Researching my great granddad - Frederick William Smith

[DavidOwen]

I can see he was classified as "A", can't make out the rest of that line. Line underneath is the signature of the Examining Medical Officer, a Major I believe but can't read the signature. 

[wingers]

11 minutes ago, DavidOwen said:

I can see he was classified as "A", can't make out the rest of that line. Line underneath is the signature of the Examining Medical Officer, a Major I believe but can't read the signature. 

Thanks, okay if A then means "Able to march, see to shoot, hear well and stand active service conditions." according to http://www.epsomandewellhistoryexplorer.org.uk/MedicalCategories.html

 

I thought rest of line was perhaps a date - maybe 23.11.16

[wingers]

can anyone make any of this out?

 

I can get following but not rest:-

 

Royal Welsh Fusiliers

 

No 56346  Name  Smith, Fredk William

 

Trans (transferred?) to 9^th Royal Welsh Fusiliers  24.5.17

 

 

 

 

[sotonmate]

W

 

Looks to me that your subject was shipped out to France as a Northants soldier and on arrival at Infantry Base Depot in France was re-assigned to the 9th RWF to fill more urgent vacancies at the Front. Soldiers would normally have done some more training at the IBD before moving up to the action.

The capture on 22 March 1918 is detailed in a report in the Battalion War Diary. On the day there were 14 Officers and 446 ORs shown as casualties, kost of the ORs were designated as Missing ( so likely captured). You can find the Diary on Ancestry UK,in the War Diaries France and Germany section, and by using as a keyword the diary file number, simply 2092/1. To save you some searching you can go directly to page 283 of 328, where the 3 pages show the actions of the period. You could also read the pages from the day of his transfer to this Battalion (24 May 1917) if you want to see what his war consisted of. The unit was a part of 58 Infantry Brigade of 19 Division.

[wingers]

1 hour ago, sotonmate said:

W

 

Looks to me that your subject was shipped out to France as a Northants soldier and on arrival at Infantry Base Depot in France was re-assigned to the 9th RWF to fill more urgent vacancies at the Front. Soldiers would normally have done some more training at the IBD before moving up to the action.

The capture on 22 March 1918 is detailed in a report in the Battalion War Diary. On the day there were 14 Officers and 446 ORs shown as casualties, kost of the ORs were designated as Missing ( so likely captured). You can find the Diary on Ancestry UK,in the War Diaries France and Germany section, and by using as a keyword the diary file number, simply 2092/1. To save you some searching you can go directly to page 283 of 328, where the 3 pages show the actions of the period. You could also read the pages from the day of his transfer to this Battalion (24 May 1917) if you want to see what his war consisted of. The unit was a part of 58 Infantry Brigade of 19 Division.

Unfortunately I only have a 14 day trial of Ancestry so it won't let me get in to the records you mention to read them - shame as sounds interesting

 

UPDATE: Just bought 1 month membership so now reading the section you mentioned.  Can I ask where you got these figures "14 Officers and 446 ORs shown as casualties"

Edited 3 September , 2018 by wingers

[wingers]

In this extract does it say Depot Posted   for    2.12.18

 

If so any idea what this means please

 

 

[wingers]

Can anyone fill in the ???? sections

 

13.12.17               ??????????????????      ????

17.1.18                  ??????????????????    ?????

20.2.18                  Joined Battalion             ??????

16.3.18                  Granted leave to UK    ???????

 

29.8.18                  War Office   ??????????????????????????

REPATRIATED

PRISONER OF WAR    1.12.18

RWF   ??????? Posted         2.12.18

 

 

[Dai Bach y Sowldiwr]

I don't find the images easy to read. Can you post the Ancestry link for his records, then we can all magnify a higher resolution image on screen?

[wingers]

4 minutes ago, Dai Bach y Sowldiwr said:

I don't find the images easy to read. Can you post the Ancestry link for his records, then we can all magnify a higher resolution image on screen?

yes of course - this link should take you to it 

https://www.ancestry.co.uk/interactive/1219/30600_193348-00825?pid=1841653&backurl=https://search.ancestry.co.uk/cgi-bin/sse.dll?indiv%3D1%26dbid%3D1219%26h%3D1841653%26tid%3D%26pid%3D%26usePUB%3Dtrue%26_phsrc%3DzZB127%26_phstart%3DsuccessSource&treeid=&personid=&hintid=&usePUB=true&_phsrc=zZB127&_phstart=successSource&usePUBJs=true

[JefR]

Here's a quick tip for reading damaged service records if you're using a laptop.

 

Tilt the laptop backwards so that you're looking at the screen from an acute angle - it seems to increase the contrast of washed out handwriting.

It may clarify the text sufficiently to obviate the need to apply "Photoshop" type techniques.

 

JefR

[DavidOwen]

1 minute ago, JefR said:

Here's a quick tip for reading damaged service records if you're using a laptop.

 

Tilt the laptop backwards so that you're looking at the screen from an acute angle - it seems to increase the contrast of washed out handwriting.

It may clarify the text sufficiently to obviate the need to apply "Photoshop" type techniques.

 

JefR

He's right, that was just what I have been doing.

[Dai Bach y Sowldiwr]

2 hours ago, wingers said:

yes of course - this link should take you to it

 

Thanks a lot wingers.

[sotonmate]

15 hours ago, wingers said:

 

 

UPDATE: Just bought 1 month membership so now reading the section you mentioned.  Can I ask where you got these figures "14 Officers and 446 ORs shown as casualties"

 

The last of the 3 page report (286 of 328) has the casualty figures shown.

15 hours ago, wingers said:

In this extract does it say Depot Posted   for    2.12.18

 

If so any idea what this means please

 

 

On repatriation returned to RWF Depot (Home Service) to await demob etc.

[wingers]

Thanks sotonmate