59th Field Ambulance, 19th (Western) Division.

[high wood]

I have just acquired a few photographs that appear to have belonged to a C.S.M. called Samuel Albert Shrimpton, of the 59th Field Ambulance, R.A.M.C.

They are a bit random but I will post them in date order.

The first is a post card sent to Mrs Shrimpton, The Cedars, Redditch, from _________ Barracks, Andover, 19^th September 1914. The caption on the reverse reads, "This is our tent party".

 

[high wood]

The second is also a post card, sent to Mrs Shrimpton on the 10th November 1914.

The reverse reads, "Don’t we look naughty boys! Hope to get Khaki by Xmas, and I may get leave in a fortnight. Better wait till I come home and come down it is so out of the way. Best".

[high wood]

Next is another post card and is the first with those shown in it being named. However, Shrimpton's handwriting is difficult to read and it took some lateral thinking to work out one or two of the names. Luckily, they were all entitled to a 1914-15 Star so I was able to find them using their disembarkation date, 19th June 1915. 

Sling Camp, Bulford. May 1915.

Moran. 33965. Moran. Walter Barton. 19/07/1915. Commissioned 15th London Regt 30/07/1918

Blank

“S.A.S.” 42613 Shrimpton. Samuel Albert. 19/07/1915

Hamilton. 38362. Hamilton. J. L/Cpl. 19/07/1915.

Kaufman. 37143. Kaufman. Arnold David. M.C. Q.M.S. 19/07/1915 Captain. R.E.

Moore. E. J. (Tailor). 40813. Moore. Edmund J. 19/07/1915

Wedgbury. 42637. Wedgbury. Albert. Sgt. 19/07/1915

Ralfe. (Cook). 37891. Ralfe. William. L/Sgt. 19/07/1915

 

[high wood]

This photograph has no date or location but appears to have been taken in England.

 

[high wood]

The next photograph is of the Sergeants of the 59th F.A. and Motor Transport. I have not been able to identify either Sgt. Best, R.A.M.C. or Sgt Wright of the A.S.C. The photograph was taken at Wesloutre, near Ypres.

Sgt’s R.A.M.C.  and M.T. 59th Field Ambulance R.A.M.C. June 1917, Wesloutre.

Meehan. 42482. Meehan. James Eustace. M.M. A/Sgt. 19/07/1915

McKinless. 42471. McKinless. Leopold. Sgt. 19/07/1915

Lawrence. 42470. Lawrence. James. Sgt. 19/07/1915

Counsell. 34946. Counsell. Archibald E. S/Sgt. 19/07/1915

Wedgbury. 42637. Wedgbury. Albert. Sgt. 19/07/1915

Duigenan. 40023. Duigenan. Alphonsus Hugh. Sgt. 19/07/1915

Best

Burrows. 36971. Burrows. George William. Sgt. 19/07/1915

Barrett. 42412. Barrett. Joseph. M.M. Cpl. 19/07/1915.

Wright. (M.T.)

[high wood]

In the photograph in the previous post, two men can be seen wearing the ribbon for the M.M. They are:

Sgt. 36971 George William Burrows, awarded the Military Medal, the notification appearing in the London Gazette, 9th December 1916.

Cpl. 42412 Joseph Barratt, awarded the Military Medal, the notification appearing in the London Gazette. 11th November 1916

[high wood]

Unfortunately, the next photograph has no names noted on the reverse. If any one knows which particular A.S.C. unit was attached to the 59th Field Ambulance I would be pleased if you could let me know.

[high wood]

The last photograph is of Samuel Albert Shrimpton, taken at Wesloutre, 1917.

[PRC]

Great pictures. I'm not sure but is this Shrimpton on four of them.

No new intellectual property is claimed for the above and all image rights remain with the current owner.

Cheers,
Peter

[high wood]

It certainly appears to be the same man in all four photographs, and very possibly is Samuel Shrimpton. He is only named on the Sling Camp photograph, being the third name down. If they are named from left to right, it is Shrimpton. I have another post card showing 14 men of the 105th Field Ambulance, dated 3rd July 1918, that came with the other photographs. I have just noticed that Shrimpton is also in that photograph.

[high wood]

Samuel Albert Shrimpton's birth was registed in Bromsgrove, Worcestershire in 1885. In 1921 he is working as a commercial manager for S. Allcock & Co., fishing tackle manufacturers and appears to be based at 171 Bis Rue De La Charanton, Paris. His address at the time of his death in December 1967, was 1311 Evesham Road, Astwood Bank, Redditch, Worcestershire. The house number seems rather high, but that is what is recorded on his probate entry.

