1916 RMC graduation named

[PRC]

So going back to the top row, I’ve suggested already likely candidates for Burnier, Whaley, Fordyce and Schofield, which takes us to B.M. Balbi.

The National Archive doesn’t have likely surviving Officer long papers, although interestingly as to the origin of the name, there are long papers for a Major Henry Alexander Balbi , Royal Malta Artillery.

There is a MiC for a Brien M. Balbi, 2nd Lieutenant, 6th Connaught Rangers, subsequently Lieutenant Connaught Rangers and 8th M.G.C. He first landed in France on the 20th September 1917. He would subsequently qualify for the India General Service Medal with clasp for Kurdistan  and subsequently a clasp for Iraq with the Connaught Rangers. When he applied for his medals in August 1921 he gave his contact address as The Connaught Rangers, Connaught Barracks, Dover – although a clerk has noted the card that the Army List shows the 1st Battalion were stationed at Rawal Pindi. At the time of dealing with his application for IGSM and clasps in April 1926 his contact was given as 2nd Cameronians, Quetta, India.

Ancestry reference a number of Army Lists showing a Brien MacIntosh Balbi – as I don’t subscribe I can’t check out the details there, although no doubt he will turn up on the Army Lists available via the National Library of Scotland.

Brien MacIntosh Balbi, a Gentleman Cadet of the Royal Military College, was commissioned 2nd Lieutenant in the Connaught Rangers, effective 19th July 1916 according to a War Office list that stretched from page 7102 to 7104 of the edition of the London Gazette dated 18th July 1916. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/29671/page/7104/data.pdf

Could not see any other name matches on page 7104 for the listed members of D Company in the caption.

Page 7103 throws up these possibles. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/29671/page/7103/data.pdf

East Kent Regiment.

George William Ambrose Kingham. (Bottom Row)

MiC shows him as Lieutenant 1st East Kents & West African Frontier Force. He first landed in France on the 21st September 1916, qualifying for the Victory Medal and the British War Medal. It is noted that he was drowned at sea 9th November 1917.CWGC also shows him attached West African Frontier Force. Aged 22,  he is buried at Paddington Old Cemetery, Kilburn. Additional information is that he was the Son of George Frederick and Lila Emily Kingham, of 2, Brick Court, Temple, London, and Wareside, Herts. Educated at the City of London School, and Sandhurst. Member of the Middle Temple; Freeman of the City of London. Born in London. https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/388386/george-william-ambrose-kingham/
The CWGC Cemetery Register adds that he was drowned at sea on the sinking of the S.S. “Umgeni” on the night of the 9th November 1917.

Thread on the loss of the Umgemi, (beware red herring referring to different date and her being torpedoed in the initial replies – corrected later) in which Lieutenant Kingham gets brief mention.

He has an entry in De Ruvignys according to Ancestry which may be worth checking – it’s not in any of the volumes that I have access to from other sources.

Northumberland Fusiliers.

Thomas Froes Ellison. (Bottom Row)

No obvious surviving long papers. MiC shows him as Thomas Froes (Ancestry) \ Frocs (National Archive) Ellison, M.C. He was originally Private 3257 10th Battalion, Liverpool Regiment, when he went out to France in November 1914. He was then commissioned via the Royal Military College, (date not shown) ending up as Lieutenant & Adjutant \ Acting Captain with the 1st Battalion, Northumberland Fusiliers. By the time he applied for his medals in October 1931 he was living at Glenthorne, West Kirby, Cheshire.

Sporting biog on line – selected extracts.

Upon his return from France, Froes joined his father in the Liverpool cotton trade.
Froes had played for England against Scotland in 1922,
Thomas Froes Ellison, always known as Froes, sprang to national prominence in 1925 by winning the inaugural English Amateur Championship at his home club, Royal Liverpool. To confirm his class, he repeated the feat in 1926 at Walton Heath.

In his book “Golf at Hoylake” John Behrend included the account of an unusual sporting bet involving Froes. Ellison and his friend W.F.Beavan, accepted a bet that they could not run the 20 miles from Hoylake to the Grosvenor Hotel in Chester in under two hours and 45 minutes. A further bet involving only Froes, was that he could not, on the same day as the run, score less than 75 round Chester Golf Club [at that time located at Sealand].  At 6am on 28th March, 1926, they set off on the run and reached the Grosvenor in 2 hours and 31 minutes. Froes subsequently travelled over to Sealand and comfortably beat the target score of 75 to secure a considerable sum from the bets.

The site includes a number of pictures of him from this stage of his life. https://cheshire-golf100.org.uk/ellison.php

Royal Warwickshire Regiment.

Percival Ralph Paul. (Second from Top Row).

MiC shows Lieutenant Percival Ralph Paul served with the 2nd Battalion Royal Warwickshire Regiment. He first landed in France on the 20th September 1916.

His name was included on a list of those eligible for medals submitted by the O.C. Poona Division January 1920. When Percival applied for his medals in November 1922 he gave his contact address as c\o Cox & Co, Hornby Road, Bombay.

Royal Fusiliers.

Kenneth Marlowe – (Possibly the K.C. Marlow, Second Row from bottom).

There are officers long papers held at the National Archive for a Kenneth Conway MARLOWE, but no candidates for a Kenneth Marlow. He served with the Royal Fusiliers.

No obvious MiC. Kenneth died on the 3rd December 1918 and is buried in Cambridge City Cemetery. There is no additional information on his CWGC webpage other than in the grave registration report that the grave is marked with a private headstone and that his next of kin is his father, T. Marlowe Esquire, Longmead, Champion Hill, (London) S.E.
 https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/344473/k-c-marlowe/

However a picture of the headstone is available courtesy the Flickr account of their user eagle1412. The relevant part of the family memorial reads Kenneth Conway Marlowe, Lieutenant, 4th Battn Royal Fusiliers, who having been severly wounded at The Battle of Arras on Easter Monday 1917 died on 3 Dec. 1918, aged 21.

Eagle1412 believes him to have been working for Naval Intelligence Dividion at the Admiralty at the time of Kenneths death, but doesn’t give a source for that information.

Devonshire Regiment.

Francis Galpine Rogers. (Bottom Row)

MiC shows him as 2nd Lieutenant, 9th Battalion, Devonshire Regiment, then Lieutenant and Temporary Captain 2nd Battalion, Devonshire Regiment. He first landed in France on the 5th December 1916.When he applied for his medals in November 1921 he asked for them to be sent c\o Officer Commanding, 2nd Battalion, Devonshire Regiment, Quetta, Baluchistan, India.

His cricketing career gets him a mention on Wikipedia, although middle name is spelt Galpin. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francis_Rogers_(cricketer)

And Wisden https://wisden.com/players/francis-rogers

It appears Lords have at least one scrapbook he kept detailing both his top level cricket & hockey career, plus various other pieces of sporting ephemera, much of it relating to the Army judging from the summary of contents. They describe it as Volume 2, covering 1928-1935 so perhaps there is a Volume 1 that might touch on his time in the war. https://apps.lords.org/lords/tours-and-museum/museum/searchthecollections/artefactdetails/Archive/110019353?page=2

East Yorkshire Regiment.

Ronald Macdonald Morrison. (Second Row from bottom).

MiC for 2nd Lieutenant Ronald MacDonald Morrison, East Yorkshire Regiment. First landed in France 17th January 1917. MiC is noted that he was Killed in Action 9th April 1917. His father, a Major W. Morrison, applied for his medals, giving an address of 5 Prospect Road, Southborough, Near Tunbridge Wells, Kent. CWGC added that he was 19 years old when he died on the 9th April 1917 serving with the 1st Battalion, East Yorkshire Regiment. He is buried at Wancourt British Cemetery. The addition family information on his CWGC webpage is that he was the Son of Maj. and Mrs. W. Morrison, of 5, Prospect Rd., Southborough, Kent. Born at Malta. https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/32827/ronald-macdonald-morrison/

Royal Scots Fusiliers.

Gerald Dicey. (Centre Row).

MiC shows Gerald Dicey originally as a Private with the Cape Town Highlanders, although it does not appear he saw service overseas with them. He is then recorded as 2nd Lieutenant & Lieutenant with the Royal Scots Fusiliers. He first landed in France on the 27th October 1916. When he formally applied for his medals in June 1923 he gave his address as Orchard Rail, Cape Province, South Africa.

Worcestershire Regiment.

Hubert Elvin Rance. (Top Row).

MiC shows 2nd Lieutenant Hubert Elvin Rance as 3rd Battalion, Worcestershire Regiment. He first landed in France on the 23rd October 1916. The OC 3rd Battalion, then stationed at Fyzabad submitted a list of officers with medal entitlement in July 1922. When Hubert applied for his medals in September 1922 he gave a contact address of St Gildas, Winchester Road, Walton on Thames.

According to Wikipedia “Rance was educated at Wimbledon College, joined the British Army in 1916 and fought in the First World War with the Worcestershire Regiment. Later he transferred to the Signal Corps and in the Second World War played a part in the evacuation of Dunkirk in a senior role with the British Expeditionary Force. He also held senior War Office posts directing army training. In 1945 he was appointed Director of Civil Affairs in Burma, restoring British control after Japanes forces withdrew.

As Major-General Sir Hubert Elvin Rance he was the last Governor of British Burma between 1916 and 1948. Later he became Governor of Trinidad & Tobago. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hubert_Rance

Image courtesy The National Portrait Gallery sourced from here https://www.britishempire.co.uk/maproom/burma/hubertrance.htm

Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire Regiment.

Amos Lloyd Connor. (Second Row from bottom).

MiC shows that Second Lieutenant Amos Lloyd Connor, Nottinghamshire & Derbyshire Regiment qualified for the Victory Medal and British War Medal. His first Theatre of War is shown as France, but no date of entry is given. The card is noted that he died of wounds on the 30th June 1917. His father, E.J. Connor applied for his sons medals, giving an address of 3 Chapel Road, Hastings, Calcutta, India.

His CWGC webpage shows that Second Lieutenant A L Connor died on the 30th June 1917 serving with the 2nd Battalion. He is buried in Noeux-Les-Mines Communal Cemetery. There is no additional family information. https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/465571/a-l-connor/

Middlesex Regiment.

Edgar John Acworth Burn-Bailey. (Second from Top Row).

MiC for him at both the National Archive and Ancestry indexed with the surname Bailey, but the card itself would indicate Edgar John Acworth Burn-Bailey. He was a Lieutenant with the Middlesex Regiment, qualifying for the Victory Medal and the British War Medal. His first Theatre of War was Salonica, but no date of entry is shown. When he formally applied for his medals in January 1924 his contact address was given as c\o Mrs Dougharty, Hotham Street East, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.

