Cassidy Medals Posted 5 July , 2019 Share Posted 5 July , 2019 Hi I have an old postcard photo, below. I'm trying to work out who QMS Cassidy is? What year do you think the photo is from? Was he in the Royal Artillery? Browsing the WW1 MIC I have found the following 2 x QMS Cassidy's belonging to the Royal Artillery. 675 Farrier SSGT / F QMS James Cassidy 3rd Brigade Royal Horse Artillery (WW1) MID. LG. 18 May 1917. 1914 Star and Bar, British War Medal, Victory Medal. Cassidy enlisted on 15 Nov 1893, with previous service in the Surrey Artillery (Militia) He served in the Boer War and was awarded a Queen's South Africa Medal with Clasps, Orange Free State, Transvaal, Defence of Ladysmith and Laing's Nek. I am uncertain if he was entitled to a King's South Africa Medal. He was also awarded a LS&GC. Year unknown. I am advised he has a Military Pension Record. But I was unable to locate it. I haven't looked for the MID entry in the LG yet. 9197 WO2 / Battery SGT Major Charles Cassidy Royal Garrison Artillery British War Medal, Victory Medal, Meritorious Service Medal & Army LS&GC Medal. (I have his MSM & LS&GC Medals in my collection.) I note that Charles Cassidy was a BSM? I was unable to locate a service record for this gent. Any help with this one would be appreciated. Cheers *hopalong* Cassidy Medals Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
corisande Posted 5 July , 2019 Share Posted 5 July , 2019 1 hour ago, Cassidy Medals said: What year do you think the photo is from? Was he in the Royal Artillery? The clue to the photo is with Major A C Currie (centre) who is described as "supt of expts" This man is Major Arthur Cecil Currie, whose CV is as below. Indicating a date before 23 Oct 1908 for the photo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dragoon Posted 5 July , 2019 Share Posted 5 July , 2019 Hello A very complete record of 675 James Cassidy here... https://search.findmypast.co.uk/record?id=gbm%2fwo363-4%2f007266175%2f00584&parentid=gbm%2fwo363-4%2f7266175%2f39%2f584 Hope this helps Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dragoon Posted 5 July , 2019 Share Posted 5 July , 2019 675 James Cassidy on the LSGC register, 1st January 1912.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
horatio2 Posted 5 July , 2019 Share Posted 5 July , 2019 1 hour ago, corisande said: The clue to the photo is with Major A C Currie (centre) who is described as "supt of expts" Lieutenant John Beauchamp Waterlow RN was appointed 3rd Assistant Superintendent of Experiments at Shoeburyness between May 1907 and April 1909, which ties in with the above dates. He was killed in HMS BLACK PRINCE at Jutland. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dragoon Posted 5 July , 2019 Share Posted 5 July , 2019 According to 675 James Cassidy's record he was still a Shoeing Smith Corporal in 1907 to 1909, he wasn't promoted to Farrier Sergeant til 1910. So he would not have had the Appointment of QMS as a Corporal. Still looking into 9197 Charles Cassidy.. it may not be either! Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dragoon Posted 5 July , 2019 Share Posted 5 July , 2019 On FMP 9197 Charles Cassidy has a Royal Artillery Attestation record. On it it says he was born in 1882 so he would have been late twenty's at the time of the photo, the chap on the photo looks older. He joined in 1901, so again, he would have done well to make it to QMS in that amount of time. Chris https://search.findmypast.co.uk/record?id=GBM/ROYALART/1400001-1401014/00163&parentid=GBM/ROYALART/147193 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Clifton Posted 5 July , 2019 Share Posted 5 July , 2019 If the link to Major A C Currie is established, it is more likely that QMS Cassidy was with the RGA than the RHA or RFA. It is not certain by any means, just a strong-ish possibility. Ron Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cassidy Medals Posted 7 July , 2019 Author Share Posted 7 July , 2019 Thanks for your responses to date........ok so we've established the photo is circa 1908-1909 and that the unit is "Experiments Wing - Royal Artillery" ? And that QMS Cassidy is Royal Artillery? Can you please enlighten me.....What did experiments wing do? Develop gas shells? Here's another possibility from WW1 MIC..... Can someone please explain what the rank SGT-2 is? Cheers *hopalong* Cassidy Medals Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
corisande Posted 7 July , 2019 Share Posted 7 July , 2019 2 hours ago, Cassidy Medals said: .What did experiments wing do? Develop gas shells? The Superintendent of Experiments at Shoeburyness was under the Master-General of the Ordnance. Artillery and ammunition tests were carried out on these ranges Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cassidy Medals Posted 7 July , 2019 Author Share Posted 7 July , 2019 I've just read that the Proof and Experimental Establishment (part of the School of Gunnery since 1859) became an independent operation in 1905, it was renamed the Experimental Establishment in 1920. Can someone confirm QMS Cassidy's cap badge? Is it Royal Artillery? Just had a thought. Given that the Royal Navy were present in the photo, Perhaps QMS Cassidy was from another Army Corps? Infantry - Trench Mortars perhaps? