Corporal Alfred Dominy KRRC 9TH BAT 1914-18

[MBrockway]

How would i find out when Alfred enlisted? Then I could trace his movements throughout his time serving

thanks

Andy,

His Service Number of R/21496 points to an enlistment date of approximately the first half of December 1915.

However the service numbers assigned during this period coincided with the closing stages of the Derby and Group Schemes and there a number of riflemen in this range with much later 'outlier' enlistment dates well into 1916. We cannot be certain of the Dec 1915 date therefore :-(

Our working hypothesis for these anomalies is that some men were issued with a Service Number when they were registered rather than when they formally enlisted when their group was called up during 1916. We're still investigating this though.

Cheers,

Mark

[dominy]

Thanks, Mark, for this info & the MIC explanation.

So I assume that he would have stayed with the 9th KRRC from Dec'15/'16 until his death in March 1918.

So i just have to follow the battalions movements through this time to know approx. where he had been etc?

a

[MBrockway]

Thanks, Mark, for this info & the MIC explanation.

So I assume that he would have stayed with the 9th KRRC from Dec'15/'16 until his death in March 1918.

So i just have to follow the battalions movements through this time to know approx. where he had been etc?

a

errrr - not necessarily! :-)

SDGW often mentions previous service in another battalion, but not always!

While it's probably safe to assume he only served in 9/KRRC, the only way you can be certain of the battalions he fought with is to consult the medal rolls - those of the KRRC always show the battalions.

My own grandfather was transferred from 12/KRRC to 16/KRRC.

Nothing's ever simple eh?

Cheers,

Mark

[smilingjim]

9^th KRRC. I apologise if this is not the right forum but I am a recent member and, having read some of the forum subjects, I thought maybe the following will add to the picture of what happened to 9^th KRRC on the 21^st March, 1918. I’ve added a couple of queries for which there may be no definitive answer.

R/19840 Pte.. F.A. Vose “B” Coy. 9^th KRRC, was reported missing between 21^st –27^th March, 1918. His family were notified, late May, he was POW at Limburg. From the Forum I am now aware of the circumstances “B” coy 9th KRRC were in which led to his capture. His service record is not listed. The MIC has the usual two.

Although it was stated he was at Limburg , it was said, at one stage, he was put to work unloading scrap from railway wagons which could mean he may have been working anywhere, possibly in occupied territory. He and a companion managed to escape but I am not aware when and how escape was achieved but it seems to me they may have taken there chance on a wagon returning to the scrap source as he brought home three small items and I think it unlikely he would normally have carried them with him.. They travelled by night and rested by day receiving help from some French and Belgian people and, eventually, arrived at Calais. He sent a picture postcard of himself and his companion home which is dated 17^th October 1918. He has a L/cpl. stripe and a large light coloured rectangular patch on his left upper arm. The patch could be a POW marking. All I know about the companion is, he was probably Machine Gun Corps , named “Leo” or less likely “Lou”

Items in the Forum set me to wondering whether it was possible to learn more about his capture. In Calais, as escaped POW’s, they must have reported to someone and their claim would have to be verified. In fact that must have been so for them to have their picture taken. Was there a process of interview in Calais or Dover and where might that that be recorded? I have looked online but his name is not listed.

The main query relates to his actual capture. He said he and the cook owed their lives to the intervention of a captured, wounded, German officer in the dugout, who, when their position was overrun , stopped the incoming German infantry from killing them. Very much later in life he made mention of the others who were there. This raises the question as to whether or not it is known if other men of “B” company , at that time, became POW’s.

I note, in the Forum in the war record of the 9^th, KRRC, there is mention of a German officer being brought in by Rfn Blackwell on the 21/3/1918. It states his maps were sent back together with the information gained from that officer but no mention of how the officer was dealt with. The apparent coincidence suggests there could be a connection but a discrepancy lies within the report. Either the officer who gained the information left that particular post or the captured officer was moved elsewhere or there was another captured German officer.

Rifleman F.A. Vose was at Ypres and Paschendaele but I do not know which battles or which company he might have been in at that time. It is said he “went over the top” three times.

As some assistance to a discussion elsewhere in the Forums, R/fm Vose was left handed all his life and loaded his rifle by operating the bolt left handed across the magazine whilst holding the rifle with his right. That he went through training and ended up in the front line presumes some acceptable standard was achieved.