wilbo Posted 29 April , 2015 Share Posted 29 April , 2015 Hi all. I have been searching and researching a member of the family for sometime. His name is above and his reg no was 34647. I can only find his medal rolls and no doubt the service records were burnt. I did mention him as an aside some while ago- "I also found out quite a bit about another great uncle , Dib Field. He was from Finsbury and he has a bit of a tragic story. He was seriously wounded in the head by shrapnel and left in no mans land. When the germans pushed back he was bayonetted several times to make sure he was dead, but then when the British went back through a few days later he was picked up for burial and was still alive. Unfortunately he was killed in 1962 when someone hit him over the head with a bottle whilst trying to rob his tobacconist shop in Brixton. He was a favourite with the kids when my dad was younger because when they had a few at parties he used to take his shirt off and scare them all with is bayonet scars. I have found no military record of him at all though which is a shame, as I would love to show my dad." I was refused access to his files relating to the murder because it has been deemed not in the public interest. First of all because of Dib's wife who may be upset by it, although she is long gone, and secondly to protect the perpetrator. I just came up against a brick wall with the NA although South London Press were very helpful. Looking through the war diaries , a good bet for the injuries would be Boesinghe in July/Aug 1917 I think, but as O/R's don't get a mention who knows. I was wondering if CCS's etc kept records and if so whether it is possible to access them. Any ideas ?? Thanks Trevor Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ss002d6252 Posted 29 April , 2015 Share Posted 29 April , 2015 I was wondering if CCS's etc kept records and if so whether it is possible to access them. Any ideas ?? Generally speaking the CCS records are few and far between if you're looking for any depth (e.g. casualty records) although I do believe a few representative samples were kept. Out of curiosity, can you confirm his number as I couldn't find any records for him as #34648. Craig Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wilbo Posted 29 April , 2015 Author Share Posted 29 April , 2015 Oops fat fingers, should be 34647 34648 was George Rogers I believe, I had them written on a pad Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LarsA Posted 29 April , 2015 Share Posted 29 April , 2015 Number is 34647. Lars Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ss002d6252 Posted 29 April , 2015 Share Posted 29 April , 2015 There are some possible casualty list matches on the Genealogist - you need a Diamond subscription to view them but the free trial, unless they've changed it, gives this level of access for 7 days or so. Craig Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LarsA Posted 29 April , 2015 Share Posted 29 April , 2015 Have you tried this file - it says public record. http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/record?catid=5136215&catln=6 Lars Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hywyn Posted 29 April , 2015 Share Posted 29 April , 2015 I have him on two War Office RWF wounded lists WO List dated 25 6 1918 and WO List 25 6 1918. General consensus is that there is usually 4 to 6 weeks from event to list. Medal Roll shows he served with 13th Bn throughout his overseas service. You can download their War Diary here for around 3 quid http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C7354150 edit: Have read the opener again and I see you have the War Diaries. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wilbo Posted 30 April , 2015 Author Share Posted 30 April , 2015 Thank guys , will have a look. Been out all day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wilbo Posted 30 April , 2015 Author Share Posted 30 April , 2015 Yes Lars. I even appealed and offered for them to redact all information relating to anyone else but Dib but they were having none of it. Hywyn, how do you go about finding those lists, I am not having any luck atm Thanks Trevor Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wilbo Posted 30 April , 2015 Author Share Posted 30 April , 2015 Thanks for the help , I have been reading further in the war diary and I am edging towards Bouzincourt on 22nd-24th April, after the two days there were 60 O/R killed and 2 missing, but that would be 2 months before the casualty listing. However as far as I know he was missing presumed dead for a while and so possibly when picked up it would be by the relief as 13th had moved out of the line if this would cause a further delay. What do you think ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ss002d6252 Posted 30 April , 2015 Share Posted 30 April , 2015 Thanks for the help , I have been reading further in the war diary and I am edging towards Bouzincourt on 22nd-24th April, after the two days there were 60 O/R killed and 2 missing, but that would be 2 months before the casualty listing. However