Pte Henry W Carr, 5th Royal Highland Rgt of Canada

[angelab]

I am helping a friend to research her late uncle, Henry Wilfrid Carr.

Though British, born in 1894 in Co Durham, Carr was working as a bank clerk in Canada at the outbreak of WWI, so joined up there.

I have found his attestation document:

he joined the 5th Royal Highland Regiment of Canada (Canadian Black Watch?), as a Private, on 4 Sept 1914.

His regimental number was 24114.

Family memories say that:

He spent days lying wounded in no-man's land, was captured, and was then cared for by monks.

He subsequently was sent to Switzerland as an exchange POW.

In Switzerland he had a minor job in the British consulate in Zurich, possibly connected with welfare of POWs.

I have found online some ICRC pages for him:

I gather from those that:

He was captured, wounded, at Ypres May 1915;

He was admitted to the Bruder Krankenhaus, Dortmund, 16 May 1915 (which ties in with family suggestions that he was cared for by monks).

An entry for 23 August 1915 states that he is still in Dortmund, well on the way to recovery ("Est là en bonne voie de guérison").

An entry for 23 Feb 1916 says "Interned at Friederichsfeld. Barr. 2B."

How can I find the date and place to which he would have been transferred in Switzerland, presumably from Friedrichsfeld POW camp?

Also, how can I find Carr's WWI medal entitlement?

I have searched on Ancestry with no success. Were Canadian medals awarded in Canada and not through the British system? I have also tried the Veterans' pages for Canada, with no luck either.

Many thanks

Angela

----------

As a curious aside, this same Henry Carr was used as the central character by Tom Stoppard in his 1974 play "Travesties", set among the emerging Dadaist movement in Zurich around 1917.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Travesties

[Waggoner]

Angela,

His full service file has been digitized and is available here - http://central.bac-lac.gc.ca/.item/?op=pdf&app=CEF&id=B1513-S020.

Based on his arrival date in France, he would have received the 1914/15 Star, British War Medal and the Victory Medal. There shold be a medals card in his servce records. Good luck with your research.

All the best,

Gary

[angelab]

Good grief, Gary!

64 pages about him... I never imagined that there would be so much information about a humble Private.

Fascinating reading, and fills in many gaps, so thank you very much.

Angela

PS. Do you know what the abbreviation "S.O.S." stands for? It seems to crop up a lot in my reading of the Carr documents.

[Waggoner]

Angela,

You are most welcome! You will find two common terms in his records: TOS for Taken on Strength (joined unit) and SOS for Struck off Strength (left unit). Good luck with your continuing research!

All the best,

Gary

[helpjpl]

24114 A.Sgt Henry W Carr, 13th RHC, arrived St John, NB, 20 January 1920 on board SS Royal George. Effective date SOS: 22/01/1920. Address: Merchants Bank, St James St, Montreal. NOK: Wife

(Canadian Passenger Lists 1865-1935)

JP

[angelab]

Thanks so much for that, JP! I had the date of his departure from England thanks to Gary, above, so it's good to have arrival date also.

BTW I have replied to your PM.

Angela