Men of Swindon who served

[grantowi]

Hi Gang,

Just found my way back :-)

I have now extended my project to include all of the men who were either born, lived or worked in the town of Swindon (Wiltshire) and who served in any of the forces or Merchant navy.

I have about half of the dead accounted for, but haven't made much of a dent in the ones who survived.

On the basis of my railway men research, I have managed to find two soldier who now have brand new CWGC headstones. 

 

Any help much appreciated 

[charlie962]

1 hour ago, grantowi said:

but haven't made much of a dent in the ones who survived.

You've set yourself a bit of a challenge ??

 

Looking at Casualty Lists for late 1916 to end 1917, Wounded only,  and just putting 'hometown or place of enlistment' as Swindon gives 424 hits (using the Genealogist).

 

Similar exercise for FindmyPastNewspapers, limited to WeeklyCasualtyLists, gives 947 hits. FMP theoretically covers 1918  as well ? But I could not easily deduct the killed and missing.

 

Using FindmyPast and limiting to Prisoners of War and to birth dates before 1900 gets over 400 hits. Some anomolies for WW2 and quite a lot of duplicates in that ICRC index card and backing sheet will be listed.

 

Just to give you some clues.

 

Charlie

 

PS what about Absent Voters Lists for Swindon for 1918/1919 ?

 

Edit

 

The NLS(National Library of Scotland) Weekly CasualtyLists gave 855 hits. This covers Aug 1917 to early 1919 and will include wounded, missing, killed, repatriated in that period. I'm not sure whether that means 855 individual mentions of swindon or 855 pages with swindon men !

 

Then of course there are the men who went through unscathed, who were wounded earlier in the war  etc

Edited 9 February , 2020 by charlie962

[David26]

Hi grantowi,

 

that sounds like a huge task you've set yourself! 

 

So as a very small contribution, here are two RFA men: one who returned to Swindon after his time as a POW, and one who enlisted in Swindon (in case your research extends that broadly).  All the very best!

 

David.

 

Gunner Frank Pendle (86853)

Frank Pendle was born on 7 Jun 1895 in Little Coxwell, near Faringdon, Berks.  He was one of the eight children of Henry and Jane Pendle and in 1911 Frank was working as a domestic gardener.  Three years later he was working as an ostler when he enlisted in Kingston-on-Thames on 23 Aug 1914, aged 19.  He reported to No.4 Depot at Woolwich the same day and was posted as a Gunner to 4A Reserve Bde on 26 Aug 1914.  On 7 May 1915 he was posted to the Base Depot in France and from there was posted to 458 Battery RFA on 16 May 1915.  This battery was renamed as A/118 Bde RFA and it became the new D/58 on 15 Jul 1916.  He was serving in D/58 when he was taken prisoner of war near Beaumont-Hamel.  While his service record says that this happened on 25 Mar 1917, the International Committee of the Red Cross records show that this happened on 25 Feb 1917 which accords with 58 Bde’s records showing that two signallers from D/58 were captured that day.  These two men and a third signaller were with the Forward Observation Officer, 2/Lt H L Hope, when it appears that all four may have been wounded.  Hope and one of the signallers returned and it appears that Frank Pendle was one of the two who were captured.  In June 1917 he was being held in Limburg POW Camp and while he was there his mother Jane died of stomach cancer on 20 Feb 1918.  After the Armistice he was released and repatriated to the UK, arriving there on 28 Nov 1918 and so was posted to the Clearing Office on 1 Dec 1918 before being posted to 882 Battery, 326 Bde on 16 Apr 1919.  He attended No.1 Dispersal Unit at Fovant on 27 May 1919 and was demobbed on 24 Jun 1919 as no longer physically fit for military service due to a gun-shot wound to his leg and deafness.  Either, or even both, of these might have been caused just prior to his capture.  As a result of his injuries he was granted a weekly pension of 8s 6d from 24 Jun 1919 which was to be reviewed after a year.  His home address on demobilisation was given as 14 Exeter St, Swindon, Wilts.  In 1920, Frank married Rhoda Kent (née Gribble).  Rhoda was a widow, her first husband having worked for the railways in Swindon, but he had died the previous year leaving her with a 12-year-old daughter, Lena.  Frank and Rhoda had at least 3 children before Rhoda died in 1939 with Frank surviving her for over 20 years before passing away on 30 Aug 1962, aged 66.

