Clarkie Posted 15 February , 2021 Share Posted 15 February , 2021 William Esson is my Grandfathers cousin. I know he survived the First World War. I’m told by a distant relative that he was wounded at Gallipoli and finished the war as a stretcher bearer. He was from the inverurie/Aberdeen area. He may have been in the Gordon Highlander’s or perhaps the HLI. What would be the best way to find out what happened to him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Acknown Posted 16 February , 2021 Share Posted 16 February , 2021 Clarkie, If you haven't done so, have a read through this: http://www.longlongtrail.co.uk/soldiers/how-to-research-a-soldier/. If you put any family details you have for him on here (DOB, family members etc), I suspect someone will have a look. Acknown Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Acknown Posted 16 February , 2021 Share Posted 16 February , 2021 Was he William Esson of 6 Canal Place, Aberdeen, born 1877? Acknown Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gunner 87 Posted 16 February , 2021 Share Posted 16 February , 2021 (edited) Hello. Private William Esson 330036 joined the 3/2 Highland Field Ambulance, Royal Army Medical Corps, a TF unit, on the 07th May 1915 and served for the duration of the war. I have access to his service records though Fold3 and very happy to send them to you if you would like to pm me your email. Regards Gunner 87. Edited 16 February , 2021 by Gunner 87 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Acknown Posted 16 February , 2021 Share Posted 16 February , 2021 If that is indeed him, his Service Record is also available on Ancestry: click here. There is also a Pension Card for this soldier (Fold3 via WFA) which states that his disability was due to 'British cholera' The PC also indicates that he died on 28 Dec 27. The 3/2nd FA did serve in Gallipoli. Acknown Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clarkie Posted 16 February , 2021 Author Share Posted 16 February , 2021 My William died in 1957 and was born in 1896. He is listed at St Machar in the 1901 census Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Acknown Posted 16 February , 2021 Share Posted 16 February , 2021 (edited) How about his father's, mother's, spouses' and children's names, place of birth, and address? Acknown Addition: I think I've got them: father William Mennie Esson, mother Isabella Jane Clark. (Scottish Census 1901). He married after the war. I doubt he was a Gordon as no battalions served in Gallipoli. Only the 1/5th (City of Glasgow) Battalion of the HLI served there (LLT). His birth date and the fact that he was married seems to indicate that your William wasn't 339936. Edited 16 February , 2021 by Acknown Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clarkie Posted 16 February , 2021 Author Share Posted 16 February , 2021 His mother was Isabella Clark and his father was William Mennie Esson. William is listed as living in St Machar in the 1901 census. Address is THE NORTH, ABERDEEN, OLD MACHAR, ST MACHAR, ABERDEENSHIRE, 168, SCOTLAND, listed as being 5 years old For the life of me I cannot get to a military record for this William Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Acknown Posted 16 February , 2021 Share Posted 16 February , 2021 I'm having the same problem! Are you sure about Gallipoli? Acknown Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clarkie Posted 16 February , 2021 Author Share Posted 16 February , 2021 His mother was Isabella Clark and his father was William Mennie Esson. William is listed as living in St Machar in the 1901 census. I’ve been looking in ancestry and c Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clarkie Posted 16 February , 2021 Author Share Posted 16 February , 2021 You know, I just had the same thought. This story about William being wounded at Gallipoli etc came from his grandson, who would have got it from his mother. William had a stroke in 1953., I don’t believe his grandson ever met him. William worked for a Scottish company called Henderson who sold Scottish merchandise.. they transferred him to Jamaica in 1920. I wonder if William was a piper or musician because I think Henderson’s sold pipes and kilts. The stretcher bearer thing might make sense if he was in a military band.. long shot I know After his stroke, Henderson’s repatriated him and he was in a nursing home somewhere around St Machar until he died in 1957 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gunner 87 Posted 16 February , 2021 Share Posted 16 February , 2021 There is a William Esson in the HLI that had units deployed to Gallipoli. I attach his MIC that also records other regiments served in. I can't find any service records to match on Fold3. Why was this soldier transferred out of the HLI? ... may be worth researching. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clarkie Posted 16 February , 2021 Author Share Posted 16 February , 2021 What were the other regiments, looked like the royal engineers. RE i think i see T R Bn and maybe Sco rif No idea where you would start to research his transfers. I saw the 4 regimental numbers, does that mean he was in 4 different regiments.. would that have been normal ? could he have been a problem soldier Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clarkie Posted 16 February , 2021 Author Share Posted 16 February , 2021 What were the other regiments, looked like the royal engineers. RE i think i see T R Bn and maybe Sco rif No idea where you would start to research his transfers. I saw the 4 regimental numbers, does that mean he was in 4 different regiments.. would that have been normal ? could he have been a problem soldier With the help of google, looks like he went from the HLI to a training reserve battalion, then the Cameronians and then i think the Royal Engineers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gunner 87 Posted 16 February , 2021 Share Posted 16 February , 2021 (edited) 2 hours ago, Clarkie said: What were the other regiments, looked like the royal engineers. RE i think i see T R Bn and maybe Sco rif No idea where you would start to research his transfers. I saw the 4 regimental numbers, does that mean he was in 4 different regiments.. would that have been normal ? could he have been a problem soldier TR Bn is Training Reserve Battalion. I think the next is the Scots Rifles, which are the Cameronians (Scottish Rifles), and the last is Royal Engineers. My research capability is limited as I only have Fold3 but I would be surprised if his service record wasn't there if it's in existence. I've just looked at Find My Past and had hits on the first