daggers Posted 7 July , 2019 Share Posted 7 July , 2019 In a family diary I have received, there are references to a Signals School at Chester in 1916, which appears to have occupied some of the buildings of Chester racecourse. Can anyone throw any light on this, please? An officer, Frank Shaw, may have been its commandant or assistant commandant. daggers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin DavidOwen Posted 7 July , 2019 Admin Share Posted 7 July , 2019 Daggers Have had a sniff around the online Chester archives, sadly no mention. Nothing on the racecourse site either, But that doesn't mean it wasn't there, even if only temporarily. David Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cheshire22 Posted 7 July , 2019 Share Posted 7 July , 2019 Nothing in Chester in the Great War by Susan Chambers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daggers Posted 7 July , 2019 Author Share Posted 7 July , 2019 Thanks to you both for looking. D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daggers Posted 8 July , 2019 Author Share Posted 8 July , 2019 I have now discovered that Frank Shaw was an officer in the Duke of Lancaster's Own Yeomanry. Whether this affects my original enquiry I do not know, but I at first thought he must have been RE (Signals). D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin DavidOwen Posted 8 July , 2019 Admin Share Posted 8 July , 2019 I can see from his MIC he went out to Egypt with I presume 1 Bn. as early as September 1914. I hadn't restricted my searches to RE so I doubt it makes a difference to my results, sorry. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Clifton Posted 8 July , 2019 Share Posted 8 July , 2019 You may find the answer in one of these National Archives files. As far as I know they are not available online so a personal visit to Kew may be necessary. WO33/ 568 1911 Allotment of troops for Home Defence WO33/ 692 1914 Distribution of Home Defence forces (excluding ports) WO33/ 710 1915 Composition of HQs Home Defence Forces WO33/ 719 1915 Composition of HQs Home Defence Forces WO33/ 724 1915 Composition of HQs Home Defence Forces WO33/ 733 1915 Composition of HQs Home Defence Forces WO33/ 741 1916 Composition of HQs Home Defence Forces WO33/ 749 1916 Composition of HQs Home Defence Forces WO33/ 754 1916 Composition of HQs Home Defence Forces WO33/ 767 1916 Composition of HQs Home Defence Forces WO33/ 772 1916 Composition of HQs Home Defence Forces WO33/ 779 1916 Distribution of Home Defence forces WO33/ 782 1916 Composition of HQs Home Defence Forces WO33/ 795 1916 Order of Battle for Divisions at Home WO33/ 799 1916 Composition of HQs Home Defence Forces WO33/ 808 1917 Composition of HQs Home Defence Forces WO33/ 812 1917 Distribution of Home Defence forces WO33/ 814 1917 Composition of HQs, Overseas Dominion Forces in British Isles WO33/ 815 1917 Composition of HQs Home Defence Forces WO33/ 823 1917 Composition of HQs Home Defence Forces WO33/ 824 1917 Composition of HQs, Overseas Dominion Forces in British Isles WO33/ 833 1917 Composition of HQs Home Defence Forces WO33/ 837 1917 Distribution of Home Defence forces and reserve units (summer stations) WO33/ 843 1917 Composition of HQs Home Defence Forces WO33/ 855 1918 Composition of HQs Home Defence Forces WO33/ 865 1918 Distribution of Home Defence forces and reserve units (winter stations) WO33/ 866 1918 Composition of HQs, Overseas Dominion Forces in British Isles WO33/ 869 1918 Composition of HQs Home Defence Forces WO33/ 870 1918 Schedule A and list of stations of reserve units WO33/ 876 1918 Composition of HQs, Overseas Dominion Forces in British Isles WO33/ 879 1918 Composition of HQs Home Defence Forces WO33/ 883 1918 Distribution of Home Defence forces and reserve units (summer stations) WO33/ 890 1918 Composition of HQs Home Defence Forces WO33/ 903 1918 Composition of HQs, Overseas Dominion Forces in British Isles WO33/ 904 1918 Distribution of Forces in Great Britain incl reserve units (winter stations) WO33/ 909 1918 Composition of HQs Home Defence Forces WO33/ 921 1919 Composition of HQs, Overseas Dominion Forces in British Isles WO33/ 923 1919 Composition of HQs Home Defence Forces WO33/ 930 1919 Composition of HQs Home Defence Forces WO33/ 941 1919 Composition of HQs Home Defence Forces Ron Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin DavidOwen Posted 8 July , 2019 Admin Share Posted 8 July , 2019 Found Captain F Shaw Duke of Lancaster's Own Yeomanry in a couple of 1916 Army Lists but nothing of note to report (no secondments etc.). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daggers Posted 8 July , 2019 Author Share Posted 8 July , 2019 Thanks to you both. I am too far from Kew to look those references up, and the list looks like several days' worth! I'll try Chester when visiting next. D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin DavidOwen Posted 8 July , 2019 Admin Share Posted 8 July , 2019 Western Command (formed 1907) was based in Chester. I have found evidence of the Wireless HQ being based there in ww2. ...and bingo! The Army did requisition the Roodee (Racecourse) for training purposes in 1915 https://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/ches/vol5/pt1/pp240-241 so it is entirely plausible that a signals school may have been based there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Clifton Posted 8 July , 2019 Share Posted 8 July , 2019 49 minutes ago, daggers said: Thanks to you both. I am too far from Kew to look those references up, and the list looks like several days' worth! I'll try Chester when visiting next. D My apologies if you have a disability which restricts your ability to travel, but it's only 212 miles, daggers. Many men from Liverpool went to the Western Front in 1914-1918, and for many of them it was a one-way journey. Try this site: https://www.tripsavvy.com/transportation-from-london-to-liverpool-1662511 You should find your answer in one of the "Composition of HQs Home Defence Forces" or "Distribution of Home Defence forces" files - you don't have to look at all the files in the list. Ron Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daggers Posted 8 July , 2019 Author Share Posted 8 July , 2019 Ron, It’s age, and far too old for recall to the colours. David, that looks a likely link. Thanks again for your interest. D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin DavidOwen Posted 8 July , 2019 Admin Share Posted 8 July , 2019 Buried in the middle of this thread is Ewan's description of 1/1 DoLOY and it was A Squadron that left for Egypt in September 1914 remaining out in that area of the world for the duration of the war. As Captain Shaw also went to Egypt in September 1914 (ref his MIC) then he would have had to have been posted either for training or to a different duty / unit to have been in Chester in 1916. It would seem to be a long way to come just for training....https://www.greatwarforum.org/topic/176039-duke-of-lancasters-own-yeomanry/ War diaries for the squadron haven't yet been digitised either... ...and the one below may be too late for your purposes anyway. https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C4557745 I can't see a service file for him via TNA searching nor anyone who fits the bill on the long number list.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daggers Posted 8 July , 2019 Author Share Posted 8 July , 2019 I have looked deeper into the diary which set me off on this path and find that Frank Shaw had completed a six-week course on signals, with exams, before January 1916, and was appointed Asst Commandant of the same establishment that month. As you say, the war diary you cite is unlikely to help. I think that is as far as I need go, but I am grateful for all help. Daggers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Porter Posted 8 July , 2019 Share Posted 8 July , 2019 (edited) Lots of mentions in the Welsh Army Corps Records (Western Command Orders) from The National Library of Wales, which are online. One example - https://cymru1914.org/en/view/archive_file/4056333/63 EDIT: Frank Shaw attended the Fourth Course - https://cymru1914.org/en/view/archive_file/4056333/181 Edited 8 July , 2019 by David Porter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin DavidOwen Posted 8 July , 2019 Admin Share Posted 8 July , 2019 Well that is great! Well done David. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daggers Posted 8 July , 2019 Author Share Posted 8 July , 2019 Yes indeed, great result, David. I could not have found that in many years of search. D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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