paul.pengelly Posted 4 October , 2019 Author Share Posted 4 October , 2019 Found that his 13 medal group and minatures along with his "meticulous and detailed dairies" were auctioned off by Spink auction house (USA) for $18,000 (estimated $5,500) .on 27/29 June 2018 Auction number 341 ,Lot 1063. "Promoted Colonel & head of intelligence branch of the 2nd army -Sept 1916,by Oct 1918 he was appointed Brigadier-General & posted as Senior Intelligence Officer to the War Office in London. Unfortunately i have been unable to locate any more of his sketches appearing in Canadian war diaries,or anywhere else on the Canadian Museum and Archive site,his diaries would have been an interesting addition. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul.pengelly Posted 5 October , 2019 Author Share Posted 5 October , 2019 Still in the Canadian war diaries came across this strange tale,as it concerns a downed German plane I posted on the Air personnel and the war in the air forum - titled “What goes around” It contains more war diary weirdness concerning a Btn loaning their machine-gun section to another Btn who are overrun losing the machine -gun The Germans capture the gun ,they then mount it in an German aeroplane ,which was then shot down and crashes on the front occupied by the first Btn,where is recovered Couldn’t complete the circle and find out if it got back to them or not unfortunately ,but as it’s reported in 6 different diaries so it seems more than a rumour. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul.pengelly Posted 11 October , 2019 Author Share Posted 11 October , 2019 While looking through the diaries to see if I could find any mention of the above Colt machine-gun being returned to the 14 th Btn came across this. Feb 1915 “Armourer specialist, Major Northover (2nd Bde) devised a clamp to stop the escape of gas at the gas cylinder on the barrel of the Colt machine gun.His device was tested and found very effective,until he invented this device the Colt machine gun was unstatisfactory,the escape of gas prevented the gun being used as a rapid and continuous firer until the barrel got hot and expanded.It could therefore at first only be used as a single firer.” Not want you want in a machine gun really,especially as it also had problems with overheating and had to be unloaded immediately after heavy firing to prevent “cooking off” rounds... not a good combination of problems. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul.pengelly Posted 13 October , 2019 Author Share Posted 13 October , 2019 1st Canadian Divisional supply column -Monday August 9th 1915 “.....English aeroplane with 2 Imperial officers (one a Toronto man) fell just outside my billet at 1.30 p.m ,machine badly damaged but 2 officers escaped.Same 2 officers glided down again with a second machine at about 5.30 p.m on our camp ground owing to trouble with engine ,and this plane also was damaged.” Dont think they would be very popular 2 planes damaged in 4 hours,not what you call a good start to the week. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skipman Posted 15 October , 2019 Share Posted 15 October , 2019 Found this in the 2nd East Lancashire Regiment diary. Click Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin Feledziak Posted 16 October , 2019 Share Posted 16 October , 2019 (edited) Found in the notes of 1/5th South Staffordshire Regiment April 1918. There is no mention of the note in the diary pages for April so we don't know how it came to be amongst the papers. ( PS I don't read German) A voice from the grave, close up of top bit. Edited 16 October , 2019 by Martin Feledziak Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul.pengelly Posted 16 October , 2019 Author Share Posted 16 October , 2019 Skipman Yes I would imagine there would have been a fair bit of work in trying to collate some war diaries into something intelligable,judging by the vast differences in the ones I have seen, some people seemingly unimpressed by the need for filling them in .Seen at least one that seemed to have been filled in at the end of the month,just the days date the weather and "Situation normal" followed by "ditto" 30 times.Others are detailed masterpieces,hardly seems fair to have to pay the same amount for both from IWM. Martin Feledziak We have got to get that translated,and how/why does it end up in the war diaries?. Strangely I have just seen a random 6 pages of a French newspaper in Canadian war diaries,the front page you could perhaps understand but followed by 2 pages of adverts??what was that about ? Presumably like the photos from the first post they were added later for whatever reason by whoever did the collating. The people who photographed them are not beyond reproach as I have seen a complete diary photographed in portrait fashion rather than landscape, and it started in 1917 then went back to 1915,making it rather hard to follow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul.pengelly Posted 18 October , 2019 Author Share Posted 18 October , 2019 Had a quick go trying to translate that German piece. A voice from the grave Poem from the diary of a German Soldier ,the sum victim of the arrogant imperiousness envy ..... mmm perhaps not a good idea to go any further ,any German readers out there? sprechen sie englisch ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin Feledziak Posted 18 October , 2019 Share Posted 18 October , 2019 3 hours ago, paul.pengelly said: German readers Hopefully someone with that skill may come along and give us the gist of the text. So here is something else from the 1/5th South Staffs. This time a nice photo on top of a map view. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul.pengelly Posted 19 October , 2019 Author Share Posted 19 October , 2019 Wow that’s brilliant. That is what you call first class Intelligence work,map and photograph.Presumably that was later in the war? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul.pengelly Posted 20 October , 2019 Author Share Posted 20 October , 2019 Canadian 46th Btn War diary 1916/8/1 -1917/9/30 Sports day program. Canadian 46th Btn War diary 1916/8/1 -1917/9/30 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew Upton Posted 20 October , 2019 Share Posted 20 October , 2019 3 hours ago, paul.pengelly said: Canadian 46th Btn War diary 1916/8/1 -1917/9/30 Sports day program. If you're not aware, that one is a copy of a Bruce Bairnsfather cartoon: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul.pengelly Posted 21 October , 2019 Author Share Posted 21 October , 2019 Now that you mention It did look familiar. Back in 2008/10 ,I contributed to an interesting thread on this forum entitled “Human Moments in War Diaries” Started by amelialongcraft. Bear wood Canadian Convalescent Hospital 5/12/1916. Where a senior member of the medical staff and a Nursing sister went to Heelas department store in Reading to place an order for 900 cigarette cases .These were to be engraved with “Bear Wood 1916” and then filled by the nursing sisters with 10 cigarettes in each as presents for their patients Christmas party,if you think that’s “non pc”you should read the bit about the entertainment at the party ! How things have changed Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul.pengelly Posted 22 October , 2019 Author Share Posted 22 October , 2019 Going back to the 10th Canadian Infantry Brigade Sports Day 6th April1917 programme . Their H.Q then was at the Chateau de la Haie,villiers au bois,although that drawing does not look like the few photographs I have been able to find of that online from 1915 when it was a French HQ ,so maybe it was artistic licence or held somewhere else. Unfortunately the copy of the events taking place is unreadable so allow me ,as well as the normal boxing,football and racing events they held certain numerous events including event 13 - Squad drill competition ,24 men from each Battalion ,(5min) Instructor and squad to be blindfolded! event 12 - Westling on horse back,teams of 4 men riding bareback,one team from each unit.Halters only,no bits,no Mules eligible apparently in the Sept 1917 Sports day they brought in a Mule race,a blind-fold race participants running to the sound of a bell,and a Band race where the Battalions pipe bands ran a 75 yd course while playing their instruments! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul.pengelly Posted 24 October , 2019 Author Share Posted 24 October , 2019 Very nice pencil drawing looks inviting.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul.pengelly Posted 7 November , 2019 Author Share Posted 7 November , 2019 This bloke certainly deserved a medal. Unfortunately no number or Intials so cannot see if he even got a mention... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul.pengelly Posted 7 November , 2019 Author Share Posted 7 November , 2019 All in a days work for the 3rd Army Troops Coy,Canadian Engineers war diary ! 10 July . ”The pump at Vimy Brewery has been repaired,and is now in operation supplying water forward to Railway Embankment” Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David_Underdown Posted 8 November , 2019 Share Posted 8 November , 2019 Given he's Canadian his service record should survive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul.pengelly Posted 8 November , 2019 Author Share Posted 8 November , 2019 Yes that’s what I thought but no service number or initial makes it a bit harder,. I pulled up the couple who were Corporals but no joy.Unfortunately it doesn’t give you their regiments on the list of possibles so you have to download each file before you can eliminate it for being in the wrong regiment,which is a bigger pain. Will have to get back to that from a different direction,as I am off to give Find Your Past a good hammering on the free weekend! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul.pengelly Posted 14 November , 2019 Author Share Posted 14 November , 2019 Found him ! ....The Canadian Well Diver, Legge 43 Legge’s to look through,checked all the “ranked” ones ,nothing,gave up ,went back and tried the first one bingo. Percy Legge alias James Mc Ara,look up Mc Ara ,of course there are 2 rule out the Major who was an ex Financial Agent. James Mc Ara alias Percy Legge ,500051,3rd Army Troops Attested July 2nd 1916 Toronto,from Plumstead in Kent, and his trade ..Diver on marine construction ! Embarked France 26/7/16,Awarded Good Conduct Medal 15/7/17,Awarded the Military Medal 10/12/17 .(London Gazette 303 89 ? (16/11/17) Having declared his true name to be Mc Ara and will in future be known as such,all documents-to be changed accordingly 10/12/17 His “wife” was also claiming for separation allowance but “does not wish to produce the marriage certificate,would rather wait till he returns to Canada”.....whether he does go back I don’t know as he is discharged 3/4/1918 in London to re-inlist in the Imperial Army -Inland Water Transport. The Military Medal was end of 1917, the diving in the well was in July 1916 no medal for that ,so what else did he do ? And did he go back to the “wife” waiting in Canada,? So many questions,so little time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul.pengelly Posted 15 November , 2019 Author Share Posted 15 November , 2019 I don’t have anc**try anymore so unable to track down (good job otherwise nothing would get done) However I did find the following from somebody tracing the McAra family of Plumstead. William McAra (Scottish ) married a Anne Brownlee (also Scottish) in Plumstead 1855 they had 9 children, one of their 5 sons was a James he married but no mention of a son one of the 4 daughters was Elizabeth who married an Emmanuel Legge ......interesting he didn’t just pluck his other name out of thin air On James McAra / Percy Legge service file his wife in Toronto/Plumstead is known variously as Georgia /Georgina McAra/Legge. Seems she follows him back to the UK ...or is it somebody else? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul.pengelly Posted 15 November , 2019 Author Share Posted 15 November , 2019 Doh!! His Military Medal was Gazetted November 1917 so whatever he did happened 3/4 months before that...check war diary for July /August 1917 ...Yes .8 days of diving clearing out the well this time! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David_Underdown Posted 15 November , 2019 Share Posted 15 November , 2019 Hmm, MM only supposed to be for actions in the face of the enemy, there was some early confusion when it was first being set up, but that should have been cleared up by 1917 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul.pengelly Posted 15 November , 2019 Author Share Posted 15 November , 2019 I did wonder about the criteria for awarding the Military Medal Reading through the 3rd Army Troop war diary they seem spent all of their time struggling to keep the Canadian front supplied with the 10,500 gallons of water a day they required by repairing relaying pipelines and wells rather than engaging any Germans,so not much chance any face to face action According to Veterans Affairs Canada web site. “The Medal was awarded to Warrant officers,N.C.O’s and Non Commissioned members for individual or associated acts of bravery on the recommendation of a Commander-in-chief in the field”. Is this what the early confusion was about? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David_Underdown Posted 16 November , 2019 Share Posted 16 November , 2019 It was down to how the new medal was announced in parliament, discussed in more detail here https://blog.nationalarchives.gov.uk/centenary-military-medal/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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