1st East Anglian Field Ambulance / 88th Field Ambulance photos?

[breame1]

Hi everyone, 

I'm new here and I've been researching my family history recently. 

My Great Grandfather was J W Breame who promoted sergeant in the 1st East Anglian Field Ambulance (later 88th Field Ambulance) regiment and received a DCM for conspicuous bravery helping wounded during a fire on the Gallipoli Peninsula. 

I have a couple photos of him from that time period, I was wondering if anyone can help point me in the right direction to find any group photos of the regiment either just before or during WW1? 

I will post a couple more times here at some point on pretty much the same subject for a couple of other soldiers in the family.

 

Kind regards, 

J West 

[Mark1959]

See

https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/search?query=&pageSize=30&style=image&filters[webCategory][Photographs]=on&filters[agentString][British Army%2C Royal Army Medical Corps%2C 88th Field Ambulance]=on

and IWM clearly has others not on-line

[PRC]

3 hours ago, breame1 said:

My Great Grandfather was J W Breame who promoted sergeant in the 1st East Anglian Field Ambulance (later 88th Field Ambulance) regiment and received a DCM for conspicuous bravery helping wounded during a fire on the Gallipoli Peninsula. 

I have a couple photos of him from that time period, I was wondering if anyone can help point me in the right direction to find any group photos of the regiment either just before or during WW1?

 

A Field Ambulance was not a Regiment, more like a Company in size - see https://www.longlongtrail.co.uk/soldiers/a-soldiers-life-1914-1918/the-evacuation-chain-for-wounded-and-sick-soldiers/field-ambulances-in-the-first-world-war/

 

Pre-war as a Territorial Unit, supporting the Norfolk and Suffolk Brigade, part of 54th Division. it would have been made up of possible three or four local detachments. The only time these would have come together was for the annual two week camp, and even then not everyone would have attended both weeks. There are a few pictures about of the Brigades pre-war camps, but I don't recall seeing any formal unit size pictures.

 

With the outbreak of war, second line and third line units were set up, so it was actually the 1st/1st East Anglian Field Ambulance that left the 54th Division in January 1915 and would join the 29th Division. Both Divisions would serve at Gallipoli. Advance elements of 2nd/1st East Angilan Field Ambulance went out with the infantry battalions of the 54th Division when they sailed from Liverpool at the end of July 1915, with the rest plus drafts from the 3rd/1st and the other support elements of the Division sailing a week later - unfortunately for them aboard the Transport Ship Royal Edward, which was torpedoed when it reached the Aegean with a significant loss of life. I mention this because the contemporary Norfolk newspapers had a couple of pictures of detachments just listed as the First East Anglian Field Ambulance, and then tailied off the fate of the men shown. Unfortunately my source, a mis-treated 25 year old micro-film at the County Archive leaves a lot to be desired quality wise, but for what it's worth I've attached a copy of the Lowestoft men, (mildy tidied up). This appeared in the edition of the Norwich Mercury dated Saturday 11th September, 1915. I suspect this is what you're more likely to find for your grandfather.

 

Talking of whom, I couldn't find anything in the Norfolk press for his D.C.M, so took a look at the census to find out where he lived and therefore which paper was most likely to cover that area. Is this the 35 year old James William Breame, a Norwich born man, who was recorded on the 1911 Census of England & Wales as a married man living in Ipswich. As you can see, the Norfolk papers are odd about which bits of Suffolk they include - Lowestoft was fine, but Ipswich was definately beyond the pale even then :-)

 

If he was an Ipswich man then most likely any detachment level picture is going to be in the Suffolk papers.

 

Good luck with the search,

 

Peter

[breame1]

7 hours ago, PRC said:

 

A Field Ambulance was not a Regiment, more like a Company in size - see https://www.longlongtrail.co.uk/soldiers/a-soldiers-life-1914-1918/the-evacuation-chain-for-wounded-and-sick-soldiers/field-ambulances-in-the-first-world-war/

 

Pre-war as a Territorial Unit, supporting the Norfolk and Suffolk Brigade, part of 54th Division. it would have been made up of possible three or four local detachments. The only time these would have come together was for the annual two week camp, and even then not everyone would have attended both weeks. There are a few pictures about of the Brigades pre-war camps, but I don't recall seeing any formal unit size pictures.

