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Remembered Today:

Deciphering Soldiers' Handwriting


TheRecordKeeper

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I need help puzzling out these gents' names! For most of them, I have tried a various combination of feasible letters, but some of them are just eluding me. The ones with service numbers don't return names that look like the ones written. For instance, the one that looks like 'Richard Jutes' has service number listed that returns 'Judd' and the battalion is not correct. The one with H.C. Lofts lists a regiment I can't make out (looks like 5th Wireless? But nothing comes up for that in searches so maybe it's something else). I thought the last one was 'P Thompson' but now I think the first initial might be a W and the last name is not Thompson at all. Any and all insight is appreciated! Pictures below.

 

exhibit a.jpg

exhibit b.jpg

exhibit c.jpg

exhibit d.jpg

exhibit e.jpg

exhibit f.jpg

exhibit g.jpg

exhibit h.jpg

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24 minutes ago, TheRecordKeeper said:

 

For instance, the one that looks like 'Richard Jutes' has service number listed that returns 'Judd' and the battalion is not correct. 

 

exhibit c.jpg

 

 

 

17329 Pte Richard Yates, Coldstream Guards ?

 

JP

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The first one looks like  A R B Livesey, but I can't see an MIC for that.

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I am seeing 1.  J.R.B. Livesey.  2.  Gunner J.I. Davies.  3.  Private Richard Julis.  4.  Private S. Godfrey.  5.  Fred Sayle.  6.  Driver H.C. Loft.  7.  Private H. Leitch.  8.  ???..        Pete.

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Always Be, Sometimes Be sharp, Never Be flat

And to flattery

Be Deaf

 

A little advice by Dr ?F ?C Lofts

5th army wireless

Company?
B.E. F.

France

1062371481_exhibitf.jpg.d301ad7d9394318e

Edited by Neale1961
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Last one to me reads;  P Thompson 13th Btt Royal Highlanders of Canada 1st Canadian Contingent BEF France ?

Edited by Bob Davies
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3 hours ago, helpjpl said:

 

17329 Pte Richard Yates, Coldstream Guards ?

 

JP

 

MIC  and Medal Award Roll courtesy of ancestry:

Yates.jpg.e7173aa46b8dec7544eaae3c20cb1ada.jpg

 

Roll.jpg.6af9c5e9c09757326b18055fb5fc0949.jpg

 

JP

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KILLED IN ACTION OR DIED OF WOUNDS. 
Thompson, Pte. Engulf. 
Thompson, Pte. Ernest. 
Thompson, Corp. Fred. 
Thompson, Pte. James T. 
Thompson, Pte. Lawrence J. 
Thomson, Sergt. John H. 
Thomson, Pte. Walter.
MISSING. 
Thompson, Pte. Archibald.
HONOURS AND AWARDS 
Private Charles Thompson. 
Private Leonard Thompson.

All from this link. Regards, Bob. https://archive.org/stream/royalhighlanders00fethuoft/royalhighlanders00fethuoft_djvu.txt

Edited by Bob Davies
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18 hours ago, Bob Davies said:

13th Batt

Thanks for all your research! Here's where I'm stuck with this fellow: the reason I think it's a W and not a P is because his initial looks like the way he writes his W's (circled in blue). The reason I think the first letter of his last name might be an F is because he writes his F the same way (red). I wrote out what the signature looks like to me, but what kind of a name is Fhonpon, honestly. And I think it might actually be 1/3 battalion (orange) but I'm not getting much in the way of results for that. Could also be a strange-looking 4? It could be that he just made a typographical error...

1716340143_Screenshot(130)_LI.jpg.40f138ad018255facd5e3a0c4e657e6a.jpg

 

18 hours ago, helpjpl said:

148048 Driver Frederick C Lofts, Royal Engineers

Hey thanks! I really appreciate the sleuthing you've done.

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20 hours ago, Neale1961 said:

Always Be, Sometimes Be sharp, Never Be flat

And to flattery

Be Deaf

Oh thank goodness, someone who reads music! I was having the hardest time figuring out what "always sometimes never and to flattery" meant and why there was random music notation. Thank you for this, haha. Now it actually makes sense. Cheers!

