robinsgt Posted 29 May , 2013 Share Posted 29 May , 2013 I have a WW1 BWM engraved on the edge---1051 DVR G (POSSIBLE C) R THORPE R A, I cannot find details for this soldier on the CWGC site -the nearest is a Capt Robert Thorpe date of death 25/4/1917 aged 30 Hon Artillery Coy 1st Batt Duisans British cemetery Etrun .Can this be my man? I do not think so. Am I right that DVR would be driver and R A Royal Artillery -any info about the medal most welcome. Robin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Owl Posted 29 May , 2013 Share Posted 29 May , 2013 Hi Robin, No, these are definitely not the same man. The BWM to the officer would be impressed only: Capt.R.Thorpe. So the BWM which you have is to Driver Thorpe of the Royal Artillery and as such may not be a casualty. Hope this clarifies the matter for you. Robert Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robinsgt Posted 29 May , 2013 Author Share Posted 29 May , 2013 Yes it makes it clearer to me>i had a senior moment and did not realise he could have survived.Thanks again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IPT Posted 29 May , 2013 Share Posted 29 May , 2013 He was Charles R Thorpe. Perhaps someone could have a look if there is any further info on his MIC. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chester837 Posted 29 May , 2013 Share Posted 29 May , 2013 Charles R Thorpe, Royal Field Artillery. Two regimental numbers, 1051 & 875162. Awarded a 14/15 Star, BWM & BVM. Also awarded SWB. If I find any more I'll post it Cheers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adam Llewellyn Posted 29 May , 2013 Share Posted 29 May , 2013 There should be further information on his SWB listing, date of enlistment, discharge and possible battery/unit. Regards. Llew. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stephen peter roche Posted 29 May , 2013 Share Posted 29 May , 2013 Hope this helps it may be that you need to use the medal index at the u k natonal archives site and try useing just his surname,?From Past experences and had to it again tonight on the cwgc site just to look up a number, have just looked at pages 1 to 9 useing the inital c and found 3 c thorpes in the r a might be of some use if you have his reg/number the one on the s,w,b is an early number if he was wounded they'ed replace it with another if you have any problem let me know and ill see if I can reslove it for you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ralphjd Posted 29 May , 2013 Share Posted 29 May , 2013 Entry on his SWB page :- Regimental Number 875162; Rank Signaller ; Name (in full) Thorpe Charles Robert : Unit discharged from Mustapha Details : (That is exactly what is typed I do not understand it) Badge number 482761 ; Enlistment date 8-11-12 ; Discharge date 14-12-18 ; Cause of discharge Sick 392 (XVIA) Whether served overseas Yes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stephen peter roche Posted 30 May , 2013 Share Posted 30 May , 2013 have just been into charles r thorpe medal card as I thought 1051 was changed to 875162 at some pointI,I dont think he held any rank according to this medal card but he was a driver,There are only certian things you can get on line and may need to contact the Impreal war messium or national archives to find out if there is anything about him but there where records that where destroyed in 1940. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin kenf48 Posted 30 May , 2013 Admin Share Posted 30 May , 2013 I doubt you will find much more at IWM; the medal rolls at the TNA may give his battery but the RFA is notorious for simply listing 'RFA' on the Rolls with not much detail, but as ever there are exceptions. The 1051 number, together with his enlistment date strongly suggests a TF unit (which would most probably have been local) and he was renumbered along with the rest of the TF in 1917. See the parent site the LLT http://www.1914-1918...renumbering.htm The fact he did not go to France and Flanders earlier than the 15th November 1915 suggests he was previously on Home Service. In fact looking at the mic again it may well be a 'T' after RFA under the heading Corps. Forgive me but slight correction to post 8 he is still listed as a 'Driver' on the SWB Rolls and not a signaller. 'Mustapha Details' may refer to Overseas Base Mustapha in Egypt. This is most commonly referenced in relation to Australian troops but I believe there was a hospital there and as he was discharged due to sickness it seems possible. My Grandfather was in the RFA and was sent to Egypt towards the end of the war after service on the Western Front. Ken Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stephen peter roche Posted 30 May , 2013 Share Posted 30 May , 2013 ken I think that the renumbering process may have begain early then 1917 as 2 relatives went into the army in 1916 and where given the numbers 2020 and 2021 on being returned to duty after being wounded in 1916 one had the number 2033736 the other who remained in hospital Hostpital and had been 2033737 as his number.stephen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin kenf48 Posted 30 May , 2013 Admin Share Posted 30 May , 2013 ken I think that the renumbering process may have begain early then 1917 as 2 relatives went into the army in 1916 and where given the numbers 2020 and 2021 on being returned to duty after being wounded in 1916 one had the number 2033736 the other who