And Page 7102 of the London Gazette adds this Guards Officer. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/29671/page/7102/data.pdf

Grenadier Guards.

Possibly Ivo Clifton Gascoigne is the I.T.V. Gascoigne recorded on the bottom row.
No alternative candidate in the MiC record or the Officers long papers shown in the National Archive catalogue.The MiC for Lieutenant Ivo Clifton Gascoigne, Grenadiers Guards, shows his first Theatre of War was France, but does not give a date of landing. He qualified for the Victory Medal and British War Medal. The MiC is noted that he was Killed in Action on the 12th April 1918. An application for his sons medals was made by his father in February 1922. He was Captain Charles C.O. Gascoigne, of Southbroom House, Devizes.The CWGC webpage for Lieutenant Ivo Clifton Gascoigne records that he was 19 years old when he died on the 12th April 1918 serving with the 1st Battalion, Grenadier Guards. He is buried at St. Hilaire Cemetery, Frevent. Additional family information is that he was the Son of Capt. Charles Gascoigne, of 7, Culford Gardens, London, S.W. https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/527959/ivo-clifton-gascoigne/

However there is a slight problem with the unit. The Grenadier Guards in the Great War Volume III on the section starting on page 16 dealing with the Battalions in the April to June 1918 starts the part on the 1st Battalion with a Roll of Officers at the start of the period. There is no mention of Ivo Gascoigne. The Roll of Honour at the end of the book records that he was wounded on the 6th April 1918, succumbing to his wounds on the 12th. It too places him with the 1st Battalion, although there is no mention in the narrative. Soldiers Died in the Great War records him as Died of Wounds.

Image courtesy The Imperial War Museum.
https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205295281

Unfortunately not quite enough detail in the D Company pictures posted so far to be able to realistically make a side by side comparison.

Running total to date.

Of the 62 cadets in the photograph:-

12 were commissoned effective 19th July 1916
20 were commissioned effective 16th August 1916

Cheers,
Peter

Edited 17 April , 2022 by PRC
Typo

[FROGSMILE]

Absolutely brilliant work Peter.  I run out of adjectives and plaudits.  It would be a striking image at the end of the research to reprint the photo with a cross through the face of every officer killed whilst in military service.

Edited 18 April , 2022 by FROGSMILE

[stiletto_33853]

Great work Peter

 

Andy

[arantxa]

So very interesting ...a photograph that has been sitting in a pile of them for years has now come alive so to speak 

thank you fir all the hard work 

[PRC]

Next name so far unaccounted for on the top row is C.L. Priestley

The only match I could readily turn up in the MiC records was a 2nd Lieutenant \ Acting Captain Charles Lacey Priestley, Gloucestershire Regiment. His first Theatre of War was France, although no date of landing is shown. Charles was entitled to the Victory Medal and the British War Medal. The card is noted that he died of wounds on the 11th November 1917. His father, C.W. Priestley Esquire, of Richmond Lodge, Torquay, applied for his sons medals.

His CWGC webpage records that Captain Charles Lacey Priestley, aged 20, died on the 11th November 1917 while serving with “C” Company, 1st Battalion, Gloucestershire Regiment. He is buried at Oxford Road Cemetery, Ypres, Belgium. Additional family details are that he was the Son of Charles William and Annie Priestley (nee Lacey), of Richmond Lodge, Torquay. https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/439402/charles-lacey-priestley/

However the commissioning of Charles Lacey Priestley into the Gloucestershire Regiment appears in the Supplement to the London Gazette dated 6 April 1916, page 3684. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/29537/supplement/3684

I was about to go back to the drawing board as that date seemed impossible for a March 1916 intake when I noticed that his is not the only name from the Company D picture that was commissioned at this time. The list that starts on page 3682 is of Gentleman Cadets from the Royal Military College who were to be 2nd Lieutenants, dated 7th April 1916.

Page 3683 RMC Cadets commissioned 7th April 1916. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/29537/supplement/3683

The Buffs

Hugh Granville White. (Second Row from bottom).

MiC for Hugh Granville White records him as first 2nd Lieutenant East Kent Regiment, then Flight Lieutenant, Captain and Major with the RFC/RAF. His service medal entitlement was issued by the Air Ministry. There are two contact addresses on the MiC from 1922. 4 Stores Depot, RAF, Ickenham, Middlesex, and Tudor House, Dyke Road Avenue, Brighton, Sussex. There is no obvious Air 76 record for him at the National Archive, but that’s probably explained by the fact that he stayed in the R.A.F., reaching the rank of Air Vice-Marshall. According to Wikipedia and probably of wider relevance to the other names in this batch – “In September 1915, White became an Officer Cadet at the Royal Military College, Sandhurst and on 7 April 1916 was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Buffs (Royal East Kent Regiment).”

Wikipedia has this for him in the Great War era.

He was immediately seconded to the Royal Flying Corps to train as a pilot with No. 5 Reserve Squadron based at RFC Castle Bromwich, flying Maurice Farman Longhorn and Shorthorn aircraft, and later trained with No. 34 and No. 33 Squadrons at RFC Bramham Moor. On 22 June he was appointed a flying officer. After further training in No. 9 Reserve Squadron at Norwich, he was eventually posted to No. 20 Squadron RFC on 5 July 1916, where the 18-year old was promptly nicknamed "Child Pilot".

White was listed as being wounded in February 1917, but had recovered to gain his first aerial victory on 5 April when he and Observer Private T. Allum, flying a F.E.2d two-seater, wounded Josef Flink of Jasta 18 in the hand, and forced him to land his Albatros D.III fighter at Neuve-Église, where he was captured. On 11 April he was appointed a flight commander with the temporary rank of captain,[8] and with observer Second Lieutenant Thomas Lewis, gained two more victories on 23 and 26 May, both times driving an Albatros D.III down out of control. White then returned to the Home Establishment where he served as a flying instructor in No. 59 Training Squadron at RFC Yatesbury. He was promoted to lieutenant on 7 October, and from November served in No. 38 Training Squadron at Rendcomb.

White returned to France on 25 February 1918 to fly a S.E.5a single-seat fighter in No. 29 Squadron RFC. On 1 April 1918 the Royal Flying Corps merged with the Royal Naval Air Service to form the Royal Air Force, and his unit became No. 29 Squadron RAF. On 15 May White drove down an Albatros D.V over Bailleul, then on three successive days, 17, 18 and 19 April, destroyed three Pfalz D.III fighters. In the last of these combats his aircraft collided with that of Karl Pech of Jasta 29, but White shot his opponent down, then managed to nurse his damaged aircraft back to the safety of the British lines before crash landing. White returned to England on 22 May, and served as a flying instructor at No. 9 Training Depot at RAF Shawbury. On 12 July he was appointed a temporary major, and on 17 July was appointed Officer-in-charge Flying Training at No. 30 Training Depot at RAF Northolt.  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hugh_White_(RAF_officer)

Some personal stories here from the 1920’s.  https://www.fourfax.co.uk/history/hugh-granville-white
It also has a small group shot that includes him.

The Bristol Post website included this picture of him from 1935 in an article on him published in July 2019.

Image courtesy of the Bristol Post who retain all image rights. https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/news/bristol-news/legendary-bristol-fighter-pilot-who-3130899

Suffolk Regiment.

Harold Rodolph Howell. (Second from Top Row).

The MiC for Lieutenant Harold Rodolph Howell, 7th Battalion, Suffolk Regiment, records that he first landed in France on the 20th June 1916. He would go on to serve as a Captain with the 2/9th Gurkha Rifles. His Victory Medal would be issued in the UK, while his British War Medal came from the India Office. Contact addresses included Dehra Dun and then c\o Grindley & Co., Bombay, India.
When his father Rodolph Howell died in 1934, the resultant Probate Calendar entry lists a Harold Rodolph Howell, retired Captain, H.M. Army as one of the legal executors.

The East Yorkshire Regiment.

Ralph Piggott Whittington-Ince. (Bottom Row).Edit Second from bottom row
Harold Welford Sheffield. (Second from Top Row).

The MiC for Lieutenant Ralph Piggott Whittington-Ince, M.C., records him as entitled to the Victory Medal and British War Medal. It also notes he was deceased. His mother applied for his medals in November 1921, giving an address of 19 Powis Square, Brighton.
His CWGC webpage records that Lieutenant Ralph Piggott Whittington-Ince M.C.,11th Battalion, East Yorkshire Regiment, died on the 11th November 1918. He is now buried in Vichte Military Cemetery, Belgium his body having been re-located there from Sweveghem Churchyard in 1933.
Cross of Sacrifice\Soldiers Died in the Great War records that he Died of Wounds.
The Cranleigh School Memorial records that he died aged 21 and has this picture of him – all image rights remain with the source, (although it has been contrast enhanced and minor blemishes repaired).

Image source: http://cranleigh-ww1.daisy.websds.net/RollofHonour.aspx?RecID=135&TableName=ta_rollofhonourwwi&BrowseID=1102

The school site adds:- In June 1915 he secured a place at Sandhurst and left Cranleigh midway through the summer term for officer training. Herbert Rhodes, his headmaster, wrote that he was “satisfactory but very slack at times”.

Ralph obtained a commission in the East Yorkshires on April 7 1916 and proceeded to France at the beginning of February 1917. He saw a considerable amount of action with his battalion and after a daylight raid at Fresnoy on November 8 1917 he was awarded the Military Cross for his “fine leadership and good example”.

By November 1918 the 11th battalion of the East Yorkshires were in pursuit of the retreating Germans along the Renaix-Brussels Road. German deserters, who had been hidden in the cellars of Renaix, gave themselves up on the morning of the 10th. As the advance pressed on, C Company,  including Ralph, met sporadic resistance, but this became more intense as they reached the village of Flobecq where “a considerable amount of opposition was met with enemy machine guns”. It was here that he was hit by machine gun fire and seriously wounded. He was evacuated to Casualty Clearing Station No. 36 at Sweveghem  where he died in the early hours of November 11. He was buried in the local churchyard and later moved to the CWGC cemetery at Vichte. https://www.cranleigh.org/welcome/our-history/1st-world-war-centennial-stories/

The MiC for Lieutenant Harold Welford Sheffield, (middle name indexed by both the National Archive and Ancestry as Wilford, but from the handwriting it could be either spelling), East Yorkshire Regiment, records that he first landed in France on the 15th June 1916. It is also noted that he was Killed in Action on the 23rd March 1918. His father, G.W. Sheffield, applied for his sons medals, giving an address of 84, Oxford Road, Moseley, Birmingham.