as far as I know he was missing presumed dead for a while and so possibly when picked up it would be by the relief as 13th had moved out of the line if this would cause a further delay. What do you think ? I've seen casualty reports for men (only the odd one or two though) where the casualty report was several months after the date. Craig Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hywyn Posted 30 April , 2015 Share Posted 30 April , 2015 Hywyn, how do you go about finding those lists, I am not having any luck atm Thanks Trevor Trevor I spent countless days at British Library, Colindale extracting RWF casualties from them. Craig is right that there are some on the Genealogist site. These two listings though would not be among the search returns as their database only goes up to about April 1918 (or did a few weeks ago). The search return that Craig referred to as possibles would not contain the man's regiment or number merely surname/initial/year. Hence why Craig said they were only possibles. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hywyn Posted 30 April , 2015 Share Posted 30 April , 2015 Trevor I have just noticed I put the same date down for the two lists he is on. Should be 25 6 1918 and 5 10 1918. Sorry Hywyn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wilbo Posted 1 May , 2015 Author Share Posted 1 May , 2015 Thanks Hywyn .I have never been to the NA or the British library. I find it a bit daunting to be honest. Plus I am self employed. It might be a job for a winters day, but I don't know where to start. I find the NA website hard work too. Would you mind if I asked how these lists work. How much detail is there, do they relate to particular CCS's or hospitals. Could the fact that he is on 2 different lists reflect one injury over a period but transferred or is it more likely two incidents? I read that the pensions department destroyed most of the RAMC records in the 30's. Sorry for all the questions. Trevor Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hywyn Posted 1 May , 2015 Share Posted 1 May , 2015 Trevor It took me nearly the first day to get used to the feel of what I was undertaking at the British Library. The lists are in categories... Killed/Died of Wounds/Wounded/Missing/PoW etc... in Regiment order per category. They would have been compiled in the rear echelon from info supplied by the units and nil to do with the RAMC. As well as the Regiment they only provided surname/initial/number/(hometown after about Dec 1916) He was wounded twice. Undoubtedly the wounds as described in your opener are from the second incident which would have been end August/beginning Sept. Hywyn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wilbo Posted 1 May , 2015 Author Share Posted 1 May , 2015 OK Hywyn , thanks a lot for this , much appreciated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wilbo Posted 6 May , 2015 Author Share Posted 6 May , 2015 Looking further at the war diary, the period from the end of August to early September was very mobile with much attacking and counter attacking. That might lend some credence to the family story of being wounded and left out and then bayonetted by advancing Germans before being picked up by a burial team. It could also suggest about 4-5 weeks before appearing on the casualty list on 5th Oct. What I am trying to do is find the evacuation chain from this period now, which field ambulance , CCS etc. Do you think I could be on the right track ? Any suggestions ? I am thinking it will help me deal with a personal visit to the archives, the more I have before I go. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest jonathanfield Posted 14 May , 2016 Share Posted 14 May , 2016 Hi Trevor, I might be able to help you further in your search for Dib Field. I am his Grandson (although we never met as he was murdered a few years before my birth). His murder was recorded in a book published last year "Murder Houses of South London" https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=JMscCgAAQBAJ&pg=PA123&lpg=PA123&dq=dib+field+murder&source=bl&ots=YkqnzZjtxM&sig=p9lnwoznA0TvLDRh-VqUlW2x50I&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwii_5_SvdnMAhXIXRQKHafhA0kQ6AEIHTAA#v=onepage&q=dib%20field%20murder&f=false Which documents it fairly accurately. He certainly suffered shrapnel wounds in the war, but I'm not sure the story about surviving the bayonet attack is correct (family legend?). My father, Dib's son, is very much alive and has done a lot of research into this side of the family. I believe he also has his service record and medals? I certainly have his birth and death certificate amongst other information about his life. Of course, he was married to Emily Shrosbree and I'm guessing you are maybe on that side of the family (rather than the Field side?). Emily was my Grandmother of course and I do have some found memories of her as she baby sat us as children. Would love to help further if I can? Regards Jonathan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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