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Remembered Today:

Sgt George Edgar Proudlove 2179, 300009 & 538590.


LCpl Lee Cope

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Hello folks,

I've finally tracked down my Great Grandfather "George Edgar Proudlove."

George Edgar Proudlove ( b ) Jan 1888 Burton upon Trent, Staffordshire.

At first I didn't believe he'd served in the Army during The Great Was as my Grandmother has never been told.

I would like assistance in forming a picture of his military service using the Three documents that I've found.

It looks like George was a Pte 2179 & Cpl 300009 in the Staffordshire Imperial Yeomanry (Queens Own Royal Regiment), before becoming a Sgt 538590 in The Royal Tank Corps.

Any assistance would be very much appreciated.

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I hope the images are clear enough.

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First image is a War and Victory medal roll yet neither of his 2 medal cards from the Na's http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D4735894 and http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D6384520 seem to be on Ancestry, also neither mentions "Tank Corps".

Have you seen either of the Medal Cards?

Sam

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The only referance I have to The Tank Regiment is the first of the following document's:

Also, many thanks Rough Diamond. I've just purchased George's WW1 medal cards and here they are.

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I'm assuming that George would have played a part in Egypt as part of the 1/1st Staffordshire Yeomanry Company who were based at Burton upon Trent, Staffordshire.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Staffordshire_Yeomanry

And how happy am I! A new medal to add to the collection! The Territorial Force Efficiancy Medal! :)

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The Staffordshire Yeomanry (almost certainly C Squadron) preparing to depart from Burton-on-Trent. Photo courtesy of www.roll-of-honour.com.

Could George have been there?

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neither mentions "Tank Corps".

Sam

That's because he did not serve in the Tank Corps during the war (re-enlisting 1920).

The record set on FMP is (as shown on the screen grab) is 1919 - 1934.

Ken

The LLT has a very detailed summary of the movements of the Staffs Yeomanry http://www.1914-1918.net/staffsyeo.htm

but as the photo above is on the page you probably know that.

Ken

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I wonder how my Gran is going to react when I explain that her Farther was involved in WW1? And not only involved, he was there pretty much from the start.

Gran has absoloutly no idea that he served.... I wonder how it was never mentioned, I mean how could it be just forgotten to time. :angry2:

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UPDATE:

I've just returned home after speaking with my Gran and the response was a complete shock!

I've never heard her speak in such a way about anyone, let alone her Father and trust me, there wasn't anything good to say.... Not by any stretch of the imagination!

By all accounts, George Edgar Proudlove was a bit of a drunken Ogre to the family.

He drank (a lot), he was very violent and often returned home from the pub to smash the place up. The kids even had to clean up the mess after a violent/drunken outburst.

George Edgar Proudlove was not a faithful man either and was thrown out by his wife due to his loutish behaviour.

I wonder if this was a by-product of the War?

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UPDATE:

I've just returned home after speaking with my Gran and the response was a complete shock!

I've never heard her speak in such a way about anyone, let alone her Father and trust me, there wasn't anything good to say.... Not by any stretch of the imagination!

By all accounts, George Edgar Proudlove was a bit of a drunken Ogre to the family.

He drank (a lot), he was very violent and often returned home from the pub to smash the place up. The kids even had to clean up the mess after a violent/drunken outburst.

George Edgar Proudlove was not a faithful man either and was thrown out by his wife due to his loutish behaviour.

I wonder if this was a by-product of the War?

Quite possibly - the war could affect people mentally but it could simply have been a by-product of who he was.

I have heard similar (passing) statements made about my grandfather although he died when I was young I never saw any bad side to him but it certainly seemed to exist (although more about drinking the families money away rather than violence).

Craig

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  • 8 months later...

Hello folks! Back on the trail of my Great Grandfather - George Edgar Proudlove.

From what I've learned he was with the 1/1st Staffordshire Yeomanry - C Squadron.

If I've read correctly this would mean he was part of the renamed 22nd Mounted Brigade and under orders of Western Frontier Force.

