Kegbuster Posted 28 April , 2021 Share Posted 28 April , 2021 Can anybody help me find what unit; 94591 Grn Harold Parnham was in? Medal card said Royal Garrison Artillery but now think he may have been in the Royal Field Artillery possibly 293 Bdg London. Any help would be great Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gunner 87 Posted 28 April , 2021 Share Posted 28 April , 2021 Hi Kegbuster. Welcome to the forum. Looking on Ancestry and Fold3 it appears Harold's attestation / service record hasn't survived nor any pension cards. As you're aware, Harold's Medal Index Card (MIC) exists, with Ancestry also holding the corresponding Medal Roll listing the Victory Medal (VM) and British War Medal (BWM). These documents only record service in the Royal Garrison Artillery (RGA) and 'Base Details' for his unit on the Medal Roll, which is not unusual, but of no help. Looking at @kevinrowlinson immensely informative chart of RGA service numbers it's likely Harold enlisted into the RGA between 31st May and 20th June 1916 at No 3 Depot, Citadel, Plymouth. This is supported by Harold's MIC showing the VM and BWM awarded though no Star meaning he wasn't deployed to a Theatre of War until on or after the 01/01/1916. Can i ask why you think Harold served in the 293rd Brigade Royal Field Artillery which was a Territorial Force unit? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie962 Posted 28 April , 2021 Share Posted 28 April , 2021 51 minutes ago, Kegbuster said: Medal card said Royal Garrison Artillery but now think he may have been in the Royal Field Artillery possibly 293 Bdg London. Welcome to the Forum Kegbuster Medal Card indeed says that so he should have served overseas with the RGA. The Medal Roll doesn't help because it only says Base Details, which is who he was with at the end before demob. I believe he would have been mobilised early June 1916 and posted to No 4 Depot RGA. After that, who knows? Where did you get 293 London Bde RFA ? Charlie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie962 Posted 28 April , 2021 Share Posted 28 April , 2021 6 minutes ago, Gunner 87 said: it's likely Harold enlisted into the RGA between 31st May and 20th June 1916 at No 3 Depot, Citadel, Plymouth I thought No 4 Depot 94590 , mobilised 6/6/16, posted No 4 Depot RGA 94591 ?? 94599 , mobilised 6/6/16, posted No 4 Depot RGA Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gunner 87 Posted 28 April , 2021 Share Posted 28 April , 2021 My error, Charlie is correct, Harold was posted to No4 Depot, Great Yarmouth, not as I suggested. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie962 Posted 28 April , 2021 Share Posted 28 April , 2021 On 29/04/2021 at 04:33, Gunner 87 said: Harold was posted to No4 Depot, Great Yarmouth, Which probably means he was the 'songs of Arabys' man noted in this RGA Concert at Gt Yarmouth July 1916! Courtesy FindmyPast: eg Gnr Pilkington is probably Tom Pilkington, 94172 who was mobilised and posted to No4 Depot 6/6/16 then posted out 10/7/16. A sort of end of course Concert ? Charlie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kegbuster Posted 28 April , 2021 Author Share Posted 28 April , 2021 4 hours ago, charlie962 said: Welcome to the Forum Kegbuster Medal Card indeed says that so he should have served overseas with the RGA. The Medal Roll doesn't help because it only says Base Details, which is who he was with at the end before demob. I believe he would have been mobilised early June 1916 and posted to No 4 Depot RGA. After that, who knows? Where did you get 293 London Bde RFA ? Charlie Hi Charlie Thank you for your information much appreciated. Having information from family members they thought he was in the Royal field Artillery so I check out serial numbers which were approximately the same date but gave a 293 Bde London TF and possibly Divisional Ammunition Column. My thoughts were that he lived in Fulham London and may had join the TF at the begin of the war so there started my search. Perhaps not logical but you have to start some where Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
busterfield Posted 29 April , 2021 Share Posted 29 April , 2021 Familysearch has a Harold Parnham from Fulham. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kegbuster Posted 29 April , 2021 Author Share Posted 29 April , 2021 4 hours ago, busterfield said: Familysearch has a Harold Parnham from Fulham. Thank you for your search Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
busterfield Posted 29 April , 2021 Share Posted 29 April , 2021 21 minutes ago, Kegbuster said: Thank you for your search Does name along with place, and date of birth match ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kegbuster Posted 29 April , 2021 Author Share Posted 29 April , 2021 22 minutes ago, busterfield said: Does name along with place, and date of birth match ? He is the only Harold I know of, who was in the RGA. Joining up papers give a different service number. Has we all know service numbers did change during the war. It appears the signing up papers is the only time he gives his full name. The War Medal I have in my possession only has Grn H.Parnham 94591 RA in scribed (no victory medal) so a little different again, which lead me to think he was in the field Artillery and not in the RGA which is what the family through. So second hand information from the family and a hundred years on here we are. If this is the same Harold Parnham, which I personally think he is, than he's been a bad boy. If I am right he was in India and discharge from the army, which still doesn't give me his unit! I just love genealogy, so many skeletons in the cupboard especially in my family. Even got a deserter/absence with out leave who turn up in 1926 ho god! Perhaps to much information Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ss002d6252 Posted 29 April , 2021 Share Posted 29 April , 2021 12 minutes ago, Kegbuster said: 1 hour ago, busterfield said: He is the only Harold I know of, who was in the RGA. Joining up papers give a different service number. The service record linked to earlier was for a pre-war enlistment and discharge so would have no bearing on any wartime number. When was your Harold born, where was he born and who were his parents., Craig Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie962 Posted 29 April , 2021 Share Posted 29 April , 2021 1 hour ago, Kegbuster said: The War Medal I have in my possession only has Grn H.Parnham 94591 RA in scribed (no victory medal) Surely this is the correct starting point. If the medal belongs to the family then this is the man we should follow up ? The lack of a Victory Medal may just be because it was lost. Around 1915/16 time there were a number of transfers from RFA to RGA in India who were then sent to Mesopotamia and their new RFA numbers were in the 90000 series. I do not believe he falls in this group. But it seems clear to me that the Medal Card and Medal Roll we have seen, which state he was RGA, and this fits with near service numbers, is definitive? Charlie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
corisande Posted 29 April , 2021 Share Posted 29 April , 2021 THe MIC show he had both medals. So the Victory must be lost/with someone else Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kegbuster Posted 29 April , 2021 Author Share Posted 29 April , 2021 Hi all.... Thank you all very much for your hard work in helping me with this family soilder. one of many of my family that fought in the great war. At present I have tracked over a hundred indirect/direct family members in the UK but many more in commonwealth so I have plenty keep me occupied. Thought this was going to an easier way of tracking down family history instead of doing the family tree in general but it hasn't been. As we all know most of the WW1 records were destroyed during the Blitz but what army records I have found that were not destroyed have given me address and next of kin which has proved very helpful in cross matching family members. It has all been bad, I have found a few military Medals awarded along the way which all need further research. Thanks again Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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