Arthur Edward Cox - RE -Inland Waterway & Transport

[lukerwhite]

This is all i know:

Arthur Edward Cox

Royal Engineers - Inland Waterways & Docks 46177 / 194759 / 191339 / WR 385160

Labour Corps 663486

　

Birth Place: High Halstow, Kent

Occupation: Bricklayer

Next of Kin: Bettie

46 Wyndham Rd

Town Hamlets,

Dover, Kent

Attestation Location:

Attestation date: 11 Dec 1915 (40 yrs 36 days old)

Address on Attestation:

Height: 5 foot 9"

Chest: 37 inches (Range of expansion 2 inch)

Weight:

Eyes:

Hair:

Distinctive Marks:

Rank: Private

Timeline:

11 Dec 1915 Attested

12 Dec 1915 Army Reserve

3 Aug 1916 Mobilised

7 Aug 1916 Posted to Inland Waterway & Docks, RE

1918 Was given the number WR/385160 when the IWT was renumbered

Sep 1918 Transferred to Eastern Command Labour Centre

10 Sep 1918 Discharged from Horton War Hospital, Epsom with Piles

Discharged: (10 Sep 1918)

Can anyone fill in the blanks. Can anyone tell me more about him. His and his units movements - presumably stayed in UK. What would he have done?

[lukerwhite]

This is all i know:

Arthur Edward Cox

Royal Engineers - Inland Waterways & Docks 46177 / 194759

Having a look at his pension record a second time it looks as though he has had at least 4 regimental numbers. Here is a link to his records if you have ancestry:

http://search.ancestry.co.uk/iexec/Default...&pid=788333

Looks like 46177, 194759, ?, 663486 - Labour corps, 191339. All crossed out? What is going on here????? (Have edited original post to suit)

[lukerwhite]

I have managed to find out the following about the Inland Waterway and Transport -

INLAND WATER TRANSPORT AND DOCKS

The Inland Water Transport and Docks Section of the Royal Engineers was originally formed in December of 1914 to deal with and to develop transport on canals and waterways of France and Belgium. The Section at first operated under the Director of Railways, but, owing to the rapid development of Inland Water Transport, a special directorate was formed in October of 1915.

In the summer of 1916 all non-transport work in Mesopotamia became a part of the Inland Water Transport Directorate's responsibilities, and during 1917 its scope was extended to cover Inland Water Transport and Dock Working in Egypt, in Salonika, and in other theatres of war.

These extended responsibilities entailed large increases in establishments. Up to December of 1917, some 1,100 officers and nearly 30,000 men transferred to or enlisted in the Inland Water Transport Section. During 1917 over 600 officers and 8,000 men were drafted overseas to theatres of war.

The European personnel in Mesopotamia were supplemented by over 42,000 native personnel from India, Egypt, West Africa and China.

At the end of the Great War of 1914-1918 the total personnel in the Inland Water Transport and Docks Service amounted to 1,666 officers and 29,436 other ranks.

SOURCE:The Work of the Royal Engineers in the European War, 1914-1918 (Miscellaneous), compiled by Colonel G.H. Addison, C.M.G., D.S.O., M.A., M.I.Mech.E. The Institution of Royal Engineers, Chatham, Kent, 1926.

Can anyone help me this? Is ther anyway of knowing where about Arthur went, what he did? Can ayone explain the changing of his regimental so many time on his records?

Does anyone know if the Inland waterways and docks had their own badge or just used the Royal Engineers badgs?

[Terry_Reeves]

Luke

He appears to have spent all his service at home. Many of the men in the IWT were medically downgraded, and he appears to have been no exception, although in this case had sufficient problems to be recommended by the inspecting medical officer for garrison service at home. He suffered variously from varicose veins in the left leg, defective teeth, some enlargement of the left testicle and some contraction of the ring and little finger of the left hand. The first two could easily see a man medically downgraded or indeed discharged in some cases. He entered the IWT at the Sandwich Depot on 7 August 1916. In 1918 he received the number WR/385160 when the IWT was renumbered. He appears to have been transferred to Eastern Command Labour Centre in September 1918 and was discharged from the Army at Horton War Hospital, Epsom in the same month. He was apparently suffering from piles. You can find some information about the hospital here:

http://www.epsomandewellhistoryexplorer.or...talCluster.html

TR

[lukerwhite]

Luke

He appears to have spent all his service at home. Many of the men in the IWT were medically downgraded, and he appears to have been no exception, although in this case had sufficient problems to be recommended by the inspecting medical officer for garrison service at home. He suffered variously from varicose veins in the left leg, defective teeth, some enlargement of the left testicle and some contraction of the ring and little finger of the left hand. The first two could easily see a man medically downgraded or indeed discharged in some cases. He entered the IWT at the Sandwich Depot on 7 August 1916. In 1918 he received the number WR/385160 when the IWT was renumbered. He appears to have been transferred to Eastern Command Labour Centre in September 1918 and was discharged from the Army at Horton War Hospital, Epsom in the same month. He was apparently suffering from piles. You can find some information about the hospital here:

http://www.epsomandewellhistoryexplorer.or...talCluster.html

TR

Wow, Thanks Terry!

He really had a lot of ailments! Thanks fpr the link to the hospital where he was dixcharged. Could I ask how you have all this specific information for him?

What kind of work would he have done with all these ailments, you mentioned garrison service...minor jobs?

[Terry_Reeves]

Luke

From his original service documents which are also on Ancestry:

http://search.ancestry.co.uk/iexec/?htx=Vi...&pid=391885

He was possibly at Sandwich or Richborough, Military Port in Kent The IWT employed a whole range of tradesmen, and his trade of bricklayer would have fitted in.

TR

[lukerwhite]

Luke

From his original service documents which are also on Ancestry:

http://search.ancestry.co.uk/iexec/?htx=Vi...&pid=391885

He was possibly at Sandwich or Richborough, Military Port in Kent The IWT employed a whole range of tradesmen, and his trade of bricklayer would have fitted in.

TR

Thanks Terry, I only had his pension records -

http://search.ancestry.co.uk/iexec/?htx=Vi...&pid=788333

Hadn't found his serive records! Thanks for that.

It looks like he was admitted to Hill House Military Hospital for tonsilitus (he was there for 27 days!) That was in 1916 before Horton war hospital!

Luke