three service numbers but only the MIC again. There was a number of service records but could go no further as I longer subscribe. Maybe one of our more experienced members can help further with this card. Fold3 have a pension ledger card for a Gordon Highlander, William Esson, on service number 4134 with an address is Aberdeenshire. If the prefix S/ is added to that number we find a William Esson on the Silver War Badge Roll through Find My Past. As previously mentioned these did not fight in Gallipoli but your subject was wounded soothes could be a match. Edited 16 February , 2021 by Gunner 87 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clarkie Posted 17 February , 2021 Author Share Posted 17 February , 2021 What were the other regiments, looked like the royal engineers. RE i think i see T R Bn and maybe Sco rif No idea where you would start to research his transfers. I saw the 4 regimental numbers, does that mean he was in 4 different regiments.. would that have been normal ? could he have been a problem soldier My distant relative talked to Williams Daughter she is 95 but has a great memory. William signed up at the outbreak and went to Gallipoli (hli maybe). He is wounded (According to his dtr) and recovered in England. Is it possible that once recovered he goes into the reserve battalion and is assigned to the Cameronians. His daughter knows William was wounded a 2nd time .. entirely possible i suppose that after the 2nd recovery he is then assigned to RE. What do you think ? no idea how i could prove all of that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin kenf48 Posted 17 February , 2021 Admin Share Posted 17 February , 2021 11 hours ago, Clarkie said: What do you think ? I think on the basis of family lore you are probably wasting your time in trying to establish if this soldier is the one you are looking for. There is usually at least a kernel of truth in family stories, though they can be corrupted over the years. If he had served in the Dardanelles Campaign he would have the 14-15 Star. I can find no soldier of that name in any Scottish Regiment who has that medal for entry into theatre of war 2(b). I did find a William Easson 204255 HLI , this renumbering is consistent with the 5th Battalion who, as noted previously served at Gallipoli, but again no 14-15 Star so this soldier did not. I can't find him in the casualty lists of the Scotsman either, they're usually pretty good with losses from Scottish Regiments. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clarkie Posted 17 February , 2021 Author Share Posted 17 February , 2021 This is great info. You are correct, actually, I’ve had similar experiences where the fokelore and reality didn’t match. Did think I was on to something , Thank you for the information. Had no idea the Scotsman published casualty lists, were those just for the fallen or wounded as well. I do know William survived the war, his dtr was born in the 1920s and I’m DNA connected to her. She does remember him telling her he was wounded twice. She also says he signed on right at the beginning of the war. Sadly she couldn’t remember which regiment. I was guessing HLI because I know at least one other relative served in the regiment and was killed on the Somme in 1917. I need to broaden my search , there are quite a few William Essons from Aberdeenshire with Ww1 records. Thank You Again Alan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clarkie Posted 17 February , 2021 Author Share Posted 17 February , 2021 Well I went back to basics. My William Esson was born in 1895 in Aberdeen. In 1911 he lived at 7 Fraser st in Aberdeen , according to the census. No middle name is listed on his birth record. On ancestry, I can find one record to match the name, but the guy is 37 years old when he signed up i did a little more digging to see if I could find maybe the correct William Esson. I found this Esson, a Gordon Highlander who I think signed up in 1914 which aligns with his daughter’s recollection. His number is S/4134, I think somebody told me that the S indicates he was wounded. I have no idea what the other numbers and codes mean. Would it be possible for someone to decode and also, how would I find more info .. for instance DOB or address at enlistment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ss002d6252 Posted 17 February , 2021 Share Posted 17 February , 2021 The 'S' has nothing to do with wounds, it's a prefix that was used for some service numbers. Usually it just meant he'd enlisted for general war time service. Craig Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ss002d6252 Posted 17 February , 2021 Share Posted 17 February , 2021 37 minutes ago, Clarkie said: Well I went back to basics. My William Esson was born in 1895 in Aberdeen. In 1911 he lived at 7 Fraser st in Aberdeen , according to the census. No middle name is listed on his birth record. On ancestry, I can find one record to match the name, but the guy is 37 years old when he signed up i did a little more digging to see if I could find maybe the correct William Esson. I found this Esson, a Gordon Highlander who I think signed up in 1914 which aligns with his daughter’s recollection. His number is S/4134, I think somebody told me that the S indicates he was wounded. I have no idea what the other numbers and codes mean. Would it be possible for someone to decode and also, how would I find more info .. for instance DOB or address at enlistment. The pension records for this man tell us he was born 1889. Lived in Alford. Craig Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clarkie Posted 17 February , 2021 Author Share Posted 17 February , 2021 Ah ok not my Esson. Wrong DOB and wrong place. The only other candidate i can see is this guy who was in the Seaforths.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Acknown Posted 17 February , 2021 Share Posted 17 February , 2021 He died in 1916: https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/628238/WILLIAM ESSON/ Acknown Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clarkie Posted 17 February , 2021 Author Share Posted 17 February , 2021 A real mystery. I cannot find any William Essons that fit the profile and yet his dtr says he signed up in 1914 and was wounded twice. Don’t even know where else I could look .. been in ancestry, been in the uk archives .. not a thing A real mystery. I cannot find any William Essons that fit the profile and yet his dtr says he signed up in 1914 and was wounded twice. Don’t even know where else I could look .. been in ancestry, been in the uk archives .. not a thing Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now