1437, later 250195 Walter Boley, 3rd (City of London) Bn, London Regiment (Royal Fuiliers)

[steve fuller]

Hi all, 

 

Trying to pin down a little more detail on this chap, if anyone can help please? 

 

Family lore reports that he was recovering from wounds when he contracted Spanish Flu and died - less than 2 weeks before the armistice. 

 

I have the following info:

• CWGC https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/591247/boley,-/ - buried in St Pol, West of Arras. Wife lived in St John' Wood when the CWGC database was created. 
• SDGW - B Paddington, R St John's Wood
• Soldiers effects
• Medal Index Card (date of entry 6/1/1915, F&F, 1/3rd Londons)
• Medal Rolls (both pages)
• Battalion war diaries - the final front line spells seems to have been mid October around at Lens, then further east, just South of Tournai.
• The Stationary Hospital he died at (no.12) was a west of Arras, along the main road to the coast and not seemingly along the most obvious casualty route to move along from Tournai.
• Battalion movements from the Long, Long Trail
• national Roll (nothing found)
• no service / pension record seems to have survived
• I have no access to his NOK's local papers for an obit

 

Does anyone have any thoughts on:

• Any sources which may record when (if) he was wounded?
• He not get past St Pol, - was this as a result of a 'slight' wound or was the Stationary Hospital closed off, perhaps by a flu outbreak?
• Did the Spanish Flu affect the battalion / division specifically or was it recorded in the No.12 Stationary Hospital at St Pol?

 

Many thanks

Steve

Edited 8 December , 2017 by steve fuller
correcting inaccurate info

[Stephen Nulty]

Hey up Steve

 

Given that he went overseas on 06/01/1915, he almost certainly enlisted in early August 1914

[ss002d6252]

His war gratuity of £24 10s was paid for 51 months qualifying service at the time of his death.

Craig

[steve fuller]

1 hour ago, Stephen Nulty said:

Hey up Steve

 

Given that he went overseas on 06/01/1915, he almost certainly enlisted in early August 1914

How do chap  I put his enlistment at late 1912/early 1913 based on the army service numbers site

 

1 hour ago, ss002d6252 said:

His war gratuity of £24 10s was paid for 51 months qualifying service at the time of his death.

Craig

Thanks Craig, takes him back to July 1914 ish, so matches his embodiment which would have been early August when his battalion were mobilised. 

[ss002d6252]

6 minutes ago, steve fuller said:

How do chap  I put his enlistment at late 1912/early 1913 based on the army service numbers site

 

Thanks Craig, takes him back to July 1914 ish, so matches his embodiment which would have been early August when his battalion were mobilised. 

 

The war gratuity will only ever go back as far as 5 August 14, unfortunately the war gratuity doesn't accrue pre-war. If he'd been a regular then the service gratuity which was accrued is sometimes shown as that did accrue from pre-war but out of luck on the war gratuity side.

It confirms, if nothing else that he either enlisted Aug 14 or pre-war and had no breaks in service.

Craig

Edited 7 December , 2017 by ss002d6252

[steve fuller]

14 hours ago, ss002d6252 said:

 

The war gratuity will only ever go back as far as 5 August 14, unfortunately the war gratuity doesn't accrue pre-war. If he'd been a regular then the service gratuity which was accrued is sometimes shown as that did accrue from pre-war but out of luck on the war gratuity side.

It confirms, if nothing else that he either enlisted Aug 14 or pre-war and had no breaks in service.

Craig

Thanks Craig, same conclusion here so good to know it holds true.

[steve fuller]

Hmmm, was working from wrong diaries. Can see why the mistake was made (good ole' Ancestry, bless them) but should have checked what was passed on. You'd think I'd know that by now ... 

 

So the correct war diaries show the battalion were engaged in the general advance between the Lens and Tournai area. Nothing in the diary listing casualties so not looking like I am going to be able to pin down where / when he was wounded unless a bolt of lightning strikes ... brace yourself Rodney ... 

[ss002d6252]

2 minutes ago, steve fuller said:

Hmmm, was working from wrong diaries. Can see why the mistake was made (good ole' Ancestry, bless them) but should have checked what was passed on. You'd think I'd know that by now ... 

 

So the correct war diaries show the battalion were engaged in the general advance between the Lens and Tournai area. Nothing in the diary listing casualties so not looking like I am going to be able to pin down where / when he was wounded unless a bolt of lightning strikes ... brace yourself Rodney ... 

Ancestry are at least consistent in their inconsistency.

 

Craig

[Stephen Nulty]

16 minutes ago, steve fuller said:

You'd think I'd know that by now ...  

 

Well, now that you mention it.......

 

[steve fuller]

2 hours ago, ss002d6252 said:

Ancestry are at least consistent in their inconsistency.

 

Craig

Yup  

[steve fuller]

2 hours ago, Stephen Nulty said:

 

Well, now that you mention it.......

 

Simple enough equation, even for my simple brain. At work + research flow broken multiple times + third party info + ancestry imagery = pause and check bloody facts Fuller 

 

My bwain 'urts :/ 

2 hours ago, Stephen Nulty said:

 

Well, now that you mention it.......

 

Simple enough equation, even for my simple brain. At work + research flow broken multiple times + third party info + ancestry imagery = pause and check bloody facts Fuller 

 

My bwain 'urts :/