Jay Oen Posted 8 February , 2005 Share Posted 8 February , 2005 MIC for my Great Uncle who survived the great war. Why not a lot of information on the MIC? R.G.A. gunner who later went to the labor corps. Why no regiment or brigade numbers? I also understood that soldiers were transfered to the LC when they were wounded and not able to do thier previous duties, but no SWB listed? I would like to know what action he saw. Any help is appreciated. Cheers, JAY Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackblue Posted 8 February , 2005 Share Posted 8 February , 2005 Jay, The MIC's were constructed for entitlement purposes only. Therefore the only information contained was often only a man's number and regiment (enough information to have impressed on his medals). The SWB was awarded when someone was considered incapacitated to such a degree that they could not continue service of any type. A transfer to the Labour Corps often came about as a result of a medical downgrade. I think you will find that finding his RGA Brigade by his number will not be possible. There are some artillery experts (Dick Flory for one) about who should be able to confirm this. If his service papers have not survived I am afraid you will probably find this is about as far as you can go via military sources. Rgds Tim D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay Oen Posted 8 February , 2005 Author Share Posted 8 February , 2005 Thanks for the reply Tim. A realitive in London has told me that none of the war records survived for the 5 Jessemey brothers I've never seen an actual medal roll, any possibility there might be more info there? Hopefully this isn't the end of my rope!!! Cheers, JAY Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neil Burns Posted 8 February , 2005 Share Posted 8 February , 2005 Hi Jay, I just wanted to kick this to the top. You may be able to have someone check the actual medal roll for you to see if it has the Brigade listed. I know little about the RGA but it's a shot. Take care, Neil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay Oen Posted 8 February , 2005 Author Share Posted 8 February , 2005 Thanks Neil, I appreciate the interest. I'll make my formal request................... Can anyone take a look at the rolls for me next trip to the PRO? The family of the 5 brothers I recently discovered in the UK did not keep in touch, and the contact I've made knows nothing about the servive or medals of these five, so I figure the least I can do is find out as much as I can about them. Anyways, any help would be great! Cheers, JAY Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackblue Posted 8 February , 2005 Share Posted 8 February , 2005 Jay, I am not sure how the rolls were organised but I have tried to locate Brigade's for men from the RGA and RFA before and this is the answer I was given. If they had a regular number (which I think this one probably is) you will generally not be able to trace him. If he had a territorial number you may be in luck. I suggest you PM or E-mail Dick Flory about it. You may have more luck with the Labour Corps number. Enoch Beard and Ian Bowbrick are the resident Labour Corps men. They may be able to give some idea of what company he was in. Rgds Tim D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stephen Nulty Posted 9 February , 2005 Share Posted 9 February , 2005 Jay You probably already have this info, but the 1901 census records the 5 Jessemey brothers living at 5 Hartington Road, Walthamstow, London. The Head of the household was the widowed mother Charlotte, aged 42. The sons were Walter (20), Harry (16), Arthur (13), Harold (11) and Ernest (10). There is a marriage recorded in Shoreditch in 1879 of Walter James Jessemey to Charlotte Patton, so this was probably their father. I haven’t yet tracked down his date of death. Walter James was born in 1851in Shoreditch, the son of Henry Jessemey (born about 1810) and Ann Jessemey (born about 1816). Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay Oen Posted 10 February , 2005 Author Share Posted 10 February , 2005 Wow Steve, It took me 2 months to figure that out !! Since you have taken an interest, here's my story... My Great grandfather 613882 Pte Harold George JESSEMEY married in 1912, had a son in 1916, and as you know was killed Dec. 1917 in the battle to liberate Jerusalem. His widow moved to Edmonton Alberta Canada to live with relatives (we're not sure exactly when) and of course brought her son ( my grand father). She came south across the border to Washington State on the west coast of the US where my Grand father married and had SIX daughters. He served in WW2 as an American soldier fighting the Germans in Europe. I plan on researching his service.....someday. I am the oldest Grand child and since he had all girls, the Jessemey surname did not survive in the US. Like you stated Pte Harold George JESSEMEY had four brothers Walter, Harry, Ernest, & Arthur and our family had always believed they all died in the war, but in my internet research I found that 3 had lived and we have relations in the UK that we now have made contact with via email. One of them a nice lady named Janet who lives in London had done an extensive family tree that I now have a copy