Jenny J Posted 13 February , 2018 Share Posted 13 February , 2018 I’m new to the forum, have tried for years to find information about my father. All I have is 84 TRBL, No 1 Coy. 8 Lines, Clipstone Camp, Nr Mansfield, Notts, written on the back of a copy of his birth certificate dated July 14th 1917. His name Herbert Willam Spence, dob August 9th 1899. Born near Redcar, North Yorkshire. Any help would be gratefully received. Thank you. Jenny. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TGM Posted 13 February , 2018 Share Posted 13 February , 2018 (edited) Hi Jenny J, I'm sure someone will answer your query shortly, but just noticed a former query on this site concerning Clipstone Camp: See also: WW1 - CLIPSTONE CAMP 1915 - 2015 Clipstone Camp changed the face of Mansfield during First World War Clipstone Camp WW1 (Our Nottinghamshire) Edited 13 February , 2018 by TGM Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sotonmate Posted 13 February , 2018 Share Posted 13 February , 2018 (edited) There is one that might fit: Herbert W SPENCE has a Medal Index Card which shows some units that he served with, no way as yet of knowing if this is your man, but something might ring a bell ! Are there medals for serving in the war that you know of ? This man entered the war after 1915 and was entitled to the British War and Victory Medals. Name,unit and number were engraved on the rim of these medals. Four different service numbers shown, and as they are on the Medal Card this soldier would usually have served in a war zone with them all, and ordinarily in the sequence shown: 48142 Notts and Derbyshire Regiment (Sherwood Foresters) 28862 West Yorkshire Regiment 246255 Royal Engineers, and, WR/266157 Royal Engineers (Waterways and Railways). Don't be deflected by the fact that he may have been in a unit which wasn't near home, by the time your subject was serving they went where needed. I wonder if your man had a skill in the water or rail sector which would have made him a valuable commodity. No service records yet seen, I looked on Ancestry UK, but there is sometimes fortune on Find My Past ! 84 TRBL might refer to 84 Training Reserve Battalion, which,whilst shown on lists as being raised from 28 Reserve Battalion Northumberland Fusiliers, might have had other recruits added and then trained at Clipstone Camp. It might be that the date written on the back of a birth certificate is when he was close to being 18 and thus able to be posted to war, and he could have been drafted to Notts and Derbys from the TRB as and when reinforcement drafts were required. Later note: I now see that the Medal Roll for my suggestion was in the Railways section of the RE. Forgot ! Welcome to the Forum ! Edited 13 February , 2018 by sotonmate Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IPT Posted 13 February , 2018 Share Posted 13 February , 2018 There was also 315391 Herbert William Spence, Tank Corps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phsvm Posted 13 February , 2018 Share Posted 13 February , 2018 When you say you're trying to find out information about your father do you mean 'military' information or 'any' information about any aspect of his life? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark1959 Posted 13 February , 2018 Share Posted 13 February , 2018 (edited) 6 hours ago, IPT said: There was also 315391 Herbert William Spence, Tank Corps. Same man that I identified as a possible but can find nothing to prove he is the right man. HWS is living at 6 Snipe St, Redcar in 1939. with Kathleen (mother?) born 9/8/1859 Ellen H born 1925, Ellen b1897 and Dorothy b1887 may be worth you editing original post and adding Tank Corps ? To the title. This will hopefully attract the Tank Corps experts Edited 13 February , 2018 by Mark1959 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KevinBattle Posted 15 February , 2018 Share Posted 15 February , 2018 No help, but it would seem a little strange for there to be children b 1887 and 1897 and then the Ellen name re-used almost 30 years later. Is that a possible grandchild or a re-use after the 1897 Ellen had died? Was there a second wife producing the 1925 Ellen? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark1959 Posted 15 February , 2018 Share Posted 15 February , 2018 (edited) The register unlike the census does not give relationship to head of household. It could be the elder two were unmarried sisters. Who knows? Jenny will perhaps enlighten us if it is the right family. Edited 15 February , 2018 by Mark1959 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dgibson150 Posted 15 February , 2018 Share Posted 15 February , 2018 According to an army service number website (here) the Tank Corps number range for transfers in from the Training Reserve battalions was 315000 to 315999. This fits IPT's suggestion in post #4. David Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phsvm Posted 15 February , 2018 Share Posted 15 February , 2018 the 1939 Register shows Herbert William (although listed as William Herbert) living at 6 Snipe Street, Redcar. Confirmed as the correct person by the date of birth which is 9 August 1899. Earlier census returns show his mother as 'Kate' born about 1860 (the year can be out depending on when the birthday was in relation to the date the census was conducted). This would tie in with the Katherine Spence shown at the same address on the 1939 Register (coincidentally she shared her birthday with her son). Her marriage registration in March Q 1892 , Guisborough records her as 'Kate' Stickroth. The other residents of the house listed on the 1939 register are: Ellen - born 12 August 1897 - Herbert's sister (listed as Ellen on the 1911 census and as Nellie on the 1901 census) Dorothy - born 7 May 1887 & Ellen H - born 6 February 1925. These two are a mystery. There are no birth registrations for either an Ellen or a Dorothy Spence in the correct periods. There don't appear to be suitable birth registrations for either Ellen or Dorothy with any surname! There is a probable death for Dorothy of end of 1939. Herbert married a few years after this. Jenny - having found what I believe is your parents' marriage and your birth registration I guess this is the correct family? Can you shed any light on who Dorothy and Ellen H were? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dgibson150 Posted 15 February , 2018 Share Posted 15 February , 2018 Jenny It would be helpful to know whether we should be trying to work out your family tree or just deducing Herbert's ww1 involvement, see post #5 above. David Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jenny J Posted 16 February , 2018 Author Share Posted 16 February , 2018 Hello David, Can I thank everyone very much who has responded to my query. I’m looking for my fathers military records if any still exist. I know a lot were lost in 1940, but I feel there must be something somewhere. I’ve got the information re: the medal card for Herbert William Spence Tank Regiment but don’t know where to go from there. I remember seeing a photo of him standing in front of a tank, but sadly neither they they nor his medals survived. I have been doing family research since 2005, mainly maternal. The query over Ellen and Ellen H is Ellen born August 12th 1896 baptised Eleanor known as Nellie was my aunt. She had a daughter out of wedlock christened Hilda Ellen born February 6th 1924.There is a mention of a Dorothy, I have a Dora born June 1892, I haven’t researched her yet. Thank you again. I’m still finding my way around your forum, sorry if it’s taken a while to reply. Regards Jenny. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seaJane Posted 16 February , 2018 Share Posted 16 February , 2018 Jenny, This is the official place to go: https://www.gov.uk/get-copy-military-service-records/apply-for-someone-elses-records best wishes, seaJane Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jenny J Posted 16 February , 2018 Author Share Posted 16 February , 2018 Hello Jane, Thank you for the information. Fingers crossed. Regards, Jenny. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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