LAMB & LCP units

[mcassell]

Attached is picture that may show Captain Tod (though exactly which officer he is is not given). This image got separated from the Wood album many years ago and I had wrongly assigned it to an album related to the LAC Brigade in Palestine. Found negative a few years back and definitely from Wood album.  I am certain it relates to the 'empty space' captioned 'The CO in conversation'. No date but in the sequence probably around October 1918. Hope of interest.

[david murdoch]

17 hours ago, mcassell said:

Attached is picture of Captain Nigel Somerset given to me back in 1970s by his former secretary. The close up clearly shows his Glosters collar badges. Clearly this was taken in UK with his MMG Battery.

 

 

I think this is likely 21st MMG Battery taken spring 1916. It was a card sent by Sgt. 2168 Adam Haig to his brother who was in the machine gun section of A Coy, 9th Royal Scots and dated 22/6/1916, but photo likely sake a little time before this. Haig was later in 14th L.A.M.B, as were a number of ex 21st MMG personnel.

[pjwmacro]

1 hour ago, david murdoch said:

I think this is likely 21st MMG Battery taken spring 1916.

Is it the OC same man in both photos David?  He isn't wearing Gloucester collar dogs in your photo that he is wearing in @mcassell's. The BSM (left of seated row in david's photo, right of seated row in martin's) doesn't look the same either?  Just a thought?

Regards, Paul

[mcassell]

Hmm. Dont recognize Somerset amongst the officers.

[pjwmacro]

48 minutes ago, mcassell said:

Hmm. Dont recognize Somerset amongst the officers.

And if @david murdoch's photo is 21 Battery, which it could well be, then, according to the 21 Battery thread, the OC would be captain Donald Keith Cameron (King Edward's Horse).  I'm confused - not sure how Somerset links to 21 MMG Battery? But Captain David Tod would be in it as he was in 21 Battery.

Regards, Paul

 

[david murdoch]

It's one I have in "unknown battery" folder - but it's a complete MMG by the numbers and also with ASC badges. It's more because of Haig who I have information on and there are several others from 21st MMG who ended up in 14th L.A.M.B. A number of Tank Corps records show men who had served with 21st MMG - obviously went to Heavy Section. There is no war diary for 21st. Regards deployment there may have been a change of plan and they were then broken up in Spring 1916.

Edited 9 August , 2022 by david murdoch

[pjwmacro]

3 hours ago, david murdoch said:

more because of Haig who I have information on and there are several others from 21st MMG who ended up in 14th L.A.M.B.

So do you know which one in the photo Haig is? Or indeed are any identified?

Regards, Paul

[mcassell]

On 04/08/2022 at 11:34, david murdoch said:

That's an interesting one. We've talked previously about the naval transfers being ranked as Sergeant's en masse and there are quite a few in this one picture. A few overseas chevrons showing as well.

Yes, seem to recall. Medal roll of numbers 795-- to 801-- gives most accurate roll of Duncars personnel. About 3/4 ex- RNAS, rest direct enlistments. Few Gunners amongst them, presumably those lacking driving or mechanical skills. Wondered whether orderlies, batmen, cooks, signallers, etc?

[pudsey63]

Bit more on Tod, in case it's new. I've been racking my brains trying to remember why the name was familiar, and finally came across it again today. Both Winstone and Bray mention Captain Tod in their books about Leachman. 

"On March 25 1918, the Turks were utterly defeated by General Brooking in the neighbourhood of Khan Baghdadi. The armoured cars under Captain D Tod pursued the Turks to a point seventy-three miles beyond Ana and captured several Germans, including the redoubtable Herr Preusser, head of the German Mission on the Euphrates." (Bray)

"They were pursued by a unit of motor vehicles led by Capt. Tod of intelligence, a member of the Basra family who had shown Leachman such generous hospitality before the war." (Winstone)

I find it pays to take some of their statements with a pinch of salt. 

This is from Bray's book 'Paladin of Arabia'

[mcassell]

Welcome addition. Thanks.  Still think Tod was a 'Masterspy' running Gertrude Bell and Leachman but better brains will tell full story.

[pudsey63]

33 minutes ago, mcassell said:

Welcome addition. Thanks.  Still think Tod was a 'Masterspy' running Gertrude Bell and Leachman but better brains will tell full story.

I do hope we get the full story one day. 

[stevenbecker]

Mate,

Interesting I record his capture

Preusser Conrad Ludwig Ernst     Lt Dr    Intell officer Stab 6th Army Mesopotamia    1915-    (born 1881 died 1964) archaeologist in Persia from Landwehr (Lw) Infanterie (I) Regiment 48 served in Expedition Klein in Persia 1915 shown captured by 8 LAMB PoW 27-3-18 at Nehije Ana near Khan Baghdadi Mesopotamia  wrote book "Die Paläste in Assur" 
 

S.B

 

[david murdoch]

The Arthur Tod with connections to Baghdad was 

Arthur White Millar Tod
BIRTH ABT 1879 • Cockpen, Midlothian, Scotland DEATH 17 FEB 1949 • Florence, Italy

Spouce 

Aurelia Lanzoni

BIRTH 7 AUG 1876 • Kars Turkey DEATH 04 MAY 1965 • Edinburgh, Midlothian, Scotland

They had two daughters Florence b.1910, Dorothy b.1911 and a son George b.1914

Aurelia died in Edinburgh in 1965 - given as widow of Arthur Tod Oil Company Manager. 

They were not married in Scotland, but there is another Tod/Lanzoni marriage in Edinburgh in 1910 - probably his brother to her sister. 

I'm not seeing any family tree connection to David Tod. 

[david murdoch]

There is a good hit for Arthur Tod  - Dalkeith Advertiser - Thursday 13 February 1919 Looking him up he first served in South Africa with the Imperial Yeomanry. Then 15 years involved in commercial and "political work" in Baghdad prior to WW1. He was interned by the Turks and sent to Anatolia but succeeded on getting back to UK and then back to Mesopotamia. He spoke fluent Arabic and Turkish. He was condemned to death as a spy, but got away with that due to his sister in law in Constantinople and Papal intervention. He was re classed as a POW and spent the rest of the war in captivity. He held the rank of Major and at some point awarded the OBE (1920 I think)  So he was certainly a major "player" in Mesopotamia, but by 1918 he was a PoW.

He returned there after the war and also served in Palestine 1945-1948

The attached pdf is the best copy I can get - it blows up enough to be legible - left hand column. 

0003.pdf

 

Edited 3 March , 2023 by david murdoch

[mcassell]

Dont have anything much to add. Gertrude Bell and Standard Oil of New York archives mention 'D. Tod' and Tod family in passing. All about oil, 100 years ago and still on our plates!

[1/1Hertfordshire]

The Military Medal to Herbert Skilbeck is in my collection. It is named: M2-203830 PTE H. SKILBECK. R.A.S.C.

Location of his War Medal, Victory Medal and Memorial Plaque are unknown.

[david murdoch]

7 hours ago, 1/1Hertfordshire said:

The Military Medal to Herbert Skilbeck is in my collection. It is named: M2-203830 PTE H. SKILBECK. R.A.S.C.

Location of his War Medal, Victory Medal and Memorial Plaque are unknown.

Nice to know - where did you come by it? Regarding his medals - It's likely they were in the family until fairly recently. His widow Florence died in 1986 aged 103. His daughter Florence Jean died 2006 in Chipping Norton Oxfordshire aged 93 but does not appear to have had any children, so perhaps went in a house clearance then and been split up. 

[1/1Hertfordshire]

Came from ebay 30 June 2019. If anyone has his other medals, would love to get them back together.