His CWGC webpage shows Harold died aged 20 on the 23rd March 1918 while serving with the 1st Battalion, East Yorkshire Regiment. He has no known grave and is remembered on the Pozieres Memorial. Additional family information is that he was the Son of George William Sheffield, of 84, Oxford Rd., Moseley, Birmingham, and the late Ada Sheffield. https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/1588156/harold-welford-sheffield/

The King Edward School, Birmingham website adds this biography.

Harold Welford Sheffield, born on 23rd September 1896, was admitted to King Edward’s School as a Foundation Scholar in September 1909, having previously attended Greenhill School in Moseley. Harold was the only son of George, a commercial traveller, and Ada. He lived with his parents and his younger sister at 84, Oxford Road, Moseley.

Harold was in the Second Class of the Modern School, studying a scientific rather than a classical, curriculum. As was expected of Foundation Scholars, he was highly able and placed fourth overall in his class. At School, he was a Sergeant in the Officer Training Corps and in his final year was a member of the Debating Society.

Immediately after leaving School, Harold enrolled as a Cadet at the Royal Military College, Sandhurst, where he remained until April 1916. He obtained his commission as a Second Lieutenant with the 1st Battalion, The East Yorkshire Regiment, departing for France in June 1916. He saw action on July 3rd at Mametz Wood, where he was first wounded and invalided home. He returned to France in April 1917, only to be wounded again a month later at Fountaine-le Croisille. Harold remained invalided in England until December 1917. He was promoted to Lieutenant in October 1917 whilst recovering, and returned to France in March 1918. In the German attack of the 21st March, Harold was in charge of two platoons. He was killed, aged twenty, encouraging his men from the parapet on 23rd March 1918, near Épehy. Despite the details provided of his death, his body was never recovered.  https://kes.org.uk/RollofHonour/biogs/sheffield-harold-welford.html
 https://livesofthefirstworldwar.iwm.org.uk/lifestory/3995589

A piece on him by the Moseley Society adds this picture – all image rights remain with the source.

Source: http://moseley-society.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/4.-Second-Lieutenant-Harold-Welford-Sheffield.pdf

The Royal Irish Regiment.

George Webb Butler Jacob. (Bottom Row).Edit Second from bottom row

The MiC for Lieutenant George Webb Butler Jacob, 1st Battalion, Royal Irish Regiment, records that he forfeited all medals on conviction by a General Court Martial at Yarmouth on the 13th October 1921 for drunkeness for which he was dismissed the service.

Possible - The birth of a George Webb Butler Jacob was registered with the civil authorities in the Mountmellick District of Ireland in the January to March quarter, (Q1), of 1898. https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FBJM-D2V

On the 1911 Census of England & Wales there is a 13 year old George Webb Butler Jacob, born Maryboro, Queen’s County, Ireland, who was recorded as a Boarding School student at Dinglewood, Colwyn Bay, LLandrillo Yn Rhios, Denbighshire. There is no obvious match for him on the 1921 Census of England & Wales.

Another possible co-incidence – a 24 year old George W.B. Jacob sailed from London in 1922 aboard the SS Hobson’s Bay, bound for Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.

May be yet another co-incidence but the FindAGrave website had a record for a grave of a George Webb Butler ay Springvale Botanical Cemetery, Springvale, Greater Dandenong City, Victoria, Australia. His age is not recorded, but he died on the 30th January 1931. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/231318713/george-webb_butler-jacob

To be continued..........

Edited 23 April , 2022 by PRC
Reinstate pictures and weblinks stripped out when submitting

[arantxa]

I didn’t realize you could forfeit your medals after you had been awarded them but I guess they hadn’t been issued by October 21

How awful for Ralph’s mother when everyone else was celebrating 

[PRC]

3 hours ago, arantxa said:

I didn’t realize you could forfeit your medals after you had been awarded them

Could happen at any stage, even post-discharge if the conviction by a civil court led to imprisonment. I've come across a couple of MiC's over the years that are noted that the medals were returned to the office by the civil authorities after conviction by the civil courts. I believe we had a thread a few months back when the old soldier appeared before the court with his medals from WW1 & WW2 proudly on display, probably hoping they would make the judge go easy on him.  Instead according to the contemporary newspaper reports, the magistrate called him a disgrace to what those medals represented before sentencing him to jail, while an officer of the court relieved him of his medals!

You have to wonder if he turned to drink to deal with the horrors of what he had seen - he may well have needed help rather than to be cashiered.

Cheers,
Peter

[PRC]

Page 3684 RMC Cadets commissioned 7th April 1916. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/29537/supplement/3684

Alexandra, Princess of Wales’s Own (Yorkshire Regiment).

Herbert Hudson Morrell. (Second from Top Row).
Christopher Gray Robins. (Second from Top Row).

The MiC for 2nd Lieutenant Herbert “Hodson” Morrell, Yorkshire Regiment, subsequently shows him as a Lieutenant with the 1st Battalion, Yorkshire Regiment attached 1st Battalion York and Lancaster Regiment, and finally a Lieutenant with the Royal Army Pay Corps.Somewhere along the way he managed to qualify for the 1914/15 Star. His initial contact address is given as the Army Pay Office, Perth, Scotland, but when his formal application was received in March 1922 it had changed to “Armanli”, West Parade, Rhyl, North Wales.
Subsequently Lt.Colonel (Staff Paymaster 1st Class) 22nd April 1939. Retired from the RAPC as an honorary Brigadier 1st December 1951. https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=YYZEAQAAIAAJ&pg=RA8-PT5&lpg=RA8-PT5&dq=Herbert+Hudson+Morrell&source=bl&ots=umEfgljefy&sig=ACfU3U132bxjgi9PZRPbrICCB2UEzVMYbA&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwi60-Pms573AhWIa8AKHS4FBfM4ChDoAXoECA8QAw#v=onepage&q=Herbert Hudson Morrell&f=false

The MiC for Lieutenant Christopher Gray Robins, 1st Battalion, York and Lancaster Regiment shows he first landed in Salonica on the 9th Novenber 1916. When he applied for his medals in September 1921 he requested that they be sent to the 1st York and Lancaster Regiment, Clonmel, Ireland.The 1969 Army List has a Brigadier Christopher Gray Robins who was commissioned the 7th April 1916, so I assume that is the same man.

Royal Welsh Fusiliers.

John Francis Coster Edwards – (Bottom Row).

The MiC for Lieutenant  & Acting Captain John Francis Coster Edwards, Royal Welsh Fusiliers, shows that he first landed in France on the 29th April 1918. He would die of wounds on the 10th November 1918. His medals would be claimed by his father, J. Coster Edwards Esquire, of Bryn Howel, Ruabon, North Wales. Given the Ruabon connection a bit of digging will probably turn up the link to James Coster Lloyd Edwards who I believe is also in the same RMC picture and who was also commissioned into the Royal Welsh Fusiliers. His CWGC webpage shows him as Captain John Francis Coster-Edwards, 3rd Battalion Royal Welsh Fusiliers, attached 24th Battalion, who died on the 11th November 1918, aged 21. He is buried at Terlincthun British Military Cemetery, Wimille, France. Additional family information wast that he was the Son of James and Laura Ellen Loftus Coster-Edwards, of Bryn Howel, Llangollen, Denbighshire.  https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/4024943/john-francis-coster-edwards/

There are several references online to him being remembered on a memorial in the cloisters at Eton College.
From the List of Etonian who fought in the Great War, 1914-1919 which also has him as died on the 10th.

Image courtesy of : https://archive.org/details/listofetonianswh00eton/page/60/mode/2up?q=Coster

The South Wales Borderers.

Edmund Lawrence Farnall. (Bottom Row).

His MiC has been indexed by both Ancestry and the National Archive in the name of Edward Lawrence Farnall and given the handwriting it could be either first name. He was a Lieutenant in the South Wales Borderers who first landed in France on the 9th June 1916. When he applied for his medals in 1923 he gave his contact as the O.C., 2nd Battalion, The South Wales Borderers, Barrackpore, India. May be a co-incidence but the 1921 Census of England & Wales records an Edmund Farnall, born c1898 at Blackheath, Kent, on one of the Army Garrison returns.There is nothing for an Edward Farnall at all.

The Worcestershire Regiment.

Geoffrey Douglas Lothian Nicholson. (Second Row from bottom).

The MiC for 2nd Lieutenant Geoffrey Douglas Lothian Nicholson, Worcestershire Regiment records that he first landed in France in November 1916, and was killed in action on the 25th April 1917.An application for his medals was received from his father, Major General C.L. Nicholson, KCB, CMG, in October 1921. He gave his address as H.Q. 55th (W. Lancs ) Division (T.A.), 21, Islington, Liverpool.

The CWGC webpage for Second Lieutenant Geoffrey Douglas Lothian Nicholson records that he died aged 19 on the 23rd April 1917 serving with the 4th Battalion, Worcestershire Regiment. He has no known grave and is remembered on the Arras Memorial. The additional family information is that he was the Only son of Maj. Gen. C. Lothian Nicholson, C.M.G., and Mrs. Nicholson, of Hursley, Camberley, Surrey.  https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/779559/geoffrey-douglas-lothian-nicholson/

He originally appears to have been reported wounded and missing. https://dorkingmuseum.org.uk/2nd-lieutenant-geoffrey-douglas-lothian-nicholson/
There is a low quality image here that is stated to be him. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/16120959/geoffrey-douglas_lothian-nicholson

The Battalion War Diary entry for the 23rd April 1917 records him as one of the officer casualties of that days actions, with his status given as wounded and missing.

His father would enquire of the Red Cross in Geneva as to the fate of his son, believed made Prisoner. The ICRC would reply twice, in May and then September 1917, that nothing had been forthcoming about him from the German authorities.

Image courtesy The International Committee of the Red Cross. https://grandeguerre.icrc.org/en/File/Details/4035136/3/2/

The Border Regiment.

William Eyles Knowlden. (Bottom Row).