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Yes a letter W would fit that. My mind won't see anything but Thompson now so I will leave it for a time. Your first man , is he AIF? Also number 7does it say; "1781 Pte H Vietch A Coy 20th Australian"

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1 minute ago, Bob Davies said:

Yes a letter W would fit that. My mind won't see anything but Thompson now so I will leave it for a time. Your first man , is he AIF? Also number 7does it say; "1781 Pte H Vietch A Coy 20th Australian"

 

Yes, and it looks like I've found him. Last name is Livesey. He was with the Australian Field Artillery. I'll try Veitch; I hadn't considered that it might be a V. I kept trying combos with S. Thanks!

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A quick check of the MRICs gives two possibles for J Davies, County Palatine Artillery. John Davies L/11098 and John Davies L/16346, both disembarked in France on 28/11/1915 (30 Div). I saw it as J T Davies but could not find any matches.

There is a service record for 16346 which gives his address as Liscard on the Wirral but no record of hospital admissions so possibly it could be L/11098. I tried the 1911 census for Ellesmere Port but got nowhere.

Brian

Edited by brianmorris547
typo
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34 minutes ago, brianmorris547 said:

A quick check of the MRICs gives two possibles for J Davies, County Palatine Artillery. John Davies L/11098 and John Davies L/16346, both disembarked in France on 28/11/1915 (30 Div).

There is a service record for 16346 which gives his address as Liscard on the Wirral but no record of hospital admissions so possibly it could be L/11098. I tried the 1911 census for Ellesmere Port but got nowhere.

Brian

I am not familiar with "County Palatine Artillery" Brian. I read it as County Batalion Artillery. That said have you tried the Welsh forename Idwal? My thoughts here are that it is a very flowing script and the two letters (I W) may be his flourish of spelling his forename. There are a few about especially with the Welsh spelt Davies surname. Regards, Bob.

Edited by Bob Davies
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15 minutes ago, Bob Davies said:

I am not familiar with "County Palatine Artillery" Brian. I read it as County Batalion Artillery.

 

It is in fact 'County Palatine Artillery'

 

cp.jpg

 

I'm not saying it will be easy, but the Canadian War Project lists service records for around 275 W. Thompsons...

Edited by Dai Bach y Sowldiwr
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I looked it up, amazing what you learn being on here :-) Thank you Dai Bach y Sowldiwr.

 

Edited by Bob Davies
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12 hours ago, Bob Davies said:

I looked it up, amazing what you learn being on here :-) Thank you Dai Bach y Sowldiwr.

 

 

Bob

Raised locally in Lancashire by Lord Derby in 1915 with the County Palatine Royal Engineers (raised by the Manchester Recruiting Committee). Served with 30 Div. The CPRA did their training in St Annes and the CPRE in Morecambe.

Dai Bach

Thank you for the poster, I've not seen that before.

Brian

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18 minutes ago, brianmorris547 said:

Thank you for the poster, I've not seen that before.

Brian

It's      © NOTI

 

(Nicked off the internet)

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1 hour ago, brianmorris547 said:

 

Bob

Raised locally in Lancashire by Lord Derby in 1915 with the County Palatine Royal Engineers (raised by the Manchester Recruiting Committee). Served with 30 Div. The CPRA did their training in St Annes and the CPRE in Morecambe.

Dai Bach

Thank you for the poster, I've not seen that before.

Brian

Many thanks Brian.

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9 hours ago, Dai Bach y Sowldiwr said:

It's      © NOTI

 

(Nicked off the internet)

Found it on Images for County Palatine RA. It also includes two photographs I posted on the thread I started about the CPRE in 2017.

Thanks again

Brian

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1781 PTE Edward John Howard Veitch, 20th Bn, AIF

https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/DetailsReports/ItemDetail.aspx?Barcode=4734755&isAv=N

 

WIA, 5 Aug 16

St.James Road Auxiliary Hospital, 12 Aug 16. 

Rgds

 

Tim

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30 minutes ago, Blackblue said:

1781 PTE Edward John Howard Veitch, 20th Bn, AIF

https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/DetailsReports/ItemDetail.aspx?Barcode=4734755&isAv=N

 

WIA, 5 Aug 16

St.James Road Auxiliary Hospital, 12 Aug 16. 

Rgds

 

Tim

 

 

See page 54:

http://arc.parracity.nsw.gov.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/World-War-One-Letters-to-home.pdf

 

JP

 

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