4578morra Posted 14 June , 2009 Share Posted 14 June , 2009 need expert help with info on william thomas wells. many thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ralphjd Posted 14 June , 2009 Share Posted 14 June , 2009 Ancestry has a medal card for a Thomas William Wells Gunner 810500 181st Bde RFA with a Silver War Badge, roll number RA/5577. Ralph. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steven Broomfield Posted 15 June , 2009 Share Posted 15 June , 2009 People of a certain age ( ) will remember A Bombardier Bily Wells as the well-toned and well-oiled chap banging the gong on Rank Corporation films in the 50's. I'm too young, of course. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
auchonvillerssomme Posted 28 December , 2009 Share Posted 28 December , 2009 I wonder how old he would have been when posing as the 'gong' man? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peridot Posted 28 December , 2009 Share Posted 28 December , 2009 need expert help with info on william thomas wells. many thanks. Hi 4578morra I would think if its the same chap you will find info on him in most boxing encyclopaedias as he was British and Empire Heavyweight Boxing Champion from 1911-19. Hope this helps. Peridot Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steven Broomfield Posted 28 December , 2009 Share Posted 28 December , 2009 Strange how these old threads get new life. Anyway, here's a Wiki for THE Bombardier Billy Wells. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
auchonvillerssomme Posted 28 December , 2009 Share Posted 28 December , 2009 yes all that is lovely but how old would he have been when he banged the gong? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steven Broomfield Posted 28 December , 2009 Share Posted 28 December , 2009 Well, this Wiki tells us J Arthur Rank started up in the late 30's, so if Bombardier Billy Wells was born in 1889, that makes him approximately 50 at the time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
auchonvillerssomme Posted 28 December , 2009 Share Posted 28 December , 2009 So still quite a specimen at 50. There were a few who banged the gong, are there any pics of him? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Clay Posted 29 December , 2009 Share Posted 29 December , 2009 Nearer 60 apparently - Wells took over as gong man in 1948, it appears. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
auchonvillerssomme Posted 29 December , 2009 Share Posted 29 December , 2009 That was Ken Richmond Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Clay Posted 29 December , 2009 Share Posted 29 December , 2009 http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/colum...ong-416594.html "...There were, it seems, four men in all who struck the gong. The first one was a circus strongman called Carl Dane, who in 1926 had already gained fame as the first man to pull a London bus (with 12 passengers inside) using only his teeth. He became the gong-striker in 1932 and did it for every film until 1948, by which time he was in his mid-fifties, and he was replaced by Billy Wells (who was, oddly, four years older than Dane). The third one was a film extra called Phil Nieman, and the fourth and final one our very own Ken Richmond..." Which 'confirms' the 'info' which I found elsewhere. Mind, there are other accounts out there in interweb-land, eg, one account that says Wells was the first gong-man, in 1935. I found mention of a fifth gong-basher, but forget the details. Anyone out there with the REAL facts? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steven Broomfield Posted 29 December , 2009 Share Posted 29 December , 2009 Surely Alec Dane banged the gong ... Yes ... No? I suppose you'll just have to take your pick. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
auchonvillerssomme Posted 29 December , 2009 Share Posted 29 December , 2009 I suppose you'll just have to take your pick. Or big hammer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Clay Posted 29 December , 2009 Share Posted 29 December , 2009 Surely Alec Dane banged the gong ... Yes ... No? I suppose you'll just have to take your pick. Is someone taking the Michael here? Hmm ... they'll be miles away by now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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