William Brown M2/192234, Pte., 32 M.A.C., A.S.C

[Kluson]

Hi everyone

I am trying to find the movements of my great grandfather during the Great War.

He survived the War but was killed on his way home when he fell out of the train door in France, on his way to be demobbed. I'm not sure where to start but I would like to know where did he serve.? I understand that he had been in Salonica?

his name was William Brown M2/192234, Pte., 32 M.A.C., A.S.C

Any help would be much appreciated

Thanks

Dave

[ss002d6252]

He received a £16 10s war gratuity - this indicates enlistment in July 1916

EDIT:

(The gratuity can sometimes underestimate enlistment date by a month.)

Craig

[Kluson]

Thanks Craig

[ss002d6252]

Hi everyone

I am trying to find the movements of my great grandfather during the Great War.

He survived the War but was killed on his way home when he fell out of the train door in France, on his way to be demobbed. I'm not sure where to start but I would like to know where did he serve.? I understand that he had been in Salonica?

his name was William Brown M2/192234, Pte., 32 M.A.C., A.S.C

Any help would be much appreciated

Thanks

Dave

Just checked on Find My Past and he has a service record - http://search.findmypast.co.uk/record?id=gbm%2fwo363-4%2f7291515%2f7%2f133

FMP offer a 14 day trial .

Craig

[KevinBattle]

He's the sole CWGC casualty there, transferred from elsewhere in October 1920

BROWN, W S. Rank: Private. Service No: M2/192234. Date of Death: 12/05/1919. Age: 37.

Regiment/Service: Royal Army Service Corps

Grave Reference: In North-West part. Cemetery: LA FERTE-ALAIS COMMUNAL CEMETERY.

Additional Information:Husband of Nellie Brown, of 23, Johnson Rd., Erdington, Birmingham.

(You'll note that CWGC show his unit as Royal, which was granted after WW1.)

As the sole burial, it may be that the townsfolk look after the grave, so it might be worth checking locally.

La Ferte Alais is also better known for its airshow of WW1 and WW2 aircraft (Bleriots cross channel aircraft is there, I believe).

There's little help from men with a fairly close Service Number

GRAY, F. Rank: Private. Service No: M2/192241. Date of Death: 06/02/1917.

Regiment/Service: Army Service Corps

Grave Reference: III. A. 16. Cemetery: MOROGORO CEMETERY

DOE, HAROLD HORATIO. Rank: Lance Corporal. Service No: M2/192219. Date of Death: 28/10/1918. Age: 28.

Regiment/Service: Army Service Corps attd. 107th Anti-Aircraft Sect.

Grave Reference: I. F. 25. Cemetery: AWOINGT BRITISH CEMETERY.

Additional Information: Husband of Elizabeth Lay (formerly Doe), of Alma Place, Yarmouth, Isle of Wight.

except they seem to be spread around and William and Harold (where have I heard those two names before?) were a little "elderly".

That ties up with Craigs guesstimate for him being conscripted during the manpower crises following the horrendous casualties on the Western Front

Your best bet is therefore to follow up on his Service record which Craig has found.

[Kluson]

Thanks all. I joined the find my past site for the free 14 days and got his records. looks like he went to Salonica.

Sad really too go through 2 years of war and then die on the train home!

[KevinBattle]

Was he the only family casualty in WW1?

There are about 4 other Erdington Browns that are on the CWGC database (input Surname then First World War then in Additional Information simply put Erdington.

Click on the top of the Names column to sort them alphabetically if you want, then press the Download button for it to transform into Excel.

Then resize columns etc to search for the appropriate information.

(Obviously you can do that for any other location - just bear in mind that there are also Streets, houses, roads etc in various countries that can have that name, especially if it can also be a surname, you'll find them as well! You can delete the entire row too)

[Dai Bach y Sowldiwr]

You will want to read the War Diary for 771 MT Coy. ASC, which looks as though it was serving as 32 Motor Ambulance Convoy in Salonika.

The reference no of the file at Kew is WO95/4805.

That should give dates and locations of movements of the Company as a whole, but is unlikely to name individual soldiers.

Although for such an unfortunate death, it might.

The company itself was disbanded in September 1919.