 

Bdr Tom Simpkins (98043)

Tom Simpkins was born in Wootton Bassett, Wilts.  He enlisted in Swindon probably early in the war.  He went to France on about 22 Jul 1915 and was serving in D/58 when he died of wounds in No.4 General Hospital, Camiers on 5 Mar 1917.  He is buried in Etaples Military Cemetery, France.

 

[grantowi]

2 hours ago, charlie962 said:

You've set yourself a bit of a challenge ??

 

Isn't that why we do these things ?

Those who lived deserve to be remembered just as much as those who died.

I have a rough idea of the challenge, I'm up to three thousand men at the moment :-)

My main problem (or one of them) is that men came from all over the place to work in the GWR works, so I think I have every regiment covered :-)

Any snippets that I can pick up from here will help with the big picture

 

[grantowi]

Hi David,

 

It is a big undertaking, but with help like this, it will soon get done, so thanks.

 

I got a Frederick Albert SIMPKINS on my list, Driver 966449 from the 303rd RFA.

Is he related to your Tom ?

 

Grant

[David26]

10 hours ago, grantowi said:

Hi David,

 

It is a big undertaking, but with help like this, it will soon get done, so thanks.

 

I got a Frederick Albert SIMPKINS on my list, Driver 966449 from the 303rd RFA.

Is he related to your Tom ?

 

Grant

Hi Grant,

 

I had a lot of difficulties trying to pin Tom Simpkins down, I'm afraid.  CWGC list his next of kin as a brother, W J Simpkins of 4 Kendrick Rd, Barry, Glam, and Soldiers' Effects states that his sole legatee was a brother William J Simkins.  I assume these are the same person.  But I've failed to find any definitive records showing these two together and so giving clues as to the rest of the family, so I can't say if Frederick Albert Simkins is related or not, I'm afraid.

 

David.

[johnmelling1979]

Hello

 

Great to see you have a project to research the men from Swindon !

I created a website in 2014 to do the very same for my own two local villages and have 375 names discovered so far, with some pictures.

Also contacting relatives of the men. Hard work isn't it, but very rewarding ;P

 

All the best

John

 

 

[grantowi]

Hi John,

 

I would love to do a website, but haven't got the skill set to do it, so at the present its in the form of a database with about 40 entrees per man - far too many are empty at the moment - and I estimate that there will be about nine to ten thousand men in the end, enough to keep me busy for a while :-)

 

Cheers

Grant

[Mark1959]

Frederick Albert Simplkins has surviving service papers see here on ancestry. This gives a good history of his service. 

There is a WFA dependent pension card for his mother Annie of 3 Church Walk, Rodbourne, Swindon, Father was Albert James

 

 

[Mark1959]

For Tom there is a Dependent Pension Card for his sister Florence Emma Simpkins who lived in Weston-Super-Mare. https://www.fold3.com/image/669615696

So the SDGW list gives his place of birth as Wootton Bassett. This led me to a 1891 census entry in Wootton B. Father George W(illiam) and mother Mary Ann (though she appears elsewhere as Anna and Hannah). As well as other siblings there is a William J aged 5 and a Emma F aged 2 months,A baptism record here shows Emma F was Emma Florence. There is a similar record from 1886 for William John.

This appears to be Tom's baptism in 1896 and gives dob of 21/10/1896. Note no father given. Tom and mother appear to be living on their own in 1901 and 1911 in Broad Town

William John and his brother Edward James are living in Barry in 1911 as boarders and both working for the Barry Railway Company. Struggling to pick Emma F or Florence E in either census but clearly correct family

So no obvious close familial relationship between Tom and Frederick Albert. 

Edited 10 February , 2020 by Mark1959

[David26]

5 hours ago, Mark1959 said:

For Tom there is a Dependent Pension Card for his sister Florence Emma Simpkins who lived in Weston-Super-Mare. https://www.fold3.com/image/669615696

So the SDGW list gives his place of birth as Wootton Bassett. This led me to a 1891 census entry in Wootton B. Father George W(illiam) and mother Mary Ann (though she appears elsewhere as Anna and Hannah). As well as other siblings there is a William J aged 5 and a Emma F aged 2 months,A baptism record here shows Emma F was Emma Florence. There is a similar record from 1886 for William John.

This appears to be Tom's baptism in 1896 and gives dob of 21/10/1896. Note no father given. Tom and mother appear to be living on their own in 1901 and 1911 in Broad Town

William John and his brother Edward James are living in Barry in 1911 as boarders and both working for the Barry Railway Company. Struggling to pick Emma F or Florence E in either census but clearly correct family

So no obvious close familial relationship between Tom and Frederick Albert. 

Mark,

 

that's a superb piece of sleuthing!  I had found the Census records showing 'a' Tom Simkins in Broad Town but without the link to William J Simkins hadn't known if this was the right one or not.  The link from Florence Emma to the family was the bit I was missing.  Thanks so much for that. 

 

David.

[grantowi]

Mark,

 

Well done and thank you, that's another tiny piece of my puzzle fitted.

Does it give Williams and Edwards birth place's ?

 

Cheers

Grant

[Mark1959]

William John, brother of Tom was born 13/1/1886 and baptised in Broad Town 28/2/1886 https://search.ancestry.co.uk/cgi-bin/sse.dll?indiv=1&dbid=61188&h=1342015&tid=&pid=&usePUB=true&_phsrc=Rpj261&_phstart=successSource. 1891 gives birthplace as Wootton B. 1911 as Broad Town.

In 1939 still on the railways in Barry. He died 12/10/1955 - probate record

Edward James was baptised 16/6/1889 

https://www.ancestry.co.uk/interactive/61188/45582_263021009496_1952-00069?pid=1342059&backurl=https://search.ancestry.co.uk/cgi-bin/sse.dll?dbid%3D61188%26h%3D1342059%26indiv%3Dtry%26o_vc%3DRecord:OtherRecord%26rhSource%3D6598&treeid=&personid=&hintid=&usePUB=true&usePUBJs=true&_ga=2.243237120.322235836.1581443933-620905720.1580826237

 in Broad Town but parents give residence  in WB. 

1939 list gives EJ's DoB as 23/4/1889. 1911 census says born Huntmill. In 1939 he is still on the railways in Barry. Died 9/2/1953 - probate record

 

Edited 11 February , 2020 by Mark1959

[grantowi]

Mark, 

Sorry for the late reply, thanks you for all of your work on my behalf, it is appreciated

Grant

[Matlock1418]

On 09/02/2020 at 17:57, grantowi said:

I have now extended my project to include all of the men who were either born, lived or worked in the town of Swindon (Wiltshire) and who served in any of the forces or Merchant navy.

I have about half of the dead accounted for, but haven't made much of a dent in the ones who survived.

Have you tried Western Front Association / Fold3 pension index cards?

The most recent release has expanded beyond those who died and for whom claims were made -  also now those who survived and made claims in their own right are available.

Searching under just "Swindon" brings up 2000+ hits of all sorts, with either a Swindon abiding relation and/or lived there themselves after the war, so will need a bit of weeding of the really duff ones/blank cards

Should keep you out of mischief for a while.

;-) M

 

[grantowi]

I would love to have a gander at the WFA site, but my funds are extremally limited and I can't afford the membership, I'm checking the CGWC until our local library reopens and I can get back onto FMP and Ancestry, maybe they have WFA membership :-)

Thanks for the link

Grant

[PaulC78]

Here's three Swindon men from the WFA pension records, all died post-discharge in 1921 and none of them appear to be on CWGC:

Pte Edward Guy Burge, 200415 Wiltshire Regiment
13 Edgeware Road, Swindon
Discharged 19/6/1919, malaria due to service
Died 14/1/1921 (cause of death not known)

Pte Frederick Joseph Charles Law, 19211 Wiltshire Regiment
122 Morrison Street, Swindon
Discharged 24/9/1919, GSW left forearm & pulmonary tb attributed to service
Died 30/6/1921 (tb, haemorrhage)
(Brother of L/Cpl John William Arthur Law 10433, KIA 12/3/1915)

Pte John Campion, RX/4/235305 Royal Army Service Corps
Liddington, Swindon
Discharged 31/7/1920, spinal caries
Died 4/2/1921 (cause of death not known)

[Matlock1418]

13 hours ago, grantowi said:

I would love to have a gander at the WFA site, but my funds are extremally limited and I can't afford the membership, I'm checking the CGWC until our local library reopens and I can get back onto FMP and Ancestry, maybe they have WFA membership :-)

Sadly, I suspect your library is unlikely to have WFA.

Ancestry will give a list of the cards with brief transcriptions of key details from Fold3 [with the usual health warning that goes with Ancestry transcriptions!] but the cards themselves commonly show so much different/more information [OK, not quite as much as a Service Record!]

I offer as a taster sample for a fatality [he does have a CWGC with Swindon reference] - This one is an especially detailed example of a card [second image is additional material off the reverse - not a particularly common event though]:

 

Another fatality but showing brothers, so perhaps linking them if CWGC does not, & father [poor man to have lost three sons]

= In this case all three are on CWGC but although RWB [as 11271 which matches other sources of records] and RAB have parental & Swindon details, but GEB does not on CWGC.

Note; RWB seems to have been a bit of an issue for pensions they have him again as 112711 and as RAMC!! - not a transcription error on these occasions - there are two other pension records for him and that is what is on the original cards! - apparently he died of pneumonia]

AEB was KiA

This was just one card - Between them these brothers have lots of pension cards which link them together.

 

And another one for a disability claim [I have not yet been able to find a CWGC - he has a MIC & Roll and SWB but otherwise I don't think you would have been able to link to Swindon]

The corner is cut off suggesting the claim was made 'dead'/finalised - Also images a Pension Ledger Index card for this man [with reverse showing the Final Gratuity]

All Images courtesy of WFA/Fold3

Not wanting to look like a pusher but WFA at £29 pa https://www.westernfrontassociation.com is considerably less expensive than Fold3! [and you do get quite a few other extras from membership]

Good luck

:-) M

Edited 8 July , 2021 by Matlock1418
addition of small detail

[grantowi]

Matlock,

Thank you for these images, It has really wetted my appetite for getting WFA membership as there is a lot of information on them, maybe one day, if I save all of my pennies. In the meantime, I will push my library to see if they can get a membership :-)

On the BRYANT card, do you have any idea why the names Reginald Arthur and Reginald Walter are linked with a { ? It looks like the card was originally RAB's, but the number 11271 / 1st AM / RAF belongs to RWB 

The last chap you posted, Mr Ackrill, he died in 1946

Cheers

Grant

[grantowi]

Paul C

On 07/07/2021 at 23:35, PaulC78 said:

Here's three Swindon men from the WFA pension records, all died post-discharge in 1921 and none of them appear to be on CWGC:

 

Many thanks Paul,

I have no record of these men at all

Grant

[Matlock1418]

4 hours ago, grantowi said:

On the BRYANT card, do you have any idea why the names Reginald Arthur and Reginald Walter are linked with a { ? It looks like the card was originally RAB's, but the number 11271 / 1st AM / RAF belongs to RWB 

Yes, Each man got his own card as a starter then the two others were cross-linked - So whichever brother you started with you could get to the others as necessary.

Quite often the Ancestry/Fold3 transcription can get names, numbers & units etc misspelt, mixed or missed [perhaps starting with the card on some occasions!] - that's why it is often really important to see the cards themselves.

In many other cases/rather typically a parent [usually the mother, though a father later could if his wife died] would get some pension for each of them, always assuming there wasn't a widow(s) and/or child(ren) to make a claim on the soldier(s)'s account(s), so cross-linking was often required.

4 hours ago, grantowi said:

The last chap you posted, Mr Ackrill, he died in 1946

Thanks for that - That explains why no CWGC!

Now you have got a bit of extra post-war info about him.

:-) M

Edited 9 July , 2021 by Matlock1418
addit

[grantowi]

21 hours ago, Matlock1418 said:

 

Now you have got a bit of extra post-war info about him.

I now have lots of extra's on all of them, thanks to people like you and this forum

Grant

[lisar]

Hi,

I'm researching my family history. My grandmothers family all hail from Swindon & my great grandfather & other relatives worked on the GWR railway. I'm now trying to research their military records. I am a real newbie to all this & don't know much about the forces at all. I have a photo of my great grandad in uniform, WW2 I presume & I wondered if you might be able to tell me if it is Army/Navy etc.?,

If I find any info regarding WW1 I could pass on to you if it would be of interest?, the family name is Hall.

Thanks 

Lisa.

[Malcolm Linham]

Lisa 

 Welcome to the forum, I would suggest starting a new thread with the details of your great grandfather.  Also if you can attach the photograph that you have.

Remember this is a World War 1 forum and only that subject will normally be dealt with but someone may be able point you in the right direction if it is WW2

Best wishes 

Malcolm 

[lisar]

Thank you for your reply Malcolm.  I will try to create another thread if I can work out how to do it .  Yes, I did realise that this is a ww1 group but my great grandfather may possibly have been in WW1 as he looks like he's probably in his 40's/50's in the photo I have of him & he had some older brothers that may have been in the first world war too,  Knowing whether he was in the army/navy etc would just be a starting point for me.  Thanks again. Lisa.