codge01 Posted 27 September , 2012 Share Posted 27 September , 2012 Hello All, I'm off to Etaples Military cemetary shortly with my father to see the resting place of his grandfather. namely James Wooder b. 15/3/1879 Kilburn. He enlisted in the 24 (132) Queens Royal West Surrey Regt Labour Coy on 12/3/1917, he then died of "Toxic e" ? On 28/5/1917 at 24 General Hospital Etaples. I and others have found it very difficult to find any information relating to his short service and was hoping to. Could anybody tell me what WW1 medals might he of received postumously I guess, if any? He was also discharged from the 22nd Middlesex regt on the 16/8/1915 being medically unfit (flat feet maybe), might he of had a silver war badge for this? I was hoping to be able to offer my father a reproduced set to wear whilst at the cemetary. From his war Graves photo card I think the details are: 56146, Wooder J Pte, 24th Labour Coy 1st 5th R W Surrey Regt Thank you Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
codge01 Posted 27 September , 2012 Author Share Posted 27 September , 2012 Hello All, I'm off to Etaples Military cemetary shortly with my father to see the resting place of his grandfather. namely James Wooder b. 15/3/1879 Kilburn. He enlisted in the 24 (132) Queens Royal West Surrey Regt Labour Coy on 12/3/1917, he then died of "Toxic e" ? On 28/5/1917 at 24 General Hospital Etaples. I and others have found it very difficult to find any information relating to his short service and was hoping to. Could anybody tell me what WW1 medals might he of received postumously I guess, if any? He was also discharged from the 22nd Middlesex regt on the 16/8/1915 being medically unfit (flat feet maybe), might he of had a silver war badge for this? I was hoping to be able to offer my father a reproduced set to wear whilst at the cemetary. From his war Graves photo card I think the details are: 56146, Wooder J Pte, 24th Labour Coy 1st 5th R W Surrey Regt Thank you One other thing is all online information states his army number as G/79090 and not the 56146 as is on his war grave image and the telegram home to announce his death? Why is this/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ss002d6252 Posted 27 September , 2012 Share Posted 27 September , 2012 One other thing is all online information states his army number as G/79090 and not the 56146 as is on his war grave image and the telegram home to announce his death? Why is this/ A man would have been allocated a new number when he changed units. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CGM Posted 27 September , 2012 Share Posted 27 September , 2012 This appears to be his entry in the Commonwealth War Graves Commission Debt of Honour. WOODER, J Rank: Private Service No: 79090 Date of Death: 28/05/1917 Regiment/Service: The Queen's (Royal West Surrey Regiment) 24th Labour Coy. Grave Reference: XXV. E. 7A. Cemetery: ETAPLES MILITARY CEMETERY Additional Information: This suggests that 79090 is the number on his CWGC gravestone. Where have you seen a war grave image with the other number ? Regards CGM Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rksimpson Posted 27 September , 2012 Share Posted 27 September , 2012 Hi The strange thing is he does not seem to have a MIC and I cant see any service records either? regards Robert Also this from SDGW - Regiment: Queen's (Royal West Surrey Regiment) Battalion: 24th Labour Company Number: G/79090 Type of Casualty: Died Birth Place: Paddington, Middx. Residence: Paddington Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
myos Posted 27 September , 2012 Share Posted 27 September , 2012 With such a short space of time between enlistment and his death, could he have died either on the boat going over to France, or soon after without actually entering a war zone? Andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stebie9173 Posted 28 September , 2012 Share Posted 28 September , 2012 Men in infantry labour companies were enlisted into the newly raised companies in spring 1917 (mostly around March 1917) and sent immediately to France. In May 1917 these companies were converted to Labour Corps Companies with a new number being allocated. With his date of death being so close to the "conversion" of these companies he would have probably been referred to by both numbers around that point, which coincides with his death. 24th Infantry Labour Company of the Queens (Royal West Surrey Regiment) became 132nd Labour Company of the Labour Corps in May 1917 with men being issued new Labour Cprps numbers at that time in the range 78601 to 79200. Steve. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
codge01 Posted 28 September , 2012 Author Share Posted 28 September , 2012 Thank you all for your help, after concideration I beleive Stebie9173 ( Steve ) as the most fesable explanation with the amalgamation of the labour companies into the corps. Would this labour corp be part of the 1st/ 5th? Would he of been entitled to any medals postumously? And to answer CGM's question the details I supplied were from the death announcment telegram and the War graves commission photo of James's newly formed grave at Etaples. Thank you all again Regards Colin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
archangel9 Posted 28 September , 2012 Share Posted 28 September , 2012 I can't find any MIC either - he should have one and he was entitled to British War and Victory Medals - http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/records/medal-index-cards-ww1.htm John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CGM Posted 28 September , 2012 Share Posted 28 September , 2012 And to answer CGM's question the details I supplied were from the death announcment telegram and the War graves commission photo of James's newly formed grave at Etaples. Thank you all again Regards Colin That is interesting, Colin. So his permanent stone grave marker, which was installed some time after his burial, had the other number. More evidence of the confusion during the change of numbers ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
archangel9 Posted 28 September , 2012 Share Posted 28 September , 2012 British Commonwealth War Graves Registers, 1914-1918, Etaples Military Cemetery France - Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
River97 Posted 29 September , 2012 Share Posted 29 September , 2012 Not only would he have been entitled to the British War Medal and Victory Medal, but his next of kin would/should have received the Memorial Plaque and Scroll. Cheers Andy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rksimpson Posted 29 September , 2012 Share Posted 29 September , 2012 Hi I am still puzzled, searched National Archives and got this list for 79090- http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/SearchUI/s/res/1?_aq=+%2279090%22&_col=online&_ps=15&_ro=any If you use that number and his surname, no matches? Tried his name- http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/SearchUI/s/res?_q=james+wooder&_sd=yyyy&_ed=yyyy&x=37&y=14 only 2 people- not him? Tried J Wooder- no match, 56146- no match One can only assume his MIC has gone missing and his service records destroyed unfortunately. regards Robert Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted 29 September , 2012 Share Posted 29 September , 2012 Maybe Andy in post #6 is right? Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
codge01 Posted 29 September , 2012 Author Share Posted 29 September , 2012 I guessed he would of been entitled to the British & Victory medals, and indeed someone would of received the Death Penny. I too was cofused by your findings in the National archives was I noticed was omitted was the "G" before the number, once this is entered then a MIC for a Charles E Aldridge appears and indeed his last number was G/79090 Queens RWS. Now the confusing thing for me is, that the telegram home clearly states " No 56146 pte J wooder Queens RWS " and yet all the transribed stuff says G/79090. As far as I was aware the numbers actually stayed with the regiment not the soldier. So if he was in the 24th Labour company which became 132 labour corp, you would assume the number on the telegram which is the same as onhis Grave Cross "56146" was his final number? And that the g79090 was from the original labour company. Or indeed as post #7 states perhaps he died within days of his new labour corp number being issued. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted 29 September , 2012 Share Posted 29 September , 2012 Might there be an obituary in his local newspaper. That may shed some light? Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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