William Alfred J Gribble

[Gribbr]

I'm trying to track down information about my grandfather, the above mentioned William Alfred J. (John) Gribble DOB 28/7/1885. What I know is that he was initially in Middlesex Regiment (16th Battalion) (the RE#G.No. on his medal roll index card is PS 1627)After the Battle of the Somme he joined the RFC and became a Temp 2nd lieutenant On probation on the general List on 5/8/16, and Balloon Officer 26/10/16 (London Gazette 13/11/16). The papers I have suggest that from 26.10.16 he was attached to "KB T-- Wi-- [? abbreviation for training wing but i cant read the letters ???nge ??ige) and then 27KBS from 12.1.17. The family's knowledge is that he went to Salonika and possibly Mesopotamia before being invalided out with malaria.

The information we have comes from the army and not the RAF records. Does anyone have any information about the 27 KBS, about the

role in Salonika or presence in Mesopotamia. Would the RAF records at Kew be likely to tell me anymore about my grandfather's movements or activities as a Balloon Observer (and can any of that be accessed from Australia)

Thanks for any help or information that any of you can provide

[horatio2]

This could be his RAF record (but Wilfred not William):-

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documen...p;resultcount=6

[centurion]

Kite balloons in Mesopotamia in 1917 were flown by No. 23 Kite Balloon Company (51st & 52nd Sections) and not No 27

[Gribbr]

This could be his RAF record (but Wilfred not William):-

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documen...p;resultcount=6

Thanks. It does indeed seem to be his record. The initials and second two names are right, and two of the four pages match pages my father found some time ago through his army record (i think). Does it often happen that things such as first names get wrongly transcribed? I noted also that although the events described occured n 1916/17 the page heading states that the page was started in 1918 - does this mean that older records have been transcribed? I wondered if it was possible that a page had been misplaced as between a "movement" note showing his attachment to 27 KBS in January 1917 and a flurry of entries at the end of 1918 there is little to suggest he did anything - except end up in hospital in July 1917. I suspect that given the task both at the time and now that would be possible.

Once again thank you this has been very helpful.

Robert

[Gribbr]

Kite balloons in Mesopotamia in 1917 were flown by No. 23 Kite Balloon Company (51st & 52nd Sections) and not No 27

Thankyou unless he changed companies that certainly sduggests he wasn't in Mesopotamia..

Do you by any chance know which Kite Balloon companies were in Salonika. A letter home from during his second world war service before Dunkirk recalls being there and an incident of a fellow Balloon Officers narrow escape from a damaged ballon (as seems so common he did not speak of his war experience in my father's memory so snippets like this are all the indication we have).

Thanks again

Robert

[centurion]

Thankyou unless he changed companies that certainly sduggests he wasn't in Mesopotamia..

Do you by any chance know which Kite Balloon companies were in Salonika.

From memory (I'd need to check at home) 17 and 22

[Dolphin]

Do you by any chance know which Kite Balloon companies were in Salonika.

Robert

Nos 26 and 27 Kite Balloon Sections were part of No 22 Balloon Company (Capt J Y McLean) in Salonika. No 26 KBS was allocated to the Army's XVI Corps, and No 27 KBS to XII Corps.

Cheers

Gareth

[Gribbr]

Robert

Nos 26 and 27 Kite Balloon Sections were part of No 22 Balloon Company (Capt J Y McLean) in Salonika. No 26 KBS was allocated to the Army's XVI Corps, and No 27 KBS to XII Corps.

Cheers

Gareth

Dear Gareth, and Centurion,

thank you very much - you guys really have an amazing knowledge of which I am one of the grateful recipients. Thanks

Robert

[Sue Light]

Robert

I think your grandfather might be the brother of Mary Gertrude Gribble? She was the daughter of Joseph Gribble, of 2 Regent Street Oxford and was a nursing sister in the Territorial Force Nursing Service, working at No.3 London General Hospital throughout the Great War. If it's ever of interest I do have some details from her service file. I was just adding her to my database, and the surname caught my eye.

Regards --- Sue

[Gribbr]

Robert

I think your grandfather might be the brother of Mary Gertrude Gribble? She was the daughter of Joseph Gribble, of 2 Regent Street Oxford and was a nursing sister in the Territorial Force Nursing Service, working at No.3 London General Hospital throughout the Great War. If it's ever of interest I do have some details from her service file. I was just adding her to my database, and the surname caught my eye.

Regards --- Sue

Dear Sue,

I only re-found your response to my post back in 2010 today - I had lost my contact for the Great War Forum when it got reformated in 2011/12. Also, my father, William Gribble's only son, died in mid 2013 and as i had been pursuing his father's world war 1 career to fill in a hole in the account of his life, my interest dwindled for a period. Mary' was certainly William's sister. Her service medal from WW 1 was amongst his effects and remains with his second wife. We aren't aware of any remaining letters between William and Mary and I don't suspect there will be any such information in what material you have, but it remains a question that I should ask. I would be interested in any information you have about Mary.

Regards - albeit a very belated response to your interest and initiative.

Robert Gribble

[Sue Light]

Hello Robert

As I'm sure you know, she was the daughter of Joseph Gribble, who I believe was a college servant in Oxford. She trained as a nurse at St. Marylebone Infirmary, London, between 1909 and 1912, and served with the Territorial Force Nursing Service at No.3 London General Hospital, Wandsworth, from 7 September 1914 to 7th August 1920. She was awarded the Royal Red Cross, 2nd Class, 9 April 1919. You can download her service file from The National Archives here:

Mary Gribble

She also wrote a short piece in the Gazette of the Third London General which I used a few years back and I think why I originally remembered the surname when I saw it on here:

A Little Episode

Sue

[mickdavis]

CCI 44/4 contains an excellent biography of AM2 SL Cowlan, who served with 27 KBS, by Peter Chapman. It includes some wonderful water-colour paintings made at the time.