James123 Posted 4 December , 2019 Share Posted 4 December , 2019 Hello, I know this gentleman was a Royal Engineer Tunneller during Ww1. 21392 Daniel McDonnell Royal Engineers Is there anyway of finding out which tunnelling company he was in? Unfortunately his service papers don't seem to have survived. Many thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
helpjpl Posted 4 December , 2019 Share Posted 4 December , 2019 Could the answer be in his pension records? This from ancestry: 21392 a/Sgt Daniel McDonnell, Royal Engineers Tun. Dep. Co., (Enlisted 10-04-1911. Discharged 19-11-19). Awarded Silver War Badge 485595 on 29 May 1920. JP Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James123 Posted 4 December , 2019 Author Share Posted 4 December , 2019 Thanks JP, I have no idea how or if indeed its possible to find out what company/companies he served in without his service record. I've just joined ancestry but cannot find much besides his MID, which doesn't say. I am new to research and ancestry, so I may be missing a few tricks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
david murdoch Posted 4 December , 2019 Share Posted 4 December , 2019 Given his enlistment date he was a pre war regular or territorial and his date of entry 30/08/1914 he was likely in something else first before the tunnelling company. His medal rolls and pension card don't give any clues. You may like to contact the tunnellers site http://www.tunnellersmemorial.com/ as people with specific interest may have him on a company roster. Other thing to do is look at his medal roll at the numbers above and below. Only other information to add (from SWB roll - he was discharged due to ill health rather than wounds. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terry_Reeves Posted 4 December , 2019 Share Posted 4 December , 2019 Given he suffered some sort illness, he is likely to appear on a sick and wounded list which normally shows a unit. Brian Morris has been compiling these for quite some time for REs. It might be worth contacting him. TR Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James123 Posted 4 December , 2019 Author Share Posted 4 December , 2019 Thankyou guys for your amazing help as always. I will see if I can dm Brian Morris and fingers crossed🤞 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James123 Posted 4 December , 2019 Author Share Posted 4 December , 2019 1 hour ago, Terry_Reeves said: Given he suffered some sort illness, he is likely to appear on a sick and wounded list which normally shows a unit. Brian Morris has been compiling these for quite some time for REs. It might be worth contacting him. TR I've searched Brian Morris via members search however, nothing come up. Is there another way to find member to dm them Terry? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terry_Reeves Posted 4 December , 2019 Share Posted 4 December , 2019 James Use BrianMorris547. TR Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James123 Posted 4 December , 2019 Author Share Posted 4 December , 2019 Thankyou TR Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brianmorris547 Posted 4 December , 2019 Share Posted 4 December , 2019 James Got your PMs and I can not help, I'm afraid. He does not appear on my 1916 RE index nor do I have him on any casualty list. As notified some of the Tunnelling Co WDs I have go beyond 1916 so I will have a quick look. Brian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James123 Posted 4 December , 2019 Author Share Posted 4 December , 2019 35 minutes ago, brianmorris547 said: James Got your PMs and I can not help, I'm afraid. He does not appear on my 1916 RE index nor do I have him on any casualty list. As notified some of the Tunnelling Co WDs I have go beyond 1916 so I will have a quick look. Brian Many thanks Brian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brianmorris547 Posted 5 December , 2019 Share Posted 5 December , 2019 James I had a look through the WDs of the TCs I have that go beyond 1916, thesec are 172, 176, 178, 184, 185, 252, 253 and 256. No luck. My notes tell me that one of the the 1917 WDs of 257 TC (WO 95/522/3) has Field Returns which contain a lot of names. Perhaps the other two do as well (522/2 and 522/4). I have not looked at any in 1918. Brian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James123 Posted 5 December , 2019 Author Share Posted 5 December , 2019 (edited) 28 minutes ago, brianmorris547 said: James I had a look through the WDs of the TCs I have that go beyond 1916, thesec are 172, 176, 178, 184, 185, 252, 253 and 256. No luck. My notes tell me that one of the the 1917 WDs of 257 TC (WO 95/522/3) has Field Returns which contain a lot of names. Perhaps the other two do as well (522/2 and 522/4). I have not looked at any in 1918. Brian Thankyou so much Brian for your time, I really appreciate it👍 I am a noob at all this researching, what do you think my best bet would be to find out? Edited 5 December , 2019 by James123 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brianmorris547 Posted 6 December , 2019 Share Posted 6 December , 2019 James There were 25 Tunnelling Companies RE on the Western Front, 170 to 185 inc and 250 to 258 inc. The WDs are not on Ancestry but have been digitised and can be obtained from TNA, Kew. You can also visit Kew and read them there (without a Reader's Ticket) and download them for free. I suggested a good starting point might be 257 TC in 1917 because the WDs contain Field Returns which record all O/Rs comings and goings for whatever reason. As a starting point for his pre tunnelling service you might look for others on the 1914 Medal Roll with similar numbers with a date of entry into France of 30/08/1914. Some may have Service or Pension records. Brian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James123 Posted 6 December , 2019 Author Share Posted 6 December , 2019 Thankyou Brian, I will do just that. Your time and help is much appreciated, thankyou Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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