commandobairn Posted 31 October , 2022 Share Posted 31 October , 2022 I was asked if I could find out about a friend's grandad - all she knew was that he died (she thought) in 1918 when the SS Aragon was sunk. I was able to give her the correct date ... and I also found this thread - thank you! His name's Ernest Henry Geer and I was able to supply more info for her. Would anyone know anything more about him? We'd be very grateful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keith_history_buff Posted 31 October , 2022 Share Posted 31 October , 2022 Hello, A wildcard search on "lives of the first world war" did not reveal any likely contenders for your man.https://livesofthefirstworldwar.iwm.org.uk/searchlives/ernest ge*r/filter There were some better results via "British Army Ancestors", but no perfect match.https://www.britisharmyancestors.co.uk/search-result/?q=ernest+ge*r&pagenum=1 The nearest I could see was Arthur Ernest Geer, commissioned in 1916 and who served on loan to the Royal Australian Navy in the interwar period. Best of luck with your ongoing research! Keith Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
horatio2 Posted 31 October , 2022 Share Posted 31 October , 2022 (edited) This must be the man you seek. https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/search-results/?Surname=geer&Forename=ernest&Initials=&ServiceNum=&Regiment=&WarSelect=1&CountryCommemoratedIn=null&Cemetery=&Unit=&Rank=&SecondaryRegiment=&AgeOfDeath=0&DateDeathFromDay=1&DateDeathFromMonth=January&DateDeathFromYear=&DateDeathToDay=1&DateDeathToMonth=January&DateDeathToYear=&DateOfDeath=&Honours=null&AdditionalInfo= Edited 31 October , 2022 by horatio2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevenbecker Posted 31 October , 2022 Share Posted 31 October , 2022 Mate, I record him as; Geer Ernest H 2447 Dvr Camel (10th) Field Troop RE ICC reported 610 men lost when on HMTS Aragon sunk by UC 34 in Alexandria Roads returning from UK leave Ex 1/1 or 1/2 Royal Kent Royal Engineers (541505) listed on the Chatby Memorial possibly brother Ernest RE KIA 30-12-17 from Turnbridge Wells UK The 10th Field troop Camel was shown 3-3-17 ICC (10th) Field Troop RE under Capt Inwood RE (3 officers 53 men) arrived at ICC Bde replaced 2/1 Field Troop RE This was the Bde Engineer Troop until late in the war S.B Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gunner 87 Posted 1 November , 2022 Share Posted 1 November , 2022 (edited) Hi commandobairn. Welcome to the forum. Just to add to the above, Driver Ernest Henry Geer, (T)2447 / 541505 10th Field Troops, Royal Engineers was awarded the Victory Medal and British War Medal. Ernest also has a number of pension cards listing his widow as Kitty Geer and daughter Louie Kitty Geer residing at 4 Culverden Street, Tonbridge Wells, Kent. Ernest is commemorated on the The Men of St James' Lychgate, Royal Tonbridge Wells as attached. Edited 1 November , 2022 by Gunner 87 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie962 Posted 1 November , 2022 Share Posted 1 November , 2022 Wrecksite always has interesting info. https://wrecksite.eu/wreck.aspx?134801 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie962 Posted 1 November , 2022 Share Posted 1 November , 2022 (edited) The Sevenoaks Courier 8th March 1918 (courtesy Findmypast newspapers) has this: Charlie Edited 1 November , 2022 by charlie962 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
commandobairn Posted 1 November , 2022 Author Share Posted 1 November , 2022 (edited) Oh my goodness! I've just managed to get back here and am overwhelmed with the responses ... I will read through them now, she'll be amazed! As am I. I found the entry that Steven added above before coming here yesterday. I'm already a member, or was, under a similar name ... couldn't get back in using that one. My Aussie pals call me 'maaaate' for a laugh ... I'm a lass. My dad was in No.4 Commando, hence the screen name. Now to look through everything. I am so very happy about this - and have now got the Imperial Camel Corps to learn about. Without reading the above ... probably a daft question but hey-ho ... a driver - would that be of jeeps etc, or do they call people who ride camels, drivers? Hey, some of us don't know these things. PS Just noticed the photograph! WOW!!! Edited 1 November , 2022 by commandobairn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin Michelle Young Posted 1 November , 2022 Admin Share Posted 1 November , 2022 What was your previous username ? If it’s still an active account, we can merge them, as dual membership isn’t allowed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