 

With the outbreak of war, second line and third line units were set up, so it was actually the 1st/1st East Anglian Field Ambulance that left the 54th Division in January 1915 and would join the 29th Division. Both Divisions would serve at Gallipoli. Advance elements of 2nd/1st East Angilan Field Ambulance went out with the infantry battalions of the 54th Division when they sailed from Liverpool at the end of July 1915, with the rest plus drafts from the 3rd/1st and the other support elements of the Division sailing a week later - unfortunately for them aboard the Transport Ship Royal Edward, which was torpedoed when it reached the Aegean with a significant loss of life. I mention this because the contemporary Norfolk newspapers had a couple of pictures of detachments just listed as the First East Anglian Field Ambulance, and then tailied off the fate of the men shown. Unfortunately my source, a mis-treated 25 year old micro-film at the County Archive leaves a lot to be desired quality wise, but for what it's worth I've attached a copy of the Lowestoft men, (mildy tidied up). This appeared in the edition of the Norwich Mercury dated Saturday 11th September, 1915. I suspect this is what you're more likely to find for your grandfather.

 

Talking of whom, I couldn't find anything in the Norfolk press for his D.C.M, so took a look at the census to find out where he lived and therefore which paper was most likely to cover that area. Is this the 35 year old James William Breame, a Norwich born man, who was recorded on the 1911 Census of England & Wales as a married man living in Ipswich. As you can see, the Norfolk papers are odd about which bits of Suffolk they include - Lowestoft was fine, but Ipswich was definately beyond the pale even then :-)

 

If he was an Ipswich man then most likely any detachment level picture is going to be in the Suffolk papers.

 

Good luck with the search,

 

Peter

 

Thanks so much for clarifying, I'm not sure why I referred to it as a regiment because I vaguely remember viewing the Web page you shared with me, so I've bookmarked it! 

 

That's really interesting. 

My Great Grandfather was indeed born in Norwich, however he moved to Ipswich in about 1899. 

I have in my records the date 22nd September 1911 confirmed as fit for army. He joined the 1st East Anglian Field Ambulance from then on. 

The Suffolk Chronicle and Mercury newspaper has more information on him. I found about 3 articles in relation to the DCM. I have attached one of them here. 

 

Thanks, 

 

J West 

10 hours ago, Mark1959 said:

See

https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/search?query=&pageSize=30&style=image&filters[webCategory][Photographs]=on&filters[agentString][British Army%2C Royal Army Medical Corps%2C 88th Field Ambulance]=on

and IWM clearly has others not on-line

Thanks, I'll have a look. 

 

Regards, 

J West 

[Guest]

My grandfather, Pte Bernard Buttifant (Bert) was an Ipswich boy and served in the 1st East Anglian Field Ambulance, 29th Division, 88th Field Ambulance, Royal Medical Corp. He too served in Gallipoli.  I have inherited some memorabilia and keen to find out more. In particular where did they go after Gallipoli?  I know my grandfather was later badly injured in a troop train crash in France (I think). 

Liz Davey

[George Rayner]

Welcome to the forum Liz and good luck with your research.