Then...

February 1917: brigade under orders of Anzac Mounted Division.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anzac_Mounted_Division

As I have not a single photo of George does anyone know where to find a good site that has lots of picture postcards, just on the off chance that One with his name on may exist.

Regards,

Lee.

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I'm assuming that Georges first regimental number 2179 would have been issued prior to 1909.

As the link below states "Lionel Bates was given the number 2074 when he joined the regiment in May 1908. This though, was the number he'd been given when he joined the Staffordshire Imperial Yeomanry on the 16th November 1907.

So George was also part of The Staffordshire Imperial Yeomanry before the name changed to The Staffordshire Yeomanry (Queen's Own Royal Regiment) ~ C Company, based at Burton On Trent.

Would this be the same Imperial Yeomanry who saw active service in The Second Boer War that took place between 1899 - 1902.

George didn't begin his service until 1907, but the experience gained from his instructors must have been Very interesting.

I admit it would be highly unlikely that George saw any service in South Africa and I read that the QSA medal was issued between 1899 - 1902, so this could mean even if he did serve in SA in 1908 (20 years old) then he probably didn't receive any medal.

I'm pretty certain this would only be recorded in his service/pension records and these have been destroyed. :(

http://armyservicenumbers.blogspot.co.uk/2014/06/staffordshire-yeomanry-queens-own-royal.html

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Just found this website on the internet showing photo's of "Hussars."

http://www.hussards-photos.com/UK_home.htm

There are some very smart looking soldiers on there and to see the Staffordshire Imperial Yeomanry uniform in a photo makes me want to finish the task of finding out all about George!

He served for about 18 years and made it to the rank of Sergeant, so someone in my extended Proudlove family must have a photo.

The search continues...

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I don't suppose anyone would be so kind as to give George Edgar Proudlove a look up on the London Gazette.

I can never get it to work properly. :(

Any help would be very much appreciated.

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I don't suppose anyone would be so kind as to give George Edgar Proudlove a look up on the London Gazette.

What are you looking for on the LG? He has a 15 Star trio and a TFE Medal, none of which get gazetted.

Sam

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I'm looking into anything documented that could possibly provide more info on George.

A photo would be a dream find!

As you say, the medals were not documented but absolutely any mention of him in the LG during his service could lead me to other finds.

Promotions etc.

As no service records survived I'll take the smallest of details and If he signed up in 1907, what was he doing between 1907 & 1915?

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If he was yeomanry man then he'd be living a normal civilian life. Your best bet would be the 1911 census.

A promotion to corporal wouldn't appear on the LG.

Craig

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OK, I have his 1911 census and he was the cart-man for a public house called The White Horse.

I guess he would have transported people and goods with a cart & horse.

It's no longer a pub, but it's just up the road from me on Stanton Road in South Derbyshire.

Where would the Staffordshire Imperial Yeomanry meet up in Burton On Trent in 1907?

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I'm looking into anything documented that could possibly provide more info on George.

A photo would be a dream find!

As you say, the medals were not documented but absolutely any mention of him in the LG during his service could lead me to other finds.

Promotions etc.

As no service records survived I'll take the smallest of details and If he signed up in 1908, what was he doing between 1908 & 1915?

Only Officers promotions appear in the LG, Other Ranks (OR's) would only be named in the LG for Bravery awards, he has none so will not be mentioned.

"As for what he did between enlisting in 1908 and 1915", nothing really, the Yeomanry were part-time Soldiers at weekends and an annual camp of 2 weeks normally, they were the mounted branch of the Territorial Force. http://www.longlongtrail.co.uk/army/regiments-and-corps/the-british-yeomanry-regiments-of-1914-1918/

"Where would the Staffordshire Imperial Yeomanry meet up in Burton On Trent in 1908?" Uttoxeter http://www.longlongtrail.co.uk/army/regiments-and-corps/the-british-yeomanry-regiments-of-1914-1918/staffordshire-yeomanry-queens-own-royal-regiment/

Sam

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Thanks Roughdiamond,

I was hoping for a building location, but I know lots of people from Uttoxeter.

