Identification Needed

[Dave Cole]

Looking for help deciphering a pension card. The Man in question, David Wilson, was from Fife, Scotland and his other military papers match his known genealogy and are confirmed by address. As can be seen, although he is very much Scottish he served with a number of English regiments. However, the family have a picture of a man wearing what is probably an Argyll and Sutherland Glengarry that they are convinced is him. Taff Gillingham has dated the picture from 1915 to mid 1916, but does anyone know what 'PPS Scot' means on the pension record. Is it a reference to a convalescent hospital? I accept it might not be him in the picture.Thanks in anticipation etc.

[charlie962]

3 hours ago, Dave Cole said:

Taff Gillingham has dated the picture from 1915 to mid 1916,

Problem. His ASC number was, I believe, issued October 1914.

See for example record for Barnes T2/017845.

Wilson has hospital admission records (assortment of health issues, saddle cramp, impetigo, scabies etc) on FindmyPast dating between May and November 1916. They show him as a Driver ASC attached to 51st Field Ambulance.

So hardly likely to be in a Scottish unit before Dec 1916 at earliest, if at all.

The medal roll gives correct sequence of units served in overseas. Courtesy Ancestry

Helpfully also gives battalion.

So, after ASC he next served overseas with 1/6th Cheshires.

I'll look at near numbers and see what that suggests.

Charlie

 

[charlie962]

Cheshires:

65681 Roycroft was transferred in on 13/12/17

65684 Westwell was transferred in 14/12/17

65685 Wilson ???

65686 Pittam was transferred in on 14/12/17

65687 Nisbet was transferred in on 14/12/17 

All these men were transferred in to the 4th Reserve Battalion Cheshires, so in UK.

We have a gap for Wilson between Dec 1916 and Dec 1917 when we don't know for sure if he was still ASC and we know he wasn't yet Cheshires. A UK only service would not normally appear on the BWM/VM Roll.

So, whilst ruling out 1915/16, could that photo be 1917? If not then it's not him!

Charlie 

 

Edited 18 November by charlie962

[Dave Cole]

Thanks for your help. As I say, I'm open minded if this is David Wilson.

 

[charlie962]

See update of prev post...

[charlie962]

Ok here's an intervening number 1917

Source Western Front/Fold3 

LongLongTrail shows nothing Scottish about 74th Training Reserve.

Edited 18 November by charlie962

[Matlock1418]

4 hours ago, Dave Cole said:

does anyone know what 'PPS Scot' means on the pension record. Is it a reference to a convalescent hospital?

PPS Scot - I don't think it refers to a convalescent hospital.

I note from his associated pension ledger page he claimed for Anaemia and Trench fever and both were marked Not due to or Aggrav = Rejected

This would account for the 11269 rejection number reference at the top of the pension index card.

Might there possible have been some appeal or correspondence to which PPS Scot refers???

Certainly the last line refers to the Pension Issue Office, Pilton [a temporary decentralisation of Scottish MoP claims admin to Edinburgh] - looks like the claim was rumbling on in Scotland for a while longer into 1922

M

[Dave Cole]

Thanks. It's one of those cases where the family have a picture, and being wholly Scottish, have always assumed it's of 'grandad' because it looks like him. As you can see, he seems to have had no official connection to any Scottish unit.

[Michelle Young]

I would date the VAD headwear to no later than mid 1915. 

[Dave Cole]

Thanks Michelle 

[charlie962]

Could he have been one of those in the left of the photo? Non Scottish régiments? Anything on the back?

[Dave Cole]

To be fair, they knew nothing about his military service, other than this picture (he died in 1951) and have always been told that the man on the right is him. The address at Lumphinnans on the pension record matches the family history, so I'm inclined to think that the picture isn't him. Digging around I came across two other David Wilsons from the village - one a Royal Engineer the other Black Watch, but their dates of death ruled them out. With two people now dating the uniforms to 15/16 it seems to support it not being him, unless he's borrowed a Glengarry for the picture!

[Dave Cole]

I've managed to identify the man in question as definitely Driver T2/017839 David Wilson of the Army Service Corps - tying his pension application to the 1921 census. He was born on 4th June 1892 at Lochgelly, Fife and died on 11th October 1951 in the same parish.

Having discussed it with the family, they now face the possibility that the man rear right is not their grandfather - concensus is that the man in the picture is wearing a Glengarry of the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, and that the picture was probably taken no later than November 1915. 

David Wilson would have been connected to the hospital chain through his attachment to the 51st Field Ambulance, but there are insufficient records to explain why he might have been in a picture dressed in this way.

Thanks to all who made suggestions.