remained in hospital Hostpital and had been 2033737 as his number.stephen ?? I'm sorry I don't understand the above. It's doubtful that 4 digit numbers were still being issued by the British Army in 1916 and I don't recall ever seeing a seven digit number (which doesn't mean there weren't some). As the link above shows the renumbering process was promulgated by Army Council Instructions so can be dated with some degree of certainty. Certainly a soldier would be allocated a different number if he changed Regiment and this frequently happened but the soldier who is the subject of this thread remained in the RFA so the most logical reason for him being renumbered is due to the renumbering of TF Units. I could only find two Charles R Thorpe in the 1911 Census, father and son they were boarders in Great Yarmouth aged 40 (a widower) and ship plater's helper and his son a House Boy Domestic aged 13. Theoretically either could have enlisted in the TF in August 1912. If it was one of them and they joined a local TF Battery they would have been part of 54th (East Anglian) Division. According to the LLT http://www.1914-1918.net/54div.htm the artillery did not accompany the Division to Gallipoli but landed in France from 17/11/1915 which seems coincidentally close to the date of entry on the MIC. They then went on to rejoin the Division in Egypt and after campaigning in Palestine returned to Egypt in 1918 (which accords with my guess as to his discharge location on the SWB). However there are more candidates in the 1901 Census e.g. a carter aged 14 (b1887) living in Sheffield which again if he joined the local TF would place him in the 49th (West Riding) Division, who remained with the BEF on the Western Front throughout the war. Of course in the absence of a service record this hypothesis assumes he joined a TF Battery and remained with the same unit until his discharge. Perhaps the OP can tell us how they came by the medal, it might help narrow down the location. Ken Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robinsgt Posted 30 May , 2013 Author Share Posted 30 May , 2013 Ken -- as the OP (if this means original poster) the medal was given to me by a relative (now deceased) along with other medals and "the death plaque" of a relative who was killed 12/7/1915.He was Alfred Kenneth STEPNEY a private in 1st Batt. Queens ( West Royal Surrey) Reg. He lived at Carshalton and is remembered on this and Cheam W M.Therefor I can only guess it was somehow associated with our STEPNEY family although I have no evidence of this or perhaps it was another soldier living in HOOK CARSHALTON area of Surrey.I feel rather strange as I have had this medal for many years and never examined it -I just assumed it was for Alfred as it was with other items about him.Sorry I cannot be of more help but thank everybody who has helped with my query. Robin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IPT Posted 30 May , 2013 Share Posted 30 May , 2013 I think the 13 year old in Great Yarmouth that Ken has found on the 1911 census is the right man. There are service papers for 875163 Charles A Balls (previously 1054) who enlisted 11/11/12 and lived less than a mile away. From those papers, I suspect that Thorpe may have gone to France in November 1915 for three months before embarking for Alexandria. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stephen peter roche Posted 30 May , 2013 Share Posted 30 May , 2013 I have a WW1 BWM engraved on the edge---1051 DVR G (POSSIBLE C) R THORPE R A, I cannot find details for this soldier on the CWGC site -the nearest is a Capt Robert Thorpe date of death 25/4/1917 aged 30 Hon Artillery Coy 1st Batt Duisans British cemetery Etrun .Can this be my man? I do not think so Am I right that DVR would be driver and R A Royal Artillery -any info about the medal most welcome.I am thinking the letter c or g may be the battery he was with,stephen Robin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Strawbridge Posted 31 May , 2013 Share Posted 31 May , 2013 Robin, 1051 = service number DVR. = driver C.R. THORPE = his initials and name R.A. = Royal Artillery A 1914/5 star would give which arm of the Royal Artillery (ie Royal Field Artillery, Royal Horse Artillery or Royal Garrison Artillery) but all British War Medals and Victory medals will just show R.A. The medal information card confirms this to be Charles R. Thorpe of the Royal Field Artillery. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin kenf48 Posted 31 May , 2013 Admin Share Posted 31 May , 2013 Thank you Robin for the clarification, it does seem a bit of a mystery but up until relatively recently these medals could be found cheaply in junk shops and the like, perhaps the original BWM for Alfred Stepney was lost and replaced in this way. Also thanks to IPT for the pointer to Charles Balls. Ken Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ASA1 Posted 7 June , 2013 Share Posted 7 June , 2013 Hi hopeful, I am interested in any information you may have about Alfred Stepney; as you say he is commemorated on Carshalton war memorial which I have been researching for the last 5 years - see my website www.carshaltonwarmemorial.webs.com. I don't think he is commemorated on Cheam war memorial; I seem to recall that Cheam does not have any individual names inscribed on it. Regards, Andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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