Robert Edmund Shotton Canadian Infantry 29th Btn

[shotts789]

I am trying to research a solider who died in WW1. Robert Edmund Shotton was born in Northumberland in 1891, son of George and Isabel Shotton. I have found him on the Canadian Passenger lists of March 1912. I have his Attestation papers dated March 1915. I know he came back to England as I have found him again on the Canadian Passenger lists of December 1914. The war graves commission have the details Canadian Infantry, 29th Battalion, died August 1917 and his service number is 430168.

I would like to find out as much as I can about him and about the 29th battalion. I would like to get his military records, list of medals etc but not sure how to do this with him being listed as a Canadian.

Any advice ideas would be gratefully appreciation.

Sharon

[Patrick Watt]

Here is a link to the Collections Canada website which have the Battalion War Diary

www.collectionscanada.gc.ca

I think they also hold the soldiers papers for all people serving in the Canadian Army for WW1 so it would be an idea to fill in a request form online to get those copies sent to you. As far as I know they are not online yet.

Hope this helps

Patrick

[ralphjd]

As Patrick says his papers are available from the Canadian archives, you can see the front and reverse of his attestation papers for free but, you need to purchase any others as I did a couple of weeks ago for two of my men cost £17.55 for 36 pages in total. Filled in the application form, gave my card details and posted all to Canada, took about six weeks to arrive. Ralph.

[Al C]

Shotton R E 430138 died Aug 20, 1917

The fact that he is listed on the Vimy Memorial indicates his body was not recovered

Battalion War Diary for that date here http://data2.collectionscanada.ca/e/e039/e000974009.jpg shows no casualties, but 4 OR killed on the 19th

Instructions for ordering his service file are here http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/databas...42-130-e.html#h

His Canadian Virtual War Memorial entry is here http://www.vac-acc.gc.ca/remembers/sub.cfm...asualty=1575714

His reg no indicates he originally attested to the 48th O/S Bn CEF which was redesignated as the 3rd Pioneer Bn. The battalion nominal (embarkation) roll indicates he went to England with this unit which sailed 1 July 1915 from Montreal on Grampian arriving at Plymouth 11 July 1915. You can view the roll online in the Bob Richardson Collection here http://www.cefresearch.com/matrix/Utilitie...olls/index.html follow the links.

War Diaries

for the 29th Bn are here

http://data4.collectionscanada.ca/netacgi/...amp;r=0&f=S

and for the 48th/ 3rd Pioneers here http://data4.collectionscanada.ca/netacgi/...amp;r=4&f=G

See also this page http://www.cefresearch.com/matrix/Army%20C...20Battalion.htm

Good luck with your research

Al

[shotts789]

His reg no indicates he originally attested to the 48th O/S Bn CEF which was redesignated as the 3rd Pioneer Bn. The battalion nominal (embarkation) roll indicates he went to England with this unit which sailed 1 July 1915 from Montreal on Grampian arriving at Plymouth 11 July 1915. You can view the roll online in the Bob Richardson Collection here http://www.cefresearch.com/matrix/Utilitie...olls/index.html follow the links.

Thanks for the replies!!

Al, Sorry to be stupid but I don't understand the above. I don't understand what you mean by he originally attested to the 48th O/S Bn CEF - can you change battalions? For research purposes what battalion should I be looking at. Apologies if I am asking silly questions but I am new to all this!!

Many thanks!

Sharon

[Copper6197]

Hi Sharon and welcome to the Forum;

The links sent to you are the usual web-sites that researchers use to trace our Canadian soldiers.

From the above, it would seem that your soldier originally volunteered and joined(attested) the 48th Overseas Battalion. At some point that battalion was redesignated a Pioneer Battalion.

At some point during his service he was re-assigned to the 29th Battalion (which may be because of wounds suffered and then being re-assigned) or he may have been re-assigned upon arrival in France. That did happen quite a bit as the casualties were unforseen in their huge numbers.

In the CEF whole battalions were broken up upon arrival and re-assigned.

See this web-site for more background on the 48th Overseas and 3rd Pioneer Battalion

http://www.russiansinthecef.ca/3rdpioneer/index.shtml

The key to all this is the service record. For the most part they are quite complete, and can be ordered through the links already given. They vary in length, and the cost of copying is a price per page, that is why Collections Canada requires a credit card.

Hope this helps and good luck with the research!

