Corps Signal Squadron WJ Supple RDF

[GJW]

Thank you Charlie. 

 

May I ask where you found out he signed up in 1906/07 and what does 5/7 basis mean. Sorry if these are basic questions.

 

Gerard

[charlie962]

6 minutes ago, GJW said:

May I ask where you found out he signed up in 1906/07 and what does 5/7 basis mean

By looking at similar service numbers for the R Dub Fus.  5 Years with the colours and 7 with the reserve making 12 years regular service. The ratio colour to reserve changed several times before ww1. The Long Long Trail will expand on a Soldier's Service. He could of course have extended his colour service and been serving in India (with 1st Bn) when war broke out or he could have been mobilised from the Reserve.

 

charlie

Edited 23 January , 2020 by charlie962

[MaxD]

8 Corps Signals Coy is a possibility given that 1 Dublin Fusiliers were  in 29 Division who at Gallipoli came under 8 Corps.  Charlie's suggestion that he died en route makes sense as that would be when units were passing through Marseilles.  Their diary doesn't start until 1 June.

https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/results/r?_p=1925|1900&_q=8+corps+signals+WO+gallipoli  Mention is made in the 8 Corps HQ DAAQMG diary of "8th Corps Signals"

 

The date also makes it difficult to find anything as Gallipoli diaries tend to start later than end April and the movement period beforehand goes mostly undocumented as far as I can tell.

 

Interesting that the History of the Royal Engineers https://www.nzsappers.org.nz/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Corps-History-Vol-06.pdf notes that only Field Companies RE were sent initially to Gallipoli

 

Max

Edited 23 January , 2020 by MaxD

[corisande]

I think it would be helpful if I put this link to the OP's thread on William Supple

 

https://www.greatwarforum.org/topic/278258-william-supple-royal-dublin-fusliers-no-9687/

 

I think the purpose of this separate thread is to find out who "Corps Signal Squadron" were

[Michelle Young]

I've merged the two topics to avoid repetition of answers 

[GJW]

On 23/01/2020 at 15:43, MaxD said:

8 Corps Signals Coy is a possibility given that 1 Dublin Fusiliers were  in 29 Division who at Gallipoli came under 8 Corps.  Charlie's suggestion that he died en route makes sense as that would be when units were passing through Marseilles.  Their diary doesn't start until 1 June.

https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/results/r?_p=1925|1900&_q=8+corps+signals+WO+gallipoli  Mention is made in the 8 Corps HQ DAAQMG diary of "8th Corps Signals"

 

The date also makes it difficult to find anything as Gallipoli diaries tend to start later than end April and the movement period beforehand goes mostly undocumented as far as I can tell.

 

Interesting that the History of the Royal Engineers https://www.nzsappers.org.nz/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Corps-History-Vol-06.pdf notes that only Field Companies RE were sent initially to Gallipoli

 

Max

Thank you Max - this is very helpful

 

Gerard

[Terry_Reeves]

There was no such unit as a Corps Signal Squadron per se although there was a Cavalry Corps Wireless Squadron which consisted of a number of motor wireless sections and pack wireless sections.

 

Given the possibility that it might have been a Corps Wireless Company as mentioned above, 8 Corps would seem to fit the bill. Corps Signal Companies were war raised units and were ordered alphabetically. The Corps Signal Company for 8 Corps was "H" Corps Signal Company, however this was changed in 1916 to a numerical system. 

 

There is no war diary for "H" Corps Signal Company however the RE Corps Library has a summary sheet for them but only from 4 October 1915 to 9 July 1916.

 

I appreciate this will not answer the question but it might be useful for elimination purposes.

 

TR

Edited 26 January , 2020 by Terry_Reeves

[MaxD]

Presumably then a question of "local" nomenclature?  The 8 Corps DAAQMG doesn't, as perhaps I may have implied, use the term "Signals Squadron" or "Signals Company" but " 8th Corps Signals" 

 

Max

[michaeldr]

On 23/01/2020 at 15:43, MaxD said:

8 Corps Signals Coy is a possibility given that 1 Dublin Fusiliers were  in 29 Division who at Gallipoli came under 8 Corps.  Charlie's suggestion that he died en route makes sense as that would be when units were passing through Marseilles.

 

VIII Corps was only established c.23rd May 1915, whereas the soldier in question seems to have died a month before that on 25th April 1915 (?)

To-date I have seen no evidence of the RDF passing through Marseilles during their voyage to Alexandria 16-29 March 1915

Does anyone have any record of a later sailing which would involve a call by the RDF at Marseilles on or before 25th April1915?

Edited 28 January , 2020 by michaeldr

[Terry_Reeves]

Order of Battle of Divisions has this to say about 8 Corps: “when this Corps was formed at Helles on 24/5/15 it was styled “British Army Corps”; it became VIII Corps on 5/6/15.”

 

TR

Edited 28 January , 2020 by Terry_Reeves

[Pat Atkins]

An Indian Army connection is possible, I think, if he was e.g. a battalion signaller. I dont know about Indian units' locations in France but seem to recall perhaps some landed at Marseilles? On my phone on a bus, so can't check, but seem to recall a similar Nordolks signaller attachment hence this (rather muddled) post.

 

Pat

[michaeldr]

11 minutes ago, Pat Atkins said:

but seem to recall perhaps some landed at Marseilles?

Correct, and later when some were transfered from the WF to the middle-east, that port was again used by the Indians

[Pat Atkins]

OK, it wasn't a Norfolk man, it was a 1st South Lancs pre-War Regular who was attached to an Indian Army Corps Signalling Company in France in 1915 - the thread I started is here, though not in itself helpful beyond establishing the existence of Indian Army Corps Signals Companies with attached British infantry personnel who had previously served in India. Can't account for the "Squadron" epithet in Supple's records (presumably not cavalry?). 

 

Cheers, Pat

[Terry_Reeves]

He is very likely to have died at (No 4) Lahore British Hospital. Names are not mentioned but an entry for 18 October 1914 in the hospital war diary has this to say about the burial process:

 

"127 in hospital today. Funeral of the man brought in yesterday. The French authorities carry out the funerals and the work of the unit was much interrupted by the numerous interviews with representatives of the French Military Governor, the Mairie, undertakers and chaplains."  

 

Mentions of deaths tailed out by the end of 1914 and there is nothing of note in this respect for the date around his death.

 

(TNA WO 95/4095/6)

 

The Marseilles Base Commandant's War Diary records the coming and goings of vessels but the record shows only Indian units with one exception, a battalion of the London Regiment. 

 

(TNA WO95 / 4037

 

Interestingly, the medal roll shows him being in 2nd Bn RDF.

 

TR

Edited 28 January , 2020 by Terry_Reeves

[GJW]

On 28/01/2020 at 08:01, michaeldr said:

 

VIII Corps was only established c.23rd May 1915, whereas the soldier in question seems to have died a month before that on 25th April 1915 (?)

To-date I have seen no evidence of the RDF passing through Marseilles during their voyage to Alexandria 16-29 March 1915

Does anyone have any record of a later sailing which would involve a call by the RDF at Marseilles on or before 25th April1915?

A local newspaper clipping suggests in died in Hospital there so it may be that he was disembarked at some point before - or maybe not. This is a real conumdrum