The MiC for 2nd Lieutenant William Eyles Knowlden, Border Regiment, shows he was subsequently a Lieutenant with the Royal Flying Corps and then the RAF. No date of first entry into a Theatre of War is given. When he applied for his medals in 1922 various addresses were given including 207 Squadron RAF, Bircham Newton,Kings Lynn, and No.1 Flying Training School, R.A.F., Netheravon, Wiltshire. In fact most of his was was as a prisoner. As a Lieutenant, Border Regiment attached Royal Flying Corps, he was originally recorded as missing on the 3rd November 1916 -  while flying he was brought down and captured at Etricourt. Wounded, he would spend time in a German Prison Hospital.

(Some of the German reports record him as a Under Leutnant, i.e 2nd Lieutenant.) https://grandeguerre.icrc.org/en/File/Details/332161/3/2/

From a blogpost on 22 Squadron, Royal Flying Corps and the events of the 3 November 1916.

Auberon Thomas Herbert, 9th Baron Lucas and 5th Lord Dingwall, was killed today. Having served in a number of minor posts, Lucas was appointed to the Cabinet in August 1914 as Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food. He lost his job following the formation of the coalition Government in May 1915. He then joined the RFC, flying first with 14 Squadron RFC in Egypt. He joined 22 Squadron on 22 October 1916.

Captain Lucas was leading an escort to reconnaissance over Bancourt-Haplincourt-Bus-Lechelles, flying with his observer Lieutenant Alexander Anderson. They were attacked by three enemy aircraft and Lucas was hit in the head and leg, and fell unconscious. Anderson was able to crash land the aircraft (7026) behind enemy lines and was taken prisoner. Lucas never recovered and died of his wounds later in the day.

The rest of 22 Squadron took a bit of a beating as well, and two others were lost.
Captain Alan John Macdonald Pemberton and 2nd Lieutenant Leslie Clude Leech Cook were attacked by enemy aircraft in 5250 and shot down. On landing they crashed into an enemy kite balloon on the ground which burst into flames. Cook was lucky to survive the crash with a severe wrist wound and was taken prisoner. Pemberton was killed.

2nd Lieutenants William Eyles Knowlden and Bernard William Arthur Ordish were forced down behind enemy lines when their aircraft (6374) was hot in the engine. Knowlsden was wounded and both men were taken prisoner. https://airwar19141918.wordpress.com/tag/22-squadron-rfc/ (I assume that should read shot in the engine)

He still appears to have been in the RAF in the early 1930’s. In a piece about the development of police aviation in the UK there is this snippet.

"Ignored since the use of the R33 airship in 1921, in June 1932, the vehicles and crowds attending the annual Royal Air Force air display at Hendon were afforded the assistance of a fixed wing aircraft on traffic control duty. On this occasion the means by which this crowd
observation was arranged was placed in the hands of the event hosts, the RAF. Among the display stars at the show were 2 Squadron, a Manston, Kent, based army co-operation unit equipped with the Armstrong Whitworth Atlas bi-plane. One of these aircraft was detached and, flown by Flt. Lt. William Eyles Knowlden, tasked with the traffic task. As the Atlas was a substantial two seat type it might have been expected that Knowlden might have relied upon an observer to operate the wireless. Chamberlain specifically stated in a later report that the Atlas was flown solo by Knowlden, this therefore indicating that the pilot undertook both tasks. " http://www.policeaviationnews.com/Acrobat/index/PoliceAviation-ahistory.pdf

The Royal Sussex Regiment.

John Stratford Collins. (Second from Top Row).

MiC for Lieutenant John Starford Collins shows he first served in France, but no date of entry is shown. He qualified for the Victory Medal and the British War Medal. The MiC is noted that he died on the 5th April 1918. His mother applied for his medals, giving an address of 16 Albany Road, Bexhill on Sea, Sussex.

His CWGC webpage records that Lieutenant John Stratford Collins died on the 5th April 1918 serving with the 12th Battalion, Royal Sussex Regiment. His body was recovered from the battlefield in 1920 and moved to Bouzincourt Ridge Cemetery, at Albert, France.
There is no additional family information. https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/294276/john-stratford-collins/

There was no obvious missing person enquiry received by the International Committee of the Red Cross.

The 12th Battalion Royal Sussex Regiment were disbanded in February 1918. There are no hints in the final entries in the Battalion War Diary as where specifically Lieutenant Collins might have been posted –
1 Officer and 51 O.R.’s went to the 7th Battalion
1 Officer and 51 O.R.’s to the 8th Battalion
1 Officer and 101 OR’s to the 9th Battalion
6 Officers 122 O.R.’s went to the 11th Battalion
6 Officers and 124 OR’s to the 13th Battalion
Battalion H.Q. and Surplus to Aldworth Reinforcement Camp at Haut Allaines
Transport attached to 188 Infantry Brigade.
Other than the C.O. the last two officers Cornes & Secrett, went to the 17th Entrenching Battalion on the 28th February 1918.

I saw these possible references to him in the 7th Battalion War Diary.

8th March 1918. Lt. J.S. Collins to leave.
23rd March 1918. 2/Lt J.S. Collins to 1st Army Musketry Camp.
1st April 1918. Lt Collins – Clayton rejoined. (I suspect that is two individuals).
5th April 1918, 7 am. Enemy attacked all along the Front. Barrage heavy & considerable gas used. C. Coy was sent to support 9th R.F. on the left. Enemy penetrated front held by 5th. R. Berks. A & B Coys counter-attacked (under 5th R. Berks) at 8.45 pm. Attack unsuccessful. Bn. relieved 5th R. Berks during the night. Lieut. Collins missing. 2 Lt. Mossop wounded.

The Hampshire Regiment.

Robert Henry Armstrong. (Top Row).

The information on the MiC for Robert Henry Armstrong is just a little confusing. The one thing that is clear is that he first landed in France on the 14th January 1917. The first unit referred to has him as a Lieutenant with the 1/5th Battalion, Hampshire Regiment. However that unit did not serve in France. It then goes on to refer to him as a Temporary 2nd Lieutenant with the Indian Army – there is a unit underneath that starts 4th and looks like it has been partially erased, before “I.A” has been written in bold over the top. The 1/5th were a Territorial Force rather than a Regular Army unit who carried out garrison duty in India throughout the war, so a transfer to the Indian Army would seem a distinct possibly, particularly after the Hampshires returned to the UK in November 1919. His initial unit for his time in France for now remains unknown.
Certainly by December 1919 he was serving with a unit that was part of the Ambala Brigade – the Brigadier General included him on a list of officers entitled to service medals. When Robert applied for them himself in June 1921 he gave a contact address of 152 Essex Road, Southsea, Hampshire.

The Black Watch (Royal Highlanders)

Charles James Bruce Ritchie. (Top Row).

The MiC for 2nd Lieutenant Charles James Bruce Ritchie, 9th Battalion, Royal Highlanders, records that he first landed in France on the 25th April 1917. He would subsequently be a Lieutenant in the Reserve of Officers.When he applied for his medals in May 1922 he gave a contact address of 141 Gloucester Terrace, Hyde Park, (London), W2.

To be continued - while it's fine weather Mrs C keeps finding outdoor tasks for me to do

Cheers,
Peter

Edited 19 April , 2022 by PRC
Formatting and typo

[arantxa]

Ladies can always find tasks ….when mine is away flying ….I find my daughters take on that role …what date would you hazard a guess that Collins went to France…or is that impossible to answer …I will look him up as the 12th is a South Downer battalion 

[PRC]

Page 3685 RMC Cadets commissioned 7th April 1916. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/29537/supplement/3685

The Prince of Wales’s (North Staffordshire Regiment).

Rowden French Fitzherbert. (Second Row from bottom).

The MiC for Lieutenant Rowden French Fitzherbert records that he first served overseas in France – although no date of entry is giving. He is shown as serving with the 21st Battalion, Manchester Regiment, then the 49th Bengalis and the 2/19th Punjabi’s as a Captain. His medals were issued by the Government of India.His contact details for his medal application in December 1922 were given as Depot, 2/19 Punjabis, Thelum, Punjaub, India, and c\o F.G. Fitzherbert Esquire, Burma Railway, Kalaw, Burma.

May be a co-incidence but Framlingham College records a "Squadron Leader" Rowden French Fitzherbert who attended the school between 1908-15 – which would tie in with the likely date this Rowden French Fitzherbert would have gone up to the Royal Military Academy. He is mentioned in connection with his brother, Lieutenant Gilbert Clare Fitzherbert, M.C., another old student of the college, who would be killed in action on the 18th September 1918, serving in France with the 2nd Battalion, York and Lancaster Regiment. http://www.oldframlinghamian.com/gallery2/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=11477&g2_serialNumber=1

Marriage announcement from the edition of The Pioneer Mail and Indian Weekly News, dated August 20, 1920. https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=3h5DAQAAIAAJ&pg=RA7-PA45&lpg=RA7-PA45&dq=Rowden+French+Fitzherbert&source=bl&ots=msVnHsTuhh&sig=ACfU3U1avwl9x6UJa09bYshVuhWy2Rw5dw&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiawMHKhKD3AhXDYMAKHZjIDtQQ6AF6BAgPEAM#v=onepage&q=Rowden French Fitzherbert&f=false

The 1922 Indian Army List records that Rowden French Fitzherbert of the North Staffordshire Regiment was then attached to the 39 R. Garh. Rif. (Royal Garhwal Rifles).
https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=wUado2xeDfYC&pg=PA468&lpg=PA468&dq=Rowden+French+Fitzherbert&source=bl&ots=WYb0mI3Xe2&sig=ACfU3U1p9OnHpZgmGtHILNFe_IrRAC_31g&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiawMHKhKD3AhXDYMAKHZjIDtQQ6AF6BAgOEAM#v=onepage&q=Rowden French Fitzherbert&f=false

The Prince of Wales’ Leinster Regiment (Royal Canadians).

Noel Fenwick Vicars Hamilton. (Centre Row).

The MiC for Lieutenant Noel Fenwick Vicars Hamilton, 2nd Battalion, Leinster Regiment, records that he first landed in France on the 20th July 1916. When he applied for his medals in June 1922 he gave an address of The Residency, Omagh, County Tyrone, Ireland.

Bio and image.

Noel Fenwick Vicars Hamilton

 ‘Nick’, was born in Aughnacloy near Omagh Co. Tyrone on the 19th December 1897. Little is known about his early life, however we find him in the 1911 census of England as a boarder at Rossall Prep school in Lancashire aged 13.

He was commissioned into the 2nd Battalion, the Leinster Regiment as a 2nd Lieutenant on the 7th April 1916 and departed for France 0n the 20th July, by now a full Lieutenant.