 

Just had a quick look on Ancestry and there are two records for a Bernard Arthur Frederick Buttefant available. Mis-spellings and transcribing are a repeating tale...but could this be your grandfather? RAMC number 473118, enlisted 6/8/14 and discharged 20/3/19

https://www.ancestry.co.uk/interactive/1262/30850_A000267-00615?pid=1887906&backurl=https://search.ancestry.co.uk/cgi-bin/sse.dll?indiv%3D1%26dbid%3D1262%26h%3D1887906%26tid%3D%26pid%3D%26usePUB%3Dtrue%26_phsrc%3DcIF3092%26_phstart%3DsuccessSource&treeid=&personid=&hintid=&usePUB=true&_phsrc=cIF3092&_phstart=successSource&usePUBJs=true&_ga=2.31368184.638801518.1588919323-1233040757.1573990318

 

George

[PRC]

46 minutes ago, George Rayner said:

RAMC number 473118, enlisted 6/8/14 and discharged 20/3/19

 Not sure if that is the right man - the Medal Index Card as ButtEfant, (both National Archive, Ancestry and Find My Past) appears to relate solely to the issue of a Silver War Badge. The second item on Ancestry looks like a Silver War Badge Roll. Discharge unit was 1st East Anglian Field Ambulance and no sign of any service medals for overseas service.

 

2 hours ago, Liz Davey said:

My grandfather, Pte Bernard Buttifant (Bert) was an Ipswich boy and served in the 1st East Anglian Field Ambulance, 29th Division, 88th Field Ambulance, Royal Medical Corp. He too served in Gallipoli.  I have inherited some memorabilia and keen to find out more. In particular where did they go after Gallipoli?  I know my grandfather was later badly injured in a troop train crash in France (I think). 

Liz Davey

 

Hi Liz and welcome to the forum.

 

Any chance you can tell us a bit more about the memorablia you've inherited and why you believe he was in the 88th Field Ambulance - struggling at the moment to find a man with those details who served at Gallipoli so he may have been with another unit - or I may be looking in the wrong places

 

Cheers,

Peter

[George Rayner]

Agreed Peter-that's why I asked the question about other given names and commented upon mis spelling of family name.

 

George

[George Rayner]

According to SWB data he was discharged at 22years 3 months. Means he joined at 16-enlistment 1914

 

George

[George Rayner]

How about this one?

Name:	Douglas Bertie Buttifant
Military Year:	1914-1920
Rank:	Private
Company:	WO 329
Regiment or Corps:	Labour Corps
Regiment Number:	69056
Medal Awarded:	British War Medal and Victory Medal

Courtesy of the Ancestry search engine

Or this one

Name:	Bertie S Buttifant
Regiment or Corps:	Norfolk Regiment, Royal Army Medical Corps
Regimental Number:	27040, 145115
Other Records:	Search for 'Bertie S Buttifant' in other WWI collections

 

 

 

 

George

 

 

Edited 19 May , 2020 by George Rayner

[PRC]

Sorry George, misread which part was the question.

 

And it looks like at least as far as the civil recorded are concerned it may well be your first suggestion.

 

There are no Bernard ButtEfant's with an Ipswich connection on the Census record, but in 1911 there is a 14 year old Bernard ButtIfant, born Ipswich and living with parents Charles and Eugenie ahd 5 siblings at 34 Upper Barclay Street, Ipwich. Strangely father Charles and the two older siblings were born Norwich - must be something about this thread.

 

The birth of a Bernard Arthur F Buttifant was recorded in the Ipswich District in Q4 1896.

 

So over to Liz and that memorablila.

 

Cheers,

Peter

Edited 9 June , 2020 by PRC
Typo

[breame1]

On 19/05/2020 at 12:16, Liz Davey said:

My grandfather, Pte Bernard Buttifant (Bert) was an Ipswich boy and served in the 1st East Anglian Field Ambulance, 29th Division, 88th Field Ambulance, Royal Medical Corp. He too served in Gallipoli.  I have inherited some memorabilia and keen to find out more. In particular where did they go after Gallipoli?  I know my grandfather was later badly injured in a troop train crash in France (I think). 

Liz Davey

Do you have any reference to the surname Breame amongst your collection? 

 

Kind regards, 

Joel West 

[PRC]

Hi Joel,

 

Doesn't look like Liz ever came back after making her post. You could try pm'ing her as she should get a notification to the e-mail address she used to create a GWF account.

 

Cheers,

Peter