Jump to content
Free downloads from TNA ×
The Great War (1914-1918) Forum

Remembered Today:

British RE Dispatch Riders serving in Australian Divisions Signals 1917 1918 western front


keith smith

Recommended Posts

After further research corporal JH Smith 47818 RE Motor Cyclist was serving with the 1st Australian Divisional
Signal Company.Dec 1917 to may1918.Was this a common occurrence for British Signalers to do this on the western front.Did signals base depot  send replacements to all empire divisions.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi Keith, I would have thought this unusual as in general the AIF tried to use Australian personnel for AIF positions.

Would you mind posting a copy of the source for this?

Thanks.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Mate,

I should also add that all sides, Australian, French and British let units to each other, as well as specialist troops.

Most Order of battles show these mix of units on the strengths, so it was not uncommon to see British or Austrailans, Canadians and others in the Armies, Corps and Divisions.

S.B

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 10/10/2021 at 06:00, stevebecker said:

Mate,

I should also add that all sides, Australian, French and British let units to each other, as well as specialist troops.

Most Order of battles show these mix of units on the strengths, so it was not uncommon to see British or Austrailans, Canadians and others in the Armies, Corps and Divisions.

S.B

Hi

thanks for reply there is a gap in his records between hospitalizations the records state he was serving with 1st australian divisional signals hq in may 1918 last records prior to that he was admitted to new zealand hospital hazelbrouck in nov 1917 from first army signal company  then a gap in records untill the mention hospitalized from 1st australian div sigs

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 10/10/2021 at 01:03, WhiteStarLine said:

Hi Keith, I would have thought this unusual as in general the AIF tried to use Australian personnel for AIF positions.

Would you mind posting a copy of the source for this?

Thanks.

Hi

yes between november 1917 and may 1918 he was admitted to the hospital whilst serving with 1st australian divisional signal company then later in may 1918 was admitted to 3rd australian general hospital abbeville.If your interested he was with many divisions on western front with many hospitalizations he seems to have been moved from signals hq to the next.He was also at gallipoli with 13th division signals hq cape helles and also at anzac cove untill evacuated by 4th australian field ambulance with gastroenteritis on 21st august 1915.Also fyi his image on glass plate is part of the thullier collection ross coulthart ,after i supplied the original card print supplied me with a scanned copy of the restored glass plate.After hospitalisation in 1915 he was sent to france in july 1916 as a corporal motor cyclist dispatch rider.

and sorry this info from what records survive and a report by chris baker fourteeneighteen research

30600_193477-00212.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Keith, thanks for the update.  Clearly a very full war for this man.  Priestley's reference to the motor cyclists being recruited in late 1914 and almost immediately promoted to Corporal and shipped with their machines straight to the front line correlates with this.  As communications was from higher unit to lower it would make sense if an Army HQ Signal Coy was split up and worked with the divisions they supported.  That is exactly what happened to my grandfather's section from 3 Div Sigs Coy (AIF) - permanently attached to 11th Brigade AIF.

While I can't see anything in this image that says 'attached' or 'taken on strength' or similar from an Australian unit (ie Divisional Signals Company rather than an AGH) I accept unreservedly the work you and Chris Baker have done researching this soldier.  Can you post the Thullier image?  I'd love to see it.

Cheers.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 18/10/2021 at 10:08, WhiteStarLine said:

Keith, thanks for the update.  Clearly a very full war for this man.  Priestley's reference to the motor cyclists being recruited in late 1914 and almost immediately promoted to Corporal and shipped with their machines straight to the front line correlates with this.  As communications was from higher unit to lower it would make sense if an Army HQ Signal Coy was split up and worked with the divisions they supported.  That is exactly what happened to my grandfather's section from 3 Div Sigs Coy (AIF) - permanently attached to 11th Brigade AIF.

While I can't see anything in this image that says 'attached' or 'taken on strength' or similar from an Australian unit (ie Divisional Signals Company rather than an AGH) I accept unreservedly the work you and Chris Baker have done researching this soldier.  Can you post the Thullier image?  I'd love to see it.

Cheers.

hi  this is from the restored glass plate i had no information except a enlarged photo copy of the old original card sent from france .only in the last 12months has any information about him has been digitized and become available on line,i did not even know his service number .After searching many times for his name and rank i just searched dispatch rider western front and there he was an unidentified image.such a coincidence that he served alongside Australians at the start and towards the end of his war,and his image rescued and restored as part of Australian military historians research.My uncle richard smith emigrated to Canada in early 1970s ,when ever i saw him over the years he would tell me about JH Smith and as a kid when he visited his grandad the picture of him was on display and when he passed richard made sure the picture and the cross stitch embroidery were safe.After my uncle died i went to great efforts to get this family history back to the UK.I would have liked to have his medals but they were stolen in a burglary in the 1960s ,but to have the embroidery he did in hospital is a tangible link to him and his memory.

grandad1.jpg

IMG_20201107_224148.jpg

IMG_20201107_224106.jpg

IMG_20201107_224128.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

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 account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...