Concert Parties

[Peter Taylor]

I would appreciate any help. My wife has her Grandfather's Record of Service. Roydon Williard James Mcleod was a driver in the Army Service Corps stationed in Rouen . In civvy street he was an entertainer, tap dancing, playing banjo, yodelling, and performed a small magic act (after he had  married Hilda Mary Duncan who was in Queen Mary's Auxiliary Corps as a clerk also in Rouen in 1919, where they met,  she  joined him in his act and would be sawn in half!). Sadly a lovely photo of him in a Pierrot Costume on stage has been lost . I am wondering if there would be any records of him perhaps entertaining his comrades in any concerts that might have been held in Rouen at the time? He had a stage name but unfortunately no one can remember what it was, something like Red Mac or Boston Mac. Thank you.

[SapperPhoto]

Peter, the person most likely to be able to help you is Kate Wills, who is the real expert on concert parties.  She has been a real help to us and reads these posts so she may well pick this one up.  My grandfather was with the 3rd Field Survey Company and was in a concert party called the Pam Pams.   We had two original programmes from their concerts and Kate very kindly told us about a sale on ebay through which we were successful in picking up a third so we now have three and treasure them all!   Sorry to hear that photos have gone missing.  We would love to have one of Bernard Gordon, my grandfather, so perhaps if Kate reads this she might know where to find one of those too.  Hope you manage to trace a bit more.

 

Best wishes,

 

 

Jill

 

 

[Peter Taylor]

Thank you for you reply, Jill.  I have put this to Kate Wills, and am hoping she will be able to help.  It is so frustrating when even his daughter, my aunt, has no details of his stage name!  

Kind regards.

[Kate Wills]

We live in hope, Jill!

 

 

Hello Peter,

 

What a lovely story. My husband's quite handy with a saw, but even so I wouldn't lay my life on the line.

 

Roydon was army number M2/121369 of the ASC, which doesn't get us much further at the moment. Rouen was a very busy hub during the war: GHQ, base depots, airfields, bakeries, numerous hospitals, convalescent camps, schools of instruction, YMCA huts etc etc. Many of these formed their own troupes, or staged performances by visiting troupes, so Roydon would find plenty of opportunities to perform. There was a troupe called the Rouen Follies, a permanent troupe at the convalescent depot, and others in the town with / run by an ASC stage professional Walter Joll called the Dominoes and the Musical and Unmusical Follies.

 

Do you have WW1 period photos of Royden and Hilda? I can't promise anything, but I may be able to recognise them among the faces in my collection.

 

[Peter Taylor]

Hello Kate, Unfortunately no pictures at all of Roydon Williard James Macleod and his wife Hilda Mary (nee Duncan).  They met in Rouen while both serving in Rouen he with the ASC and Hilda was with Queen Mary's Auxiliary Corps in Admin work.   Her Number was 2070. They both took leave, returned to England to marry in 1919.  Roydon then returned to Rouen but Hilda was not allowed to, now being a married woman.  Unfortunately I don't have any old photographs of that time, I had two, one of Roydon in his Pierrot costume and one of their marriage with Roydon in his uniform, both lost unfortunately.  Any help at all would be so much appreciated. Kind regards. 

[Kate Wills]

Where were they from?

[Peter Taylor]

Hilda Mary (nee Duncan) was born  1895 in Stockton, Durham, and Roydon born in 11 December 1894  in London.  The married  in Battersea on January 26 1919.  In the Army Roydon was a driver.  Roydon requested Hilda's discharge in a letter he wrote to QMAAC dated 19.2.1919 from the address 1srt BMTD Rouen, France.

[Kate Wills]

BMTD = Base Mechanical Transport Depot; though this may have been his official rather than working address.

 

See this threads for more details:

http://1914-1918.invisionzone.com/forums/index.php?/topic/139477-unit-id/#comment-1329844

 

 

 

[Peter Taylor]

On 12/07/2016 at 14:35, Peter Taylor said:

Hello Kate, Unfortunately no pictures at all of Roydon Williard James Macleod and his wife Hilda Mary (nee Duncan).  They met in Rouen while both serving in Rouen he with the ASC and Hilda was with Queen Mary's Auxiliary Corps in Admin work.   Her Number was 2070. They both took leave, returned to England to marry in 1919.  Roydon then returned to Rouen but Hilda was not allowed to, now being a married woman.  Unfortunately I don't have any old photographs of that time, I had two, one of Roydon in his Pierrot costume and one of their marriage with Roydon in his uniform, both lost unfortunately.  Any help at all would be so much appreciated. Kind regards.  I have managed to find two photographs. My Grandfather back row 5th from the left.