Private Frederick William Tomlin, 508345/480, 137th Field Ambulance, Royal Army Medical Corps (40th Division).

[Ivor Anderson]

Private Frederick William Tomlin, 508345/480, 137th Field Ambulance, Royal Army Medical Corps (40th Division). 

 

Born: Hemel Hampstead, Hertfordshire on 11th September 1890.

1891 Census: 67 Lennox Road, Walthamstow, age 7 months with parents William & Alice.

1901 Census: 12 Albany Road, Walthanstow, aged 10, father a school attendance officer.

1911 Census: Frederick a 20 year old Assessment Clerk employed by the Metropolitan Borough of Southwark residing at 44 St Johns Road, Walthamstow with his father William Henry, a School Attendance Officer employed by Walthamstow District Council, mother Alice, four sisters and three brothers.

 

Enlisting in the Royal Army Medical Corps, he joined the 137th Field Ambulance, 40th Division which went to France between 2nd and 6th June 1916.

In September 1917 an Advanced Dressing Station was manned by 137 Field Ambulance in Villers Guislain, 16 km SW of Cambrai. The village was occupied by the allies from April to 30th November 1917 when the Germans captured it.

Awarded the Military Medal - London Gazette supplement 30424, 12th December 1917, page 13022.

The recommendation on parchment signed by Brigadier General C S W Willoughby commanding 40th Division and Captain A L Corstan DAAG 40th Division -

'No 508345 Private F W Tomlin, Royal Army Medical Corps, to whom the Military Medal has been awarded by the Corps Commander, under authority granted by His Majesty The King - During a raid on 25th September 1917, this stretcher bearer hearing that there was a badly wounded man in the front line, volunteered to bring him to the aid post. Together with a Regimental stretcher bearer, he went through a heavy enemy barrage and brought in the wounded man. This act of courage was entirely outside the course of his duty.'

 

Married: Q1 1919 - Kate R Maydon in Westham district

1939 Census: 195 Windmill Lane, Ealing, Middlesex. Frederick a 'local Government Officer' & ARP admin, Ealing Town Council. Kate's DOB 12-07-1891.

Died in Brent, Greater London in 1970, he was interred at Greenford Park Cemetery, Ealing on 12th January 1970.  

[Ivor Anderson]

MM of Private Frederick William Tomlin, 508345/480, 137th Field Ambulance, Royal Army Medical Corps 

Earned on 25th September 1917

 

[Ivor Anderson]

MM Citation relating to action on 25th September 1917:

 

[charlie962]

2 hours ago, Ivor Anderson said:

MM Citation relating to action on 25th September 1917:

Do you know the name of the Regimental stretcher bearer that accompanied him ? Your excellent citation document would probably be almost identical for that other man and should he highlighted. Or do you think it was 'within the line of duty' for a Regimental SB but not for a FA SB ?

 

Charlie

 

PS I note that it is singned off by GOC only a week after the action.

[Ivor Anderson]

Yes Charlie, definitely an action worthy of further research. As you say he may have volunteered to assist the RSB, but which regiment is the question?

His trio recently sold on ebay with the above citation for £500. It prompted my research and it was a good opportunity to document the action.

Schedule number was 113379. I'll check the War Diary for 137 Field Ambulance on the NA, ref. WO 95/2602/3

 

Edited 4 July , 2020 by Ivor Anderson

[Ivor Anderson]

It was the 12th Suffolk Regiment in action on the 25th. Even being awarded an MM didn't get ORs mentioned by name in the war diary!! See last 2 lines below!

It says the 3 MMs were awarded on 26th for action on the 20th, yet 20th has no entry - meant 25th?

 

Edited 4 July , 2020 by Ivor Anderson

[charlie962]

13 minutes ago, Ivor Anderson said:

yet 20th has no entry - meant 25th?

Yes looks like sb 25th when the raid took place

[charlie962]

have you noted this ICRC entry ?  Looks like captured late 1918 ?

[charlie962]

and prompted by that ICRC note, look what FindmyPast Newspapers come up with:

 

  An excellent man.

Edited 4 July , 2020 by charlie962

[Ivor Anderson]

Brilliant finds Charlie! Thank you. His service record does not seem to have survived. I must join FMP for a month! 

I see he joined the RAMC on 5th January 1915, but he did not get a 1914-15 star. If he spent 2.5 years in France he must have arrived there in 1916.

I don't think people appreciate how well off we are today by comparison!

 

Edited 4 July , 2020 by Ivor Anderson

[charlie962]

But I don't think he gets a mention in 137 FA Diary ?  Who was withdrawing that day that he remained with the wounded ?

[TEW]

Just to add what the ADMS diary has; another date!! 24th. No entry for that date.

TEW

 

[Ivor Anderson]

Thanks TEW. That gives an exact position even though the day differs. I suppose the main action on the 25th stood out.

 

Charlie, I checked the 137 FA diary for July 1918. Most days have a 'nil' return and the 9th only records officer changes! However, the appendix for the end of June 1918 is very interesting considering the current pandemic. The flu would certainly have weakened the troops prior to the German attack in July (NA ref. attached):

 

 

Edited 5 July , 2020 by Ivor Anderson

[charlie962]

This is hard work but making progress. The date of July 9th 1918 for becoming a PoW is way out!

 

I have now found Tomlin reported Missing then reported Released PoW and returned to England.

 

CasList 4/6/18  Missing

CasList 9/12/18 Released PoWs from Germany arrived in England

 

So that Daily Casualty List of 4th June probably covers events in April 1918

 

137 FA War Diary shows big problems with German attack 9th April.  ...Capt Little and bearers cut off..

 

'Captain Little' is Capt Andrew Hunter Little and he has an ICRC Card showing he was captured at Fleurbaix, 9/4/18;  (see PA30701)

 

I suggest that Tomlin was taken that day, 3 months before the date quoted in the newspaper article!! I shall now see if I can find ICRC or Service records for any other RAMC men on that same missing list that might lead to 137 FA and Tomlin and at least show that the date is reasonable. The problem with RAMC men is that the Germans often seem not to list them (perhaps counting them as guests and helpers rather than prisoners).

 

Charlie

 

[Ivor Anderson]

Good work Charlie. Local newspaper reporters don't always double check the details. Though their account suggests that the Germans didn't treat James as a guest! 

[charlie962]

Found a Service Record for David Elliott 75907 of the 137th Field Ambulance. Reported missing 10/4/08.  On same CasList Missing as Tomlin.

There is a note that Elliott sent a postcard dated 12/4/18 saying he was at Limburg camp (Temp).  Elsewhere on this forum there are plenty of discussions about Limburg just being an Admin Centre for a lot of (strictly) illegal work camps.

 

Found another Service Record for Frank Kellett 71734 of the 137th Field Ambulance. Also his ICRC card and backing sheet (eg PA35200) showing he was reported missing 10/4/18 but was actually captured Bois Grenier 9/4/18.

 

Given that these men from the same unit as Tomlin are on the same Missing list as Tomlin I think we can conclude that Tomlin was indeed part of Capt Little's team and was captured Bois Grenier 9/4/18 when it was overrun by the Germans.

 

Charlie

 

edit  another man of 137 FA with a service record (x2) is John Sagar 102113 also taken same time and being held 'at Limburg'. He was also on same repatriation CasList as Tomlin and his file says he landed Dover 29/11/18.

Edited 5 July , 2020 by charlie962

[charlie962]

PS there might be an officer repatriation statement by Little, explaining the circumstances of his capture ?

[Ivor Anderson]

Thanks Charlie. Good finds!

John Sagar's record says he was a PoW in Germany for 233 days from 4/18 to 11/18.

Bois Grenier, where Frank Kellett was captured, is a few miles south of Armentieres where Fred Tomlin is said to have been captured (in newspaper cutting in post 9).

 

Edited 6 July , 2020 by Ivor Anderson

[charlie962]

2 hours ago, Ivor Anderson said:

PoW in Germany

PoW of the Germans but not in Germany !

The Casualty List of Missing (for the men I could trace) seems to be either 137 FA or 77 FA. The 77 FA men were taken Ploeg Str. They generally seem to have been entered into the German notifications to the ICRC recording system. But the men of 137 FA seem to have been kept off - only notification was postcards from one or two of the PoWs; hence why it would be interesting to find other accounts of their treatment.

 

Anyway you now have a lot more to pad out the story and the Service Records of some colleagues should give you further clues on his service.

 

Charlie

[Ivor Anderson]

Thanks again Charlie. The PoW angle is an area of research I'm unfamiliar with.

The 137 FA WD has an appendix at the end of April 1918 that gives further details about Capt. Little's party (NA ref. WO95/2602/3):

 

Edited 6 July , 2020 by Ivor Anderson

[Ivor Anderson]

Frederick Tomlin's MM Index Card - for the record (WO-372-23-176235):