[PRC]

It's a bit of a presumtion on my part that some if not all the 12 men in civvies \ semi-civvies that appear in the September 1914 Tent Party picture might also be present in the November 1914 Naughty Boys picture - but if I number up the individuals in the Tent Party picture:-

Here is where I think some of them might be in the November 1914 picture using those number identifiers from above:-

No new IP is claimed for either of these images and all image rights remain with the current owners.

Cheers.
Peter

[high wood]

Peter,

I think that you are on to something here. No 6 may be Albert Wedgbury.

 

[PRC]

1 hour ago, high wood said:

I think that you are on to something here. No 6 may be Albert Wedgbury.

I’m not sure of the individual currently identified as No.6 and Albert Wedgbury are one and the same. For me eyebrows, ear shape, (both overall shape and inner shape) and top lip makes them look like two different individuals. The narrower face on the earlier pictures could be down to lens and so I’ve not taken that into consideration. However others may see it differently. Here’s a side by view that also incorporates the May 1915 image of Wedgbury – if our understanding of the names on the reverse of the original picture is correct.

No new intellectual property is claimed for the above and all image rights remain with the current owner.

Cheers,
Peter

[high wood]

You may well be right. Wedgbury is the only man named in more than one photograph, so we should be able to identify him. Strangely, there is evidence that he is the one named man in the group whose face could have noticeably changed, not that it would have affected the shape of his ears. 

[high wood]

Second page.

[high wood]

Here is the 105th Field Ambulance photograph, clearly Samuel Shrimpton is second from left in the front row.

 

Edited 12 April , 2023 by high wood
Clarification

[PRC]

51 minutes ago, high wood said:

Here is the 105th Field Ambulance photograph, clearly Samuel Shrimpton is second from left in the front row.

So if I add him to the previous four pictures it's actually the June 1917 picture that seems slightly at odds - but then that is probably the only proper studio picture. Even the latest one appears to have been taken outside with a hastily arranged backdrop.

No new intellectual property is claimed for the above and all image rights remain with the current owner.

Cheers,
Peter

[high wood]

He certainly looks tired and haggard in 1917 but he has almost certainly saw the effects that artillery bombardment and machine gun fire have on the human body and had to deal with it on a daily basis.

As a fishing tackle salesman both before and after the war, he was probably a keen fisherman who enjoyed the quite contemplation that angling provides. I imagine him after the war, sitting on the banks of the river Stour, fishing for grayling and thinking about the best fly to use rather than the horrors of war that he had witnessed at third Ypres.

[PRC]

You have Samuel Albert Shrimpton down as service number 42613, and that members of the 59^th Field Ambulance have a common disembarkation date of the 19^th July 1915.

As the tent party picture of September 1914 seems to show men newly arrived (and presumably newly enlisted), wouldn’t there be a strong likelihood that the men with nearby service numbers to Samuel would be amongst those pictured here?

Going 12 either side the ones I could find from the MICs were:-

42601 – no MiC match

42602 Frederick P. Peak, disembarked 19^th July 1915. FMP have a Medical Admisson register entry for 42602 F.P. Peak dated 1916. MiC shows a Silver War Badge was issued – FMP have indexed entry as Fred Pearson Peek. No surviving service records.

42603 Robert Rogers. Familysearch and FindMyPast showing service records dating from 1914. Aged 26 and born Hull, he was serving with the 59^th Field Ambulance according to what has been indexed on familysearch. https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QVBL-W6G6  However the same sources has a 26 year old Robert Rogers, born Hull and resident Lancashire who served in the 4^th Battalion Kings Own (Royal Lancaster) Regiment from 1914. Service number was 2265. https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QVBL-W6GJ
No MiC under either service number.

42604 Alexander Rickman. Familysearch and FindMyPast showing service records, (possibly discharge records as they date to 1916). Aged 21 and resident Bolton, Lancashire, he was then serving with the 80^th Field Ambulance according to what has been indexed on familysearch. https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QVBL-35LS . No obvious MiC for him.

42605 Reginald Robinson, disembarked 19^th July 1915. No surviving service records.

42606 George W. Rose, disembarked 19^th July 1915. Killed in action 1^st July 1916. CWGC has George William Rose serving with the 1^st/2^nd (North Midlands) Field Ambulance. He is buried Foncquevillers Military Cemetery. Son of Samuel and Eliza Rose, of 6, Tonks St., Oldbury, Birmingham. https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/197025/george-william-rose/ SDGW has George William Rose born Oldbury, Worcestershire and enlisted Birmingham. No surviving service records. Nothing obvious in the British Newspaper Archive.

