SIGGS Posted 4 April , 2011 Share Posted 4 April , 2011 Hi, Ive recently found out an ancester of mine was killed in Action in the great war and im trying to reasearch him, Ive found alot of info but what im after if possible is to find out where abouts he servered and any more info about him, or where he was.. Details so far... William Weller 55307 8th Bat Royal Fusiliers Died Age 20 3rd May 1917 Ive found the medals record and it looks like it says TP/104 b16 i cant seem to find out what this means? Any help or advice will be greatly appreciated.. Many Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
archangel9 Posted 4 April , 2011 Share Posted 4 April , 2011 Welcome to the forum. TP/104 b16 page 2056 refers to the volume and page of the medal roll on which his medal details (British War and Victory) are recorded. http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documentsonline/medals.asp?WT.hp=Campaign%20Medals%20-%20£2 The war diary of 8Bn. Royal Fusiliers is available to download for £3.50 - http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documentsonline/details-result.asp?Edoc_Id=8199351&queryType=1&resultcount=1 12 DIVISION, 36 INFANTRY BRIGADE: 8 Battalion Royal Fusiliers 1915 June - 1918 Feb./ 9 Battalion Royal Fusiliers 1915 June - 1919 June/ Brigade Machine Gun Company 1916 Feb. - 1918 Feb/ Brigade Trench Mortar Battery 1915 July/ Brigade Trench Mortar Battery 1916 July - Aug. Date 1914- 1922 John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alanmackie Posted 4 April , 2011 Share Posted 4 April , 2011 Hello From SDGW he was also 14174 Royal W Kent Regiment Dental Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SIGGS Posted 4 April , 2011 Author Share Posted 4 April , 2011 Hi Thanks for both getting back so soon, Really interesting to find out this info going to download the diarys when i get home. Not very clued up in this, i wondering why would he have been part of the 8th Bat Royal Fusiliers and also the Royal W Kent Regiment? Would he of started in one then been moved? From the records i can see he died when he was 20 is there any way of finding out when he inlisted? Thanks again for all your help.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SIGGS Posted 5 April , 2011 Author Share Posted 5 April , 2011 Hi Been reading through the diary pages around the date of the 3rd May 1917 and it sounds like there was an attack launched near a place called Pelves quite hard to read the writing. Does anyone know anything about the attack the 8th Bat were part of on the 3rd May 1917? Many thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bardess Posted 5 April , 2011 Share Posted 5 April , 2011 Hi Siggs and welcome. Have you seen his CWGC entry? Also, try searching for Pelves in the top right search box [a few entries are there] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SIGGS Posted 5 April , 2011 Author Share Posted 5 April , 2011 Hi yes, Managed to find that very usefull. What i would like to find is when he inlisted being so young when he died i wouldnt of thought he been in very long? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bardess Posted 5 April , 2011 Share Posted 5 April , 2011 Have you tried Ancestry for his records? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SIGGS Posted 5 April , 2011 Author Share Posted 5 April , 2011 Hi no thats my next step to try.. Cheers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KevinBattle Posted 5 April , 2011 Share Posted 5 April , 2011 From Soldiers Died in the Great War (which Dental already referred to) Name: William Weller. Birth Place: Reigate, Surrey. Residence: Reigate. Death Date: 3 May 1917 Death Location: France & Flanders. Enlistment Location: Reigate. Rank: Private Regiment: Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regiment). Battalion: 8th Battalion. Number: 55307 Type of Casualty: Killed in action. Theatre of War: Western European Theatre Comments: Formerly 14174, Royal W. Kent Regt. As he was killed in action on the battlefield, he was probably buried and subsequent fighting destroyed the location. His Medal Index Card shows only his Reg't No as GS/55307 with Royal Fusiliers, and entitlement to "only" the British War and Victory medals, meaning (as you'd expect) that he wasn't in a Theatre of War until after 1915. As previously noted by Dental, he had a previous Reg't No as 14174 in the Queens Own Royal West Kent Regiment. Usually that would mean he served in that unit and was then wounded and when recovered transferred to where the need was most. In this instance, it may simply be the intial training battalion. I found one casualty with a somewhat similar Number:- Name: HOBBS, ALBERT BEACH. Rank: Lance Corporal Regiment/Service: Queen's Own (Royal West Kent Regiment). Unit Text: 6th Bn. Date of Death: 08/10/1915. Service No: G/14159 Grave/Memorial Reference: Panel 95 to 97. Memorial: LOOS MEMORIAL but I feel that it doesn't link with William as this chap had got promotion to Lance Corporal by late 1915, when William would have only been just 18. IF there is a connection (and it's a big "IF") then it might indicate William was wounded during the Battle of Loos. I'm just wondering though, if SDGW has an error? Could it be his previous Regiment was actually The Queens Royal WEST SURREY Regiment, which would fit with a Reigate man..... Compare... Name: VALENTINE, WILLIAM ALFRED. Rank: Private Regiment/Service: The Queen's (Royal West Surrey Regiment). Unit Text: 7th Bn. Age: 18. Date of Death: 02/12/1916. Service No: 14185 Additional information: Son of Alfred and Minnie Valentine, of 22, York Rd., West Hendon, Middx. Grave/Memorial Reference: II. A. 7A. Cemetery: ETRETAT CHURCHYARD Of course, I may be raising a red herring and SDGW is correct............ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SIGGS Posted 5 April , 2011 Author Share Posted 5 April , 2011 Hi Kevin, Thanks for the info v much apreciated.. I see what you mean much closer to the Royal West Surrey Regiment by number and by location.. If i can get his service record would this have his enlistement details on? e.g to state what reg he joined? Cheers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KevinBattle Posted 5 April , 2011 Share Posted 5 April , 2011 Siggs, approximately 70% of the Service records were destroyed by the Luftwaffe during Round 2. What survives is known as the Burnt Records (for obvious reasons) and are rather frayed round the edges and are sometimes mixed up with pages from another soldiers files. You MAY be one of the lucky few, but so far I haven't found anything. He could enlist from the age of 17, however the Army usually didn't send men over until they were 18, but that's subject to many variables. We do have expert Pals here who can sometimes deduce from the number, approximately when a chap was issued that number. There is a whole load of information on the Long Long Trail (on the GWF header bar) that explains many of the details. I'd discount my thinking on an incorrect Regiment until other, more expert, Pals who may want to add to the thread have made any helpful observations. I may be totally wrong in my guess. It's just that "usually" a reference to a previous Number is a hint that they had previous service (i.e.at the Front) rather than reference to an initial Training Battalion number, although obviously West Kent isn't too far away either. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SIGGS Posted 7 April , 2011 Author Share Posted 7 April , 2011 Hi Kevin, Thanks for the help on this, ill have to carry on digging it would be nice to know if he did fight in another unit and where about. Cheers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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