I'll get in touch with a few and see if any local historians have photo's of the Staffordshire Yeomanry from the time that have survived and are still yet to find their way on to the internet.

I have however come across a photo of Stanton Road and the location appears to be just outside another public house on the same road named "The Gate Inn" It's a great photo of kids playing out on the street and what appears to be carts or cars passing by.

The photo is courtesy of The Magic Attic and I will drop into them to ask what year the photo was taken.

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Just for clarification there was a drill station at Uttoxeter for C Squadron Staffordshire Yeomanry the Uttoxeter troop merged with Burton on Trent to form C Squadron in 1893.

There are three photographs of the Uttoxeter Drill Station on this site,the building apparently still used by the local council.

http://www.geograph.org.uk/gallery/ww1_great_war_centenary_drill_halls_25173

However ' C ' Squadron was also based at Burton-on-Trent at the Drill Hall at Horninglow Street according to the Drill Halls Project in 1919 this was located behind the Magistrates Court http://www.drillhalls.org/Counties/Staffordshire/TownBurtonOnTrent.htm

The Drill Hall project does not have a photograph but on the Geograph site there is a contemporary image of the rear of the site

http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/4067379

The site appears to have been redeveloped recently although the TA was apparently still using the building until 2000.

Although merged the troops would have retained their identity within the Squadron.

Ken

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Hello Kenf48,

That's great information!

I would never have known where to look for the details on the old Malting's building, and would you believe it, I've actually been working in an office on Horninglow Road directly across from that building for the past Four years!

I'm on nights atm looking directly at it on the office CCTV! :)

With your revelation I'll try my utmost to find out if any old photo's from back then exist. As far as I can see the building is now either offices or has been converted into flats.

This is crazy, but my Great Grandfather George Edgar Proudlove would have paraded with the Staffordshire Yeomanry - C Company and it all happened years ago directly across from where my office is based in 2015!

Isn't it strange how things happen in life.... Quite amazing really! :poppy:

Just One thing though.... On the photo of the Burton On Trent drill hall there is written below the following words:

The Maltings - Horninglow Street. Former drill hall identified from an old photograph of mobilisation day in August 1914.

Now this photo from mobilisation day in August 1914 would be a great find!

Regards,

Lee.

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Found the 1914 mobilisation photo online!

This is brilliant stuff! What a great photo!

I had no idea that this building was anything more than just a posh looking house.

To think it had such great importance to the local regiment!

Photo courtesy of Staffordshire Past Track.

http://www.search.staffspasttrack.org.uk/Details.aspx?&ResourceID=23918&SearchType=2&ThemeID=365

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I was just looking into the TFE medal and noticed another Territorial medal that got me thinking.

The eligibility for the TFWM (Territorial Force War Medal) as stated on the following link:

http://www.militaryarchive.co.uk/the-rolls/territorial-force-war-medal.html

The TFWM was awarded to all members of the Territorial Force, including nursing staff, who were members of the Territorial Force on 4th August 1914, had already served for 4 years and had undertaken to serve overseas on or before 30th September 1914. Additionally, eligibility required service overseas between 4th August 1914 and 11th November 1918, and ineligibility to either the 1914 or 1914-15 Stars. The TFWM was cast in bronze and the ribbon is gold with two vertical dark green stripes.

Another piece of text I've read states:

An individual who was eligible to receive the 1914 Star or 1914/15 Star could not receive the Territorial War Medal.

So I guess because George enlisted with the SIY in 1907 and was awarded the 1914 - 15 star, this means he was not eligible for the TFWM.

But with 18 years service from 1907 - 1925 surely George was entitled to the Army Long Service & Good Conduct Medal... Providing he'd been a good boy.

I've found an ASGC medal database, but no luck finding a George Proudlove.

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