George Fitzwilliam

[Harbourlady99]

I have looked at his paperwork again and there is another number that has been crossed out which may be an older number of it just might be a mistake. the number is 73288 it was on when he was awarded the military medal there is something else on the sheet which is no really readable except yet another number 66867. Not sure if either of these are relevant. I did think though taht he joined when before he had children which was 1908 and 1910.

Thanks so much for your help

[Harbourlady99]

Also having checked out the 73288 number it appears he served about 26years he as 42years old and he was in a military hospital. The other number brings up Royal Air Force Muster Roll 1918, with G Williams as a name

[ss002d6252]

On 03/03/2020 at 16:24, Harbourlady99 said:

Also having checked out the 73288 number it appears he served about 26years he as 42years old and he was in a military hospital. The other number brings up Royal Air Force Muster Roll 1918, with G Williams as a name

Don't worry about that, numbers weren't unique so multiple men could have the same number.

 

If he served pre-war then he was finished with the army before August 1914, including any reserve commitment, otherwise he'd have been recalled at the outbreak of war.

 

His early war time number will almost certainly be 5 digits or less and probably less than about 13000 or so (based on Oct 14).

 

Craig

[Harbourlady99]

these numbers were all on his military cross notice, and they are all for a G Williams. I know that in the 1911 census he was a warrant officer in the court where he was living at the time

[ss002d6252]

1 hour ago, Harbourlady99 said:

these numbers were all on his military cross notice, and they are all for a G Williams. I know that in the 1911 census he was a warrant officer in the court where he was living at the time

 

 

I suspect there have been some admin errors with the recording of numbers over time (not surprising when there were millions of men and numbers floating about).

 

#66867 was a Gilbert Williams, conscripted age 17 and posted to the Royal Flying Corps in 1917.

 

We can discount that number for George Fitzwilliam.

 

Craig

[ss002d6252]

There's something really odd about his war gratuity and length of service - let me have a think about it . Something doesn't quite add up with him.

Craig

[ss002d6252]

As per post 7

"London Gazette, dated 19th February, 1917. For 73288 Sjt. G. Williams, Notts. & Derby. R., Read 63009 Sjt. G. Williams, Notts. & Derby. R."

 

We know from that that #73288 is an incorrect number , so we're back to 63009. 73288 is probably also different man (although it does fit a group of men who did serve with the 11th bn, hence the possibility of a mix up of the names).

 

Looking at other men

#62994 - Oct 1916
#63009
#63019 - Oct 1916

 

The other men were conscripts so it's possible George was moved and renumbered in Oct 1916 in order to provide another experienced NCO for the regiment.

 

Craig

 

 

 

 

[BillyH]

I am a bit late with this, and the O.P. hasn't been back to the forum since March 2020 either, but here goes anyway.

George Lionel Fitzwilliam (but just George Williams in the Great War, and maybe in real life) had completed 20 years service before the war, probably with the Manchester Regiment.

He had the Khedive's Sudan Medal with Khartoum Clasp, and the King's and Queen's South African Medals with eight clasps.

Before the Great War he served in the Canadian North West Mounted Police, but on the outbreak of war he returned to England and rejoined the Manchester Regiment at Ashton-under-Lyne. Not sure how or when he ended up in the Notts + Derby Regiment.

He was awarded the MM + Bar in the war (great citations), plus the Italian Silver Medal for Valour. Not sure about the Military Cross.

His wife and two children were said to be still living at 3 Union Crescent in Egremont in 1918.

 

 

BillyH.

[Harbourlady99]

Thank you. It was really helpful