Noel’s baptism of fire came during September 1916, where he was involved in the fighting for Guillemont and Ginchy. Somehow he managed to come through unscathed. However he was not so fortunate when we again pick him in June 1917 where he fighting with the 7th Battalion at Messines.

On 7 June, at 3.10 a.m., nineteen mines, with 500 tons of explosives detonated under the German positions at Messines Ridge.  Soon after battalion headquarters was hit: the commanding officer Lt-Col.Stannus was killed. The troops pressed forward. The fumes from the huge explosion made many men sick. After some hand-to-hand fighting they achieved their objective at Wytschaete village. The battalion took 60 prisoners and killed 80-100 Germans for the loss of 8 officers wounded (Noel Hamilton, being one), 15 other ranks killed and 92 wounded.

Noel was subsequently wounded again in the last few months of the war, of this though we have no detail.

Noel married Veronica Roberts in September 1921 in the Isle of Wight.

At the end of the war, rather than be discharged, Noel decided to make a career in the army. He became a captain in October 1927, serving now with the Wiltshire regiment and a Major by August 1938, whilst an Adjutant with the Auxiliary Force in India.

Returning to Britain in late 1940, Noel was made Commanding Officer, 56th (London Divisional) Battalion, Reconnaissance Corps.

Following his service throughout another world war, Noel retired with the rank of Honorary Colonel after 31 years in uniform. He died in June 1972 aged 74 in Marlborough, Wiltshire, England, where he had settled some fifty years previously.

Source and owner of image rights: https://irelandandthegreatwarblog.wordpress.com/2016/12/07/lieutenant-noel-f-v-hamilton/

Various reports in the Irish newspapers dated 12th July 1917 of him being wounded in the left leg.

Second wounding looks like it was reported in June 1918.

Both images courtesy FindMyPast.

This latest report confirms he went through the Royal Military College.

The 7th Battalion were part of the 16th Division and were involved at Guillement & Ginchy in 1916 and Messines in June 1917. When they disbanded in February 1918, troops went to the 2nd Leinster and the 19th Entrenching Battalion.
https://www.longlongtrail.co.uk/army/regiments-and-corps/the-british-infantry-regiments-of-1914-1918/the-prince-of-waless-leinster-regiment-royal-canadians/
 http://www.longlongtrail.co.uk/army/order-of-battle-of-divisions/16th-irish-division/

The 2nd Battalion were part of the 24th Division until February 1918, when they were transferred into the 16th Division, absorbing troops from the disbanded 7th Battalion. In April it transferred to the 29th Division. The Division was involved at Guillement and Messines, but not Ginchy.
https://www.longlongtrail.co.uk/army/regiments-and-corps/the-british-infantry-regiments-of-1914-1918/the-prince-of-waless-leinster-regiment-royal-canadians/
http://www.longlongtrail.co.uk/army/order-of-battle-of-divisions/24th-division/

He is not recorded arriving with the 7th Battalion between the 20th and 31st July 1916, and there is a note explaining that the War Diary for the first 10 days of August was lost as a result of the death of the officer who was then maintaining it. However in the attack at Messines the 7th Battalion Commanding Officer was a Lieutenant Colonel Stannus, and amongst those officers recorded in the Battalion War Diary as wounded was a 2nd Lieutenant N.F.V. Hamiliton.

The Royal Munster Fusiliers.

Robert Kildahl Dilworth. (Centre Row).

The MiC for 2nd Lieutenant Robert Kildahl Dilworth, Royal Munster Fusiliers, records that he first landed in France on the 15th September 1916 and would be killed in action on the 28th December 1916. His father, W.J. Dilworth Esquire, would apply for his medals, giving an address of 23 Palmerston Road, Dublin.

His CWGC webpage records that the 19 year old Second Lieutenant Robert Kildahl Dilworth would die on the 28th December 1916 serving in France with the 2nd Battalion, Royal Mumster Fusiliers. He has no known grave and is remembered on the Thiepval Memorial. The additional family information is that he was the Son of Mrs. M. T. Dilworth, of Palmerston Rd., Dublin, and the late Mr. W. T. Dilworth. (The Register shows W.J. Dilworth). https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/754043/robert-kildahl-dilworth/

No obvious missing person enquiry received by the International Committee of the Red Cross.

All image rights belong to this source, a website dedicate to the 127 former pupils and staff of Campbell College, Belfast, who made the ultimate sacrifice in the Great War. https://menbehindtheglass.co.uk/the-men/robert-kildahl-dilworth

There is also a piece on Facebook in commemoration of the centenary of his death.  It notes –

https://m.facebook.com/greatwarmemory/photos/in-memory-of-second-lieutenant-robert-kildahl-dilworth-of-the-2nd-battalion-roya/1885462405006588/

Update.

Running total to date.

Of the 62 cadets in the photograph:-

18 were commissioned effective 7th April 1916
12 were commissoned effective 19th July 1916
20 were commissioned effective 16th August 1916

So 50 with a likely candidate identified.  And while not all have yet been identified I’m coming to the opinion that this is neither a graduation picture nor a picture of the intake of March 1916. As seems likely from the above commissioning dates already identified this is a mixed bag of individuals at different stages of the course, even allowing for some held back for not passing exams or through ill-health. The picture is therefore most likely of the winning shooting team at an event in March 1916 – those with rifles in the front row, surrounded by the men of D Company.

Cheers,
Peter

Edited 19 April , 2022 by PRC
Formatting and typo

[arantxa]

That’s an Interesting conclusion …I wonder if it will be the same on the other group pictures ? They all came from the same source but obviously different years   

[PRC]

The only cadet on the top row that I haven’t suggested a candidate for yet is T.J.C. Weir.

There is a potential MiC record match in Lieutenant Terence John Collison Weir of the Norfolk Regiment. His MiC shows he first landed in France on the 8th October 1917. He would go on to qualify for the Indian General Service Medal with the clasp for Waziristan, making it likely he was with the 2nd Battalion at that time. Indeed the contact address for his Great War service medal application in September 1921 shows him then with the 2nd Battalion, Norfolk Regiment at Baghdad. This was subsequently updated to show Barielly, (India).

But I was struggling to find him in the London Gazette – either via a search of the Gazette website or via a Google search.

There are no obvious surviving officers long papers in the National Archive catalogue – but that may be due to his post-war service.

A check of both the index and the entry for the Norfolk Regiment in the January 1917 British Army List fails to bring up any match for him. The January 1918 British Army List shows him as a Second Lieutenant with the 1st Battalion, Norfolk Regiment, but with seniority from the 1st May 1917. There isn’t another Second Lieutenant with the Regular Battalions of the Norfolk Regiment with that date of seniority. (Column 987b) https://digital.nls.uk/british-military-lists/archive/123140481

There has to be a story there – to take at least fourteen months to complete his officer training would take some explanation if he was at the R.M.C. in March 1916.

But armed with a date of commissioning it finally proved possible to track down the commissioning of Terence John “Collitson” Weir on page 4081 of the Supplement to the London Gazette, 30 April 1917. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/30040/supplement/4081

The notice starts on page 4080 and is indeed a list of Gentleman Cadets from the Royal Military College who were to be 2nd Lieutenants with effect from the 1st May 1917. Terence was commissioned in the Norfolk Regiment. I didn’t spot any other contenders for the outstanding names still to be identified.

Picture Norfolk, the County Image collection, holds photographs taken by another 2nd Battalion officer in the immediate post-war years. He was Henry Merceron Burton and the albums record aspects of his family life at Orchard Dene House, Henley on Thames and his military life and travels with the Norfolk Regiment between 1919 and 1924. Locations include: Thetford, Oxford, Wandsworth Hospital, France, Mosul, Bagdad, Iraq, Lucknow, Waziristan, Bareilly, Hinaidi and Ramgarh. A fellow officer, Weir, features in a number of them. Those with enough facial detail to be useful to make a comparison are:-

Thetford, 'Mead and Weir' in 1919.  https://norfolk.spydus.co.uk/cgi-bin/spydus.exe/FULL/WPAC/BIBENQ/37429803/49611734,8

Thetford, Weir on horseback in 1919, https://norfolk.spydus.co.uk/cgi-bin/spydus.exe/FULL/WPAC/BIBENQ/37429803/49611739,10

Lucknow, Weir pictured with 'Herbert and Clifford' the monkeys, https://norfolk.spydus.co.uk/cgi-bin/spydus.exe/FULL/WPAC/BIBENQ/37429803/49611743,4

There are others with him stated to be in group shots but the labelling doesn’t tie up – a group shot of officers taken in Iran for example is described as showing him as second from right when in fact he looks more likely to be second from left.

Cropping the images to just pick up Weir gives this rogues gallery.

All image rights remain with Picture Norfolk.

Cheers,
Peter

[PRC]

On the second row from the top there are at this point two names for which I’ve not identified a match. The first, C.A. Allen, has too much potential for multiple matches, so for now I’m going to park it, cross my fingers, and hope a candidate will be identified in passing when looking at the other remaining names

The second name is C. Sikes.

There is a MiC for a Lieutenant C. Sikes, 3rd Battalion, Leinster Regiment, (National Archive currently says Leicestershire Regiment!) – but the content is simply to note that he is on the Suspense List.

There are surviving officers long papers for a Lieutenant Charles Sikes, The Prince of Wales’s Leinster Regiment, held at the National Archive. https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C1113324

In fact he was on one of the lists that has been looked at before – he is on page 3685 of the Supplement to the London Gazette, 6th April 1916, so a Royal Military College Cadets who was commissioned 2nd Lieutenant with effect from the 7th April 1916. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/29537/supplement/3685/data.pdf

My understanding of the suspense list was that his medals were deemed to be forfeit, and so this was to alert the clerks in the event that a medal application was received. The most likely cause is that he had been dismissed the service as a result of court-martial, but so far no evidence found to confirm or deny this.

 

Moving on to the centre row, the first unaccounted for name there, R.C.M. Jones, is another with a potential for multiple matches. However the presence of the third initial reduced the matches to just Second Lieutenant Robert Carl Moloch Jones, South Wales Borderers, at least as far as the MiC record is concerned at the National Archive.

Checking the MiC out on Ancestry it looks like the name recorded there for his MiC is Robert Carl Molsch Jones.  He first landed in France on the 23rd September 1916. The MiC is noted that he died of wounds on the 13th November 1916. His mother would apply for his medals, giving an address of 133 Blythe Road, (London) W14.