42607 Henry E. Smith, disembarked 19^th July 1915.  No surviving service records.

42608 Alan O Salisbury, disembarked 19^th July 1915. Killed in action 22^nd July 1916. CWGC has A.O Stallard serving with 59^th Field Ambulance. Body moved from a smaller cemetery to Dantzig Alley British Cemetery in 1919. No additional family information. https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/548288/a-o-salisbury/ SDGW has Alan Orlando Salisbury born and enlisted Devonport. No surviving service records. Nothing obvious in the British Newspaper Archive.

42609 Joseph H. Stallard, disembarked 19^th July 1915. Killed in action 28^th July 1916. CWGC has J.H Stallard serving with 59^th Field Ambulance. Body moved from a smaller cemetery to Dantzig Alley British Cemetery in 1919.  Son of Mr. and Mrs. Stallard, of 79, Molliett St., Dudley Rd., Birmingham. https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/548387/j-h-stallard/ SDGW has Joseph Henry Stallard born and enlisted Birmingham. No surviving service records. Nothing obvious in the British Newspaper Archive.

42610 Alfred Spicer, disembarked 19^th July 1915. No surviving service records.

42611 Robert E. Stones, disembarked 19^th July 1915 and duplicate card quoting same Roll references. No surviving service records.

42612 Walter Sully, disembarked 19^th July 1915 or 42612 Walter Solby VM & BWM only – probably an error but no notes on either MiC. No surviving service records.

42613 Samuel Albert Shrimpton.

42614 Charles Spencer, disembarked 19^th July 1915. No surviving service records.

42615 E. Southall, disembarked 19^th July 1915, 1914/15 Star only, and 42615 Edgar Sonthally. VM & BWM. Both MiC’s cross referenced. No surviving service records.

42616 Charles Sutton, disembarked 19^th July 1915. Familysearch and FindMyPast showing service records, (possibly discharge records as they date to 1919). Aged 42 and resident Birmingham, he was then serving with the 8^th Company. https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QVBL-KNBJ

42617 No MiC match.

42618. James Arthur Thompson. No MiC. Familysearch and FindMyPast showing service records dating from 1914. Aged 22 and born Runcorn, Cheshire, according to what has been indexed on familysearch, he was serving with the 59^th Field Ambulance. https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QVBL-SVKN

42619 John Thompson, disembarked 19^th July 1915. Discharged and received SWB. FindMyPast has indexed a service record for a J. Thompson, but likely to be a one pager I suspect.

42620 Daniel Gwilyn Thomas. No MiC. Familysearch and FindMyPast showing service records dating from 1914. Aged 21 and born Whetlands, Carmarthenshire,  and resident Tumble, Carmarthenshire according to what has been indexed on familysearch, he was serving with the “79^th” Field Ambulance. https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QVB2-1DRM

42621 William J. Vockins, disembarked 19^th July 1915. No surviving service records.

42622 Sidney Vickers, disembarked 19^th July 1915. No surviving service records.

42623 Hubert \ Herbert Vickers, disembarked 19^th July 1915. Discharged 25^th March 1918 and SWB issued. FindMyPast has indexed a service record for an H. Vickers, but likely to be a one pager I suspect.

42624 William Williams, disembarked 19^th July 1915, discharged Class Z 16^th January 1919. No surviving service records.

42625 Joseph Wyke, disembarked 19^th July 1915. No surviving service records.

So first impression is that most likely service numbers were issued against a list in roughly alphabetical order rather than in the order the men enlisted. Hopefully that does cause too many anomalies.Those surviving service records could also do with being checked to see if they were general recruits to the R.A.M.C. or signed up for one specific unit.

And if any of those surviving service records have medical histories in the paperwork then worth checking to see if their “stations” were listed – quite often for that first year in the UK they are maintained so you can see where the unit was based and for what period. Thus the LLT says units of the 19^th overwintered 1914-15 at various places including Weston Super Mare. From Edwardian postcards I can see there are buildings at Weston Super Mare similar to those in the background of the park photograph. One, the Grand Atlantic Hotel, even appears to back on to a park. But I struggled to find two such buildings side by side, so knowing where the 59^th Ambulance was based might help narrow down the possibilities.

What I couldn’t find was any more images of those 24 men, ruling out for now the possibility of a facial comparison.

So probably not much further forward, but if nothing else may one day draw in a relative researching one of these men, who then might be able to put a name to a face.

Cheers,
Peter

[high wood]

Thank you for your comprehensive research, it is appreciated. I have been looking through my R.A.M.C. album to see if I had any other 59th Field Ambulance items. I was quite pleased to find a photograph of 37740 Pte. Isaac Grayson, who disembarked in France on the 19th June 1915. However, on checking my notes, he served with the 58th Field Ambulance, R.A.M.C. and I think it possible that all three Field Ambulances of the 19th (Western) Division disembarked on the same day.