commandobairn Posted 1 November , 2022 Author Share Posted 1 November , 2022 (edited) I know I'm on the WW2 Talk - thought I may have been on this one, too - perhaps not. It'll be similar, CommandoBairn, No.4CommandoBairn? It would mebbies be under my old email account - not sure if I should put that here. Edited 1 November , 2022 by commandobairn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin Michelle Young Posted 1 November , 2022 Admin Share Posted 1 November , 2022 Can’t find anything like that. Maybe your membership was a while ago and your account got deleted, so any previous posts will be as Guest. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
commandobairn Posted 1 November , 2022 Author Share Posted 1 November , 2022 (edited) Yes, it was a long time ago - perhaps called WW1Talk then? Good, glad I'm on the right side of the rules. Thanks to whoever it was who created the thread for me - so much easier to keep track of. Ah, I see you only get a certain amount of time to edit. Forget about the driver bit ... I take it he was in the Royal Engineers, attached to the ICC as a driver ... as that had been his occupation in peace time, too. It was nice to think of him riding a camel. Edited 1 November , 2022 by commandobairn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
commandobairn Posted 1 November , 2022 Author Share Posted 1 November , 2022 (edited) Ernest's granddaughter is so happy and thankful to have a photograph of her grandad. It's the first photo of him she's ever seen. Thank you for that and for all the information - she's going to pass it on to her sister. Well, look at that! I'm a Lance-Corporal ... same as my dad. Edited 1 November , 2022 by commandobairn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie962 Posted 1 November , 2022 Share Posted 1 November , 2022 6 minutes ago, commandobairn said: photograph of her grandad. I was hoping that she would already have a better copy that she could share!! Very pleased it pleased. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie962 Posted 1 November , 2022 Share Posted 1 November , 2022 7 hours ago, commandobairn said: driver - would that be of jeeps etc, or do they call people who ride camels, drivers? In the Artillery a driver generally rode a horse. I suspect here he would be driving a motor vehicle, particularly if he had qualified with the post office pre-war. @stevenbeckercan advise? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
commandobairn Posted 1 November , 2022 Author Share Posted 1 November , 2022 Thank you. I have solved the mystery as to whether I was here before ... I was and have contacted Admin. That query was about my Great-Uncle Ernest (Navy) - and all these years later this query's about an Ernest, too. Spooky. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevenbecker Posted 1 November , 2022 Share Posted 1 November , 2022 (edited) Mates, I notice I had a remark that he may of had a brother in the Engineers, also possibly called Ernest or some thing like that Can you confirm that or what his name maybe? Yes the term Driver in all units of the Army at that time, drove wagons of some type In the Signals, it was the moblie laying wagon (the correct name escapes me) which carried the signal wire and could pay out the wire, as they moved quickly across country. and like wise bring it in quickly when packing up Good in mounted units, where time and speed was important when moving over a large area While the unit was camel mounted, not all was, others also used the horse S.B Edited 1 November , 2022 by stevenbecker Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie962 Posted 1 November , 2022 Share Posted 1 November , 2022 (edited) Ernest Henry had three brothers, Bertie William1881-1953 Albert Charles 1882- 1946 Alfred Horace 1886-1958. (served RSussex 1903-16) Sourced from Ancestry trees. Edited 1 November , 2022 by charlie962 Correcting to 3 brothers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
commandobairn Posted 1 November , 2022 Author Share Posted 1 November , 2022 Thank you for the above posts. I was reading the thread about my Great Uncle Ernest - Stoker, died at age 18, Spanish Flu - and it said on there that I could access Ancestry for free at the library. I don't know if this is still the case but was going to find out ... I'm grateful to not have to now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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