Mystery....again! Help required

[snailybailey]

Hi all,

 

Despite having a full Ancestry subscription I still stuggle sometimes to find what I know must be there!

I am reseraching the casualty below and cannot find his MIC. In fact all I've found is his 'soldiers effects' so far.

Any help would be much appreciated.

Also, how easy would it be to find the War Diary entry for the Royal Engineers for the day he was killed?

Thanks in anticipation,

Glyn

 

Sapper G Symonds - CWGC Certificate.pdf

[Dai Bach y Sowldiwr]

https://www.ancestry.co.uk/discoveryui-content/view/4506325:1262?_phsrc=bDw144&_phstart=successSource&ml_rpos=9&queryId=d1c9a929295e26728ed3ec88a63a5e08

[Michelle Young]

Courtesy of Ancestry.co.uk

[tootrock]

For future reference:

To find his results on Ancestry, go to the "Military Records" section.

Type Symonds in the "Last Name" section.

Type his number in the "Keyword" section.

Press Search.

This gives you 9 hits

Hope this helps,

Martin

[tootrock]

The War Diary for 151 Field Company RE can be downloaded for free from the National Archives website. WO 95/2547/3

Martin

[Dai Bach y Sowldiwr]

I presume Ancestry have improved their indexing, as now I find that just the service number (without prefixes) enough in the MIC index  to bring up a list of hits. Its much quicker than typing in names, that are susceptible to misspelling so resulting in a fauled search.

The higher the number, the shorter the shortlist. (4 digit numbers  - 50 to 100, 6 digits- 6 or less, and many are unique.

[Mark1959]

There are at least 4 pension cards for him. His probate and other records show him as George Henry Symonds. The Effects records show him dying at 131 Field Ambulance - that unit was attached to the 38th Welsh Division. 

[Acknown]

Here is the 151 Field Company War Diary on Ancestry - the page for 02 Aug 17: https://www.ancestry.co.uk/discoveryui-content/view/348138:60779?_phsrc=kUA152&_phstart=successSource&ml_rpos=318&queryId=05449895e0ba3a24ddef527c7b028168. It seems that the company was at Essex Farm and the number who died of wounds that day is recorded (no names).

'From September 1916, numerous reinforced dugouts were built in the left and right banks of the canal by the Royal Engineers of the 38th (Welsh) Division. On account of the incessant firing from the bridges across the canal and from the Canal Bank, constant repairs had to be carried out. More and more concrete was used to do this work. During preparation for the major offensive in the summer of 1917, various advanced dressing stations, such as Dulhallows, Talana Farm, and Essex Farm, were built at the bottom of the West Side of the Canal Bank. From here, the wounded were evacuated by motorised ambulances to the Main Dressing Stations, Casualty Clearing Stations, and Base Hospitals behind the front.' (http://ww1lit.nsms.ox.ac.uk/ww1lit/collections/item/5379).

I suspect that 131 FA manned one of the 'advanced dressing stations'. Here's a link to its War Diary (TNA): https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C7354144.

Acknown

[Acknown]

54 minutes ago, Mark1959 said:

There are at least 4 pension cards for him.

They show a beneficiary as his widow - Ethel Maud Symonds (YOB 1886), 55 Mardy Street, Cardiff. One child under 18 - Reginald DOB 19 Dec 11.

Acknown

[snailybailey]

Once again I am indebted to the kind members who have responded. Thank you! but if anybody has more then keep the info coming!

Thanks

Glyn