Walter Stanley Quelch

[HistoryEnthusiast]

Hello,

 

I wonder if you can help me with a soldier I've been researching - a Walter Stanley Quelch. I think I've got the gist of his army records BUT I still have some questions which I hope you can help me with:

 

1. Walter Quelch enlists in the army in 1915/1916. At his medical, he's 5ft 5 and half inches. He re-enlists in the TA in 1930. His height is now 5 feet 10. How can someone "grow" 5 inches? Which record is likely to be correct?

2.I can't find Walter Quelch's battalion in the Roya Berkshire Regiment. I'd love to be able to track the battles he was involved in with the Berkshire Regiment but he seems to move around a lot. I'm not great with army records so could you hazard a guess?

3. On Walter's enlistment form for the TA in 1930, it says Date of Birth amended in accordance with para 161 TA ??? 120. Does anyone know what this means? (This form says Walter was born 1896 - I think it was at least 1897. Did he try to sign up underage?)

 

I'd really appreciate if someone could help me out with any of the questions above. I've attached most of the records I've retrieved from Ancestry minus duplicates/blanks. Thank you!

 

Gemma

[Dai Bach y Sowldiwr]

There was a Walter Stanley Quelch birth registered in Wantage district (Oxford/Berkshire area) between  July 1st and Sept. 30th 1897

If it is the same man, he would be 17½ when enlisting in February 1915.

Growing 4½" over the next 15 years is stretching it quite a bit , (excuse the pun!.)

Full adult male height is usually achieved nowadays by 17 or 18.

https://www.chartsgraphsdiagrams.com/HealthCharts/growth-2-20-boys.html

 

Something not quite right here.... He says he's a widower at enlistment...at  17½ ?

 

Births Sep 1897   (>99%)
Quelch	Walter Stanley		Wantage	2c	319

[Dai Bach y Sowldiwr]

There are two attestation forms on Ancestry.

This one from 1915

and this one from 1919

by which time he is already 5'10".

 

4½" in 5 years from 17 to 22 yrs of age is extremely unlikely, and suggests a wrong measurement, a wrong estimate, or the wrong man.

also increased in weight from 100 to 160lbs in the same period.

 

The first form (statement of the Services Page) is signed in one place by the Adjutant of 3rd Bn. Royal Berks. Regt.

Edited 19 January , 2019 by Dai Bach y Sowldiwr

[HolymoleyRE]

14 hours ago, HistoryEnthusiast said:

Hello,

 

I wonder if you can help me with a soldier I've been researching - a Walter Stanley Quelch. I think I've got the gist of his army records BUT I still have some questions which I hope you can help me with:

Hi Gemma, let me do some digging on Walter, he was from just down the road from me in Hampstead Norreys. 

By 1939 he is still living in Yorkshire. 

 

We had Quelch's in Hermitage. 

 

Andy 

 

 

Edited 20 January , 2019 by HolymoleyRE

[HolymoleyRE]

And would hazard a guess he married in 1924.

With Edith dying 3 years later... So yes a Widower in 1930

[Dai Bach y Sowldiwr]

His 1915 attestation was  in Newbury, his 1919 in Hull.

 

Edit:

It's just indexed as separate items on Ancestry. In reality, it's one long continuous file.

64 pages in all, one of the most extensive files I've ever seen!

Edited 20 January , 2019 by Dai Bach y Sowldiwr

[HolymoleyRE]

14 hours ago, HistoryEnthusiast said:

.I can't find Walter Quelch's battalion in the Roya Berkshire Regiment

Gemma, 

 

As Dai Bach has already indicated he only ever served with the 3rd Battalion RBR their Depot Btn in England. His records show he was transferred to the MGC in Feb 1916, before going overseas in Sept 1916. 

 

Odd that RBR is on his MIC, unless he was still waiting for the official transfer an renumbering to 10092 on arrival at Camiers Base Depot. 

 

Andy

[HistoryEnthusiast]

Thank you both for your help - I'm getting better with army records but this one was a bit of a struggle to interpret! I think it's a long record as includes his WWI service, re-enlistment in 1919 then TA service in 1930.

 

Just to clarify - Walter Quelch was originally enlisted in 1915 and served with 3rd Battalion RBR but couldn't go overseas until turned 19. At this point, transferred to MGC and went to France?

 

Thank you - that's really helpful!

 

Gemma

Edited 20 January , 2019 by HistoryEnthusiast