Rob Bulloch Posted 27 May , 2021 Share Posted 27 May , 2021 Hello the Forum. I am trying to find information on the above soldier. All the information I have on him is as follows PLLC. Bennet. WR/329701. Royal Engineers.. I am doing this for a friend in France who though this soldier was Canadian, but I can find no trace of him in the Canadian Archive. Any assistance with this would be much appreciated. Aye Rob. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matlock1418 Posted 27 May , 2021 Share Posted 27 May , 2021 (edited) This MIC may help - As BENNETT, Paul LLC - with another RE number [and a Training Reserve Bn no.] = WR/329701, 15556, 351667 http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D1290050 :-) M Edited 27 May , 2021 by Matlock1418 additions Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PRC Posted 27 May , 2021 Share Posted 27 May , 2021 The Medal Index Card for Sapper Paul L L C BenneTT, has three numbers showing, although his medals were issued by the Royal Engineers. He was 15556 Training Reserve Battalion 351667 Royal Engineers WR/329701 Royal Engineers. (Probably in that order) There are no obvious surviving service records for him. He qualified for the Victory Medal and the British War Medal so didn’t see service in a Theatre of War until some point on or after the 1st January 1916. That is backed up by him serving with a Training Reserve Battalion, which didn’t exist until 1916. The MiC’s should only reference units served with in a Theatre of War, so he may have gone out as part of a general draft from a Training Reserve Battalion, and after reaching a Base Depot was transferred to the Royal Engineers, but that is only a theory at this stage. A search for surviving service records of others with nearby service numbers may gives clues to the path his Army career took and which Theatre(s) of War he served in. Cheers, Peter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Bulloch Posted 27 May , 2021 Author Share Posted 27 May , 2021 Matlock1418 and PRC thank you both very much for your informative and prompt replies. What does the the prefix WR before the number stand for? Thanks again. Aye Rob. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matlock1418 Posted 27 May , 2021 Share Posted 27 May , 2021 (edited) 18 minutes ago, Rob Bulloch said: What does the the prefix WR before the number stand for? Waterways & Railways I believe. I think quite common for RE if they had such pre-war experience or if their fitness classification fell - as an alternative to the Labour Corps which was likely in other corps. [Happy to be corrected/further educated by those more knowledgeable than me] :-) M Edited 27 May , 2021 by Matlock1418 addition Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terry_Reeves Posted 27 May , 2021 Share Posted 27 May , 2021 Rob Inland Waterways Transport and Docks. His WR number was issued after March 1918 when there was a change in numbers for all men classified as Transportation Troops. They were not men of low medical category nor an alternative to the Labour Corps. TR Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matlock1418 Posted 27 May , 2021 Share Posted 27 May , 2021 (edited) 21 minutes ago, Terry_Reeves said: Inland Waterways Transport and Docks. His WR number was issued after March 1918 when there was a change in numbers for all men classified as Transportation Troops. They were not men of low medical category nor an alternative to the Labour Corps. I largely appreciated the RE specialisation but seemingly wrong on terminology. Thank you for this education on fitness too - though it does seem quite common that some men gravitated there from elsewhere I had apparently presumed wrongly on this latter matter. Living and learning. :-) M Edited 27 May , 2021 by Matlock1418 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PRC Posted 27 May , 2021 Share Posted 27 May , 2021 I followed my own advice and took a look at the five service numbers either side of 351667 as I believe that will reflect when and the route by which Paul Bennett joined the Royal Engineers. 351662 No MiC match at the National Archive. No matching military records on FindMyPast. (FMP) 351663 Thomas G Ames, subsequently WR/329708. No obvious service records on FMP. 351664 V.G. Bruce, ex 3/6121 2nd Gordon Highlanders, subsequently WR/300263. No obvious service records on FMP. 351665 Andrew Meres, ex 11832 Gordon Highlanders, subsequently WR/329656. No obvious service records on FMP. 351666 No MiC match at the National Archive. No matching military records on FMP. 351667 Paul Bennett. 351668 No MiC match at the National Archive. No matching military records on FMP. 351669 No MiC match at the National Archive. FMP have surviving service records for a Frederick Hermann. 351670 No MiC match at the National Archive. No matching military records on FMP. 351671 Robert Y. McKenzie, ex 27156 Private Scottish Rifles and T/368704 Army Service Corps, subsequently WR/329712. No obvious service records on FMP. 351672 Herbert Milsom, ex 14358 East Yorkshire Regiment, subsequently WR 329512. FMP have surviving service records for a Herbert Milsom relating to a Pension claim. So looking at the WR renumbering it would seem likely they were serving with a variety of units. Unfortunately I’ve reached the limit on my document look-ups on FindMyPast for the month so can’t check out the details on the surviving paperwork for Hermann and Milsom. They should however also exist on Ancestry. Hope some of that helps, Peter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Bulloch Posted 27 May , 2021 Author Share Posted 27 May , 2021 Thank you all so much for all the input and information on this soldier, Aye Rob.B. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matlock1418 Posted 27 May , 2021 Share Posted 27 May , 2021 5 hours ago, Rob Bulloch said: I am doing this for a friend in France who though this soldier was Canadian, but I can find no trace of him in the Canadian Archive. At the risk of being shown to be wrong again! ;-/ So far it looks like he was a Royal Engineer, but not a Canadian Engineer. Yet so far as I can see at this time, no other evidence that might definitively exclude Bennet/Bennett from being Canadian by birth, citizenship [as a British Dominion subject I guess] or by his residence. Probably worth looking further to see if you can better clarify his surname and forenames etc. Good luck. :-) M Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Bulloch Posted 28 May , 2021 Author Share Posted 28 May , 2021 That is a thought M. Thanks for your input Aye Rob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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