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dragoon Posted 7 July , 2019 Share Posted 7 July , 2019 Quick zoom, he is badged RA Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dragoon Posted 7 July , 2019 Share Posted 7 July , 2019 And it's not Serg2 it's just the t of the Sergt Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RaySearching Posted 7 July , 2019 Share Posted 7 July , 2019 Hi Chris Did you miss This reply Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cassidy Medals Posted 21 July , 2019 Author Share Posted 21 July , 2019 I found the following gent in the 1911 Army List...... Could this be QMS Cassidy? Royal Regiment of Artillery Master Gunners 1st Class P. Cassidy 17 Oct 1908 - 12 July 1911. My understanding is that Master Gunner 1st Class is the equivalent rank as WO1 and QMS is WO2. Not being an expert in Royal Artillery ranks......Could this be Cassidy's promotion after serving at the Experimental Branch in 1908? Can anyone find Cassidy in an earlier Army List? Or perhaps a Regimental Number? I can't seem to find anything further about Cassidy. Cheers *hopalong* Cassidy Medals Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cassidy Medals Posted 21 July , 2019 Author Share Posted 21 July , 2019 Ok....I've had time to do a bit more research........I think he is our man. 74945 QM SGT & Master Gunner Class 1 . Patrick Cassidy Royal Artillery. Born 16 July 1871. Enlisted circa 1890 aged about 19 years of age. Awarded an EDVII Army Long Service & Good Conduct Medal as QM/SGT in 1908 (Corresponds with Group Photo.) Mentioned in several Army Lists 1911, 1912, 1914 as Master Gunner 1st Class. To Pension 16 Sept 1914. Aged about 43 years of age. One Army List indicates that he served for 19 years, if he served from 1890 through to 1914 this is a total of 24 years. I was unable to locate a Service Record or Pension Documents, if you know of any could you please send me a link. I'm interested to know if Cassidy served in the Boer War, or was awarded any other medals. Cassidy is not listed on WW1 MIC. I assume he was recalled for Home Service. Perhaps awarded a British War Medal. That's all the info I have to date. Cheers *Hopalong* Cassidy Medals Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George Rayner Posted 21 July , 2019 Share Posted 21 July , 2019 Forces War Records has this First Name: P Surname: Cassidy Nationality: British Information: Warrant Officer. Rank: Master Gunner 1st Class Duty Location: Royal Arsenal, Woolwich Service: British Army Regiment: Royal Artillery Seniority Date: 17/10/1908 Don't know if you had seen it George Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George Rayner Posted 21 July , 2019 Share Posted 21 July , 2019 Find my past has two references https://www.findmypast.co.uk/transcript?id=GBM%2FWO363-4%2F7266175%2F87%2F1267 https://www.findmypast.co.uk/transcript?id=GBM%2FWO363-4%2F7266175%2F86%2F1253 with the correct service number but just checking them as one is Ireland and one Scotland! George Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George Rayner Posted 21 July , 2019 Share Posted 21 July , 2019 They both belong to your man-service records-no evidence of Boer War involvement and discharged Sept 1914 after 25 years George Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cassidy Medals Posted 22 July , 2019 Author Share Posted 22 July , 2019 14 hours ago, George Rayner said: Forces War Records has this First Name: P Surname: Cassidy Nationality: British Information: Warrant Officer. Rank: Master Gunner 1st Class Duty Location: Royal Arsenal, Woolwich Service: British Army Regiment: Royal Artillery Seniority Date: 17/10/1908 Don't know if you had seen it George Hi George.... Thank You.... Yes I saw the two entries at Forces War Records and I also saw the Army Lists via Fold3 (Ancestry). 14 hours ago, George Rayner said: Find my past has two references https://www.findmypast.co.uk/transcript?id=GBM%2FWO363-4%2F7266175%2F87%2F1267 https://www.findmypast.co.uk/transcript?id=GBM%2FWO363-4%2F7266175%2F86%2F1253 with the correct service number but just checking them as one is Ireland and one Scotland! George I'm not a mamber of Find My Past, don't suppose you could provide an extract? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George Rayner Posted 22 July , 2019 Share Posted 22 July , 2019 Hi One has 13 pages the other 11! George Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cassidy Medals Posted 23 July , 2019 Author Share Posted 23 July , 2019 Thanks George....... I've joined find.my.past so i could access the docs. Makes for interesting reading. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cassidy Medals Posted 23 July , 2019 Author Share Posted 23 July , 2019 The Docs confirm that QMS Cassidy was at the Experimental Establishment from 02 Aug 1906 to 17 Oct 1908. He was awarded his Army LS&GC Medal whilst at this posting. Given that conscription came into force during WW1 with married men upto the age of 51 being required to serve (1916)....... and QMS Cassidy was 43 in 1914...... the search is now on for his WW1 service details. Home Service? If you can provide some advice here on where to look it would be appreciated. Cheers *hopalong Cassidy Medals Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George Rayner Posted 23 July , 2019 Share Posted 23 July , 2019 The only further reference I can find is in Ancestry, but within Fold3 for which I do not have a subscription. It is the Army List for 1914 so may be prior to his discharge in September of that year... https://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?indiv=1&dbid=60721&h=1181025&tid=&pid=&usePUB=true&_phsrc=Yiy21231&_phstart=successSource but here it is for others to check George Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cassidy Medals Posted 27 July , 2019 Author Share Posted 27 July , 2019 Thanks George I am a Fold3 member......it's a copy of the 1911 Army List. I am going to start a new post for him now. Cheers Gaz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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