Bennov23 Posted 8 May , 2013 Share Posted 8 May , 2013 Hi there, I’m trying to track down my grandfather’s records, Pte B F Talbot, 1722. I would like to know where he served and where he went when he was shot in the leg. However I can’t find the records. Where is the best place to find them: is it at the national archives or is it with the regiments stuff in Woking?? Ben Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kath Posted 8 May , 2013 Share Posted 8 May , 2013 Ben, Was he Benjamin F Talbot Queen's Royal Regiment West Surrey, 1722 Labour Corps, 432906 There are two medal cards for him on Ancestry. Kath. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keithmroberts Posted 8 May , 2013 Share Posted 8 May , 2013 Assuming he was not in the Guards Ancestry for the 40% of service records that survived the blitz National Archives for medal rolls and war diaries libraries or Amazon for regimental and divisional histories once you have identified his battalion. Take a look at the advice in the Long Long Trail - it is all there. See the link at the top of the page. Keith Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bennov23 Posted 8 May , 2013 Author Share Posted 8 May , 2013 Hi there, I found the medal cards and have looked through everything I can find on ancestry but I cant find any records of him being wounded, cos he survived I know that he had a bullet hole through his leg and always had a limp. But I cant find records for this anywhere. So I was wanting to know which would be the best place to go and look?? Ben Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris_Baker Posted 8 May , 2013 Share Posted 8 May , 2013 Local and national newspapers. The "Times" has the most comprehensive listing. It can be searched online but needs access via a subscription - you can do it free at most libraries. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stebie9173 Posted 8 May , 2013 Share Posted 8 May , 2013 The date of entry on his medal card would suggest that the 7th Battalion of the Queen's (Royal West Surrey Regiment) of 55th Brigade in 18th Division is the most likely battalion he served with, but that cannot be said with certainty. I think his number would be G/1722 - the Labour Corps medal rolls tend to not show any prefixes. The G/ Prefix denoted War Time enlistments. Many men transferred to the Labour Corps had been medically downgraded due to wounds or illness. The transfer to the Labour Corps probably dates to the latter part of 1917, so we may be looking for a wounding in late 1916 or early 1917 whilst with his infantry battalion. Steve. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin kenf48 Posted 8 May , 2013 Admin Share Posted 8 May , 2013 The Queen's war diaries are online but doubt if they mention him by name http://www.queensroyalsurreys.org.uk/war_diaries/war_diaries_home.shtml Ken Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bennov23 Posted 8 May , 2013 Author Share Posted 8 May , 2013 Ben Chris - thanks for that, I shall give it a go might take a while as he worked in surrey but he grew up in west sussex which is where all the family lived so I think I shall have to search in both counties. Steve – you are bang on the money, I can’t work out which battalion he served with but he was wounded on the 1st day of the Somme, so July 1916. I know from what my family that he was in a hospital in Birmingham for about 22 week before being moved to an Eastbourne convalescent home. The big mystery I have is that he was started back in service on guard duty on a merchant navy ship, but I can’t find any records of this and it’s not mentioned on the medal card?? From what I have written down he did a few trips to Greece before moved to the labour corp. But it seems odd, why not post him to the labour corp to start with?? Ben Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stebie9173 Posted 8 May , 2013 Share Posted 8 May , 2013 7th Queen's in 55th Brigade were attacking Montauban on 1st July 1916, so that fits, but then again a lot of battalions were in action that day! If he was wounded then, then the transfer to the Labour Corps in about October 1917 is very late (most men were either returned to their infantry Regiment or discharged if a year passed between their wounding and their return to health). It could mean that he went to a different battalion of the Queen's or even a different Regiment (Labour Corps medal index cards are notorious for only having the first and last units served with noted on them). Greece sounds like the Salonika (Thessalonika) theatre of war. Is it possible that the story was of him doing guard duty on board ship whilst en route through the Mediterranean? Steve. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bennov23 Posted 8 May , 2013 Author Share Posted 8 May , 2013 Hi Steve. Yes it was. This is want my granddad wrote down from what he was told. “After recovering, he was called back to serve again, and was given a job at Southampton with a cargo to Selonica in Greece.” He talks about the trip then puts, “On the return journey they called at Alexandria in Egypt, and eventually back to Southampton. He made a second journey exactly the same. After the second trip he was posted to a farm at Mayfield in East Sussex to work there on a farm.” The bit about the farm is clearly when he transferred to the labour corps, but cos it was written down so long after both wars dates have been forgotten. Do you know where I would find records about this trip?? Ben Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stebie9173 Posted 8 May , 2013 Share Posted 8 May , 2013 I think it would be extremely difficult to track down the voyages without some specific details - cargo and troop ships would have been regularly crossing the Med every few days. I have had a quick look at the men numbered around Ben Talbot, and the known facts do tend to suggest that he was with the 7th Battalion of the Queen's: G/1715 Henry Hulatt Skinner - enlisted 4-9-1914 per records, posted to 7th Queen's, did not serve overseas, and discharged due to fitness G/1720 Walter Peter Haddow - enlisted at Guildford, Surrey; to France 27-7-1915 per MIC, killed in action 13-7-1916 with 7th Queen's G/1721 Thomas Henry Lomax - enlisted at Guildford, Surrey; to France 27-7-1915 per MIC, killed in action 1-7-1916 with 7th Queen's G/1726 William Aaron Hillyer, to France 27-7-1915 per MIC, died of Wounds 3-7-1916 with 7th Queen's G/1729 James Wyatt - to France 27-7-1915 per MIC, Killed in action 1-7-1916 with 7th Queens' Whilst we can never be certain of a man's movements from circumstantial evidence alone, what we have does point strongly to 7th Battalion. Steve. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roxy Posted 8 May , 2013 Share Posted 8 May , 2013 Ben, I'd be wary of believing the family story that he was wounded on the First Day of the Somme without corroboration. To some folks, that is the only battle fought during the war! My Mum thought that her Grandad had been killed on that very day -when, actually, he was killed at Loos in Sep 1915. Roxy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bennov23 Posted 8 May , 2013 Author Share Posted 8 May , 2013 (edited) Hi Steve and Roxy, Steve - Thanks for that he enlisted at Guildford so it seems likely to be the 7th then. I have a feeling that he moved to the 9th at some point but this could be while he was recovering from his wounds. But at the moment I can’t tell. Roxy – thanks for that I shall watch out for that. From what Steve says above as a guess for being wounded, it's about the right time for the Somme. If I could find some medical records about the wound it might help but at the moment I’m hitting brick walls with that avenue. Thanks again Ben Edited 8 May , 2013 by Bennov23 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stebie9173 Posted 8 May , 2013 Share Posted 8 May , 2013 There appear to be several service records for men with similar Labour Corps numbers. These tell a similar tale to each other: 432902 Alfred Edward Broom - Served in the Somerset Light Infantry -> Transferred to 4th Battalion Royal Defence Corps 29-4-1916 -> Transferred to 2nd Battalion Royal Defence Corps 18-8-1917 -> Transferred to the Labour Corps on 27-10-1917 43929 Henry F Duggan - Served in the 5th Battalion of the Royal Fusiliers -> Transferred to 1st (Home Service) Battalion, The Buffs, 6-10-1916 -> Transferred to 2nd Battalion Royal Defence Corps 18-8-1917 -> Transferred to the Labour Corps on 27-10-1917 432951 Robert Charles Beat - Served in the Buffs, ill and evacuated to England. Transferred to 1st (Home Service) Battalion, The Buffs, May 1916 -> Transferred to 2nd Battalion Royal Defence Corps -> Transferred to the Labour Corps on 7-9-1917 These three men show a pattern of movements that suggests that the 1st (Home Service) Battalion, The Buffs which converted into 2nd Battalion Royal Defence Corps on 18-8-1917 may be involved in the army careers of the men transferring to the Labour Corps with the group that Ben Talbot was in. The timescale of two months between conversion of the Home Service Battalion to the Royal Defence Corps and the transfer to the Labour Corps makes it seem likely that Ben Talbot was also in these units for a time. Whether they provided cargo ship guards, I cannot say! Steve. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin kenf48 Posted 8 May , 2013 Admin Share Posted 8 May , 2013 284 soldiers from the 7th Queens were wounded on the first day of the Somme; 174 were killed and 58 missing. As the total strength who went overseas was 971, it's hardly surprising they were withdrawn from the line until late August so I wouldn't dismiss the family story too easily. Ken Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bennov23 Posted 8 May , 2013 Author Share Posted 8 May , 2013 (edited) Hi Steve and Ken Thank you both for this information. It looks like I may do better trying to find out about his labour corps transfer records. Your right they do look very similar, so I shall try and have a look at the Royal Defence Corps. Do you have any idea on where I may find any other information cos at the moment I can’t seem to find anything at all apart from the medal cards, I have also searched ancestry but no luck. Thank you again for your help Ben Edited 8 May , 2013 by Bennov23 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
saw119 Posted 10 May , 2013 Share Posted 10 May , 2013 Bennov you must consider the fact that all your relatives service records were destroyed in the Blitz by the Luftwaffe. However, have you looked through the pension records on ancestry? There is a chance he is there, maybe, perhaps, clutching at straws. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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