Fromelles 16 geneaology:Twamley

[tharkin56]

KENNING, Lance Corporal, Arthur George. 266074, 7th Bn., Royal Warwickshire Regiment. Died of sickness, Catterick Military Hospital, 9th June 1917. Wounded 19th July, 1916. Age 22. Son of Mrs. Ann House, of 24, Adelaide St., Coventry. Born 11th May 1895 in Little Church Street. Resided at 24, Adelaide Street. Painter. Enlisted November, 1914. Grave Ref. 26. 5. Hipswell (St. John) churchyard, Yorkshire.

Would n't think there were too many men who fall into this category assuming he was injured at Fromelles and then buried in the UK.

[nemesis-4u]

Hi Steve,

Hope you dont mind me contacting you regarding the following as I would like to know more about the Neale who appear in this post:

Just been hit by inspiration....

List of Missing from the Times of 28-8-1916:

A. G. Neale, 266506, formerly No. 4337

Regards,

Chris Neale.

[tharkin56]

NEALE, Private, Alexander Grant. 266506, 2/7th Bn., Royal Warwickshire Regiment. Killed in action, 19th July, 1916. Enlisted Coventry. Resided Bedworth. Memorial Ref. Panel 22 to 25. Loos Memorial, France.

Are you a relative of Alexander

[Victoria Burbidge]

Hope you dont mind me contacting you regarding the following as I would like to know more about the Neale who appear in this post:

Can I help? I've researched this man as part of the Project and have a copy of his service record.

V.

[nemesis-4u]

Hi Steve and Victoria,

many thanks for that information and it would be most helpful to know about his service records etc.

As you may or may not know I collect and research to the Neale family and any such items are of great interest to me.

my email address is:

christopherkiwineale@hotmail.com

If you wish to chat etc.

I dont know if this family member, of direct line but I do have a Pte. H. Neale and a Pte. A. Neale who were in the R.W.R. during WW1 in the family collection.

Thanks again for the reply.

Regards,

Chris Neale.

[Victoria Burbidge]

Hi Chris,

I'll e-mail some bits through to you tomorrow.

V.

[nemesis-4u]

Hi Victoria,

many thanks for the offer and I will await your email.

Most Kind of you.

Kind Regards,

Chris Neale.

[topsey1234]

I thought as a newbie I would just post up my great uncle's details as he is one of the missing at Fromelles.

Leonard was one of three brothers who served, George was killed in 1917 and Sidney survived. Len was according to a letter I got from the MoD in 1982 enlisted at Leamington 0n 18th November 1918, embarked for BEF on 22nd May 1916, and reported missing on 19th July 1916.

Next of kin was his mother Drucilla of 52 Godiva Street Coventry. He is commemorated on the Loos memorial.

I rang the MoD about him on Monday and registered as a relative. They are sending me a pack and will possibly sending some body out in due course for a family visit.

Hopefully I have managed to post the only picture of him successfully together with an unknown soldier, also I think from the Warwickshire. Len is sitting. I think the picture must have been taken April or May of 1916 before being post to France, possibly at his home in Godiva Street. My grandmother , who was one of Len's sisters ,went after the war with her mother to visit the battle fields and I have a photo too of her at brothers Georges grave. Their mother has engraved on her grave in Coventry the names of both Len and George. If it turns out that Len is one of the 400 waiting to be found at Fromelles then it would finally bring resolution as to what happened to Len. From my reading of the regimental war diaries from the National Archives it was a ill thought out battle, with cruel orders such the wounded were to be left until non combatants came along to stretcher them back.

Presumably if he is identified in due course it would also mean he managed to cross to the German trenches. What I would be curious to know is whether its possible to find out what company he was in as the War Diaries do mention in the orders the intended role of specific companies.

Richard

Just thought I would share this newly discovered photo of Leonard Twamley on the anniversary of the battle he died in.

Richard

[tharkin56]

Richard is their a likeness to you in this photo.

[topsey1234]

Richard is their a likeness to you in this photo.

Trevor

Personally I think theres no likeness. Looking at my Dad who has the same Mitochondrial DNA I cannot see any likeness there either. He was a typical Twamley though for the time. On talking to closer relatives his size of 5ft 1 inches came up. He was tall as Twamleys went, his younger brother Sid who joined up in 1918 was 4ft 6" and his younger sister Flo was a giant at 5ft 3" Most seemed to hover around less than 5ft like my grandmother. I'm 5ft 11" so quite a bit taller. The other surprising detail from his service record was a chest size of 31". Not even a small mens size by todays standards. Looking at the service medical record I think technically he was under regulation height and chest size but they did have elastic limits at the time.

Whats interesting about this picture is that its the one used for the cropped head shot on the September 1916 appeal by his mother for info in the local paper. He is also wearing an enormous signet ring whose signifigance I have no idea about. He is also, has been pointed out previously in a previous posting, is wearing an Imperial Service Obligation badge showing he volunteered. From what I have now learnt the Coventry Singer car factory where he worked on the lathes as a turner offered to keep jobs open for lads volunteering. His Dad worked there as a stoker before he died in Februray 1914. They were also going round the factories in Coventry in 1915 actively seeking young lads to join up so he must have been under alot of pressure to join up by November when he did finally enlist.Oddly enough Singers had loads of war work by this stage and needed skilled workers to keep production going. Len did have an older brother Oliver , also a turner who seems not to have joined up

I think this photo must have been taken some time around late 1915 and the garden shot posted early taken in the spring of 1916 as I think there is blossom from a tree in one corner. By this stage he had been training on Salisbury Plain and would most likely have been better fed and fitter.