His CWGC webpage records that Second Lieutenant Robert Carl Moesch Jones, 3rd Battalion, South Wales Borderers, died on the 13th November 1916 aged 18. He is buried at Puchevillers British Cemetery in France. Additional family information is that he was the Brother of Lina Isabel Moesch Jones, of London. https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/511555/robert-carl-moesch-jones/

His long papers in the National Archive are catalogued in the name of Robert Carl Moesch Jones. https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C1113258

Looks like another one I missed from the Supplement to the London Gazette of the 6 April 1916 – he is on page 3684. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/29537/supplement/3684

The 3rd Battalion, South Wales Borderers was a home service only training and reserve unit, so Robert died serving with another unit.

Accordingly to this on-line biography he was serving with the 5th Battalion at the time of his death. The 5th Battalion were the Pioneers of the 19th (Western) Division. The Companys of the Battalion were working on various tasks in and around Stuff Redoubt on the 10th November 1916 when it is recorded 2 other ranks were killed in action and 2nd Lieutenant R.C.M. Jones and 12 other ranks were wounded and had to go to hospital, while one other man was wounded but remained at duty. https://grangehill1922.wordpress.com/2020/10/29/robert-carl-moesch-jones-1898-1916/amp/

Also in the centre row is C.H. Flinn.

This is a MiC for a Second Lieutenant Cyril Herbert Flinn, Essex Regiment who first served in France, although no date of landing is recorded. The MiC is noted that he was “Missing 14.4.17” – the entry is then noted as Died. His father, S. Flinn, Esquire, of 88 Clarence Road, Grays, Essex, would apply for his medals.

The CWGC webpage for Second Lieutenant Cyril Herbert Flinn records that he died, aged 20, on the 14th April 1917, serving with the 1st Battalion, Essex Regiment. He has no known grave and is remembered on the Arras Memorial. Additional family information is hat he was the Son of Stephen Flinn. B.Sc. (Lond.). Prize Cadet, Sandhurst Entrance Exam. https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/1557223/cyril-herbert-flinn/

According to the text that accompanies this picture at the Imperial War Musuem website, he was serving with “X” company, 1st Battalion, when he died.

Image courtesy of the Imperial War Museum, who retain all image rights. https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205294799

His commissioning appears in the Supplement to the London Gazette dated 26 October, 1916, on page 10407. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/29803/supplement/10407

The list starts on page 10405 and records Gentleman Cadets of the Royal Military College who were to be 2nd Lieutenants from the 27th October 1916.

Again considering Cyril was a Prize Cadet in his entrance exam, there must be a story there as to why he was commissioned so much later.

Initially intended to be a planned attack, instead the 1st Essex ended up facing an attack by a German Division attempting to retake Monchy in the early hours of the 14th April 1917. This is well covered in Burrows and here on the forum. It fell upon the 1st Essex and the Newfoundlands, and both units would finish the day undefeated but a pale shadow of themselves from 24 hours earlier. It was “X” Company as flank guard that took the initial weight of the German attack, buying enough time by going on the offensive themselves for the rest to organise. As Burrows says in his history of the Essex Battalion, at some point between 6.30 and 7.30 a.m. “X” Company ceased to exist, with no more messages or wounded coming in after 7.30.

Update.

Running total to date.

Of the 62 cadets in the photograph:-

20 were commissioned effective 7th April 1916
12 were commissoned effective 19th July 1916
20 were commissioned effective 16th August 1916
1 was commissioned with effect from the 27th October 1916.
1 was commissioned with effect from the 1st May 1917.

So 54 with a likely candidate identified. 

Cheers,
Peter

Edited 20 April , 2022 by PRC
Formatting

[arantxa]

Thats brills 

[PRC]

Last name to have a look at in the centre row is P.C. Campbell-Martin.

The National Archive catalogue records officers long papers for a Pierre Clifford Campbell Martin, The Sherwood Foresters (Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire Regiment). https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C1120818

The MIC for “Peter” Clifford Campbell-Martin, (indexed at the National Archive and Ancestry under Martin), shows him as 2nd Lieutenant, Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire Regiment, and then Lieutenant R.A.F. His address is shown as 45 Courtfield Gardens, South Kensington, (London) W. The only other information relates to the contents of an Air Ministry form. “Dismissed from the R.A.F. by sentence of G.C.M. 5.1.21.”

His life has been the subject of a forum thread – shot down on the 3rd February 1918 while serving with 25 Squadron, RFC, escaped twice and was recaptured but was subsequently part of a large escape from Holzminden in May 1918, making it on foot to the Netherlands and then subsequently repatriated.  His cashiering seems to relate to payment fraud at RAF Baldonnel. Returned to India, where he was born, but joined up again in 1939. Served as an Air Gunner in the RAF and was killed in action, aged 44, when his plane was brought down on a raid on Duisburg, 17th October 1941.

If a better close up of the Company D picture could be taken to catch Cadet Campbell-Martin, (centre row, right hand end), then I suspect that threads author, @Open Bolt might be interested

Looks like it’s another one I missed first time round – he’s on page 7103 of The London Gazette, 18th July, 1916. That makes him an RMC Gentleman Cadet commissioned 19th July 1916. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/29671/page/7103/data.pdf

Cheers,
Peter

[PRC]

Moving on to the second row from the bottom, also outstanding is a candidate for R. Barnett-Hewitt.

But no obvious MiC, officers long papers, or London Gazette entry, although the latter has a Robert Barnett Hewitt, late Stockbroker and member of the London Stock Exchange who went bankrupt in the summer of 1916. It won’t be him, but it might be a son.

There is however a MiC for a Frank Barnett Hewitt, a 2nd Lieutenant and then Lieutenant in the Loyal North Lancashire Regiment. He first landed in France on the 14th October 1917. When he applied for his medals in January 1921 he gave an address of “Dunkirk”, Ainsdale, Lancashire. This was subsequently updated after his medals were returned undelivered, to 2, Corrine Road, Tufnell Park, (London), N19.

I could not find any likely match in the index of the January 1917 British Army Monthly List for an R.B. or F.B. Hewitt and there are no Barnett-Hewitt’s at all.

It is the same for the index of the January 1918 British Army Monthly List.

But a check of the entries for the Loyal North Lancashire Regiment does show a Second Lieutenant F. Hewitt on the strength of the Regular Army Battalions of the Loyal North Lancashire Regiment but attached to the 10th Battalion. His seniority dates from the 19th July 1916. (Column 1327b) https://digital.nls.uk/british-military-lists/archive/123143937

Thas a familiar date, and indeed there is a Frank Hewitt, a Gentleman Cadet of the Royal Military College, who was commissioned 2nd Lieutenant in the Loyal North Lancashire Regiment effective 19th July 1916 on page 7103 of The London Gazette, 18 July 1916. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/29671/page/7103/data.pdf

The 10th Battalion, Loyal North Lancashire Regiment, was disbanded in France on the 4th February 1918. https://www.longlongtrail.co.uk/army/regiments-and-corps/the-british-infantry-regiments-of-1914-1918/loyal-north-lancashire-regiment/

So the two records held for him on the International Committee of the Red Cross website sheds a little bit of light on what happened next.

A Lieutenant Frank Hewitt, of C Company, 10th Battalion, Loyal North Lancashire Regiment, was captured at Hesbicourt on the 22nd March 1918. He was recorded as born Manchester on the 24th August 1898, (so graduated from Sandhurst before he was 18), and gave his next of kin as J.G. Hewitt, of “Dunkirk”, Leigh Road, Hale, Cheshire. – if that is the correct address then might explain why Franks’ medals went astray in 1921. https://grandeguerre.icrc.org/en/File/Details/3503671/3/2/

There is a 2nd Card covering the PoW release report for a Lieutenant F.B. Hewitt, 15 “Emtrenching” Battalion attached 10 Loyal North Lancs. https://grandeguerre.icrc.org/en/File/Details/3620690/3/2/

I believe the details should be the other way round – he was 10th Battalion Loyal North Lancs, attached 15th Entrenching Battalion. In the weeks following the re-organisation of the British Army in February 1918, many men, both other ranks and offices, found themselves temporarily posted to Entrenching Battalions until new military homes could be found for them.

As the Frank Hewitt, aka Frank Barnett Hewitt, is one of the RMC men who graduated in July 1916 along with at least 12 other individuals believed to be in the D Company photograph, then to me the reference to an "R. Barnett- Hewitt" on the photograph looks like an error.

Cheers,
Peter

[PRC]

Also in the second row from the bottom and unaccounted for is R.G. Jackson.

There are a number of potential MiC matches for a 2nd Lt \ Lt G.R. Jackson but none at all for an R.G. Jackson. Of course R.G. Jackson may have chosen not to apply for their medals.

The January 1918 British Army List records just one R.G. Jackson – in column 1888a. But that man was a Lieutenant with the Australian Field Artillery.

CWGC does not have an officer listed with the name R.G. Jackson who died in the Great War period.

So will need to put my thinking cap for this one, although I’m beginning to suspect that like Barnett Hewitt there may be a small but crucial spelling mistake in there.

 

Also on the second row from the bottom is C.R.P. Playford.

Nearest match is a MiC for 2nd Lieutenant Cecil Roche Bullen Playford who went out to France with the 19th Battalion, London Regiment, landing on the 16th July 1915. However subsequently he ended up as a Lieutenant with the 3rd Battalion, Hampshire Regiment – a possible indicator that he had gone from holding a Territorial Force commission to a Regular Army one. The contact address given when he applied for his service medals in June 1920 was Depot Hampshire Regiment, Winchester.

The January 1917 British Army Monthly List records that Second Lieutenant C.R.B. Playford was on the establishment of the Regular Army Battalions of the Hampshire Regiment, but attached to the 3rd Battalion. His seniority dated from the 16th August 1916. (Column 1236b) https://digital.nls.uk/british-military-lists/archive/103214821

The University of London O.T.C. Great War Roll of Honour records that Lt Cecil Roche Bullen Playford, Hampshire Regiment , was mentioned in Milne’s Despatch of the 9th March 1919, (from page 174, Honours and Distinctions). On Page 306 it adds that he attended Birkbeck College and served at Salonika. https://archive.org/details/universityoflond00londuoft/page/306/mode/2up?q=Playford&view=theater

Milne’s despatch of the 9th March 1919 covered the Salonika Front for the period 1st October 1918 to the 1st March 1919. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/31385/supplement/7215
Lt C.R.B. Playfords’ name appears in the list on page 7222, but he is simply shown as serving with the Hampshire Regiment.