of. Thanks to members of this forum I have learned that Harry served with the RE 509th field coy and DOW Aug 11 1915 and is burried in the LIJSSENTHOEK MILITARY CEMETERY. Walter (whose MIC started this thread) died in 1937, Arthur died in 1965, and Ernest lived until 1968. When and if I find out what I can about Walters service, I will start on Ernest and Arthur. Janet just emailed me tonight and hopefully will be going to KEW in the next day or two and I sent her the MIC info on all the brothers and maybe she can find the medal rolls for them all and shed a few more rays of light on their service. None of the surviving realitives are in contact and Janet had no idea of what became of any of the medals to any of the 5 brothers, so I am a bit anxious to here back from her. Anyways....sorry to bore you with my family history. Thanks again to all have helped me on the forum. I think you all have corrupted me, as I find myself searching thru old posts for things to learn Cheers to all, JAY Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stephen Nulty Posted 10 February , 2005 Share Posted 10 February , 2005 Jay A great story, thanks for sharing it with us and hope you have good luck with both military and genealogical research. I checked the details of the 2001 census of England & Wales and found that there are 23 people with the surname Jessemey registered, although it doesn't give me any more details. That makes it the 82,763rd most common surname in the country, a position it shares with Parrado, Wigdahl, Peneycad and a few others :-) Regards Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackblue Posted 10 February , 2005 Share Posted 10 February , 2005 Surprisingly similar story to one of my great uncles Jay although he survived. He lived in Scotland and joined the South African Constabulary with his brother during the Boer War. Came home and then emigrated to Canada with his wife and eventually crossed the border and settled in Seattle. In 1917 he caught a ferry to Victoria and joined the CEF and served with them in France. His son also served in WW2 with the US forces. Good luck with your research. Thankfully they have a fairly unique name. Rgds Tim D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stephen Nulty Posted 10 February , 2005 Share Posted 10 February , 2005 Jay A few other bits’n’pieces that I found, but your relative Janet has probably already found this. Henry William Jessemey, grandfather of the brothers, was born in Bath and died in 1877. His wife, Ann Maria Jessemey died in 1885. It looks like their son Walter James, father of the 5 boys, had a twin brother Alfred H Jessemey, as they are both shown to be aged 20 in the 1871 census. They are also both shown to be Cabinet Makers. In 1881, Walter and Charlotte Jessemey lived at 207 Hackney Road in Shoreditch. At that time, they only had 1 son, Walter. Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay Oen Posted 10 February , 2005 Author Share Posted 10 February , 2005 That makes it the 82,763rd most common surname in the country, a position it shares with Parrado, Wigdahl, Peneycad and a few others :-) Regards Steve Steve, you are quite the wizz with the census! Thanks again for that info & yes Janet had this, it seems she has been working on this for a few years. I did not realize Walter James had a twin, it might be on the tree and I just missed it. Can't check right now, I'm at work.....uh, working Tim, It's a small world, I work in a town named Port Angeles Wa, and we are directly across the Strait of Juan de Fuca from Victoria BC. There is a ferry that runs two trips daily and takes about one and a half hours to make the crossing. The lights of Victoria light our northern sky on clear nights, and buildings in Victoria can easily be seen in the daylight of a clear day. If your great uncle ferried from Seattle the boat ride would have been about 3 hours, maybe longer back then. Anyways.........thanks for your help gentlemen, it's been a pleasure. Maybe if Janet has some good news from the PRO I'll post to this thread again. Cheers, JAY Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest jessemey Posted 12 February , 2005 Share Posted 12 February , 2005 im margaret nee Jessemey ....i was the one who found you guys !!!!!!!!! Janet is married to a Jessemey ....... but you choose to talk about her only .....ah well never mind !!! good luck with the research ..... keep me informed if you find anything else of interest . best wishes Margaret . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackblue Posted 13 February , 2005 Share Posted 13 February , 2005 Was actually there last year Jay and took a ride on that ferry!! Beautiful part of the world. Tim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay Oen Posted 13 February , 2005 Author Share Posted 13 February , 2005 You were in my town all the way from down under?!?!?, and you didn't even offer to stop for a minute an buy me a beer Must have been visiting relations in Victoria.........eh? Ya, it's nice here. I spend a LOT of time out in my boat (to much the wife says!) Next time you're in the neighborhood, the beers on me!! Cheers, JAY Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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