vinniemac Posted 17 June , 2019 Share Posted 17 June , 2019 Help required if possible.Got an American friend whose Scottish grandfather served from 1914-1918.According to the info he has,he was told that he served with the Black Watch as a medic.He is unaware of which Battalion,but was born in Uphall,West Lothian. He has a photograph of his grandfather,Corporal John Ballantine Smith in medic uniform. He has no army number,medals etc to help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Abbott Posted 17 June , 2019 Share Posted 17 June , 2019 (edited) John Smith.......well there's an unusual name, eh? You've written Ballantine and Ballentyne.....are you sure it's not Ballantyne? Checking Scotland's People, there was a John Ballantyne Smith with birth registered in Livingstone in 1893. I note that he has been the subject of a number of posts on forums such as that of Ancestry etc. and that there is mention of his father (also called John Smith) having been killed in a mining accident. Maybe his father is the 'John Smith' who is mentioned in the fatal accident enquiry pages here (in 1923) : - https://www.scottishshale.co.uk/KnowledgePages/Accidents/AccidentFatalInquiries.html http://www.scottishshale.co.uk/GazMines/Breich1+2Mine.html Someone has also included John Ballantyne Smith on a family tree on Ancestry..... https://www.ancestry.co.uk/family-tree/person/tree/160834500/person/262102518151/facts?_phsrc=WUH50&_phstart=successSource By coincidence, some of my ancestors lived at Uphall as well, worked in the shale mines and were injured (with one killed in 1903). Edited 17 June , 2019 by Ron Abbott Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TEW Posted 17 June , 2019 Share Posted 17 June , 2019 Is he not an RAMC man? In which case from one of the brigaded Field Ambulances that operated alongside Black Watch? TEW Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rolt968 Posted 17 June , 2019 Share Posted 17 June , 2019 How sure are they that he served in the Black Watch throughout the war? Do my eyes deceive me or doesn't the shoulder title read ASC? It certainly doesn't look like RH. He is a private in this photo. There was a John B Smith who was T/35828, ASC and S/43740, Black Watch (MRIC, ancestry). RM Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rolt968 Posted 17 June , 2019 Share Posted 17 June , 2019 T was a prefix for ASC horse transport men. So far I can't find the 1914-15 Star medal roll for T/35828. RM Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vinniemac Posted 17 June , 2019 Author Share Posted 17 June , 2019 Thank you all very much for your help and information,will contact my friend in the US to see if this matches any other histories he may have. Cheers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alf mcm Posted 17 June , 2019 Share Posted 17 June , 2019 According to a tree on Ancestry John married Ethel McMurray, with no date given. Scotlandspeople has John B. Smith marrying Ethel McMurray in Mid Calder {only a few miles from Uphall} in 1917. https://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/record-results?search_type=people&dl_cat=statutory&dl_rec=statutory-marriages&surname=smith&surname_so=exact&forename=john &forename_so=exact&spsurname=mcmurray&spsurname_so=exact&spforename_so=exact&rd_real_name[0]=MID CALDER&rd_display_name[0]=MID CALDER_MID CALDER&rdno[0]=MID CALDER&record_type=stat_marriages The marriage certificat should give John's rank and Regiment, and possibly service number. This could confirm if the photograph is of him. Regards, Alf McM Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TEW Posted 17 June , 2019 Share Posted 17 June , 2019 I saw his shoulder titles as starting RA something. That plus the badge plus the 'medic' part of the story so far leads me to RAMC. TEW Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TEW Posted 17 June , 2019 Share Posted 17 June , 2019 Continuing my notion there is MIC for a J B Smith. 9979 Royal Irish Regt, then 137080 RAMC. Rank given as Cpl. for both. RAMC Number is not territorials and Black Watch would have to be 1st division for 1/BW or if 2/BW Meerut then later 7th Indian Division (unlikely?) So, I'd still go with 1st, 2nd or 3rd (142 FA later on) Field Ambulance. If they were brigaded then I'm suggesting 1st FA. Any other records for 9979 / 137080 out there? I've checked WO Official Casualty Lists - nothing TEW Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skipman Posted 17 June , 2019 Share Posted 17 June , 2019 There's a U.S., World War II Draft Registration Cards, 1942 for a John Ballantyne Smith, 3 Deerfield Street, Worcester, Maassachussets, age 48, born Livingtstone 16/8/1893. Tel 3-8442 If that's any help Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rolt968 Posted 17 June , 2019 Share Posted 17 June , 2019 On 17 October 1917, he was a private in the RAMC. Alas no serial number. (scotlandspeople). Gave his place of residence as "British Expeditionary Force, France". RM Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vinniemac Posted 21 May , 2020 Author Share Posted 21 May , 2020 Many thanks for this info.Apologies for length of time taken to get back to you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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