettering, R.3910, A.B., HMS "Colleen"

Henry Althorpe, 2 Court 2, Gas Street, 17244 Sgt., School of Gunnery

James Althorpe, 5 Court 2, Gas Street, Kettering, 17244 Bombardier, Royal Garrison Artillery (This man is not Edward's brother James as far as I can see)

Edward Althorpe, 40 Gas Street, No description given!!! (possibly just a double entry of the one below)

Harry Althorpe, 40 Gas Street, 46928 Pte. Northants.

Edward Arthur Althorpe, 40 Gas Street, Private, 36468 Pte. Northants.

Frederick Althorpe, 18 Lower Albert Street, 65575 L/Cpl, RAMC

John George Althorpe, 47 Albert Street, 32099 5th East Surreys

Arthur Althorpe, 12 Queen Street, 84053 Pte., Prov. Co. Dep., R.A.M.C.

* "Pension" records on Ancestry have a William Althorpe (202318 4th Royal Sussex Regiment), 29 years old as of 1916, son of John Althorpe of 40 Gas Street, Kettering that fits with this family. This seems to be the family of the "other" Edward Althorpe from Kettering.

I believe that "your" Edwards family was:

Gas Works, Gas Street, Kettering.

William H Althorpe, age 32, Gas Works foreman

Ada M Althorpe, age 29

Elizabeth Althorpe, age 11

James Althorpe, age 9 {Northamptonshire Regiment, numbered 3/8486 and later 27674, per Ancestry Service Records. An interesting career!}

Edward Althorpe, age 6

Alice Althorpe, age 2

Robert Althorpe, age 7 months

Emily M. Russell, sister of Mrs Althorpe

(All born at Kettering)

Since the men at 40 Gas Street match up with a different family,

Court 5 House 5, Gas Street, Kettering

John Althorp, age 42, boot finisher

Annie Althorpe, age 35

William Althorpe, age 14

John Althorpe, age 12

Henry Althorpe, age 8

Sydney Althorpe, age 5

Edward Althorpe, age 3

Sarah E Althorpe, age 9 months

(All born at Kettering)

I don't think that the Edward(s) listed at 40 Gas Street are your Edward. Which means that I can't find him on the AVL! That may be for several reasons: - 1) I've missed him...., 2) He's not in Kettering..., 3) He had already been discharged from the army by early 1918 when the lists were collated.

The Kettering Roll of Honour (of many of the men from the Municipal District who served) only records:

Frederick Althorpe, 18 Lower Albert Street, served in the Royal Army Medical Corps as a Private for 4 years & 1 month, served in France and was discharged on 18th February 1919. (He is the son of George and Kate Althorpe)

Several of the above Althorpes have Service records on Ancestry, including Edward's brother James, who seems to have "collected" Northamptonshire Regiment battalions - he served with the 2nd (scalded foot, discharged due to end of period of enlistment in 1915), 6th (wounded at Boom Ravine), 5th (suffered "trench fever"), 6th again (a dose of dyptheria whilst on leave!), and finally the 1st in Germany after the war! He would have fought at the battles of Neuve Chapelle with 2nd Bn., and at Boom Ravine with 6th Battalion, but circumstances kept him out of most of the other major battles, which may have seen him through the war....

Steve.

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Hi,

This looks like his Medal Card

Regards Mark

Mark, thank you! Wow! Now that is useful - as a child my Mum buried his medals as 'treasure' and forgot where, so we sadly no longer have them; I didn't even know which medals he got until now!

Now, I believe I'm right in thinking that these are index cards to the more detailed medal roll, aren't they - yet Google as I might, I don't seem to be able to find a way to access the actual medal roll. Does one have to actually turn up at Kew and hope his entry still exists, or is there another way? Is it indeed worth it?

Another question: it seems he was issued with the Victory medal... does the line across 'British' indicate 'ditto' (as in he was awarded that too), or is it a strikethrough? Is it possible he won any more? I know he was wounded in action, and I know he was held as a POW (I believe captured at St Quentin in March 1918), but I don't know whether these things necessarily bring medals or not.

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And Steve... that is phenomenal! Honestly, I've inexpertly checked everywhere online I can think of (read: afford to!) and haven't found anything like this level of detail!

I believe that "your" Edwards family was:

Gas Works, Gas Street, Kettering.

<snip>

I don't think that the Edward(s) listed at 40 Gas Street are your Edward. Which means that I can't find him on the AVL! That may be for several reasons: - 1) I've missed him...., 2) He's not in Kettering..., 3) He had already been discharged from the army by early 1918 when the lists were collated.

You are absolutely right - the other Althorpes you list I believe were cousins of my great grandfather, although I'm quite hazy on all the relationships at present. God, you show me how much of this stuff I have to learn!! The 'other' Edward has thrown me many times in my family history research (such as it is), yet you figured it out instantly!

I will double-check the 40 Gas Street vs Gas Works Edwards with my Grandad, as they are both, as you may imagine, in the same street (I went for a drink in their local pub down there on New Year's Day :) ), but I think you have it exactly.

Hmmm... now why wasn't he on the AVL? His home has always been Kettering, so I don't think there would be any reason for him to be listed in another location. He was also held in a German POW camp past the end of the war, so I know he wasn't discharged early (I think - in need of checking - he was captured March 22nd 1918 at St Quentin). And you don't seem to have missed anything so far! Are the AVL records complete? It could be that he is the Edward listed at 40 Gas Street, and the other Edward lived elsewhere in Gas Street (as I say, I'll double-check)...?

Several of the above Althorpes have Service records on Ancestry, including Edward's brother James, who seems to have "collected" Northamptonshire Regiment battalions - he served with the 2nd (scalded foot, discharged due to end of period of enlistment in 1915), 6th (wounded at Boom Ravine), 5th (suffered "trench fever"), 6th again (a dose of dyptheria whilst on leave!), and finally the 1st in Germany after the war! He would have fought at the battles of Neuve Chapelle with 2nd Bn., and at Boom Ravine with 6th Battalion, but circumstances kept him out of most of the other major battles, which may have seen him through the war....

Wow, just wow. I had no clue about that, but for the fact that a family photo on my Mum's shelf dated 1919 has Jim still in uniform - I did wonder about that.

Thanks you so much for all this info on the Kettering Althorpes in the Great War - my family, and in particular my Grandad, are going to love this; and isn't sharing it with them most of the pleasure of finding out!!

Will

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Mark, thank you! Wow! Now that is useful - as a child my Mum buried his medals as 'treasure' and forgot where, so we sadly no longer have them; I didn't even know which medals he got until now!

Now, I believe I'm right in thinking that these are index cards to the more detailed medal roll, aren't they - yet Google as I might, I don't seem to be able to find a way to access the actual medal roll. Does one have to actually turn up at Kew and hope his entry still exists, or is there another way? Is it indeed worth it?

Another question: it seems he was issued with the Victory medal... does the line across 'British' indicate 'ditto' (as in he was awarded that too), or is it a strikethrough? Is it possible he won any more? I know he was wounded in action, and I know he was held as a POW (I believe captured at St Quentin in March 1918), but I don't know whether these things necessarily bring medals or not.

Hi,

Yes you would have to visit Kew to access the Medal Rolls, but if you put out a request someone from the Forum might have a look for you while they are there.

His medal card would indicate a Victory and British War Medal.

Try this link if he was a POW

http://www.1914-1918.net/grandad/pow.htm

Regards Mark

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I hope you don't mind me posting details of James Althorpe's war:

(I can remove the children's birth dates, etc. from the text if required, but they are actually quite pertinent to the story).

James Althorpe enlisted at Kettering on 29th September 1908 at the age of 18. He signed up on "Special Reserve" terms of 6 years - this entailed a period of basic training and then musketry training after which he would return to civilian life with some regular pay and two obligations to attend an annual camp each summer (held at Landguard near Lowestoft) and to be available for full-time service as a normal soldier if war broke out. On enlistment, he was allocated number 3/8486, and attended his Special Reserve peacetime duty as follows:

Special training, 29-9-1908 to 1-3-1909.

Forfeited 1 days pay, 8-1-1909.

Musketry training, 18-6-1909 to 11-7-1909.

Annual training, 12-7-1909 to 31-7-1909.

Annual training, 4 to 23-7-1910.

Annual training, 3 to 29-7-1911.

Annual training, 1 to 27-7-1912.

Annual training, 30-6-1913 to 26-7-1913.

Annual training, 29-6-1914 to 25-7-1914.

With his period of Special Reserve service due to expire on 28th September 1914, he was still liable for recall when the Northamptonshire Regiment mobilized its Special Reservists on 8th August 1914 - 2 days after the birth of his daughter, Grace May, on 6th August 1914. Initially the 3rd Battalion gathered at Weymouth, initially with the object of making sure the Reservists were gathered up and sent onto new units. Some were posted to the 1st Battalion, with others, including James, earmarked for either reinforcments for the 1st or for the 2nd Battalion which at that point was in Egypt and preparing to return to England to convert from peacetime Imperial garrison duty to a war footing. Once the 2nd Battalion (a.k.a. the 58th, or the "Steelbacks") had arrived back in England, James was posted to 2nd Bn. on 14th October 1914.

Private James Althorpe went to France with the main contingent of the 2nd Battalion embarking at Southampton on 4th November 1914 and landing at Havre on the 6th November. The men of the 2nd Battalion landing on the morning of November 6th became entitled to the 1914 Star (with clasp & roses, denoting having seen action before the cut-off date of 22-11-1914), the British War Medal, and Victory Medal.

The 2nd battalion were part of 8th Division, and manned the front line near Estaires. The winter of 1914 was bitterly cold and snowy and the trenches the 58th inhabited were very poor, half filled with water and hideously muddy. Before Christmas 1914, James fell foul of military discipline and was "awarded" 3 days Field Punishment No. 2 on 16th December 1914. Things improved a few days later, as the 2nd Northamptons took part in the Christmas Truce, and presumably so did James.

Relief from (dangerous) drudgery in the trenches came in March 1915 when the 2nd Northamptons took part in their first set-piece battle of the war - the battle of Neuve Chapelle. The 2nd Battalions involvement was from the 10th to the 12th March 1915. The battle was intense to say the least, with the battalion taking very heavy casualties. On the 10th March, the first day of the battle, they were attacking the village of Neuve Chapelle itself, but heavy machin-gun fire stopped the Northamptons short of the village where they dug in. They renewed the attack on the 11th but were again beaten back. On the 12th the Germans counter-attacked but were themselves repulsed. In the wake of the failed German attack, the British mounted a bayonet charge and took the Germans "third line". Unfortunately the trenches there were stll under bombardment by British artillery and there was no way to tell them that the trenches had been taken. The Northamptons held their position anyway, and were finally relived on the night of the 12th March, having spent three whole days in battle. Out of 600 men who attacked on the morning of the 10th, only 180 were left uninjured, including James Althorpe it seems.

Having survived the battle the 2nd Northamptons were relieved from the front line and went to the rear to rebuild. On 24th April 1915, James Althorpe was admitted to 24th Field Ambulance, Estaires, with a scalded foot, and later moved to no. 6 Casualty Clearing Station at Merville on 1st May 1915. A few days later on 5th May 1915, he was transferred to the 4th Stationary Hospital at St Omer. His scalded foot may just have saved James' life as on 9th May 1915 the rebuilt 2nd battalion went into battle again, this time at Aubers Ridge and suffered even heavier casualties than they had at Neuve Chapelle.

Jim Althorpe returned to duty with the 2nd Battalion on 6th June 1915. Again in trouble he was awarded 2 days F.P. No. 2 for absence from digging parade on 27th July 1915. By then he was getting close to his revised discharge date of 28th September 1915 (a year was added to terms of engagement for war duty). So, on 12th September 1915, he was transferred out of the 2nd Northamptons to No. 8 Infantry Base Depot at Havre, for discharge. He embarked to England on 22nd September 1915, and was discharged in England "on termination of engagement" of 6+1 years, on 6th October 1915.

There his war might have ended, but he was still of prime age for service and he was recalled to the army on 6th September 1916, and given a new number - No. 27674. He was then posted to the 3rd (Reserve) Battalion at Chatham. Due to his prior voluntary service he was allowed a £15 re-enlistment bounty. At the time of his recall, his wife was newly pregnant with their second child, which probably had a bearing on his army discipline record over the next few months, as he was cited for absence on three occassions before the end of the year:

- Forfeited 4 days pay for absence, 29-10-1916.

- Forfeited 6 days pay for absence, 15-11-1916.

- Forfeited 14 days pay for absence, 21-11-1916.

It was probably thought best to get him back to France out of temptations way, and James Althorpe rerturned to France via Folkestone/Boulogne on 2nd December 1916. On 11th December 1916, he joined the 6th Battalion (of 18th Division). He did not have long to wait for a new battle, beacuse the 6th Battalion were involved in an assault near the village of Petit Miraumont, in a battle known to its participants as the battle of Boom Ravine - the first object of which was to captured the first German trench which was situated in a Y-shaped ravine called Boom Ravine. The attack was not successful and though Boom Ravine was captured, the rest of the objectives were not. James Althorpe was wounded by shrapnel at the battle on 17th February 1917. For a while he was actually posted as Missing, but turned up at No. 5 Field Ambulance with a "GSW left wrist" (gunshot wound, left wrist). Evacuated down the medical treatment chain to No. 10 General Hospital, he was shipped back to England aboard Hospital Ship "St David" on 25th February 1917.

James was treated for his wounds - which were not serious - at the Military Hospital, Sycamore St., Nottingham, between the 5th and 31st March 1917. He was granted hospital discharge furlough on 31st March 1917, which was normally a couple of weeks, and was due to expire on the 13th April 1917. With his wife heavily pregnant, it seem that he didn't come back from his leave until 22nd April 1917, and again forfieted pay for absence, this time ten days worth. His son, John Edward, was born soon thereafter on 5th May 1917.

Now recovered, James Althorpe was posted to the 3rd Bn. at Chatham on 25th May 1917. No doubt mindful of his tendency to go home, the Army had James back in France via Folkestone/Boulogne on 14th June 1917. Reporting to 17th Infantry Base Depot on 14th June 1917, he joined the 5th Northamptons (Pioneer battalion to 12th Division) on 7th July 1917. Not long later he was admitted to the 37 Field Ambulance (20th July) and 38th Field Ambulance (22nd July) diagnose "P.U.O." - pyrexia of uncertain origin, various manifestations of fever, often called trench fever. The 59th Casualty Clearing Station received him on 1st August 1917, and the 6th Stationary Hospital, Frevant admitted him on 5th August 1917. He did't go back to England this time, instead being admitted To No. 5 Convalescent Depot, Cayeux, on 2nd September 1917 for recuperation. He was passed fit and posted back to 17th Infantry Base Depot, Calais, on 10th October 1917. His whereabouts over winter 1917 are not clear but he may have been on light duties at the Base Depot. In any case he was posted to 6th Battalion on 1st January 1918, and joined them the next day.

Granted his first "proper" leave from the front line on 19th February 1918, James Althorpe went home. Due to return on the 5th March 1918, he didn't turn up and was posted as AWOL again. Enquiries with the Kettering Police located him in Kettering Isolation hospital suffering from diptheria, and he was officially posted "on strength of home depot" from 6th March 1918. On discharge from hospital, and another home furlough (the diptheria attack hadn't laid him that low, as he seems to have fathered his third child, Ellen Elizabeth, born 12-2-1919, around this time!) he was posted to Ampthill Command Depot on 5th June 1918 for recovery. No prizes for guessing that James soon headed home to his family, and he again forfeited more pay -18 days pay for absence, 5 to 22-8-1918. There is no record of what he did next, but I suepect AWOL is involved somehwhere, but James was sentenced to 11 days detention at St Albans from 30-8-1918 to 9-10-1918. Posted to back to 3rd Bn., (now at Scrapsgate) on 9th October 1918. he again forfeited 9 days pay for absence, 4 to 13-11-1918, and was awarded 168 hours detention at Queenborough from 19th November 1918.

Even with the war over, the Army posted James back to France (via Dover/Calais) on 23rd November 1918. Passing through "L" Infantry Base Depot, he joined 1st Battalion on 26th November 1918 as they headed to Germany to be part of the Army of Occupation on the Rhine. Now due for final discharge, he had (a no doubt interesting) discharge interview at Lengdorf, Germany on 17th March 1919, and was shipped back to England and demob camp at Purfleet on 18th March 1919. On 21st April 1919, James Althorpe was transferred to the Class Z Reserve, in theory still in the Army and due for recall. Class Z Reserve was dissolved on 31-3-1920 effectively discharging all its men from the Army.

Personal notes: Born at Kettering. Next of kin: Parents, 24 Gas Street, Kettering, later Wife, Cecilia Eliza Althorpe (nee Wesley, married 14-3-1914), 1 Lamb Cottage, Gas St., Kettering.

{Sources: National Archives - WO363 files x 3}

Steve.

P.S. A further couple of Althorpes from the Kettering AVL:

John Althorpe, 21 Lower Street, 326229 Q. O. WOrc. Hussars

Frederick Althorpe, 47 Albert Street, 10086 Pte. 5th Northants (Pioneers).

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Ooops, just realised I was looking at the wrong page of the Kettering Roll of Honour - I was looking at ALLTHORPE, not ALTHORPE !

Suddenly there are a few more Althorpes in there!

(and since I'm on holiday, and the WFA meeting at Northamptons is off....)

AlthorpeKetteringROHtranscriptsmall.jpg

White section is from the Kettering Roll of Honour. Blue section are my additions.

* next to number denotes mutiple regiments/units, not all of which are mentioned on the Roll.

Dates of birth are as per the censuses, and haven't been checked to BMD records.

Looking at the fact that Edward Althorpe's address is given as 34 Gas Street (though this may be an error and should be 24 - Robert's address and the old family home), I suspect that the "unitless" Edward Althorpe shown as at No. 40 on the AVL might well be Edward.

Steve.

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"GET BACK ON TOPIC, STEVE!" I hear you shout....

Ok,

Edward "Buller" Althorpe was reported missing in the Northampton Mercury of 17-5-1918:

post-6536-1234460147.jpg

However, this is probably similar to the information you already have?

The Northamptons on the list were probably Missing around the 4/5th April 1918, but that obviously won't necessarily be the case for the Inniskilling Fusiliers...

Steve.

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I can't find anything more on Edward but there are a couple more articles on Kettering Althorpe's:

Kettering Leader 16-4-1915

post-6536-1234472850.jpg

And from Kettering Leader 9-4-1915

post-6536-1234472969.jpg

Steve.

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Since he was a POW, the International Committee of the Red Cross may hold some information on his detainment:

http://www.redcross.org.uk/index.asp?id=2627

http://www.icrc.org/eng/contact-archives

Steve.

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  • 2 weeks later...
  • Admin

Maybe a bit off topic but I'm also researching a Kettering man who served in the 14th (Service) Battalion Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders so I found many of the responses very interesting.

Percy Foster S/N 14176 he died of wounds following an air raid on Etaples on 19/20 May 1918. I know quite a bit about the air raid, and have visited his grave. I have his medal card, he also enlisted at Northampton although his service record seems to be one of the missing, it's been suggested the chronology of his service number suggests he was attested around October 1915.

Many Highlanders were killed in the raid, along with other casualties from the Life Guards in the Cavalry Depot.

My specific question is really directed to Steve who seems to have a lot of material about Kettering (I've not seen the Roll of Honour - I've visited the war memorial site). Please do you have a copy of the report of Percy's death among your clippings?

Perhaps you could mail me or if others don't mind we can continue the Kettering theme on this thread!

Thanks

Ken

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On the Kettering Roll of Honour Percy Foster is listed as:

Percy Foster, 50 Clarence Road, A & S Highalnders, Private, served 3 years & no months, Killed in action May 1918, served in France.

Also at that address,

Ernest Foster, 50 Clarence Road, R.F.A., Bombardier, served for 3 years and 6 months, discharged 11-3-1919, served in France and Egypt.

There are 16 other Fosters at various addresses.

A cna't see anything in the clippings I have from the 1918 Kettering Leader, but I have concentrated on Northamptonshire Regiment men, so I may just have passed him over.

Steve.

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  • Admin

Steve,

You're a magician!

Thanks for the information about Percy, another piece of the jigsaw as to his length of service. As I thought he was probably on his way home I think the Battalion took a bit of a pasting in the Spring Offensive.

But Ernest, thank you so much.

He (24 in 1911) and Percy (21) were the two youngest brothers. They were the only boys still living at home in the 1911 Census and both were in the shoe trade, like everyone else in the family! The elder brothers had both married. Miller was the eldest (28) and living at 33 Balfour Street, Kettering and James (26) at 16 Edinburgh Road.

Ernest was my grandfather. I guessed he'd served but didn't know 'where to look' for a survivor. Sadly he committed suicide in 1955, following the death of his wife a few months before. I was seven years old and the only memento I have apart from some snapshots, is (what I believe) is a .303 machine gun round which used to sit on his mantlepiece (the powder has been removed). He clearly never forgot, and perhaps his experience influenced his decision to end his own life.

Please can you tell me your source for the information about Ernest's war service?

(Another footnote is that my father, Ernest's first son was born in 1923 and named Percy in memory of the youngest sibling, also served in Egypt in WW2)

Regards

Ken

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A bit late in thenight and I'll try and pick this up again tomorrow, but the source for Ernest's details was also the Kettering Roll of Honour.

I forgot about the Absent Voters List for Kettering though.

This has:

Foster, Ernest, 50 Clarence Road, No. 106290, Bombardier, Royal Field Artillery (462 Battery)

Foster, Percy, 50 Clarence Road, No. 174176* 14th Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders (* this is the number quoted which seems to be an error - should be 14176)

I can't see the other two brothers at the moment but I'll look again later.

Steve.

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  • Admin

Thanks Steve

1:32 a.m. I'm impressed, so impressed you're my new friend:)

Found Ernest's medal card this morning (BWM & Victory unfortunately didn't add much) no pension or service record on Ancestry

I also spent a happy half hour or so going through your old messages which helped to understand where all this information came from.

Now trying to learn more about the RFA though not much time before my next day trip to France on the 6th. Be interested to know if you find James and Miller but I think they were a bit older and probably making boots in Kettering!

Regards

Ken

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Ken,

The Foster brothers entry from the Kettering AVL.

post-6536-1235434395.jpg

462 Battery R.F.A. seems to have been part of the 179th Army Brigade Royal Field Artillery (which is completely different from 179th Infantry Brigade).

See here:

http://1914-1918.invisionzone.com/forums/i...howtopic=113685

I'm very inexpert at the Artillery movements but it seems that 179th Army Brigade was supporting 36th (Ulster) Division at the time of the March 1918 German Offensive.

http://www.freewebs.com/denbob/ulsterdiv1918.htm

If you want an image of the Kettering Roll of Honour, send me a PM with your e-mail address and I'll e-mail it yo you.

Steve.

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