Richard

[kenf48]

I know this is an old thread but I found it fascinating,

I'm still curious as to whether or not any records at the MOD were 'held back' or is this just another (optimistic) rumour.

After all your trials and tribulations Richard it seems amazing to pull up his service record on Ancestry in the time it takes to hit the 'search' button!

Ken

[topsey1234]

I know this is an old thread but I found it fascinating,

I'm still curious as to whether or not any records at the MOD were 'held back' or is this just another (optimistic) rumour.

After all your trials and tribulations Richard it seems amazing to pull up his service record on Ancestry in the time it takes to hit the 'search' button!

Ken

Ken

In this case they were available after all at the National Archives and via ancestry when the 2nd batch came on line. Not helped by two men of the same name and both in the Warwickshires!

Having said that my grandfather Harry Parker also served in the Manchesters but never seemed to leave the UK. I have been unable to track down his army service record but during WW2 he served in the Royal Navy. Back in 1990 when it was all still paper based and the MoD at Hayes dealt with enquires on his navy service record, they wrote back to me and mentioned details of his WW1 service record such as service number and precise dates on enlistment and discharge. How did they know that if the service record from WW1 was destroyed in the blitz? Would army service records be moved on to other services if they re enlisted later on? All I know is his service record from WW1 cannot be traced but how come those other details could be traced in 1990?

Richard

[topsey1234]

Been meaning to search the International Red Cross records for a little while now as they are now on line.

Was amazed to find a card that records

Twamley L

Pte no 4621 Royal Warwickshire Rgt. Disparu depuis 19/7/16 (off)

Rep: Mrs D Twamley

52 Godiva Street, Coventry

hand written note added which says Negatif envoye 2.11.16

from the card I gather his mother Drucilla apart from making a public appeal in the Coventry Herald also seems to have written to the International Red Cross.

In any event this confirmation makes it clear to me the Germans never notified the Red Cross of his remains being found after the battle and seems to imply different things happened further down the line with different German regiments compared with those Australians found after the battle.

Has any one else searched for their relative posted as missing in the IRC records and did they find anything?

[Marypattinson]

Hi, l have just stumbled across all this information and Lewis Elks was my great grandfather he married Ellen Twamley in 1908 are we all related? I have done alot of research on Ancestry and found Lewis Elks military records, his address was 194 Broad street Coventry and he passed away in 1957, Lewis was my dads grandfather and l knew nothing of his brave service and my grandfather (Lewis's son) passed away in 1999 and unfortunately my dad  has died as well. I know Lewis service numbers are Royal Warwickshire 4616 and 266672. Machine gun corps 136397. Royal engineers 307888. Unfortunately my great grandfathers military records on ancestry are not very clear but we can make out that he was wounded in the foot. Lewis was also a sapper and inland waterway transport is mentioned but all blurred print, also he was in bother for insubordination to a officer (which my hubby said explains alot!!) Any information would be greatly appreciated. Mary

[kenf48]

On 22/06/2021 at 14:43, Marypattinson said:

Hi, l have just stumbled across all this information and Lewis Elks was my great grandfather he married Ellen Twamley in 1908 are we all related? I have done alot of research on Ancestry and found Lewis Elks military records, his address was 194 Broad street Coventry and he passed away in 1957, Lewis was my dads grandfather and l knew nothing of his brave service and my grandfather (Lewis's son) passed away in 1999 and unfortunately my dad  has died as well. I know Lewis service numbers are Royal Warwickshire 4616 and 266672. Machine gun corps 136397. Royal engineers 307888. Unfortunately my great grandfathers military records on ancestry are not very clear but we can make out that he was wounded in the foot. Lewis was also a sapper and inland waterway transport is mentioned but all blurred print, also he was in bother for insubordination to a officer (which my hubby said explains alot!!) Any information would be greatly appreciated. Mary

Welcome to the GWF

The person I assume you are trying to make contact with has not visited since January 2020.  When you have two posts you can use the forum's personal message system and if they still have the same email they should get notification.

Reply to this and you're done. Just click on the name of the person you wish to contact..

 

As for Pte Elks I suggest that if you want help to trace his service you start a new thread in the soldiers sub-forum.  He is off topic for this thread.

 

At first glance it appears he enlisted in the Territorial Force, and was posted to the MGC before transferring to the RE, probably as a result of his wound.  There is much information on researching a soldier on the Long Long Trail website (link top right).

[Marypattinson]

16 hours ago, kenf48 said:

Welcome to the GWF

The person I assume you are trying to make contact with has not visited since January 2020.  When you have two posts you can use the forum's personal message system and if they still have the same email they should get notification.

Reply to this and you're done. Just click on the name of the person you wish to contact..

 

As for Pte Elks I suggest that if you want help to trace his service you start a new thread in the soldiers sub-forum.  He is off topic for this thread.

 

At first glance it appears he enlisted in the Territorial Force, and was posted to the MGC before transferring to the RE, probably as a result of his wound.  There is much information on researching a soldier on the Long Long Trail website (link top right).

Thank for taking the time to reply to me, l have been reading diaries online on the great war and its been heartbreaking, l shall go the long, long trail and thank you so much again

Mary