Colin Morison Posted 13 November , 2019 Share Posted 13 November , 2019 (edited) Hello All. I am researching my Grandfathers service in WW 1 with the Royal Engineers to which end I have downloaded his surviving military records from a well known source. These are quite difficult to read as they are a bit singed and water stained probably from their lucky escape in the WW 2 blitz. So I now know that he was enlisted in June 1916 and called up July 1917 as a Pioneer then re mustered as WR508758 Sapper Seaman William George Howard in Inland Water Traffic and trained at Richborough military port before being posted overseas in late 1917. After spending about 6 months in France he was posted to Italy and was promoted to L/Cpl but I cannot decipher the unit he was with. His change of army number is confusing as both numbers were used till the end of his service. I have seen a photo of him in uniform and astride a motorcycle but the image has now been lost He spent the rest of the war and into 1919 there, so was obviously gainfully employed and was immediately demobbed on his return to the UK in late 1919 Can anyone out there cast a light on the British involvement in Italy, particularly the RE IWT and if there are any good books that might cover the Italian campaign from a British viewpoint? Thanks in advance. Edited 14 November , 2019 by Colin Morison Too specific title. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin kenf48 Posted 14 November , 2019 Admin Share Posted 14 November , 2019 There are few books on the British Campaign in Italy, one that can be recommended is ‘Allies are a Tiresome Lot” https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1910777323/ref=rdr_ext_tmb There is also ‘The British in Italy” Wilks and a couple of books in the Battleground Europe series. ‘The White War’ Mark Thompson places the British involvement (briefly) in the wider context of the war in Italy. The River Piave was a focus of the British campaign looks like he was in a “Transport Section” ADGT (Assistant Director General Transport) like you I’m struggling with which Transport Section. The war diaries for Italy, including the DGT Transportation, can be viewed at the National Archive but have not been digitised. In just about every campaign rivers were used for evacuation of wounded or Transport of supplies. Ken Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terry_Reeves Posted 15 November , 2019 Share Posted 15 November , 2019 (edited) I have a lot of literature on the IWT but non of it mentions Italy. Volume V of the Corps History which covers Italy including transportation, but makes no mention of the IWT. It could that he was based at Taranto, by the British as a base, or Genoa both of which which received British shipping. Taranto was also a port of call for IWT craft making their way coast-hopping to Egypt. I can find no evidence of IWT craft being used on Italian inland waterways for wounded or supplies. Interestingly, he was classed as "seaman" with regard to trade which suggests off-shore vessels, something that the IWT was engaged in. It could be he was involved on port work a, but that is a guess TR Edited 15 November , 2019 by Terry_Reeves Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin kenf48 Posted 15 November , 2019 Admin Share Posted 15 November , 2019 TR can you, or anyone, make sense of the word before "Trans." I wonder if it could be 'Thrace??" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heid the Ba Posted 15 November , 2019 Share Posted 15 November , 2019 "Three"? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terry_Reeves Posted 15 November , 2019 Share Posted 15 November , 2019 (edited) Ken, I don’t think it’s Thrace which was part of Bulgaria I think. It might be three as Heid suggests, but even so it is of little help in pinning this down. I have checked the RE Library catalogue but there is no mention there either. TR Edited 15 November , 2019 by Terry_Reeves Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin kenf48 Posted 15 November , 2019 Admin Share Posted 15 November , 2019 Thanks Terry Thought I'd go a bit off the wall but the more prosaic 'three' sounds more Army. Ken Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin Morison Posted 15 November , 2019 Author Share Posted 15 November , 2019 Thanks for the replies everybody. It looks like my Grandfathers service is more puzzling than first thought. I have ordered the two books suggested second hand for the princely sum of £15.91 including P&P. Coming from Liverpool one would think that he was trained as a sailor because of some previous experience but I think the only ship he went on before the war was a ferry on the the Mersey. One wonders where I go from here? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin kenf48 Posted 15 November , 2019 Admin Share Posted 15 November , 2019 His Attestation Form gives his occupation as 'Seaman', being cynical you could say he was lucky the Army did not post him into the artillery! I guess he must have had some qualification, he would have been required by the Army to undertake a trade test to demonstrate his proficiency which, his record shows he passed at Richborough on the 19th September. The test was conducted 'verbally' just over a month after he had been conscripted and posted to the Corps. Unfortunately there is a great blob of water over the result of his assessment. I think Terry may have nailed it, he probably worked in the docks hence the relatively late call up, aged 21 and single he must have had exemption granted by the Local Tribunal otherwise he was in Class 2 which was the first Class to be called up for service on the enactment of the first Military Service Act 1916. Once conscripted the Army utilised his civilian skills. A little off topic and I don't know much about the record set but on FMP there is an entry in the Merchant Seaman Register for William George Howard born 13.1.1896, Liverpool, gives occupation as Assistant Steward. There is an identity photograph accompanying the card. Ken Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin Morison Posted 16 November , 2019 Author Share Posted 16 November , 2019 I can only say that my Mum never mentioned any sea service of any sort and as far as I know my Grandfather was variously a butcher and carpenter. He died in 1965 of lung cancer when I was 7 so I didn't have the chance to find out more, he did smoke Capstan full strength though, 80 a day. What is FMP please and forgive My ignorance? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin kenf48 Posted 16 November , 2019 Admin Share Posted 16 November , 2019 FMP - Find My Past Ken Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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