Trying to trace this woman serving in France - two possibles.

[DuncanBro]

I'm trying to trace this woman based in France. There's two Nellie Griffiths' listed on the Lives of the First World War website, one in the QMAAC and the other in the RAF. Anyone any idea which one it is? 

I can't find that camp mentioned at all on the Internet. 

[DavidOwen]

There is a Nellie Griffiths, a Telephonist, mentioned in the Gazette on 2/2/1915. She was from Stoke on Trent. A Telephonist would fit with a Signals Section?

https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/29055/page/1038 The entry relates to appointments in the Civil Service so there may not in fact be an overseas connection.

 

The Nellie Griffiths listed in QMAAC is a "Worker" so again that may fit with a telephonist? FMP link

 

I am sure others will bring up more options.

 

Good luck with the research.

 

 

[RussT]

I found just one reference to that Camp ........

 

http://digitalcollections.uwinnipeg.ca/digital/collection/p15931coll1/id/241/

 

 

[PRC]

British Army Post Office 4, (A.P.O. 4 in the address) was based at Calais from June 1915 to March 1919.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_British_Army_postal_service#Royal_Engineers_(Postal_Section)_–_First_World_War_(1914-18)

 

Doesn't lool like there are any surviving service records held for the QMAAC worker at the National Archive.

https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/help-with-your-research/research-guides/womens-army-auxiliary-corps-service-records-1917-1920/

 

Cheers,

Peter

[RussT]

Medal Roll for Maurine Rob (QMAAC)

 

Courtesy of Ancestry

 

 

[RussT]

Medal Roll for a Nellie Griffiths, QMAAC (courtesy of Ancestry)

 

 

[RussT]

I can see the date stamp on the letter is 1918 (and the time 10 pm) - but can you show us the month in 1918?

 

Records show that the date of enrolment for 16020 Nellie Griffiths in the WRAF was August 1918, so if the month on the letter is before August it does not seem likely to be that Nellie. On the other hand, service for the Nellie in the QMAAC started in May 1918 (as per the medal roll above).

 

Regards

 

Russ

[DuncanBro]

18 hours ago, RussT said:

I can see the date stamp on the letter is 1918 (and the time 10 pm) - but can you show us the month in 1918?

 

Records show that the date of enrolment for 16020 Nellie Griffiths in the WRAF was August 1918, so if the month on the letter is before August it does not seem likely to be that Nellie. On the other hand, service for the Nellie in the QMAAC started in May 1918 (as per the medal roll above).

 

Regards

 

Russ

Hi, the month is November, so seems consistent with that Nellie. 

Thanks for all the help everyone, that's fantastic. 

Kind regards 

Duncan. 

[headgardener]

8 minutes ago, DuncanBro said:

Hi, the month is November, so seems consistent with that Nellie. 

Thanks for all the help everyone, that's fantastic. 

Kind regards 

Duncan. 

 

Maybe I missed something, but surely the month of November means that it could be either of them? (QMAAC went to France in May, WRAF joined in August, your letter is dated November) 

[DuncanBro]

8 hours ago, headgardener said:

 

Maybe I missed something, but surely the month of November means that it could be either of them? (QMAAC went to France in May, WRAF joined in August, your letter is dated November) 

Yes, my mistake, it could be either. 

[headgardener]

I thought that the records for WRAF's were available from TNA, so maybe that could help you trace her whereabouts at that time. The message on the card might give some clues (brother? boyfriend? father?).

[RussT]

Yes, the WRAF records are free to download from TNA.

 

The WRAF Nellie was 18 years old when she enrolled in August 1918 (she was from Glamorgan - does this help re the sender of the letter?) - I don't think she served overseas - or at least that is how I interpret the answer to this question (see image).

 

 

 

Are there any Medal Rolls for the WRAF?

What is the day on the letter's date stamp? If it is after 11th November, then I assume the WRAF Nellie would not be on a medal roll even if she did actually serve overseas.

 

Being drip fed the information ....

 

Regards

 

Russ

 

 

 

[royalredcross]

It's the QMAAC woman.  The WRAF did not serve overseas until after the armistice. 

[Madmeg]

Without wanting to be too awkward I would just point out that Nellie could be a Helen, an Ellen or an Eleannor....  are there any more clues in the text of the postcard?

 

[Madmeg]

Assuming that "Vic" is a sibling I've done a quick census trawl, there aren;t that many crossovers for a nellie (or some variants) and a "Vic" (Victor, Victoria) so far- especially those that would be old enough to write a postcard.

[Marilyne]

I think that for a postcard to arrive at the right place, "real" names as opposed to nicknames were to be used. 

So the reasoning used further up which led to identifying Nellie Griffith QMAAC is absolutely correct. 

 

good work, team!! 

 

M.