Madmeg Posted 21 September , 2018 Share Posted 21 September , 2018 I have a photograph believed to be of this chap from my grandmother's collection. It is labelled Captain Forward (with whip[don;t worry it really isn't THAT type of photo :-)] ) and friends Colchester Barracks. [undated but c 1916] However the records indicate that Captain EL Forward was based in the North of England. Anyone able to assist in finding out what he was doing in Colchester (with whip :-D) - to elaborate the picture is of him in the driving seat of a car stuffed with other officers, he is holding a horse whip- obviously a joke shot. The background is of rows of brick buildings with a couple of soldiers standing watching so could quite likely be barracks somewhere. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sotonmate Posted 30 September , 2018 Share Posted 30 September , 2018 (edited) There is a service file at Kew under WO374/25138, which may detail his movements, equally might not as most files were weeded of pages seen as unnecessary (between the wars) ! http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C695271 Not yet digital so needs to be seen in situ. Edited 30 September , 2018 by sotonmate Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnboy Posted 30 September , 2018 Share Posted 30 September , 2018 QHowever the records indicate that Captain EL Forward was based in the North of England. Which records are they? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin DavidOwen Posted 1 October , 2018 Admin Share Posted 1 October , 2018 7 hours ago, johnboy said: QHowever the records indicate that Captain EL Forward was based in the North of England. Which records are they? It was from the Army Lists - I posted them in Meg's photo thread Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Madmeg Posted 1 October , 2018 Author Share Posted 1 October , 2018 Ancestry shows his address (per directory and medical registry) as The Coppice in Niottinghamshire (index only) during the war years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miranda Forward Posted 3 March , 2022 Share Posted 3 March , 2022 Did you say that Ernest Lionel Forward was your grandfather? I think he was mine too! We must be cousins - it would be fascinating to learn more Miranda Forward daughter of Nigel Stewart Forward. Nigel's father was Ernest Lionel and Nigel was an only child. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Madmeg Posted 5 March , 2022 Author Share Posted 5 March , 2022 Not my grandfather. I have a photograph of him (labelled Captain Forward and identified in pages here as Ernest Lionel) in my grandmother's collection and I am trying to find out WHY. I note that he appears to have been doctor at the Coppice Asylum Nottingham (the address attached to him even during his war service). As my grandmother was born and grew up in the Shrewsbury Asylum (staff quarters) and went on to train at Stone House Dartford before going into private mental health nursing by the time of WW1 I suspect that she met him through her work - somehow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miranda Forward Posted 5 March , 2022 Share Posted 5 March , 2022 Ah thanks for replying. I must have misread your message, apologies. I can confirm that Ernest (known affectionately in the family as Tiger) did work there in Nottingham but can't help about where he met your grandmother. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miranda Forward Posted 5 March , 2022 Share Posted 5 March , 2022 PS We too have copies of these two photographs that you mention! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Madmeg Posted 6 March , 2022 Author Share Posted 6 March , 2022 I only have one photograph- of him in an extremely overloaded car full of (presumably) doctors at (apparently) Colchester Barracks- he is the one "with the whip" - is that the photo you have as well? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Madmeg Posted 6 March , 2022 Author Share Posted 6 March , 2022 (edited) https://www.genealogy.com/forum/surnames/topics/forward/226/ Have you seen this? I see that The Coppice was the county asylum (I had thought it was private) that EL was working there in 1913 and that he was made a Lt in 1915. So I'm guessing my GM might have worked there after leaving Stone House- I have no record of this :-( . He seems to be a Captain by the time of the photo- but not sure when he was promoted- it would be interesting to date it. From the placing in the album 1916/7 Edited 6 March , 2022 by Madmeg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miranda Forward Posted 6 March , 2022 Share Posted 6 March , 2022 Yes - I've unearthed that photo. It's captioned as Aug 14, 1916 at Colchester. Some of the other officers are Capt Jeeves, Capt Howard, Capt Hitchin and Col Callum. EL Forward is driving and has a pipe too. I hope that may help. He then went to Oxford I think Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Madmeg Posted 6 March , 2022 Author Share Posted 6 March , 2022 ooh thank you-obviously the same photo. My grandmother has only the label given above- no other officers named, of course it might say more on the back but it is glued into the album and I'm not going to ruin it by trying to remove it! He must have had several copies made and sent to friends. There was probably a letter with it as well I would imagine but as far as I know that hasn't survived. By 1916 my grandmother was working privately (as a mental health nurse). From other photos dated from the summer of 1916 she was at the Hydro Hotel Eastbourne (still survives today). In 1917 she was at the Hydro, Boscombe, Bournemouth (destroyed in a fit of development and replaced by ugly flats). I know who her employer was at Bournemouth but not sure if it was the same person in Eastbourne, although Molly Chapman appears in pictures at both. I have not been able to positively identify Molly, but I think she may have been another nurse. Either the connection is the Coppice (although I have NO record of my grandmother working there) OR Ernest L. may have worked at Stone ? My grandmother started at Stone House Dartford in early 1910 (from dated entries in an autograph book). Her sister started at Bexley Heath about the same time (staff records online). They were both there until about 1913 (photograph of them taken at studio in Folkestone and photograph signed and dated to 1913 of local RC priest to my grandmother- lord knows why family were all Cof E!) . At some time between 1913 and 1916 my grandmother signed up with the Mental Nurses Co-operation run by a Miss Jean Hastie (who appears to be interesting in her own right) out of 10 Norfolk Square. She worked for the one patient from at least 1917 (possibly 1916 see above) through to mid (or later ) 1918. She is known to have worked in the Torbay area for at least one patient possibly more and to have been working at a school from her emigration address in 1921. Also in that time she worked for and became great friends with an estate owning family. So it would be interesting to know how she got to know your grandfather. The connection must be asylums somehow! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miranda Forward Posted 7 March , 2022 Share Posted 7 March , 2022 Sadly I know very little about my grandfather as he died in 1939 and my dad hardly talked about him. Dad left for boarding school in 1936, about the same time as EL developed dementia (ironic really after all his work in mental health). Can I ask what your grandmother's name was? Just in case she's in any of the photos. Unlikely but worth a shot Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Madmeg Posted 8 March , 2022 Author Share Posted 8 March , 2022 What a shame for your family. My Grandmother was Winifred Mary Simmonds b 1889 Bicton Heath (Salop Asylum), Shrewsbury. She answered to all sorts of nicknames - Winnie, Simmie, Polly and probably some more I haven't found yet. She died in 1976. Thank you for looking in other photos, much appreciated! I'm afraid I only have the one of Ernest Lionel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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