ianjonesncl Posted 18 July , 2020 Share Posted 18 July , 2020 Pals I came across Captain Francis Victor Wallington MC and three bars in the London Gazette, one of four men awarded the MC four times. He served with 7th Brigade Royal Horse Artillery prior to commissioning. I have been trying to ascertain if he served with I Battery or L Battery (destroyed at Nery), and would be grateful if anyone has any information on his battery. Commissioned in the field 30th May 1916, he went onto win the Military Cross four times. Does anyone know which units he was serving with when he was awarded his MC's ? Any help would be greatly appreciated. Ian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie962 Posted 18 July , 2020 Share Posted 18 July , 2020 (edited) He seems to have had a pretty disasterous post war private life. There are a number of articles about his divorce. MC and several bars, wounded 17 times, of no fixed abode, a traveller and working on commission, selling disinfectant to undertakers ...... Charlie edit I post the link to the Gazette that you already have edit edit died 15/2/1971 obit in the Gunner May 1971 Edited 18 July , 2020 by charlie962 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IPT Posted 18 July , 2020 Share Posted 18 July , 2020 Z/39 Trench Mortar Battery? https://www.dnw.co.uk/auction-archive/past-catalogues/lot.php?auction_id=320&lot_uid=244478 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie962 Posted 18 July , 2020 Share Posted 18 July , 2020 (edited) would the war diary be this one 1/1/17 Lt Wallington Z/39 posted to Divisional Artillery Edited 18 July , 2020 by charlie962 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ianjonesncl Posted 18 July , 2020 Author Share Posted 18 July , 2020 IPT / Charlie Thank you for your very prompt replies - very much appreciated. I have down loaded the war diary and will see what this reveals. Ian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sadbrewer Posted 18 July , 2020 Share Posted 18 July , 2020 (edited) Courtesy of The British Newspaper Archive From The Sheffield Daily Telegraph September 18th, 1918. Edited 19 July , 2020 by sadbrewer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ianjonesncl Posted 19 July , 2020 Author Share Posted 19 July , 2020 Sadbrewer Thanks for the newspaper clips. It is interesting to see that his achievement was recognised at the time rather than being some post war research. Ian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie962 Posted 19 July , 2020 Share Posted 19 July , 2020 17 hours ago, charlie962 said: obit in the Gunner May 1971 I have my old Gunner magazines from 1971 and which one is missing ? May ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rflory Posted 19 July , 2020 Share Posted 19 July , 2020 Obituary in the May 1971 Gunner, page 4: "Lt. Col. Wallington, who died on 15 February 1971, aged 80, enlisted in 1905 and served throughout the First World. War in France in 179 and 311 Brigades RFA and Z/3A Trench Mortar Battery. It was during this service the he gained the unique Regimental distinction of being the only Gunner to be awarded the MC and three bars. His medal bears the engagements of Ancre 13/11/16, and on the bars Trois Rois 6/5/17, Blauwre Port 17/6/17 and Le Verquier 21/3/18. Col. Wallington continued to serve until he retired in 1923. In March 1939 he rejoined as a Captain and Administrative Officer of 32 (7th City of London) AA Bn, RE." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ianjonesncl Posted 19 July , 2020 Author Share Posted 19 July , 2020 (edited) 2 hours ago, rflory said: Obituary in the May 1971 Gunner, page 4: "Lt. Col. Wallington, who died on 15 February 1971, aged 80, enlisted in 1905 and served throughout the First World. War in France in 179 and 311 Brigades RFA and Z/3A Trench Mortar Battery. It was during this service the he gained the unique Regimental distinction of being the only Gunner to be awarded the MC and three bars. His medal bears the engagements of Ancre 13/11/16, and on the bars Trois Rois 6/5/17, Blauwre Port 17/6/17 and Le Verquier 21/3/18. Col. Wallington continued to serve until he retired in 1923. In March 1939 he rejoined as a Captain and Administrative Officer of 32 (7th City of London) AA Bn, RE." Dick Many thanks for the obituary from Gunner Magazine, appreciate your assistance. One challenge is the obituary does not seem to match up with the research I have undertaken. I followed the information from IPT reference Z/39 TMB and he is recorded in their war dairy as being posted to 39 Divisional HQ on 1st January 1917. The war diary of CRA 39 Div records the posting of of 2.Lieut. FV Wallington MC (His MC was gazetted the same day) to 119 Army Field Brigade RFA on re-organisation. The 39th Divisional Artillery also record what looks like the breaking up of 179 Brigade. Following the 119 Brigade war diary through, I found an entry for 4th June recording him assisting in putting out a fire. This would be consistent with the citation of his first bar. The following day there is a record of a bombardment which would be consistent with his second bar, though there other records of bombardment. I can not references to 2.Lieut Wallington's 2 bars gazetted in August which I would have hoped would have been worthy of mention, though I may have missed the entry. The diary does mention 311 Brigade joining with the 119th to form an Artillery group, so the 311 war diary may be worth a review. Ian Edited 19 July , 2020 by ianjonesncl . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rflory Posted 20 July , 2020 Share Posted 20 July , 2020 Sorry, I can't vouch for the accuracy of the obituary - I just copied what was printed. I have now looked at the annotated London Gazette announcements (WO 389) and can provide the following information: 1. 26 Jan 1917: Z/39 Trench Mortar Battery, Beaucourt, 13 November 1916 2. 16 Aug 1917: D/119 near Ypres, June 1917 3. 25 Aug 1917: C/119 near Ypres 17 June 1917 4. 16 Sep 1918: RFA. Vendellis 21 March 1918 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ianjonesncl Posted 20 July , 2020 Author Share Posted 20 July , 2020 (edited) 3 hours ago, rflory said: Sorry, I can't vouch for the accuracy of the obituary - I just copied what was printed. I have now looked at the annotated London Gazette announcements (WO 389) Dick Appreciate one is reliant on the accuracy of information that is not derived from a primary source. Thank you for providing the additional information from WO 389 as Z/39 TMB and 119 Brigade RFA ties up with what I can derive from the war diaries. Ian Edited 20 July , 2020 by ianjonesncl Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
battiscombe Posted 20 July , 2020 Share Posted 20 July , 2020 Coming back to his early service he is not listed on L Battery 1914 Star roll so in another unit of 7th Brigade RHA.. I Bty or 7thBde AC, or perhaps even H Bty ? which joined later in 1914?? I think their 194 Star roll includes H Bty men.. I Bty war diary does show a number of named NCOs being posted to 39th Div RA in spring 1916 but Wallingtons name does not appear.... unnamed NCOs from H Bty were also posted to 39 Div RA in the same period.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ianjonesncl Posted 20 July , 2020 Author Share Posted 20 July , 2020 Battiscombe Many thanks for the information on his early career. His Medal Information Card has him entering Theatre 15th August 1914. If he is not on the L Battery roll, then it looks like I Battery. I had gone through the both I and L Battery war diaries but found no trace of his name. I had hoped there would have been a record of his commissioning in the field. Ian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ianjonesncl Posted 21 July , 2020 Author Share Posted 21 July , 2020 On 19/07/2020 at 00:55, sadbrewer said: Courtesy of The British Newspaper Archive From The Sheffield Daily Telegraph September 18th, 1918. I had wondered why it was the Sheffield Daily Telegraph where this appeared. The references to 311 Brigade RFA and London Gazette announcements (WO 389) reference the final MC action at Vendelles 21 March 1918 correspond with the war dairy entry for the actions of the 311th on that date. The 311 Brigade were 2nd Line West Riding Artillery, so there is the Yorkshire link. Looking at both the war diaries of 119 Brigade RFA and 311 Brigade RFA I can not see any entries for Wallington's movement between units which is a bit frustrating. Many thanks to everyone for their help to bring all this information together. Ian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
battiscombe Posted 21 July , 2020 Share Posted 21 July , 2020 I see he was indeed with I Bty RHA in 1911 when at Newbridge, Kildare - according to 1911 census. There is another Wallington, a brother perhaps?, in same Bty.. who also appears on 1914 star roll as he was in 1914.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ianjonesncl Posted 21 July , 2020 Author Share Posted 21 July , 2020 Battiscombe Thank you for the census information, this helps confirm his activities in the RHA. Although I can not find a reference, I am assuming that he was commissioned in the field from I Battery to the Special Reserve RFA. (Gazetted 30 Jun 1916) The other Wallington could be a brother. Ian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rflory Posted 21 July , 2020 Share Posted 21 July , 2020 (edited) Sgt. F V Wellington was commissioned "for service in the field" in London Gazette of 3 July 1916 effective 30 May 1916. Edited 21 July , 2020 by rflory Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ianjonesncl Posted 21 July , 2020 Author Share Posted 21 July , 2020 3 minutes ago, rflory said: Sgt. F V Wellington was commissioned "for service in the field" on 3 July 1916 Dick Many thanks. Ian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
battiscombe Posted 21 July , 2020 Share Posted 21 July , 2020 one other posting: in 39 Div Trench Mortars [WO95/2574/7 ] recorded that he joined Z/39 TMB from B/179 Brigade of 39th Div RA.. 20 July 1916.. No mention of him in 179 Bde diary though.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ianjonesncl Posted 21 July , 2020 Author Share Posted 21 July , 2020 Battiscombe Many thanks - Missed that one. I have been looking at 179 Brigade war diaries for April 1918 onwards and came across Captain Bertram James Wallington MC. His MIC (WO 372/20/197507) details he was a Bombardier in 7 Brigade Royal Horse Artillery. Your other Wallington on the 1911 census ? Ian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
battiscombe Posted 21 July , 2020 Share Posted 21 July , 2020 yes thats him..also commissioned 1916 I think.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ianjonesncl Posted 21 July , 2020 Author Share Posted 21 July , 2020 2 minutes ago, battiscombe said: yes thats him..also commissioned 1916 I think.. His MIC shows him commissioned 19-March 1916. The reference on wikipedia shows Francis Victor was born in Woolwich. That potentially sound like his father was in the Artillery, so two brothers join up ? Interesting speculation. As ever, thank you for your help. Ian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie962 Posted 21 July , 2020 Share Posted 21 July , 2020 It is surprising that for such a unique award there is not a more detailed biographical note. We await your blog entry ! Charlie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie962 Posted 21 July , 2020 Share Posted 21 July , 2020 (edited) 13 minutes ago, ianjonesncl said: sound like his father was in the Artillery, His father Christopher was a Battery Sergeant Major in 1878 M Battery RHA Am Col ? and maybe still in 1887 Source baptisms on Ancestry edit- PS there are trees on Ancestry suggesting descendants of Francis Victor Edited 21 July , 2020 by charlie962 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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