[high wood]

This is the last photograph associated with the Shrimpton photographs and I am pretty sure that it belongs with them due to the handwriting on the back, which appears to be the same as on the other post cards. It gives only a date, July 28th 1919, but there is one other important clue in that it has the name and location of the photographer. W. Alderman, Potterspury. For this to have been amongst Shrimpton's photographs there ought to be a reason for him to have it, presumably he knew either the soldier or the lady. Not being a gambling man, I will only speculate the it was the R.A.M.C. Corporal that he knew.

Assuming that this is a wedding photograph, we have a R.A.M.C. Corporal marring a young lady in the Potterspury registration district on 28th July 1919, the September Quarter. I therefore need to find a R.A.M.C. Corporal still serving at that date, as I presume that he would have been wearing civilian clothing if he had been demobbed.

There were 61 marriages registered in Potterspury in the September quarter on 1919, presumabley most of the bridegrooms were young men who had recently seen military service.

Amongst them is a Harold George Swannell, formerly 424026 R.A.M.C. and later Corporal 1/4th Northamptonshire Regiment. I don't believe that he is the man, as presumably he would be wearing a Northamptonshire Regiment uniform. He also spent much of his war at Gallipoli and in Egypt.

Another man who married in Potterspury  in the same quarter is Frederick Stanley Southin, formerly 24951 R.A.M.C. and a native of Sussex. He married a Catherine Elizabeth A Lamberth, born Medway, Kent, 1891. I have not yet worked out why they married in Oxfordshire.

Lastly, I found a man called Henry Woodman who married an Eileen M Murphy. It may be a coincidence that there is a M.I.C. for a Henry Woodman, who served as Pte 46358 in the R.A.M.C with the disembarkation date of 19th June 1915, the very same date as the 59th Field Ambulance disembarked in France. I cannot find his service papers and Henry Woodman was not an uncommon name at the time. However, it may be the link.

[PRC]

Is that the medal ribbon for the 1914/15 Star, (or of course could also be 1914 Star)? That would rule out Southin who only qualified for the Victory Medal and British War Medal.

Perhaps @FROGSMILE can help with the divisional patch or point us in the direction of someone who can.

38 minutes ago, high wood said:

Lastly, I found a man called Henry Woodman who married an Eileen M Murphy. It may be a coincidence that there is a M.I.C. for a Henry Woodman, who served as Pte 46358 in the R.A.M.C with the disembarkation date of 19th June 1915, the very same date as the 59th Field Ambulance disembarked in France. I cannot find his service papers and Henry Woodman was not an uncommon name at the time. However, it may be the link.

May be a co-incidence but the 1921 Census of England & Wales has a household consisting of Henry Woodman, and an Eileen Mary and a Ted recorded in the Parish of “Stony Stratford West, Stony Stratford East” in the Potterspury Civil Registration District.

However not sure how reliable the transcriber is on this one. I only have the free search and couldn’t find a match for an Eileen Mary with any surname, although there is a Ted Murphy, born Worthing, Sussex c1917 who was living in a household in the same parish with a Henry and an Eileen Mary.

Most importantly Henry Woodman, born Crawley, Sussex has been transcribed as born c1867, which I would say would rule out him being a match for the man in the photograph - if that age is correct.

Cheers,
Peter

[high wood]

Peter,

thank you for your continued help with this. I have checked out the original 1921 Census entry and it cannot be the 59th Field Ambulance Henry Woodman.

The entry indeed shows Henry Woodman, age 54, a corn merchant, born in Crawley. His wife, Eileen Mary, 46, born in Cork, Ireland and their cousin, Ted age 3 years and 11 months. Why do we assume that only young couples get married?

With regard to the medal ribbon, I really am not sure what it is. My first thought was that it was the BWM ribbon, but looking more closely, it seems to be divided into three equal stripes, the two outer ones being the same colour, with a contrasting central stripe. Both outer stripes appear to be divided vertically by a thinner, darker stripe. I have looked through my copy of the Medal Year Book and cannot find a match.

I am not sure that anything other than the 1914 and 1914/15 Star ribbons had been issued by July 1919. Possibly the B.W.M. was available by then. The ribbon does not appear to be for a gallantry medal or a T.F.E.M.

Edited 14 April , 2023 by high wood
Adding information.

[Andrew Upton]

2 hours ago, high wood said:

This is the last photograph associated with the Shrimpton photographs...

 

1 hour ago, PRC said:

Is that the medal ribbon for the 1914/15 Star, (or of course could also be 1914 Star)? 

 

Just now, high wood said:

With regard to the medal ribbon, I really am not sure what it is. My first thought was that it was the BWM ribbon...

 

It is the ribbon of the BWM as rendered by orthochromatic film as was commonly used at the time. This would confirm no overseas service in a theater of war prior to January 1st 1916: