Guest Doug Clews Posted 26 March , 2004 Share Posted 26 March , 2004 Hi ... I am Doug Clews, the above Soldier being my Great Uncle ... Firstly, I must say congratulations to all of the Contributors and Organisers for a marvellous site ... I am new to the Group and hope I am doing things correctly ... I thought I had posted a message to Marc Thompson, but it is not showing anywhere that I can see, so I am trying again ... I apologise if this results in a duplication. I am trying to find out the circumstances under which 11294 Sergeant Ernest James Clews died on 2nd. July 1916 ... he is buried at St.Patrick's Cemetery in LOOS, Pas-de-Calais, but the Casualty Details on the CWG Certificate do not give a CAUSE of death, nor indeed the CIRCUMSTANCES leading to it ... I would dearly love to hear from anyone who is able to help with any Regimental History leading to and surrounding his death etc., etc., in an effort to close a 'gap' in that section of my Family History. Thank you in anticipation Doug Clews Perth Western Australia p.s. Say 'Hi' to Chandler's Ford for me !!! Casualty_Details_Ernest_James_Clews_02_July_1916.doc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Pete Wood Posted 26 March , 2004 Share Posted 26 March , 2004 Welcome to the forum, Doug. If you have sent a personal message (or email) to Marc, it won't appear on this site; it's private. While you wait for 'Mr Hampshire' to reply, I will try to give you some background info from other sources. If you click on the top left hand side of the page - The Long Long Trail - this will show you that 11 Hampshire Regiment were the Pioneers for 16th (Irish) Division which was comprised of 47, 48, and 49 Brigades. 16 Division was not involved in the early attacks on the Somme, and did not play an active role until early September in the attacks on Guillemont and Ginchy. Your uncle was the sole casualty of 11 Hants for the whole of July. SDGW states the following: Born West Ham Resided Goodmayes, Essex Enlisted Southampton Killed in Action It is possible, as he was the only casualty, that Sgt Clewes may be mentioned in the battalion war diary. Marc may know if this is the case. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Pete Wood Posted 26 March , 2004 Share Posted 26 March , 2004 The only clue I can find is that there were three other casualties in 48 Brigade on the same day; one in 7 Royal Irish Rifles, and two more in 8 Royal Dublin Fusiliers. So it might be worth reading the war diary for 48 Brigade (and the above battalions) to see if you can glean more information. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marc Thompson Posted 26 March , 2004 Share Posted 26 March , 2004 RT - many thanks for providing this useful information to Doug. Doug - I have received your e-mail and will provide you with some additional information tomorrow once I have looked at the battalion war diary for the 11th Hampshire's. My apologies for not responding. Unfortunately I have been out of action since last week as my Doctor sent me straight to hospital when she saw my test results and how high my blood pressure was... do not pass Go, do not collect £200! Regards Marc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Ian Bowbrick Posted 26 March , 2004 Share Posted 26 March , 2004 Marc, I hope you are OK? Ian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Doug Clews Posted 27 March , 2004 Share Posted 27 March , 2004 Hi there Marc and all others ... Firstly, Marc, I sincerely hope all is ok your end and that the high blood pressure was only due to things extraneous to health !!! Re Sgt. Clews ... I am totally grateful for the input from all of you and I am hopeful Marc that you can come up with even more information. Thankyou everyone Doug Clews Perth Western Australia Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terry Posted 27 March , 2004 Share Posted 27 March , 2004 Hi Doug, Welcome to the forum. I'm sure you will enjoy your visits. Don't know if you might be interested, but when I spotted your name, I recalled that Eugene Ursual's catalogue had a pair of medal for sale named to 669519 Pte.J.R.Clewes, 38th Battalion, CEF for Can $90.00 Note the different spelling but still the name isn't common, at least here in Canada. Ursual's website is www.medalsofwar.com Cheers, Terry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marc Thompson Posted 27 March , 2004 Share Posted 27 March , 2004 Doug, Further to my post yesterday: 11294 Sergeant Ernest James Clews, "B" Company, 11th (Service) Battalion (Pioneer), Hampshire Regiment, 16th (Irish) Division Although his death is recorded as 2nd July 1916 on both CWGC and SDitGW, the battalion War Diary includes the following entry a day earlier, 1st July 1916 - "Loos July 1st 1916 - Sergt CLEWS E. J. B Coy killed by bullet in the neck at new barrier. Quiet day in Loos. Work continued on POSEN ALLEY. Work in KEEPS and DUNCES ALLEY." Attached is a map of Loos that indicates the position of the KEEPS (Strong Points) Sergt Clews was awarded the 1914-15 Star, Victory Medal and British War Medal. The 11th Hampshire's, who had been quartered at Pirbright, Woking, crossed from Southampton on board H.M.T. Queen Alexandra on 18th December 1915. They arrived a day later in (Le) Havre which corresponds with the 15 Star qualifying date for Ernest. The Medal Rolls also confirm his rank upon entry to 'France and Flanders' with the 11th Hampshire's as Sergt. No other previously served units are mentioned for him. From Havre the Battalion went by train to Chocques, whence they marched to Noeux les Mines. The 11th's first work was to erect huts for other units of the Division, with some road-making and boring wells, while though the Division did not go into the trenches till well into the New Year, parties of the 11th were sent up before that to assist the Forty-Seventh Division in wiring and entrenching. If you are interested in the work that Ernest would have undertaken then there are several publications covering the Pioneer Battalions. The one that springs to mind is 'Pioneer Battalions of the Great War - Organized and Intelligent Labour.' Having checked today at the National Archives, the service record for Ernest Clews has not survived. I hope that you find the above useful. If you have a photograph of Ernest, I would very much appreciate a copy for the database that I am constructing. Regards Marc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Doug Clews Posted 29 March , 2004 Share Posted 29 March , 2004 Hi there Marc, Racing Tea-Pots and All !!! I cannot thank you enough for the time and trouble you have gone to in order to supply me with the information about Sergt. E.J.CLEWS – it was far more than I could possibly have hoped for and it has ‘closed a gap’ in the Family History and has ‘opened up’ a new area of research for background !!! I don’t wish to ‘push my luck’, but please bear with me, for I have a couple of related queries … what is SDitGW ? … when did the Regiment become The Royal Hampshire Regiment ? … can I search on-line for further details of the Medals EJC was awarded ? Marc, regrettably, I do not have, at this point at least, a photo of Sergt. Clews, but should one emerge from the Family Archives, rest assured you will receive a copy, but I am not too hopeful at the moment. Which leads me to another Family research problem that you, or perhaps others, might be able to help me with … I am attaching a photo of a Soldier I believe to be my Mothers’ brother … his surname is Barnes (first names not known), born and lived in Southampton (Freemantle/Milbrook area), but the Cap-badge does not look to me like the Hampshires ! He was not killed in the war, as I understand it, rather he died of TB afterwards, presumably as a result of the war. You have all been most helpful … Thank you so much … Doug Clews Glen Forrest (Perth) Western Australia Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Doug Clews Posted 29 March , 2004 Share Posted 29 March , 2004 Hi Marc and All Photo didn't attach ... sorry !!! Will try again and this time I won't preview my posting !!! (Traps for young players) Doug Clews Soldier_Barnes.doc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marc Thompson Posted 29 March , 2004 Share Posted 29 March , 2004 Doug, In answer to your questions: The Hampshire Regiment received the distinction of "Royal" in an order dated 28th November 1946. The mother site will provide full background details on the campaign medals that Sergt. E.J. CLEWS was awarded. Go Here SDitGW stands for 'Soldiers Died in the Great War'. In 1921 His Majesty's Stationery Office published, on behalf of and by authority of the War Office, two lists containing basic details of those who died during the Great War. 80 volumes listed all the 'other ranks' who died in the war which assumed that the war ended on 11th November 1918. Each of the original volumes represented one or more regiments, corps or other units of the British Army. A database of these entries has now been compiled and released on CD-ROM, albeit a very expensive one! Can't help you out with the picture of Barnes I'm afraid. You may wish to repost this particular request in the Uniforms, Arms, Insignia, Equipment and Medals section on the Forum to gain greater coverage. Marc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Doug Clews Posted 31 March , 2004 Share Posted 31 March , 2004 Hi there once again Marc (and Others) I am truly indebted to you for all the information that you (and Others) kindly found for me about Sergeant Ernest James Clews and also for pointing me in the right direction for obtaining a lot of background … fabulous stuff !!! There are a couple of people who contributed, to whom I have not yet replied directly, but intend doing so a.s.a.p. ... please bear with me !!! Marc, I asked today at my local Library and, after doing a computer data-base search of the entire Library System, regrettably, a copy of ‘Pioneer Battalions of the Great War – Organised and Intelligent Labour’ does not appear to be available anywhere in the State Library System, or the Universities Library System of Western Australia, therefore, I am wondering if it would be asking too much for a list of other publications on the subject, so that I might try at the Library for those. Since my last posting to you, saying I do not have a photo of EJC, I realize I do in fact have one of him in Civvies, taken at one of his Brother’s Wedding in April 1911 … I will attach that to this message and hope that it is of use to you … if one turns up with him in uniform later, I will send you a copy … of interest, he is not unlike the Sergeant (Corporal) in the centre rear of the photo on the web-site of a 'Bn of Hampshires outside their Hotel Billet whilst undergoing training in England' under the general heading of ‘New Armies’ … I wonder, is it possible it is him ? Change of subject and hopefully, without ‘stretching the friendship’, one I hope you might be able to help me with … my Wife’s Father, Lewis John PEACH, started his career in the R.A.F. 1919/1920 (Service Number 342771), rising to rank of W.O.1 ending up in ‘Security’ … sometime prior to 1938, he was transferred to M.I.6 and in 1948 he was ‘retired’ from the R.A.F. and transferred to The Foreign Office with the rank of Captain, finally retiring in 1966 with an office in Queen Anne’s Gate and the rank of Major … he was awarded the M.B.E. around 1943/46 … I have 2 questions … a). can I and if yes, how, can I get a copy of his Service Record … . how can I get details of the M.B.E. he was awarded ?? I sincerely hope I am not causing you any hassles … it is so great to be talking to someone who obviously knows what it is all about !!! … thank you so much !!! All the very best … Doug Clews Glen Forrest (Perth) Western Australia Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marc Thompson Posted 31 March , 2004 Share Posted 31 March , 2004 Doug, For possible options to obtain this book have a look at this thread Here Others will confirm this but I believe that for R.A.F. Officers whose service ended in 1920 or later and Airmen whose service ended in 1928 or later you need to write to: PMA (Sec) IM 1b Room 5 Building 248a RAF Innsworth Gloucester GL3 1EZ UK Best of luck with your research and thanks for the photograph. Marc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Doug Clews Posted 1 April , 2004 Share Posted 1 April , 2004 Hi there marc !!! Once more, very many thanks for all your help ... I will follow up on the RAF lead and that, hopefully, will connect me to the rest of the story, i.e. Foreign Office and the MBE. The book (Pioneer Battalions of The Great War) is available on-line through Amazon, but I am still hopeful the Library System here can obtain a copy from somewhere. All the very best and thanks again !!! Doug Clews Glen Forrest (Perth) Western Australia Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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