Furzefarm Posted 26 January , 2015 Share Posted 26 January , 2015 Photo now attached Furzefarm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackblue Posted 26 January , 2015 Share Posted 26 January , 2015 Could be Army Service Corps. Do you have a name? Rgds Tim D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Furzefarm Posted 26 January , 2015 Author Share Posted 26 January , 2015 Either William Dennis or William Sweetman Born Sweetman but called Dennis after birth father died and mother remarried Hope this helps Furzefarm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackblue Posted 27 January , 2015 Share Posted 27 January , 2015 Do you have a date of birth and details about where he was from? Do you know anything else about his service? Are there any documents in the family relating to his service? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FROGSMILE Posted 28 January , 2015 Share Posted 28 January , 2015 Army Service Corps methinks and quite early in the war going by his cap first and simplified jacket second. He also wears the typical, for ASC, leather belt from the 1903 Bandolier Equipment for men on mounted duties. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Furzefarm Posted 28 January , 2015 Author Share Posted 28 January , 2015 He was born William Sweetman in london (st Luke's) in 1879 On the 1891 census he was living in Whitechapel as Sweetman After that he then was known as Dennis There are no papers available He married Agnes starling in 1899 in Horleydown surrey In 1901 they were living in Stepney with daughter Agnes he was a fish porter In 1911 living in Whitechapel he was a shipyard labourer Hope this helps All the best Furzefarm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FROGSMILE Posted 28 January , 2015 Share Posted 28 January , 2015 He was born William Sweetman in london (st Luke's) in 1879 On the 1891 census he was living in Whitechapel as Sweetman After that he then was known as Dennis There are no papers available He married Agnes starling in 1899 in Horleydown surrey In 1901 they were living in Stepney with daughter Agnes he was a fish porter In 1911 living in Whitechapel he was a shipyard labourer Hope this helps All the best Furzefarm Given his age and work background it seems very likely to me that he was a member of an ASC Labour Company. Note the following from the GWF associated, Long Long Trail web site. "In France and Flanders it was soon discovered in 1914 that the local authorities could not supply civilian men for labouring duties such as helping the BEF disembark its stores and equipment from ships. The War Office arranged to send 300 labourers for these duties. More followed, and by the end of December 1914 they had been formed into 5 Labour Companies of the ASC. They were numbered 1 to 5. Many more Companies were formed in 1914 and 1915, but none are well documented." "Each Company consisted of 6 officers and 530 other ranks. Numbers 1 and 2 Labour Companies were officially formed at Aldershot on 24-25 August 1914. A number of Foremen and Gangers were recruited in the early weeks, to act as NCOs. Approximately 21,000 skilled labourers and dock workers had joined by the end of 1915. However, the Companies were not destined to remain for long: 28 were absorbed into the newly-created Labour Corps between February and June 1917; 8 other Companies were disbanded between January 1915 and June 1917, with personnel from 3 of these Companies being transferred to the Royal Marines." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Furzefarm Posted 29 January , 2015 Author Share Posted 29 January , 2015 Thank you for all your help Furzefarm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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