SHJ Posted 23 January , 2020 Share Posted 23 January , 2020 Hi All, I believe that this postcard picture is of the East Surreys (likely either 12th or 1st Battalion). My ancestor Stanley William Jenkins (Private 31080) 2nd from left back row was transferred from the 12th to the 1st on 10/11/16, joined them in the field 21/11/1916 and was missing then listed as killed 08/05/17 during the Third Battle of the Scarpe. I also have images of Stanley with the 6th Battalion (with their distinctive Maltese Cross badge) so I'm assuming he moved from the 6th to the 12th before joining to the 1st. I am trying to determine if this really is Stanley or perhaps his older brother David but what I'd really like to know is... does anyone have any information or thoughts on the character in the back row? Is this a mopping up the hun joke? Some kind of mascot, bet or forfeit? Regards Simon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie962 Posted 23 January , 2020 Share Posted 23 January , 2020 He is not a youngster in the photo. Cannot help on the mop but did you spot this ICRC enquiry (reply negatif) which suggests he was a Lewis Gunner ? Charlie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coldstreamer Posted 23 January , 2020 Share Posted 23 January , 2020 what a comical postcard thanks for sharing reminds me of Dr Zeus Cat in a Hat character Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SHJ Posted 23 January , 2020 Author Share Posted 23 January , 2020 Hi Charlie, Thanks! I didn't know that he was a Lewis Gunner. That's a fascinating insight. You're right that he's not a youngster in the picture - he's supposed to be about 27 but he looks more like 40 to me. Re the ICRC, his wife (Lilliane Anne) must have been hoping that he was a prisoner of war. He wasn't presumed dead until April 2018... I've just been looking at the 1st Battalion Orders and it seems that he and loads of men went missing on the 8th May 1917 and that most of them became prisoners of war. The 1st Battalion Orders on B Company alone are: Baldock 22325 became a POW Barrett 17808 missing then presumed dead Barton 7140 became a POW Brown 32463 became POW Bryant 31170 became a POW Bunyan/Bunyon/Buntan 22199 became a POW Cotman 32365 became a POW Counsell 32468 became a POW Davies 18288 became POW Diplock 25753 became a POW Donoghue 682 missing then presumed dead Durrant 3533 became POW Edwards 25743 became a POW Elliot 30990 missing then presumed dead Firmin 32773 became POW Finney 21072 missing then presumed dead Flemington 32481 became a POW Foreman 30772 became POW Foster 33384 became POW Freeman 31175 became POW Geale 28035 became a POW Gennery 5744 presumed dead Green 31145 became a POW Griffin 31064 became a POW Handley 10854 became a POW Harper 30642 became a POW Harris 17677 became a POW Hazelwood 32377 became a POW Heath 31008 missing then presumed dead Hobden 23206 became a POW Jackson 32380 became a POW James 367 became a POW Jenkins 31080 missing then presumed dead Johnson 10737 missing then presumed dead Josland 31012 became a POW Lamb 20384 became POW Lawson 28020 became a POW Leeming 20930 became a POW Lycett 17184 became a POW Mann 28012 became a POW Mankelow 31020 became a POW Martin 31019 became a POW McKenzie 24863 became a POW Mumford 19224 missing presumed dead Nash 31161 missing presumed dead New 25746 became POW Nye Sgt 9696 became a POW Oldfield 32543 became a POW Paris 18156 became a POW Reeves L/C 4860 missing presumed dead Road 7667 became POW Sandley 30780 became a POW Shaw 32396 became a POW Simner 16121 became a POW Smith 31067 became a POW Smith 31042 missing presumed dead Standin 31038 became a POW Steadman/Stedman 1935 became a POW Stemp 32531 became a POW Swift 14876 became a POW Taylor 20316 became a POW Tippins 11153 missing presumed dead Townsend 32655 missing ? Tugwell 19525 became a POW Vickers S 9081 became a POW Wallis 8175 missing presumed dead Watts 31056 missing presumed dead Wells 28009 became a POW White 25764 became a POW Wilson 18481 became a POW Woodward 30778 missing presumed dead Yerbury 9109 became a POW Something went badly awry that day! Regards Simon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bsears Posted 19 April , 2020 Share Posted 19 April , 2020 Thanks for posting this. My good friends relative Joseph Finney is mentioned above. He is remembered on the Dovercourt war memorial in Essex where he lived. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan24 Posted 19 April , 2020 Share Posted 19 April , 2020 On 23/01/2020 at 12:55, SHJ said: I believe that this postcard picture is of the East Surreys (likely either 12th or 1st Battalion) I think the 12th (Bermondsey) Battalion wore collar dogs, so this could be the 1st Battalion. Regards Alan. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vlaamse Verhalen Posted 19 April , 2020 Share Posted 19 April , 2020 (edited) On 23/01/2020 at 15:56, SHJ said: Hi Charlie, Thanks! I didn't know that he was a Lewis Gunner. That's a fascinating insight. You're right that he's not a youngster in the picture - he's supposed to be about 27 but he looks more like 40 to me. Re the ICRC, his wife (Lilliane Anne) must have been hoping that he was a prisoner of war. He wasn't presumed dead until April 2018... I've just been looking at the 1st Battalion Orders and it seems that he and loads of men went missing on the 8th May 1917 and that most of them became prisoners of war. The 1st Battalion Orders on B Company alone are: Baldock 22325 became a POW Barrett 17808 missing then presumed dead Barton 7140 became a POW Brown 32463 became POW Bryant 31170 became a POW Bunyan/Bunyon/Buntan 22199 became a POW Cotman 32365 became a POW Counsell 32468 became a POW Davies 18288 became POW Diplock 25753 became a POW Donoghue 682 missing then presumed dead Durrant 3533 became POW Edwards 25743 became a POW Elliot 30990 missing then presumed dead Firmin 32773 became POW Finney 21072 missing then presumed dead Flemington 32481 became a POW Foreman 30772 became POW Foster 33384 became POW Freeman 31175 became POW Geale 28035 became a POW Gennery 5744 presumed dead Green 31145 became a POW Griffin 31064 became a POW Handley 10854 became a POW Harper 30642 became a POW Harris 17677 became a POW Hazelwood 32377 became a POW Heath 31008 missing then presumed dead Hobden 23206 became a POW Jackson 32380 became a POW James 367 became a POW Jenkins 31080 missing then presumed dead Johnson 10737 missing then presumed dead Josland 31012 became a POW Lamb 20384 became POW Lawson 28020 became a POW Leeming 20930 became a POW Lycett 17184 became a POW Mann 28012 became a POW Mankelow 31020 became a POW Martin 31019 became a POW McKenzie 24863 became a POW Mumford 19224 missing presumed dead Nash 31161 missing presumed dead New 25746 became POW Nye Sgt 9696 became a POW Oldfield 32543 became a POW Paris 18156 became a POW Reeves L/C 4860 missing presumed dead Road 7667 became POW Sandley 30780 became a POW Shaw 32396 became a POW Simner 16121 became a POW Smith 31067 became a POW Smith 31042 missing presumed dead Standin 31038 became a POW Steadman/Stedman 1935 became a POW Stemp 32531 became a POW Swift 14876 became a POW Taylor 20316 became a POW Tippins 11153 missing presumed dead Townsend 32655 missing ? Tugwell 19525 became a POW Vickers S 9081 became a POW Wallis 8175 missing presumed dead Watts 31056 missing presumed dead Wells 28009 became a POW White 25764 became a POW Wilson 18481 became a POW Woodward 30778 missing presumed dead Yerbury 9109 became a POW Something went badly awry that day! Regards Simon. Sobering list, isn't it. Townsend 32655, listed as missing ? above, looks to have been a POW, too (from pension card). ICRC records at: https://grandeguerre.icrc.org/en/File/Details/2969858/3/2/ Edited 19 April , 2020 by Vlaamse Verhalen ICRC Link Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MaxD Posted 19 April , 2020 Share Posted 19 April , 2020 Townsend POW record here: https://grandeguerre.icrc.org/en/File/Details/2969858/3/2/ wounded left leg and back. Taken 8 May 1917 Arras. Hospital at Rastatt then Heuberg camp Jul 1917. In an officers camp in Freiburg Sep 1917. Max Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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