Landship Posted 11 December , 2011 Share Posted 11 December , 2011 Hello, I'm new and hoping someone maybe able to help me. I am trying to preserve and enhance the family history documentation. A distant side shoot involves a James WOOLLARD. His photo is attached -- taken by Gale & Polden, Aldershot. I could really do with a positive ID of his unit / regiment, rank and any other details that the picture shows. I think he was in the Royal Army Medical Corps and reached the rank of Temporary Major & Quartermaster. I also beleive he served in -- initially in France / Belgium (1914 / 1915) -- and for the rest of teh war (?) in 15th General Hospital, Alexandria, Egypt. Can anyone please help? additional close ups additional close ups Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graham Stewart Posted 11 December , 2011 Share Posted 11 December , 2011 Not too knowledgable on Corps, but would say a Sgt Major, R.A.M.C., post-1915 it became Regimental Sgt Major. Think two of the medals are for the South African War - not so sure on the third one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Verrico2009 Posted 11 December , 2011 Share Posted 11 December , 2011 Hi - and welcome to the Forum. This would seem to be the matching Medals Index Card (copy available from the NA here: MIC), which you may have:- Name: James Woollard Regiment or Corps: 15th Gen Hosp, Royal Army Medical Corps "LT & QM" followed by "Major". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Verrico2009 Posted 11 December , 2011 Share Posted 11 December , 2011 And following Graham's possible ID for two of the other medals, this man fought in the Boer War, rank "2/c S Sergt":- Name: J Woollard Campaign or Service: South Africa - Second Boer War Service Date: 1899-1902 Service Location: South Africa Regiment or Unit Name: Royal Army Medical Corps Regimental Number:8176 He was awarded the King's South Africa Medal with 1901 and 1902 clasps (does that make it the one on the left?). There is another mention of the same man, but it's only a handwritten list on a scrap of paper in the Queen's South Africa rolls, rather than a direct link to the roll confirming the award, so it'll take some trawling through to find out where the actual mention is. ETA - I can see what's happened: somehow these pages (which are all handwritten) have lost their top typed description and also been torn in half at some point, so each half has been scanned in separately. Unfortunately, of all of them, it's the remainder of this man's page that has either been lost or overlooked. I will continue to look but haven't found anything to match so far - at least it's distinctive in that the list is short enough to only take up half the page. ETA2 - just found it! And thankfully the full page - only 14 pages further on from where the search takes you. Three "yeses" indicate he got three clasps: Cape Colony, Orange Free State and Transvaal. And a short note "From Details RAMC Pretoria 24.4.01". In that case, I'd revise what I said and guess that the medal on the left is the QSA followed by the KSA and assume the third is the one Graham's unsure of. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Staffsyeoman Posted 11 December , 2011 Share Posted 11 December , 2011 The Medals are the Queen's South Africa 1899-1902 with three clasps (Cape Colony, Orange Free State, Transval would have been my estimates too), the King's South Africa 1901-1902 with two clasps (South Africa 1901 and South Africa 1902). The third medal is a King Edward VII issue regular Army Long Service and Good Conduct medal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Verrico2009 Posted 11 December , 2011 Share Posted 11 December , 2011 Looks like it's the same man then. I was wondering about whether to guess at the LSGC but it would have only been a guess on my part. Pleased to see I seem to be learning something. FMP have a set of records (consisting of 3 pages) for a man born c.1879 in Swafram Garise, Cambridge, who attested on 12 September 1898 into the RAMC. Could this be him? I don't have a subscription for further details. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Landship Posted 12 December , 2011 Author Share Posted 12 December , 2011 Wow! This is an amazing set of responses -- much appreciated. You are confirming a suspicion about the Boer War. It could explain why his new wife was living with relatives in Knighton during the 1901 Census. I have the (digital) medal card via Ancestors. Could do with help deciphering the shorthand. See images. I have found 2 entries in the London Gazette: -- London Gazette, 17 February 1914 ARMY MEDICAL SERVICE. The undermentioned Serjeant-Majors to be Quartermasters with the honorary rank of Lieutenant. Dated 18th February, 1914 :— James Woollard. Edward Ernest Ward. -- London Gazette, 16 March 1920 MEMORANDA Qr.-Mr. and Capt. James Woollard, R. A. M.C., on ceasing duty with No. 14 Base Depôt Med. Stores. 29th Jan. 1920. He seems to have served in Belgium / France 1914-15 and the rest of the war with 15th General Hospital, Alexandria, Egypt (?). I'm confused about the badge on the helmet plate. It looks similar to Coldstream Guards, but I'm guessing its RAMC -- just not the badge I usually find for RAMC. Can anyone resolve / illuminate this? Really pleased with the response. Wish I got the same on another forum trying to identify a cutlass that was supposed to be at Trafalgar -- another line of the family. On yet another arm -- can anyone recommend the equivalent of this forum for WW2? I await further posts with great interest... thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Landship Posted 12 December , 2011 Author Share Posted 12 December , 2011 On 12/12/2011 at 06:37, Verrico2009 said: Looks like it's the same man then. I was wondering about whether to guess at the LSGC but it would have only been a guess on my part. Pleased to see I seem to be learning something. FMP have a set of records (consisting of 3 pages) for a man born c.1879 in Swafram Garise, Cambridge, who attested on 12 September 1898 into the RAMC. Could this be him? I don't have a subscription for further details. Via Ancestors and BMD Births -- I think I keep getting: -- James WOOLLARD - b: Q3 1879; Tendring, Essex. For Cambridge, I only get Arthur James WOOLLARD - b. Q2, 1882. Can't find the one you mention, but then you may have more accurate records. I am awaiting a Marriage Certificate for Sgt. James WOOLLARD and Laura SCHEFFERS. They were married at Devonport; Q3 1899. Looks like they may have got married just before he shipped out to South Africa? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Landship Posted 12 December , 2011 Author Share Posted 12 December , 2011 Attempt at better image within size. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steven Broomfield Posted 12 December , 2011 Share Posted 12 December , 2011 On 12/12/2011 at 06:37, Verrico2009 said: a man born c.1879 in Swafram Garise, Cambridge, Could this possible be Swaffham Parish? Outside Cambridge are the villages of Swaffham Bulbeck and Swaffham Prior, which make a parish (with - I think - Bottisham, Lode and Stow-cum-Quy) Swarfram Garise sounds like something to remove oil from your hands. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Verrico2009 Posted 12 December , 2011 Share Posted 12 December , 2011 Could well be, Steven - without the necessary credits to go through to look at the original, I could only go with the way FMP have transcribed it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Staffsyeoman Posted 12 December , 2011 Share Posted 12 December , 2011 No problems with the helmet plate either - that is the Royal Army Medical Corps (a cut out cross with a red insert behind). The Coldstream Guards wore bearskins (busbys) and not the Home Service pattern helmet here, so it is not their badge. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Landship Posted 12 December , 2011 Author Share Posted 12 December , 2011 Hi, and welcome. This is the forum for WW2: http://www.ww2talk.com/forum/ CGM Many thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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