Patrick ODwyer Posted 10 May , 2010 Share Posted 10 May , 2010 I have a man on Roll as WR303591 and IWD on MIC as WE303591 (error I think) I thought Inland Waterways and Drainage - is that right? Do the numbers reveal anything? I think he joined RE c. 1918. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terry_Reeves Posted 11 May , 2010 Share Posted 11 May , 2010 Patrick Inland Waterways and Docks. TR Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patrick ODwyer Posted 11 May , 2010 Share Posted 11 May , 2010 Thanks very much Terry Does the WR prefix relate directly to such a designation? (or WE?) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terry_Reeves Posted 11 May , 2010 Share Posted 11 May , 2010 Patrick Generally, Waterways and Railways, but bear in mind Roads and Quarry Companies also had this prefix. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patrick ODwyer Posted 11 May , 2010 Share Posted 11 May , 2010 Thanks again Terry, the Roll clearly says he was IWD so that must mean the former. Strangely, the MIC appears like prefix WE (does that mean anything?) but this may be an error as the actual Roll has IWD and prefix WR. Did prefixes change if men moved RE units and numbers stay the same? Patrick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveE Posted 12 May , 2010 Share Posted 12 May , 2010 Strangely, the MIC appears like prefix WE (does that mean anything?) but this may be an error as the actual Roll has IWD and prefix WR. Did prefixes change if men moved RE units and numbers stay the same? Patrick I've had a look at the MIC and the prefix, in my opinion, is WR and not WE. Your man was transferred to the RE before the 1918 numbering change as he was initially allocated the number 357282 before being renumbered to WR/303591. The renumbering doesn't mean that he necessarily changed RE units though. Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patrick ODwyer Posted 12 May , 2010 Share Posted 12 May , 2010 in my opinion, is WR and not WE. Your man was transferred to the RE before the 1918 numbering change as he was initially allocated the number 357282 before being renumbered to WR/303591 Thanks very much Steve, now you say it I can see it myself Strange how you see what you think you see. Any idea when the re-numbering in 1918 took place (trying to work out his transfer). He was in his previous unit at end of 1917. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rhino11 Posted 8 November , 2010 Share Posted 8 November , 2010 I hope you don't mind me resurrecting this thread but I've learnt more in reading this than I had pieced together before! My Grandfather was in the Royal Engineers but his service record was destroyed and apart from the medal roll I hadn't been able to put together much of his history. So it came as a surprise to find the definition of WR. However his record shows the following: Name: John H Irving Regiment or Corps: Royal Engineers, Liverpool Regiment, Royal Engineers Regimental Number: WR/305191, 4422, 271969 while the medal card adds Medal card of Irving, John H Corps Regiment No Rank Royal Engineers 108149 Pioneer Royal Engineers 108149 Corporal 2nd can anyone shed any light as to when or where he might have served. Also why the listing of RE then Liverpool Regt then RE again? Any clarification gratefully received. Ian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terry_Reeves Posted 8 November , 2010 Share Posted 8 November , 2010 Ian Your man was serving with the Inland Waterways Transport. MICs with multiple numbers are often confusing. In this case he was transferred from the Liverpool Regiment and given the RE number 271969 in the IWT probably in 1916 . In the spring of 1918 all members of the RE Transportation Branch, which came about as a result of the Geddes report the previous year, and which reorganised the administration of such units, were allocated new numbers with a WR prefix. TR Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rhino11 Posted 8 November , 2010 Share Posted 8 November , 2010 Terry Many thanks. All I have to do now try and find out what he was doing prior to the RE!! Ian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
links2lincs Posted 31 December , 2010 Share Posted 31 December , 2010 Any ideas which unit this person with WR/200826 would have been in? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terry_Reeves Posted 31 December , 2010 Share Posted 31 December , 2010 In a unit belonging to to the Railway Operating Division or a railway construction company. TR Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
