Arthur Allen Gomme

[watchdog]

This is one of more than twenty requests for information and help that I am hoping to post today. They are all in relation to TF soldiers who enlisted on or about the 5 August 1914 and almost all of whom survived the war. (Although this man appears to have been a Kitchener soldier.) The common denominator is the fact that they were all patent examiners serving in the Patent Office prior to the outbreak of war.

Normally I would be able to pursue most of the basic work myself and would only be coming to all of you for help with the 'extras' but I am under some pressure of time. I hope you don't mind. But then again it's the sort of thing almost all of us enjoy – finding out about these men who fought in the Great War. So I'm hoping that you will appreciate the challenge.

The work is in support of my dissertation for the Birmingham MA in First World War studies and therefore if any of you do have information which might assist me I would be grateful if you could also quote the source of that information.

I'm not acting entirely blind of course and here is the information that I've already found out about Arthur Allen Gomme:

Gomme attended the Central Technical College before joining the Patent Office in March 1904. He appears to have enlisted as a private in 20st (Service) Bn (3rd PS) Royal Fusiliers on or about 15 Sep 1914 and was promoted to LCpl some time before 1916. He was in the Home Guard during WW2.

The sorts of information I'm hoping to glean are: Was he a pre-war territorial or was he a true Kitchener volunteer? Any 1911 Census details. Where did 20th RF serve during the war and did Gomme stay with them throughout? And of course anything else that might occur to all of you.

Thanks

[Verrico2009]

His MIC indicates he was in France (Theatre 1) on 15 November 1915. He became a Corporal while still in the Fusiliers. Nothing much else there, unless the experts can get anything from the short number.

Name: Arthur A Gomme

Regiment or Corps: Royal Fusiliers, Royal Engineers

Regimental Number: 4884, 360295

[watchdog]

Yet another Patent Examiner that transfers to the RE. A pattern is developing. Lots of hypotheses spring to mind. Service with the special companies dealing with gas? Or with the tunnelling companies?

[mandy hall]

1911 living alone at 119 Oxford Street Westminister age 28 occupation civil servant Board of Trade (Patent Office) born Barnes Surrey. He has signed the form as Allen or Allan Gomme

He is also in a public tree on ancestry and from this it is possible he still has a child alive.

Mandy

[watchdog]

Mandy,

That's exciting news. Could you PM me with the info which could lead me to the surviving child?