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The Great War (1914-1918) Forum

Remembered Today:

Sussex Northumbrian


Guest Neil

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From all my research into my Grandfather, Pt. Frederick Edwards, who died at Villeret in September 1917, I have discovered that he was a Sussex villager and carpenter who, after training at Maidstone in March-August 1916, was assigned, with his comrades in the same company, to the Tyneside Scottish, who he was with at his death. Was it normal for men who joined up in one part of the country to be assigned to a regiment from the other end of the country, or should I assume that he was sent abroad with, say, the Royal Sussex regiment and was attached to the Northumberland Fusiliers once in France? Also, is there any way of tracing his port of disembarkation and training camps in France?

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Hello Neil, welcome to the forum

Your grandfather's experience of being attached to a regiment whose home base was markedly different to where he came from was quite usual, especially as the war progressed. The early days when volunteers had some say over which unit they joined had largely gone by the time he was doing his training in Spring 1916. Once conscription was established, all degree of choice disappeared, and a man was allotted to whichever unit needed replacements. You can read much more about this at www.1914-1918.net. Click on "Tommies" at the homepage, then look down the page that comes and click on "Joining up" and "Training".

To trace things like port of embarkation, you need to check out whether his own service papers have survived, or whether the date of embarkation was marked on his medal entitlement documents. From there youcan look up the war diary of his Battalion and you can find out quite a lot. Again go to www.1914-1918.net, and this time click on "Grandad's war".

PS there is a photo of Villeret on the site too. Click on "Sacred Ground" to find it.

Should keep you amused for hours!

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Many thanks, Chris. You mention medal documents. I know his service papers haven't survied, would his medal documents have been kept separately, or should I assume they are in burnt reecords as well?

Excellent forum.

Neil

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Guest Ian Bowbrick

Neil,

Medal Index Cards and Medal Rolls survived and are available at Kew as separate records to service records.

Ian :)

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Hi Ali,

Pte. Fred Edwards, 48051, hailed from Barcombe, near Lewes, East Sussex, where his name is commemorated on the memorial outside St Mary's church and on the plaque inside the church to the men who died from the Worshipful Company of Foresters. He joined up with a group of Barcombe men, at least one of whom survived to return. He was a skilled carpenter, and I am surprised his skills weren't used in a Sapper or RE company, but I can see that by late 1916, early 1917 the shortage was in fighting men, not craftsmen!

Bestest,

Neil

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