Only the 10th and 12th Battalions of the Hampshire Regiment served at Salonika – the 3rd Battalion was a home service only training and reserve unit. https://www.longlongtrail.co.uk/army/regiments-and-corps/the-british-infantry-regiments-of-1914-1918/hampshire-regiment/

The October 1918 British Army Monthly Lists shows him on the strength of the Regular Army Battalions of the Hampshire Regiment, but attached to the 10th Battalion. (Column 1235b) https://digital.nls.uk/british-military-lists/archive/103126876

While trying to track down his Gazette entry for commissioning in the Regular Army, I came across this change of name announcement in the edition of the London Gazette dated 15th January 1937 on page 383, which in passing also tells us he was then a Major in the Regular Army, stationed at Aldershot.

Image courtesy: https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/34360/page/383

I missed his commissioning first time round – he’s on page 8029 of The London Gazette, 15 August 1916, which has been linked to before, but in my defence he is recorded there as “Cecil Roach Bullen Clayford.”https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/29708/page/8029

Cheers,
Peter

@arantxa  - BTW – looks like you’re not the only one with a copy of this picture

http://archives.rotherham.gov.uk/calmview/Record.aspx?src=CalmView.Catalog&id=578-K%2F1%2F12%2F6%2F6

[arantxa]

That’s interesting 

what is the connection to Rotherham 

[PRC]

21 minutes ago, arantxa said:

what is the connection to Rotherham 

They have indexed it under the York and Lancaster Regiment, with a sub-heading Photographs of groups connected to the Regiment or to the local area.

So could relate to Herbert Hudson Morrell, Christopher Gray Robins or one of the names I've not found a candidate for yet.

Cheers,
Peter

 

[PRC]

Last one, (for now), on the second from bottom row – T. Ivor-Moore.

There is a MiC for a Thomas Ivor Moore, M.C., who is shown as 2nd Lieutenant M.G.C. , Lieutenant Worcestershire Regiment, Lieutenant 10th Armoured Car Company and Captain Tank Corps.
He first landed in France on the 20th October 1916.
He was entitled also to the Indian General Service Medal with the clasp for Waziristan, but was turned down for the General Service Medal with the clasp for Iraq.
From the notes on the back of the card it looks like the IGSM relates to his service with the 10th Armoured Car Company.

His commissioning appears on page 3684 of the Supplement to the London Gazette, 6 April 1916, as Thomas Ivor Moore in the Worcestershire Regiment. As a Gentleman Cadet of the Royal Military College he was commissioned Second Lieutenant with effect from the 7th April 1916. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/29537/supplement/3684

In the January 1917 British Army List he has entries in column 1173 and column 1571h.
Column 1173 shows him as a 2nd Lieutenant on the establishment of the Regular Army Battalions of the Worcestershire Regiment, but attached to the Machine Gun Corps.  Seniority was 7th April 1916. https://digital.nls.uk/british-military-lists/archive/103214269
His 1571h column entry places him in the Machine Gun Corps (Infantry) but doesn’t go down to a specific company. As well as his underlying seniority in the Army of the 7th April 1916, he then has a MGC seniority of the 12th June 1916. https://digital.nls.uk/british-military-lists/archive/103218145

So seems like his service in France probably started with an MGC unit, rather than a Worcester Regiment one from which he was subsequently seconded to the MGC. Unfortunately to track which MGC company would probably require a check of his service records.

His father would die in an air-raid on London in June 1917 – previous GWF thread.

His Military Cross citation appeared in the Supplement to the London Gazette, 26 July, 1917 on page 7631.

2nd Lt. Thomas Ivor-Moore, Worcestershire Regiment.

For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty when in command of machine guns.

Being held up during his advance by a hostile machine gun, he organised a bombing party, with which he successfully outflanked and destroyed the enemy gun and its team. His conduct set a splendid example of courage and determination.
 https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/30204/supplement/7631

In WW2 he was the Brigadier General in command 21st Army Tank Brigade, (subsequently 21st Tank Brigade) in North Africa and Italy.
 https://generals.dk/general/Ivor-Moore/Thomas/Great_Britain.html
 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/21st_Army_Tank_Brigade_(United_Kingdom)

While checking the London Gazette I also came across him again in the Supplement to the London Gazette, 28 June, 1945 with the award of the CBE in the military division in recognition of gallant and distinguished service in Italy. He was recorded as Brigadier (temporary) Thomas Ivor-Moore M.C. (13781), Late Royal Tank Regiment, Royal Armoured Corps. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/37151/supplement/3366

There is apparently a citation that goes with this –

"As my Brigadier A.F.V. this officer has been largely responsible for the training, equipment and maintenance of the Armoured formations of this Army, comprising no less than eleven Tank Brigades.
Through the organisation which Brigadier IVOR-MOORE had perfected, the tank strength of Armoured formations has been admirable maintained throughout the ong offensive operations of 1944, over long distances and under great difficulties. In August 1944 he worked intensively and with conspicuous success to complete the concentration of all tanks in the forward area when Eighth Army was suddenly switches from the Florence area to the Adriatic. Subsequently, during the Gothic Line battles, with the large scale tank fighting, he again, by his drive, forethought and initiative, maintained all Tank Brigades up to strength in personnel and tanks.

He has constantly reviewed all technical developments and has frequently improvised to deal with the peculiar reguirements of the Italian terrain. His energy, efficiency and organising capacity have greatly contributed to the important part played by the Armoured formations in the successful operations of 1944.

To keep in the closest touch with every Armoured unit he has displayed exceptional devotion to duty in frequently visiting Armoured Regiments in the forward battle areas, and thus has greatly helped me in having a complete picture of R.A.C. problems." https://www.tracesofwar.com/persons/78412/Ivor-Moore-Thomas.htm

Probable source https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D7381223

This long thread on WW2talk  includes some original documents and transcripts on the continuing use of the Stuart tank, (US name Honey), in the Italian theatre of war in 1944 and the relative merits of the various local modifications that have been tried. Brigadier Moore-Thomas seems to be a very active participant in the discussions, although in the sections where he is mentioned it is not clear whether he commands 25th Tank Brigade rather than 21st. http://ww2talk.com/index.php?threads/honey-tank-turret-less-or-otherwise.4445/page-6

Brigadier Thomas Ivor-Moore would die on the 18th April 1946, age 48 and is buried at Brookwood Cemetery. https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/2929567/ivor-moore,-thomas/

Cheers,
Peter

[PhilB]

Who exactly would be responsible for the correct listing of names on these mounted photos? If it was the photographer we might expect a bit of loss in transcription (as he`s probably acting as his own clerk), whereas the army would take more care to get it right?

[FROGSMILE]

51 minutes ago, PhilB said:

Who exactly would be responsible for the correct listing of names on these mounted photos? If it was the photographer we might expect a bit of loss in transcription (as he`s probably acting as his own clerk), whereas the army would take more care to get it right?

Names, ranks/appointments generally provided by the unit being photographed, usually by the clerk(s).

[PRC]

43 minutes ago, PhilB said:

Who exactly would be responsible for the correct listing of names on these mounted photos? If it was the photographer we might expect a bit of loss in transcription (as he`s probably acting as his own clerk), whereas the army would take more care to get it right?

Lost in the mists of time I suspect - so many potential scenarios where an error could have crept in. How would the photographer or their assistant have collected the names and matched them to the faces for example - get each one of the 67 individuals present to shout out there name and write it down, or leave a slip for them to complete. Or was the photographer presented with a list by the college in which case it would probably be handwritten with all the scope there for mis-interpretation. As for the Army taking care to get it right you only have to look at the number of correction announcements in the London Gazette, and those presumably came from individuals who were concerned enough to request a correction. Of the top of my head I thinks we've had three individuals whose commissioning entry in the London Gazette is at variance with their name used everywhere else - so a 5% error rate.

Moving on to the bottom row, the first name lacking a candidate so far is D.M. Chambers.

In the MiC records there is a Lieutenant D.M. Chambers, South Staffordshire Regiment. He qualified for the Victory Medal and British War Medal, but there is no Theatre of War or date on entry information on the card. When he applied for his medals in November 1925 he gave an address of 7, Charlotte Road, Edgbaston, Birmingham.

May be a co-incidence, but there are surviving Officers long papers for a Lieutenant Donald Meredyth Chambers, The South Staffordshire Regiment. https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C1113232

Image courtesy MyHeritage. https://www.myheritage.com/names/donald_chambers

His commissioning appears on page 3684 of the Supplement to the London Gazette, 6 April 1916, as Donald Meredith Chambers in the South Staffordshire Regiment. As a Gentleman Cadet of the Royal Military College he was commissioned Second Lieutenant with effect from the 7th April 1916. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/29537/supplement/3684

May be a co-incidence but the birth of a Donald Meredyth Chambers was registered with the civil authorities in the Reigate District of Surrey in Q1 1898. There does not appear to be a Donald Meredith Chambers registered in England & Wales and of an age that would have seen him able to serve in the Great War.

The January 1917 British Army List records 2nd Lieutenant D.M. Chambers serving with the 1st Battalion, South Staffordshire Regiment. Seniority was 7th April 1916. (Column 1248). https://digital.nls.uk/british-military-lists/archive/103214929

The 1945 Probate Calendar records that a Donald Meredyth Chambers, of Flatt 606 Collingwood House, Dolphin-square, Westminster died on the 3rd December 1944 at Noddys, Rockshaw Road, Merstham, Surrey. Administration of his estate was granted on the 10th April 1945 to Mabel Kathleen Travers Chambers, widow. (The death of a 46 year old Donald M. Chambers was recorded in the Surrey South Eastern District in Q4 1944).

Only one V Weapon is known to have dropped on Rockshaw Road, and that appears to have been on the 3rd August 1944. Donald is not listed amongst the WW2 dead on CWGC.
http://www.rockshawroad.org.uk/Memories.htm
https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/3151173/olive-grace-howard-spalding/
https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/3151171/adelaide-frederica-spalding/
https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/3151172/cecily-joyce-howard-spalding/

 

The other cadet still to be identified from the bottom row is A.P.M. Sanders.

The MiC records in the National Archives catalogue has a 2nd Lieutenant Arthur Penrose Martyn Sanders, Northumberland Fusiliers, who subsequently served with the R.F.C and R.A.F. as a Flight Lieutenant. He first arrived in France on the 17th July 1916. His medals were issued by the Air Ministry. There are no contact details on the reverse of the MiC.

