the English Camp based at AUDRUICQ – Pas de Calais FRANCE: Railway maintenance and ammunition dumps and assembly engines for the Face,

[HAMEZ Jean]

Hello,

 

My English Grandfather: Charles William COLE Né on December 18th, 1898 with Whittlesey Canton of Cambridge took part in Great War 14-18,

 

It arrived to France in 1916 affected at the English Camp based at AUDRUICQ – Pas de Calais FRANCE: Railway maintenance and ammunition dumps and assembly engines for the Face,

I have any military document relating to it and I would wish to know his exact date of assignment and its Military Body,

 

don't you Can help me??

 

Concerning the English Camp all information and documents interest me,

 

the King Georges V and the Queen came there separately in 1917 after the German bombardment in July 1916 which destroyed all,

 

Charles William COLE remained in France but it always kept its British Nationality, it Was interned besides Political of the 26,07,1940 to the 11,09,1944 during the Second War,

 

With my anticipated thanks

 

Jean HAMEZ

 

Excuse me for my bad English

 

[sotonmate]

Jean

 

Welcome to the Forum !

There were many service records lost by German bombing in 1940 so it might be difficult to find some for your Grandfather.

It will help if you know of any unit that he served. Working with the railway could mean either he was in the Royal Engineers Water and Rail Department, or he was serving by loading the trains you speak of as a soldier in the Army Service Corps. There are two possibilities that I see, but may be more later as other members here may know of the Depot at AUDRUICQ and it's work.

There is a medal card for a Charles W COLE who served with the Army Service Corps (they moved supplies to the fighting men) as a Driver (maybe a horse or lorry driver) with a number of T/390475. He would only have been just 18 years old in December 1916, the age at which a young soldier was permitted to go to war.

Another medal card for a Charles COLE (sometimes they only added one name to the cards) and he was a Royal Engineer with a railway number WR/272570.

If you know of medals he may have received there are details on the rim of them which show his unit.

[Terry_Reeves]

Jean

 

If you are happy to give me your email address I can send you the proceedings of an inquiry into the air-raid.

 

TR

[HAMEZ Jean]

Thank you for your prompt response.

 

I do not have any document nor military decoration except a photograph which I try to join to you

 

cordially

 

Jean

[HAMEZ Jean]

This is my mail jean.hamez4@orange.fr

 

Thank you very much

 

Jean

[HAMEZ Jean]

Hello,

 

Like agreed, I herewith address to you the photo catch with the Camp of Audruicq in 1916.

 

Doesn't there exist military census in the United Kingdom to find the trace of my Grandfather?

 

With my anticipated thanks

 

Jean HAMEZ