George

[avidgenie]

He travelled to England before 1915 as well. Here he is arriving back in Canada in December 1914: Robert Shotton on Grampian . It left from Liverpool on December 11 and arrived at St. John, New Brunswick on December 21. The passenger list indicates that he had been in Canada previously at Vernon, BC between 1912 and 1914.

Annette

Note: His attestation papers were signed in March 1915, not 1914.

[shotts789]

He travelled to England before 1915 as well. Here he is arriving back in Canada in December 1914: Robert Shotton on Grampian . It left from Liverpool on December 11 and arrived at St. John, New Brunswick on December 21. The passenger list indicates that he had been in Canada previously at Vernon, BC between 1912 and 1914.

Annette

Note: His attestation papers were signed in March 1915, not 1914.

Yes, I have spent some time today trying to find the passenger list for the time spent there 1912-1914 (as stated on the December 1914 passenger list). I found the 1912 passenger list and he is registered as R E Shotton (which is why I couldn't find it at first). On this it again states he has been to Canada before (ticked) but where it says when/where etc it just states British Bonus Allowed. Any idea what this means? Are there records of passengers arriving to the UK? I have searched ancestry.co.uk for Shotton and can't find anything.

[shotts789]

Hi Sharon and welcome to the Forum;

The links sent to you are the usual web-sites that researchers use to trace our Canadian soldiers.

From the above, it would seem that your soldier originally volunteered and joined(attested) the 48th Overseas Battalion. At some point that battalion was redesignated a Pioneer Battalion.

At some point during his service he was re-assigned to the 29th Battalion (which may be because of wounds suffered and then being re-assigned) or he may have been re-assigned upon arrival in France. That did happen quite a bit as the casualties were unforseen in their huge numbers.

In the CEF whole battalions were broken up upon arrival and re-assigned.

See this web-site for more background on the 48th Overseas and 3rd Pioneer Battalion

http://www.russiansinthecef.ca/3rdpioneer/index.shtml

The key to all this is the service record. For the most part they are quite complete, and can be ordered through the links already given. They vary in length, and the cost of copying is a price per page, that is why Collections Canada requires a credit card.

Hope this helps and good luck with the research!

George

Thanks for the link - this confirms that the 48th was disbanded in May 1917, and the men where distributed amongst the 7th and 29th Infantry battalions. I can therefore research the 48th up until this date and then the 29th until his death a few months later.

[avidgenie]

Yes, I have spent some time today trying to find the passenger list for the time spent there 1912-1914 (as stated on the December 1914 passenger list). I found the 1912 passenger list and he is registered as R E Shotton (which is why I couldn't find it at first). On this it again states he has been to Canada before (ticked) but where it says when/where etc it just states British Bonus Allowed. Any idea what this means? Are there records of passengers arriving to the UK? I have searched ancestry.co.uk for Shotton and can't find anything.

The passenger manifest in 1912 was the first time he had ever been to Canada. The question just before the stamp British Bonus Allowed is: Have you ever been in Canada before? The person before him indicated N for no and a check mark means ditto or the same answer as the previous person. Here is an explanation for the term British Bonus Allowed.

Annette

[shotts789]

The passenger manifest in 1912 was the first time he had ever been to Canada. The question just before the stamp British Bonus Allowed is: Have you ever been in Canada before? The person before him indicated N for no and a check mark means ditto or the same answer as the previous person. Here is an explanation for the term British Bonus Allowed.

Annette

Thanks Annette - very useful.

I have now found the journey back from Canada to Liverpool 23rd September 1914. Couldn't find it orginally as it has been transcribed as Shetton. It appears he went to Boston and got the ship from there back to Liverpool.

[shotts789]

I would like to thank you all for your replies. You have opened up so many more avenues and the websites you have recommeded have been so useful.

I have ordered his service record but think I have a very good idea from the war diaries where/when he went. He is showing on the roll for the 3rd Pioneer, sailing 1st July on the SS Grampian from Monteal and then listed on this website (thanks George) http://www.russiansinthecef.ca/3rdpioneer/3rdto29th.shtml as being transferred to the 29th battalion.

I would not have found this information without your help!

I started this research as my son was visiting the Battlefields on a history trip and has to do a project on a relative who died there. It has been very difficult to find a relative (took 4 days of research to find Robert Shotton) but now I have become fascinated in both his history and the men that served for our countries

Thank you all once again for all your help and advice!!!