maxsmummy Posted 21 September , 2019 Share Posted 21 September , 2019 I'm trying to obtain any information about my great-uncle, Thomas Snape, 3851, from Chorley, Lancashire. So far, I have learned that, he was in the Machine Gun Corps, 52nd Company when he was killed in action, although my mum was always told that he originally enlisted on 18 November 1915 in the Irish Rifles (?) He fought in the Somme and at Loos. Apparently, he was killed in action on 2 November 2016, whilst fighting to take Zenith Trench in the Lesboeufs/Transloy sector, although this battle seems to have taken place in the October, so not sure about the date discrepancy. He is on the Thiepval memorial. I would be grateful for any help you or advice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George Rayner Posted 21 September , 2019 Share Posted 21 September , 2019 Welcome to the forum There is a record on Find My Past of medal awards which lists him in Scottish Rifles 22536 Still looking And is he Thomas or Frederick-or a mixture of both? George Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George Rayner Posted 21 September , 2019 Share Posted 21 September , 2019 If you have access to Ancestry https://www.ancestry.co.uk/interactive/60506/42511_6117463_0113-00249?pid=557679&backurl=https://search.ancestry.co.uk/cgi-bin/sse.dll?indiv%3D1%26dbid%3D60506%26h%3D557679%26tid%3D%26pid%3D%26usePUB%3Dtrue%26_phsrc%3DYiy22298%26_phstart%3DsuccessSource&treeid=&personid=&hintid=&usePUB=true&_phsrc=Yiy22298&_phstart=successSource&usePUBJs=true Soldiers effects shows sole legatee his mother Alice, and presumed dead on or since 2/11/1916 George Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave66 Posted 21 September , 2019 Share Posted 21 September , 2019 Medal roll is here, again died on or since 2-11-16....https://search.ancestry.co.uk/cgi-bin/sse.dll?_phsrc=gwT4&_phstart=successSource&usePUBJs=true&indiv=1&dbid=5119&cp=11&_F8007A65=3851&_F8007A65_x=1&new=1&rank=1&uidh=l37&redir=false&gss=angs-d&pcat=39&fh=15&h=2584680&recoff=&ml_rpos=16 also, his M.I.C. card is here...https://search.ancestry.co.uk/cgi-bin/sse.dll?_phsrc=gwT11&_phstart=successSource&usePUBJs=true&indiv=1&dbid=1262&gsfn=Thomas&gsln=Snape&gsfn_x=1&gsln_x=1&cp=11&new=1&rank=1&uidh=l37&redir=false&gss=angs-d&pcat=39&fh=25&h=11101582&recoff=&fsk=MDsxOTsyMA-61--61-&bsk=&pgoff=&ml_rpos=26 Dave. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sadbrewer Posted 21 September , 2019 Share Posted 21 September , 2019 6 hours ago, George Rayner said: Welcome to the forum There is a record on Find My Past of medal awards which lists him in Scottish Rifles 22536 Still looking And is he Thomas or Frederick-or a mixture of both? George FMP is showing Alice having a Thomas b 1890,and a Frederick b 1892. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George Rayner Posted 21 September , 2019 Share Posted 21 September , 2019 Very helpful of her! George Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave66 Posted 21 September , 2019 Share Posted 21 September , 2019 1911 census is here, with Thomas’s occupation as a coal miners hewer...five children in all. https://search.ancestry.co.uk/cgi-bin/sse.dll?dbid=2352&h=20125368&indiv=try&o_vc=Record:OtherRecord&rhSource=1543 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maxsmummy Posted 22 September , 2019 Author Share Posted 22 September , 2019 (edited) Thank you all for your help so far. I made a mistake in the title - I'm really sorry. He was Thomas and I'm afraid don't have access to Ancestry.com, as I can't afford the subscription. My mum tells me that he was a miner, so was exempt from conscription. However, groups of women taunted him constantly on his way to and from work, so he enlisted away from Chorley, as he felt so embarrassed. I have found these documents : SNAPE_THOMAS (1).pdf Edited 22 September , 2019 by maxsmummy To say thank you Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maxsmummy Posted 22 September , 2019 Author Share Posted 22 September , 2019 I have just taken out a subscription to Ancestry.com. Thank you so much for your help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave66 Posted 22 September , 2019 Share Posted 22 September , 2019 48 minutes ago, maxsmummy said: I have just taken out a subscription to Ancestry.com. Thank you so much for your help. Best of luck, you will also find the family here on the 1901 census, eight children in all.https://search.ancestry.co.uk/cgi-bin/sse.dll?dbid=7814&h=22457107&indiv=try&o_vc=Record:OtherRecord&rhSource=2352 Dave. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin kenf48 Posted 23 September , 2019 Admin Share Posted 23 September , 2019 He was not conscripted, conscription was introduced in March 1916. Many miners enlisted, in fact they had to be prevented from doing so, and by November 1915 needed permission from their employer. He attested under the Derby Scheme and enlisted in the Scottish Rifles. However, I don’t think he went overseas with them. His MGC number indicates an early transfer (they started at 3000) and he was probably posted to the Corps after basic training on or around 1st January 1916. He almost certainly joined 52nd Company on the 8th February 1916, when they embarked for France and the BEF, landing at (Le) Havre the following day. The war diary, on Ancestry here is unusual in that it frequently names other ranks. On the 1st November, the. Diary records the Company has ten guns in the line in front of Geudecourt, and on the 5th November notes , ‘conditions very bad’. https://maps.nls.uk/view/101464774 Ken Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maxsmummy Posted 27 September , 2019 Author Share Posted 27 September , 2019 Thanks, Ken. Where did you all this information from? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin kenf48 Posted 27 September , 2019 Admin Share Posted 27 September , 2019 1 hour ago, maxsmummy said: Thanks, Ken. Where did you all this information from? Suggest you have a look at the parent site the Long Long Trail link top left. As regards his enlistment date as given, November 1915 places him in the Group Scheme but opting for enlistment on attestation https://www.longlongtrail.co.uk/soldiers/a-soldiers-life-1914-1918/enlisting-into-the-army/the-group-scheme-derby-scheme/ Original enlistment in the Scottish Rifles is shown on the Medal Rolls, Post 4 above. Near Number sampling confirms this number was allocated at the beginning of November 1915. At this stage of the war he would have done his basic training in all probability with the 3rd (Reserve) Battalion. https://www.longlongtrail.co.uk/army/regiments-and-corps/the-british-infantry-regiments-of-1914-1918/cameronians-scottish-rifles/ The MGC was formed in October 1915 numbering began at 3000, again near number sampling shows his number was allocated at the MGC Training School Grantham on or around 1/1/1916 https://www.longlongtrail.co.uk/army/regiments-and-corps/machine-gun-corps-in-the-first-world-war/ Finally 52 Company was formed as above in the U.K. and posted to the BEF as shown in the diary. Without a service record we can’t be certain he was with them from the beginning but on the balance of probability and bearing in mind training at Grantham was six weeks his timeline fits. Ken Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maxsmummy Posted 29 September , 2019 Author Share Posted 29 September , 2019 Thank you so much. I definitely owe you a pint or two 🍻 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin Michelle Young Posted 29 September , 2019 Admin Share Posted 29 September , 2019 The battle of Loos was fought September-October 1915. He may well have served in the Loos sector but not taken part in the battle if he was enlisted November 1915, and wasn't killed at Loos as per the announcement . So many discrepancies in the reports of the times. Michelle Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maxsmummy Posted 29 September , 2019 Author Share Posted 29 September , 2019 Thanks, Michelle Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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