wingers Posted 31 August , 2018 Share Posted 31 August , 2018 Hi all I am trying to find out as much as I can about my great grandad Frederick William Smith, who fought in WW1 and was a POW I know about two battalions he was in, but not when:- Regiment Name: Northamptonshire Regiment Service Number: 32355 Rank: Private Regiment Name: The Royal Welsh (Welch) Fusiliers - 9th Batallion Service Number: 56346 Rank: Private I also know he was a POW in Munster II Other details about him:- Date Of Birth: 14/02/1888 Date Of Death: 18/10/1926 (Age 38) Any help would be greatly appreciated Thank you Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ss002d6252 Posted 31 August , 2018 Share Posted 31 August , 2018 If you look at Find My Past a part of his service record survives - this will give you the details you want. The same record should also be on Ancestry. Craig Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wingers Posted 31 August , 2018 Author Share Posted 31 August , 2018 (edited) Unfortunately not got membership to either site and can't afford to do so at present, but thanks Edited 31 August , 2018 by wingers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Retlaw Posted 31 August , 2018 Share Posted 31 August , 2018 1 hour ago, wingers said: Unfortunately not got membership to either site and can't afford to do so at present, but thanks Free in our library. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wingers Posted 1 September , 2018 Author Share Posted 1 September , 2018 Signed up for 14 day trial - now have his service record downloaded - now to try and decipher what the pages actually say, as some very faded/feint and I suspect damaged in fire - others full of jargon Perhaps others here may be able to assist if they are used to reading these sort of forms? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ss002d6252 Posted 1 September , 2018 Share Posted 1 September , 2018 1 minute ago, wingers said: Signed up for 14 day trial - now have his service record downloaded - now to try and decipher what the pages actually say, as some very faded/feint and I suspect damaged in fire - others full of jargon Perhaps others here may be able to assist if they are used to reading these sort of forms? Ask away. Craig Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wingers Posted 1 September , 2018 Author Share Posted 1 September , 2018 The pages I would like to decipher or at least pick out any important details from so I can piece together his military career timeline - are zipped up and can be downloaded from link below:- link Or if you prefer me to put each image on here separately I can Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ss002d6252 Posted 1 September , 2018 Share Posted 1 September , 2018 Just now, wingers said: The pages I would like to decipher or at least pick out any important details from so I can piece together his military career timeline - are zipped up and can be downloaded from link below:- link Or if you prefer me to put each image on here separately I can Thanks Which ever is easier - reference your questions to the specific page and we should be able to help. Craig Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wingers Posted 1 September , 2018 Author Share Posted 1 September , 2018 file uploaded to http://www.pcassistonline.co.uk/TEST/Service Records.zip for now - just any information that can be read/deciphered please as I am struggling to make most of it out as so feint Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RaySearching Posted 1 September , 2018 Share Posted 1 September , 2018 (edited) As an aside Frederick has a I.C.R.C record HERE PA number 22251 captured 23rd March 1918 during the German Spring Offensive leg (wound) ? Ray Edited 1 September , 2018 by RaySearching Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wingers Posted 1 September , 2018 Author Share Posted 1 September , 2018 Hi Ray Thanks for reply - yes I knew about his ICRC record, but didn't know he was captured during the German Spring Offensive - that is interesting to know, how did you know this, or is it just based on date he was captured? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wingers Posted 2 September , 2018 Author Share Posted 2 September , 2018 here are first couple of documents I would like to work out what they say if anyone can read it better than me? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin DavidOwen Posted 2 September , 2018 Admin Share Posted 2 September , 2018 To me the top picture looks as it has effectively "blotted" the wet ink on an adjacent page in places as the faint ink is in mirror form. Which bits of the rest are you struggling with? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wingers Posted 2 September , 2018 Author Share Posted 2 September , 2018 that make sense Top image - the handwritten part at bottom Top image - what is 17th I.B.D. ? Bottom image - all handwritten bits Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wingers Posted 2 September , 2018 Author Share Posted 2 September , 2018 what would be handy is if I can find blank clean copies of the forms, then I can type in what I can read and end up easy to understand copies of each of my great granddads service record pages Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin DavidOwen Posted 2 September , 2018 Admin Share Posted 2 September , 2018 10 minutes ago, wingers said: Top image - the handwritten part at bottom Top image - what is 17th I.B.D. ? 17th Infantry Base Depot 27/12/(19)17 45 Casualty Clearing Station (above = sent to hospital) adm (admitted) Blistered feet (Place of Casualty) do = ditto for "Field" above (Date of casualty) 9/12/17 ditto 54 Field Hospital Adm (admited) Marching Feet 11.12.17 (Number) 2 General Hospital Admitted Blistered Feet (unclear) Not sure why the earlier date is listed later - an expert should be able to cast some light on that bit. David Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin DavidOwen Posted 2 September , 2018 Admin Share Posted 2 September , 2018 16 minutes ago, wingers said: Bottom image - all handwritten bits Basically a list of dates for "Posted" , "Transferred" etc. the AO bit is for "Army Order" the order authorising the changes Then there is the record of his time as a POW PC from soldier is probably "Post card" The post mark entry needs someone more au fait with POW camps than I am Hope some of that may have helped. Good luck with your continuing research David Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ss002d6252 Posted 2 September , 2018 Share Posted 2 September , 2018 6 minutes ago, DavidOwen said: 17th Infantry Base Depot 27/12/(19)17 45 Casualty Clearing Station (above = sent to hospital) adm (admitted) Blistered feet (Place of Casualty) do = ditto for "Field" above (Date of casualty) 9/12/17 ditto 54 Field Hospital Adm (admited) Marching Feet 11.12.17 (Number) 2 General Hospital Admitted Blistered Feet (unclear) Not sure why the earlier date is listed later - an expert should be able to cast some light on that bit. David It looks to me like the 27/12 date has been added in afterwards (the dates on the right hand side are in order) - possibly a report came in after the details had been already added so they just noted the date of the report. Craig Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dai Bach y Sowldiwr Posted 2 September , 2018 Share Posted 2 September , 2018 5 minutes ago, DavidOwen said: Basically a list of dates for "Posted" , "Transferred" etc. the AO bit is for "Army Order" the order authorising the changes PC from soldier is probably "Post card" The post mark entry needs someone more au fait with POW camps than I am. Post mark Limberg/Limburg? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin DavidOwen Posted 2 September , 2018 Admin Share Posted 2 September , 2018 Just now, Dai Bach y Sowldiwr said: Post mark Limberg/Limburg? I would have guessed something like that Dai but wasn't confident enough to post it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dai Bach y Sowldiwr Posted 2 September , 2018 Share Posted 2 September , 2018 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
munce Posted 2 September , 2018 Share Posted 2 September , 2018 And just in case some of the earlier information isn't clear, he was conscripted on 21st June 1916, but only called up on 15th Feb 1917. He then landed in France on 30th APril 1917, and was posted to the 6th battalion of his first regiment (which isn't clear from this form, but which OP says is Northamptonshire Regt), and then to the 7th battalion on the same day. He was then transferred to the 9th battalion of the Royal Welsh Fusiliers on the 24th May 1917. See The Long Long Trail for more details of which brigades and divisions those battalions were with. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wingers Posted 2 September , 2018 Author Share Posted 2 September , 2018 Thank you all very much - I will work through each page I have one at a time during the week and type them out Will come back if I have other images I can't work out if you don't mind Thanks again Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wingers Posted 3 September , 2018 Author Share Posted 3 September , 2018 hi, can someone work out what it says in the Medical Classification section of this image please? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wingers Posted 3 September , 2018 Author Share Posted 3 September , 2018 (edited) and can someone tell me what form this is e.g. form number so I can find a clearer one to look at for idea of content Edited 3 September , 2018 by wingers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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