Could you identify these uniforms for me please

[MBrockway]

A great shame it was not mentioned he was a POW earlier - it could have saved some legwork.

 

He was captured unwounded at ARRAS on 28 Mar 1918.

 

At the time he was a Sergeant in D Coy, 1/RB.

 

He appears on the Nominal Rolls for PARCHIM in MECKELENBURG POW Camp prepared on 28 Jun 1918 and on 06 Jul 1918.

 

Ash is listed there with Birth 18 Oct 1883 (and 1884 on the newer roll), Willenhall, Staffs.

 

The Red Cross were contacted for news about him by a Mr F.B. WILSON of 60 Walsall Road, Willenhall, Staffs, who at that time reported Ash as Missing from 29 Mar 1918.

 

Info on PARCHIM is here: Camp Reports - Parchim

 

 

 

Re Mr F.B. Wilson who contacted the Red Cross looking for info on William ASH in 1918 ...

 

A marriage between a Frank Baxter WILSON and an Adelaide Lowe ASH is registered in Q4 1905 in WOLVERHAMPTON R.D.  This R.D. covers Willenhall.

 

Adelaide Lowe ASH was born in Willenhall c. 1877.  She appears to be one of William ASH's elder sisters.

 

In 1911 they are living at 48 Darlaston Road, Pleck, Walsall with infant son Frank Leslie WILSON aged 9 months and having lost a child (possibly Cyril St John WILSON died in 1906).

 

By 1918 Frank Wilson was Assistant Works Manager at F.W. Cotterill Ltd., Atlas Works, DARLASTON, nut and bolt manufacturers.  Cotterills were soon to become part of the GKN family, well known in the Black Country.

 

Wilson died on 28 May 1959 at which point he was living at 38 Park Road, Walsall.  He left a widow Marguerite Helen WILSON (née RICHARDS), who was born in Sep 1903.  They had married in BIRMINGHAM R.D. in Q1 1939.  His first wife, Adelaide Lowe WILSON (née ASH and presumably your great great Great Aunt) has a death registered in WEDNESBURY R.D. for Q2 1938.

 

 

Mark

Edited 3 May , 2021 by MBrockway

[MBrockway]

1 hour ago, MBrockway said:

He was captured unwounded at ARRAS on 28 Mar 1918.

 

At the time he was a Sergeant in D Coy, 1/RB.

 

 

However I see from the war diary that 1/RB's companies were 'A', 'B', 'C' and 'I' 

[FROGSMILE]

2 hours ago, MBrockway said:

 

However I see from the war diary that 1/RB's companies were 'A', 'B', 'C' and 'I' 

That’s interesting Mark, I can’t recall before seeing a run of company designations that did not run consecutively.  It suggests some special purpose if there was an out of synchronisation ‘I Company’.

[MBrockway]

It seems to pre-date the war - the war diaries from 1914 only reference companies 'A', 'B', 'C' & 'I'.

 

I wonder if it is anyway connected to the reduction from 8 to 4 companies before the war?  Coys were then typically designated A-H.  'I' being the next available letter is perhaps significant?

 

I have the RB Standing Orders from 1921 and there's nothing in there about 1/RB having a different company lettering scheme.

 

1/KRRC certainly used A-D.

 

Andy is likely to know more.  I'll mention it to him.

Mark

 

[FROGSMILE]

1 hour ago, MBrockway said:

It seems to pre-date the war - the war diaries from 1914 only reference companies 'A', 'B', 'C' & 'I'.

 

I wonder if it is anyway connected to the reduction from 8 to 4 companies before the war?  Coys were then typically designated A-H.  'I' being the next available letter is perhaps significant?

 

I have the RB Standing Orders from 1921 and there's nothing in there about 1/RB having a different company lettering scheme.

 

1/KRRC certainly used A-D.

 

Andy is likely to know more.  I'll mention it to him.

Mark

 

Yes it does seem really odd Mark, and I’m sure that there must be a rationale behind it.  As you say, before 1913, in the regular battalions it was eight companies, A through to H. I’ll be most interested to know if you learn anything more about it.

Edited 20 May , 2021 by FROGSMILE