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Remembered Today:

Harry Morrey Salmon


Gareth Davies

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Another request from a chum.  Harry was in the 16th Bn Welsh Regiment but that got disbanded in Feb 18 and much of the manpower went to the 1st Entrenching Bn.  Their WD is for only 1 month and he isn't mentioned there.  He was in the vicinity of Bry at some stage in November 1918. I have the WDs of the 15th and 19th Bns and will have a plough through them later but in the mean time does anyone know exactly which Bn he went to in Feb 18?

Edited by Gareth Davies
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I have been through the 15th and 19th Bn WDs and he isn't listed. The 19th Bn gives the names of those who went across from he 16th In Feb 18 but he is not mentioned.  

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Hi Gareth,

 

I don't know if it's an earlier Battalion, but in the index to long numbers he's down for the 3rd.

 

image.png.b9a8612a48b966e1edf6d91e6e0a40e6.png

Image sourced from the National Archives

 

Regards

Chris

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Thank you both.  Yes, he was originally Special Reserve so that's where the 3rd Bn connection comes from. The 3rd didn't deploy.  He was sent out to the 16th so the Army List is spot on for Feb 18 - it's Mar - Nov 18 that's confusing me.

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Yes. Only the 16th Bn then ceased to exist.

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Interesting. Thank you.

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I can't find his MC citation.  And interestingly in the Second World War he is back with the Welsh Regt (or Welch as they were by then).

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Hi,

 

Possibly with a misspelt middle name? It looks like there might be a pencil amendment on the card. 16th, then 9th?

 

image.png.b81c90976b2b88f4b2a51a19ab9c4fb4.png

image.png.2c53cd79cddcb532cee477f8aec7e018.png 

Images sourced from the National Archives

 

Army List of December 1919...

image.png.56fc5f23cb7aff45f5961cc6150bb6eb.png

Image  sourced from the National Library of Scotland

 

Regards

Chris

 

image.png

Edited by clk
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Thank you. 

 

He is variously Harold and Harry so it’s not just the Morrey that causes confusion. There is a London Gazette entry in 1916 that corrects his middle name.

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I have found him in the 9th Bn WD. Thank you for all your help.

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I'm pretty certain that this officer is the chap who took some of the battlefield photos that appear in Marden's "History of the Welsh Regiment". I also think that some of his papers/ photos are held by the South Wales Borderers museum which used (?) to be at Brecon - it might have moved since I was there a decade ago?

 

Bernard

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From Marden:

 

QUOTE

The losses of the 9th Welsh in the fighting in the Champagne amounted to 13 officers and 477 other ranks, among the killed being Major F. V. Bracher, formerly 16th Welsh. A start to rebuild the Battalion was made on 22nd June, when Captain H. M. Salmon, M.C., 16th Welsh, and 273 other ranks arrived.

ENDQUOTE

 

There is a little more in the history re Captain Salmon - if needed let me know and I'll copy it over the weekend.

 

Bernard

 

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10 hours ago, Bernard_Lewis said:

I'm pretty certain that this officer is the chap who took some of the battlefield photos that appear in Marden's "History of the Welsh Regiment". I also think that some of his papers/ photos are held by the South Wales Borderers museum which used (?) to be at Brecon - it might have moved since I was there a decade ago?

 

Bernard

 

Yes, that's him. The family have shown me some of their collection of his photographs, it's fascinating.

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10 hours ago, Bernard_Lewis said:

From Marden:

 

QUOTE

The losses of the 9th Welsh in the fighting in the Champagne amounted to 13 officers and 477 other ranks, among the killed being Major F. V. Bracher, formerly 16th Welsh. A start to rebuild the Battalion was made on 22nd June, when Captain H. M. Salmon, M.C., 16th Welsh, and 273 other ranks arrived.

ENDQUOTE

 

There is a little more in the history re Captain Salmon - if needed let me know and I'll copy it over the weekend.

 

Bernard

 

 

That's really helpful, thank you. I know where to start looking in the WD (which mentions his arrival on 22 June 1918).  But this does of course beg an new question, where was he and what was he doing between February and June 1918?

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His MC was awarded as part of the 1918 Birthday Honours.  

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He gets several mentions in Marden, some when I think he was with the 16th battalion. It includes some direct quotes.

 

I'll send it over on the weekend, Gareth. Can you PM me your email address, please? 

 

Bernard

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Hi,

 

2 hours ago, Gareth Davies said:

this does of course beg an new question, where was he and what was he doing between February and June 1918?

 

From his death registration record, it looks like he was born 30.12.1891. If all else fails, I guess that his family could get what's left of his service file from the MoD.

image.png.ea11135d9eb1bbdc945b36c884f6a8fb.png

 

Regards

Chris

 

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1 hour ago, Bernard_Lewis said:

He gets several mentions in Marden, some when I think he was with the 16th battalion. It includes some direct quotes.

 

I'll send it over on the weekend, Gareth. Can you PM me your email address, please? 

 

Bernard

Thank you, will do.

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