links2lincs Posted 31 December , 2010 Share Posted 31 December , 2010 Thanks. So I'm guessing it's not possible to narrow it down to a specific unit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terry_Reeves Posted 31 December , 2010 Share Posted 31 December , 2010 links2lincs I'm afraid it is not possible to connect the number with a specific unit. TR Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveE Posted 31 December , 2010 Share Posted 31 December , 2010 Terry/links2lincs I started (but never got anywhere near finishing) trying to associate the WR/ prefixed numbers to specific units but came to the same conclusion as Terry in that it wasn't possible. However, it did appear that numbers were issued in blocks and that the WR/200XXX range of numbers was allocated to the Railway Construction Troops Depot at Longmoor, so I'd tentively suggest that the soldier in question was at Longmoor at the time of renumbering. As for which unit he served overseas with, Robert Mumby 55605 (later WR/200826) went overseas on 15th February 1915 which tends to suggest either 111th or 112th Railway Company (initially at least). Hope this helps. Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest EveC Posted 10 March , 2012 Share Posted 10 March , 2012 I see this is an old topic but can anyone help with a Royal Engineers number WR175136 and then under it 197581. And would these numbers give any indication of which years of WW1 this refers to. Many thanks Eve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Kate Posted 3 September , 2012 Share Posted 3 September , 2012 Hello - I'm resurrecting this thread again to ask for any help anyone can offer. I'm trying to find out what my Great Grandad did in the First World War. I know he served in France as a Sapper with the Royal Engineers. I can't find a surviving war record on Ancestory and understand very few survive. His numbers on his medal index card are 67552, WR/251313 - so from that I understand he was in Waterways and Railways which makes sense as he worked for the Great Western Railway before and after the war. Do the numbers point to any unit in particular? Thanks for any help anyone can offer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David_Underdown Posted 4 September , 2012 Share Posted 4 September , 2012 Some railway employment papers have been digitised and are on Ancestry. I can't remember if GWR is included. Sometimes these railway records have been annotated with some info on war service Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ss002d6252 Posted 5 September , 2012 Share Posted 5 September , 2012 There are great western employment details held on Ancestry - certainly worth a look - http://search.ancestry.co.uk/search/db.aspx?dbid=1728 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Archie1 Posted 10 January , 2013 Share Posted 10 January , 2013 I've got a BWM & VM (his full entitlement) to a soldier (noted as a Private) who had served in 5 different units. KRRC/Training Bn/Cambridgeshire Regt/RE two numbers. The last number being WR284304. Any ideas what unit that would be? Thanks Mark Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terry_Reeves Posted 10 January , 2013 Share Posted 10 January , 2013 Mark It was a railway unit. There is no way of telling which one unfortunately. TR Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Archie1 Posted 10 January , 2013 Share Posted 10 January , 2013 Thanks Terry. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul leeson Posted 11 January , 2013 Share Posted 11 January , 2013 Hi everyone, I have one as well I need help with. Sapper William Bourton IWT. RE 227167 and later WR308263, also ex-GWR. Can the 308xxx block help identify which transport branch ?? Paul Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin kenf48 Posted 12 January , 2013 Admin Share Posted 12 January , 2013 Reference this and the previous thread where his name wasn't mentioned, William Bourton did indeed serve at Sandwich for a short while, he was posted there on the 4th January 1917 he probably was there to see if his skills were up to Army standards and and on 6th April1917 he joined the BEF in France. A prewar TF soldier his service record survives and is listed under his Wiltshire Regiment number 5410 his full name is listed as Williiam George Bourton b.abt 1876 or 1879 according to the 1911 Census. If you have access to anc***y the link is http://search.ancestry.co.uk/cgi-bin/sse.dll?new=1&MSAV=0&msT=1&gss=angs-c&gsfn=william&gsln=bourton&gskw=engineers&sbo=0&uidh=yi4&rank=1&pcat=MIL_DRAFT&h=282748&db=BritishArmyService&indiv=1&hovR=1 where there are 25 pages, unfortunately they don't pin down his RE unit that I can see other than 'Transportation Branch'. However his skill rating was uprated from 'Superior' to 'Very Superior' by the Army so he would have to have worked in a foundry which makes the depot at St Omer above a good bet! (Also found him in the apprentice registers referred to above (6/8/92) b.1877!!!) Ken Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David B Posted 12 January , 2013 Share Posted 12 January , 2013 Ken, your Ancestry link doesn't work, just comes up with a search again message. Hav e the feeling that Ancestry does this to protect their sources. Personally, no worries as I am an Ancestry subscriber. Cheers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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