His Wikipedia page adds “Sanders was educated at Haileybury before undergoing officer training at Sandhurst. Sanders was commissioned into the Northumberland Fusiliers in April 1916 but transferred to the Royal Flying Corps a few weeks later. He was a pilot on No 5 Squadron RFC and in May 1917 was wounded in a dogfight with German aircraft. As a result, he lost his arm but managed to land his aircraft. As result of his disability, Sanders was appointed to junior staff officer duties in the latter part of the war. On 1 April 1918, Sanders was transferred to the Royal Air Force along with his fellow Flying Corps officers.

Sanders remained in the RAF after the war and made steady progress through the ranks. He served in a variety of staff and instructional roles, notably serving on the air staff of Aden Command in 1932 and 1933. He was promoted to group captain just prior to the outbreak of the Second World War.

During the Second World War, he first served on the staff of the RAF staff College where he was responsible for planning the first wartime course. In 1940 Sanders was appointed the Director of Ground Defence at the Air Ministry and his work was in part responsible for the establishment of the RAF Regiment in 1942. In late 1942 Sanders was appointed Assistant Chief of Staff (Air) at the Allied Force Headquarters and in January 1943 he took up post at Air Officer Administration at Bomber Command.

After the war Sanders served as the Commandant of the RAF staff College at Bracknell before spending much of 1948 as Air Officer Commanding in Chief of British Air Forces of Occupation. He then served as Vice Chief of the Air Staff and Deputy Chief of the Air Staff.  In May 1952 Sanders became Commander in Chief of the RAF's Middle East Air Force before his final tour as Commandant of the Imperial Defence College. He retired on 29 January 1956.” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthur_Sanders_(RAF_officer)

One of the sources used to prepare that Wikipedia article adds:

20 May 1917: Wounded and admitted to No 30 Casualty Clearing Station (Gun shot wound, right arm fractured)
27 May 1917: Admitted to No 20 General Hospital (Gun shot wound, right arm amputated)
http://www.rafweb.org/Biographies/Sanders_APM.htm

His Casualty form at the RAF Museum has the same information :- https://www.casualtyforms.org/form/21145

There is no AIR76 records for him showing up in the National Archive record, but I assume that is because he continued to serve.

However other than the Wikipedia article and it’s source I’m struggling to find any additional information about the dogfight in which Sanders received his serious injury. I’m speculating but I suspect there is a typo in the following for the 20th May 1917 - 2nd Lt A P M Saunders (Wia) & Lt H C Stephens (Ok), 5 Sqn, RE8 A4240 - Oppy – Bailleul at 11:35/12:35  http://www.theaerodrome.com/forum/showthread.php?t=67975

Elsewhere on the same site APM Sanders and H.C. Stephens are associated with RE8 A4240.
http://www.theaerodrome.com/aircraft/serial_numbers.php?pageNum_serials=685&totalRows_serials=17424&q=&sortby=2

The National Portrait Gallery has a number of pictures dating from 1945 to 1955 for Air Vice Marshall Sir Arthur Penrose Martyn Sanders, (1898-1974).

Image of him from 1954 courtesy of the National Portrait Gallery who retain all image rights.
https://www.npg.org.uk/collections/search/person/mp78967/sir-arthur-penrose-martyn-sanders

Cheers,
Peter

 

[FROGSMILE]

1 hour ago, PhilB said:

Who exactly would be responsible for the correct listing of names on these mounted photos? If it was the photographer we might expect a bit of loss in transcription (as he`s probably acting as his own clerk), whereas the army would take more care to get it right?

I think that Peter’s right that the organisation of photos, recording of names, etc. would have been more haphazard in these OTBs in the early days especially, although better I suspect, once the college’s had SNCOs on their staff.  That there would be some errors is unsurprising, although I believe photographers must have made some effort (it was after all in their interests to do so) to get as many right as they did.

Edited 22 April , 2022 by FROGSMILE

[PRC]

So that leaves two cadets that eluded me first time round – C.A. Allen and R.G. Jackson.

As I made such a pig-ear of checking the lists thoroughly I took another look for possible matches in the London Gazette.

Potential candidates.

The London Gazette, 18 July, 1916 Page 7103.

N. Lan. R.
Roger Miles Gidlow-Jackson.

The London Gazette, 18 July, 1916 Page 7104.

Unattached List for Ind. Army. With a view to their appointment to the Ind. Army.

Cecil Arthur Allen.

----------------------------------<@>-----------------------------

For Roger Miles Gidlow-Jackson I could not find any obvious officers long papers in the National Archive Catalogue.

There is a MiC but other than recording him as Lieutenant R.M. Gidlow-Jackson, Loyal North Lancashire Regiment and with an admin reference in the Remarks box there is absolutely no other information. No medals are shown as awarded and no contact addresses are recorded.

However a Lieutenant-Colonel Roger Myles Gidlow-Jackson, Loyal North Lancashire Regiment, would die the day after the German surrender in Europe in WW2.

He was a former pupil of Chaterhouse School. In it’s write up for the names remembered on the Charterhouse School WW2 memorial, the Roll of Honour website has this to say about Roger.

Lieutenant-Colonel, DSO. Born 3.9.1898, 5th son of Charles Gidlow-Jackson and Mary Gidlow-Jackson née Jones, husband of Nora Gidlow-Jackson née Ramsay. He was at Charterhouse [L] 1912 – 1915 and went on to RMC Sandhurst, joining The Loyal North Lancashire Regiment in 1916. He earned the DSO in Palestine in 1936. In the Second World War he served with 2nd Bn The Loyal Regiment (North Lancashire), and with 2/6th Bn Lancashire Fusiliers. He died suddenly in London on 9.5.45, aged 46. He is buried in East Finchley Cemetery, London: section T1, grave 10. http://www.roll-of-honour.com/Surrey/GodalmingCharthouseSchoolWW2.html
https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/2432418/gidlow-jackson,-roger-myles/
https://charterhousewarmemorial.org.uk/RollofHonour.aspx?RecID=1700&TableName=view_WarTable&fromTimelinePage=true

The 1940 Army List records that he served in France & Belgium from the 23rd September 1917 to the 18th June 1918, and then again from October 1918. He was promoted Lieutenant 19th January 1918. https://digital.nls.uk/british-military-lists/archive/88885650?mode=transcription

The January 1918 British Army List has a Second Lieutenant R.M. Gidlow-Jackson, with seniority from the 19th July 1916, recorded on the establishment of the Regular Army Battalions of the Loyal North Lancashire Regiment, but unfortunately due to a blemish on the page of the copy held by the National Library of Scotland it’s difficult to make out if he isattached to the 8th Battalion or the 3rd. (Column 1327b). https://digital.nls.uk/british-military-lists/archive/123143937

His entry on the December 1917 British Army monthly list however looks very much like he was attached to the 3rd Battalion – a Home service only reserve and trainining unit. (Column 1327b). https://digital.nls.uk/british-military-lists/archive/103986248

Unfortunately it will almost certainly take inspection of his service records in order to work out which units he served with in the Great War.

 

No stand-out candidate in the MiC record for C.A. Allen.

The only likely long papers are for a Major Cecil Arthur Allen of the Royal Sussex Regiment. https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C1098545
However the December 1917 British Army List has Lieutenant C.A. Allen M.C. shown on the strength of the 11th Battalion, but with a wartime only Temporary commission – so not the graduate of the Royal Military College. (Column 1232b). https://digital.nls.uk/british-military-lists/archive/103985288

The only other C.A. Allen in the same December 1917 Army List is shown as a Second Lieutenant in the Indian Army, but with seniority from the 12th November 1916. Presumably that was the day he joined the Indian Army. (Column 2008) https://digital.nls.uk/british-military-lists/archive/104000828

This appears to be confirmed from the entry in the London Gazette 13 April, 1917, page 3511, under the heading The King has approved the admission of the undermentioned Officers to the Indian Army:- From the Unattached List.

Cecil Arthur Allen attached 42nd Deoli Regiment. Dated 12th November 1916.
 https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/30017/page/3511/data.pdf

 

Update.

Running total to date.

Of the 62 cadets in the photograph:-

23 were commissioned effective 7th April 1916
16 were commissoned effective 19th July 1916
21 were commissioned effective 16th August 1916
1 was commissioned with effect from the 27th October 1916.
1 was commissioned with effect from the 1st May 1917.

So 62 with a strong candidate identified. 

Of the instructors & commanders.

-        I couldn't find anything for Staff Sergeant G. Lawrence and Sergeant H.W, Cousins, both of The Queens Regiment.

-        Major J.L.G Burnett, DSO, Gordon Highlanders is likely to be Sir James Lauderdale Gilbert Burnett, 13th Baronet, CB, CMG, DSO & Bar (1 April 1880 – 13 August 1953). Born the son of Colonel Sir Thomas Burnett, 12th Baronet and Mary Elizabeth Cumine and educated at Wellington College, Burnett was commissioned into the Gordon Highlanders on 6 December 1899. He was appointed a Companion of the Distinguished Service Order in March 1915[4] and subsequently commanded the 1st Battalion, the Gordon Highlanders and then a brigade during the First World War. He went on to be commander of 14th Infantry Brigade in January 1927, commander of 153rd Infantry Brigade in January 1928 and commander of 8th Infantry Brigade in March 1930. His last appointment was as General Officer Commanding 51st (Highland) Division in June 1931 before retiring in June 1935.He was colonel of the Gordon Highlanders from 1939 to 1948. This painting is stated to date from 1919. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sir_James_Burnett,_13th_Baronet

-        No MiC for an F.A. Hewatt. If he was commissioned then his long papers are not yet in the National Archive catalogue.

-        The National Archive has a Roll of Officers who served with the South Wales Borderers which they have catalogued as including a John Bradstock, born 1882 and who joined the Regiment in 1903. https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C13287489 Lives of the First World War has him serving with the 2nd Battalion by the 23rd September 1914 as he is mentioned in Despatches while serving at Tsingtao with that Battalion. https://livesofthefirstworldwar.iwm.org.uk/lifestory/7667587 A Colonel J. Bradstock. M.C. was part of the team responsible for the selection of the Unknown Soldier and it’s transport to Westminster Abbey. Some sources have him as serving with the South Wales Borderers, but I couldn’t gain access without signing up to see what evidence was available for identifying the unit. A film in the archive at the Imperial War Museum entitled “Armistice Day 1920 – Homecoming of an unknown warrior” includes a scene described as “At the quayside Marshal Foch waits with General Weygand, Colonel Wyatt and Colonel Bradstock (?).” https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/1060008261

I think this is meant to be it – with a crop of Captain Bradstock from the D Company picture for comparison with the British Colonels to left and right.

Cheers,
Peter