1st Bn Royal Welsh Fusiliers Gymnasium Staff in lead up to WW1

[FROGSMILE]

It’s fantastic that four of the seven named men, Handley, Chamberlain, Beddows and Simkins have been identified and their fates learned.  Is it likely to be possible to track down Hall, Lea and Morris?

Edited 23 April by FROGSMILE

[PRC]

Corporal H. Lea.

There is a MiC for a Serjeant 7946 Harry Lea, Royal Welsh Fusiliers,  which shows him receiving the 1914 Star – but in the remarks section and across the top of the card it is noted to see Harry LEE, (although against the note in the remark section someone has added a question mark).  There is no date of first landing.

There is also a Military Medal Card for a 7946 Private (Acting Lance Corporal) H. Lea, 2nd Battalion Royal Welsh Fusiliers attached 19th Infantry Brigade. It was gazetted 29th August 1918. The card however has been struck through and a revised notice issued.

The entry of page 10126 of the Supplement to the London Gazette, 29 August 1918 records him as LEA and associates him with Bordesley. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/30873/supplement/10126/data.pdf
Bordesley is either an area of Birmingham or a village in Worcestershire according to Wikipedia.

The MiC as LEE shows him landing in France on the 14th September 1914 with the 2nd Battalion as a Private – so possible not the individual in the picture. The card is noted however that he received the Military Medal.

That soldier is possibly the 27 year old Private Harry LEE, unmarried and born Birmingham, who was recorded in Roberts Barracks, Quetta, India, with the 2nd Battalion Royal Welsh Fusiliers on the 1911 Census of England & Wales.

Possibly an identification to be treated with caution for now.

Cheers,
Peter

[FROGSMILE]

8 hours ago, PRC said:

Corporal H. Lea.

There is a MiC for a Serjeant 7946 Harry Lea, Royal Welsh Fusiliers,  which shows him receiving the 1914 Star – but in the remarks section and across the top of the card it is noted to see Harry LEE, (although against the note in the remark section someone has added a question mark).  There is no date of first landing.

There is also a Military Medal Card for a 7946 Private (Acting Lance Corporal) H. Lea, 2nd Battalion Royal Welsh Fusiliers attached 19th Infantry Brigade. It was gazetted 29th August 1918. The card however has been struck through and a revised notice issued.

The entry of page 10126 of the Supplement to the London Gazette, 29 August 1918 records him as LEA and associates him with Bordesley. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/30873/supplement/10126/data.pdf
Bordesley is either an area of Birmingham or a village in Worcestershire according to Wikipedia.

The MiC as LEE shows him landing in France on the 14th September 1914 with the 2nd Battalion as a Private – so possible not the individual in the picture. The card is noted however that he received the Military Medal.

That soldier is possibly the 27 year old Private Harry LEE, unmarried and born Birmingham, who was recorded in Roberts Barracks, Quetta, India, with the 2nd Battalion Royal Welsh Fusiliers on the 1911 Census of England & Wales.

Possibly an identification to be treated with caution for now.

Cheers,
Peter

Thank you Peter.  A bit like Beddows/Beddoes then and Lea/Lee wouldn’t be the first soldier to have his surname misspelled.  A midlander again.

Edited 24 April by FROGSMILE

[PRC]

Although it doesn't mention specific names here are a few possible avenues that might be worth exploring for men involved in the activities of the Gymnastics teams of the 1st and 2nd Battalion - no doubt they took part in other sports as well.

Pages 51 and 52 A Short History of the Royal Welsh Fusiliers  by Major E O Skaife sourced Archive Org https://archive.org/details/shorthistroyalwelshfusiliers/page/51/mode/2up?q="Welsh+fusiliers"+gymnastics

The Christian Science Monitor March 16 1914 sourced Archive Org https://archive.org/details/per_christian-science-monitor_the-christian-science-mo_1914-03-16_6_93/page/n1/mode/2up?q="Welsh+fusiliers"+gymnastics

The British Newspaper Archive has many reports of the Royal Welsh Fusiliers sporting prowess in the 1900-1914 period, and has a particularly find coverage of newspapers in the Aldershot area. Although I don't have subscription access either directly or via FindMyPast, here are just a few items, including one in a different context for a Sergeant Handley in 1904.

And here's a name that has already probably been mentioned in passing as one of the missing from the same date in October 1914 as Private Beddows\Beddoes. I suspect he must have been time served and re-enlisted in 1914 if he is 10675 Corporal G.H. Blacktin.

Both screenshots courtesy of the British Newspaper Archive.

Cheers,
Peter

[Muerrisch]

Nobody has yet  pointed out that there were approximately 8 PTIs plus a sergeant in many group photos. This suggests that each of the eight old companies had their own appointed instructor. Very logical, much as the RPs also tended to be about 8 strong.

[FROGSMILE]

21 minutes ago, Muerrisch said:

Nobody has yet  pointed out that there were approximately 8 PTIs plus a sergeant in many group photos. This suggests that each of the eight old companies had their own appointed instructor. Very logical, much as the RPs also tended to be about 8 strong.

Yes I think from each company; one drummer, one pioneer, one regimental policeman, one assistant physical training instructor, one signaller, and [probably] one artisan (four snobs and four tailors). Later on machine gunners would have been added to the total.  There was also the post NCO, who often gets forgotten, although I’m not sure when his appointment began.

Edited 24 April by FROGSMILE

[Bob Davies]

25 minutes ago, FROGSMILE said:

Yes I think from each company; one drummer, one pioneer, one regimental policeman, one assistant physical training instructor, one signaller, and [probably] one artisan (four snobs and four tailors). Later on machine gunners would have been added to the total.  There was also the post NCO, who often gets forgotten, although I’m not sure when his appointment began.

That is an interesting point gents.

When you say 'snobs' FROGSMILE do you refer to boot/shoe makers?

In my searches for the soldiers on the first OP, I came upon this book, which I am sure you are aware of FROGSMILE.

It starts way back and goes up to 1914.

https://archive.org/details/royalwelchfusiliersvol2/page/305/mode/2up

[FROGSMILE]

1 hour ago, Bob Davies said:

When you say 'snobs' FROGSMILE do you refer to boot/shoe makers?

Yes Bob, snobs were shoemakers.

 I didn’t know that record was online.  I have a reprint of it from the museum.

Regards,

FS

[Bob Davies]

18 hours ago, FROGSMILE said:

Yes Bob, snobs were shoemakers.

 I didn’t know that record was online.  I have a reprint of it from the museum.

Regards,

FS

Thanks for confirming that FS, I bet that they were kept busy.

There are three or so books about the RWF on the internet archive, do you want links to them?

Regards, Bob.

[FROGSMILE]

1 hour ago, Bob Davies said:

Thanks for confirming that FS, I bet that they were kept busy.

There are three or so books about the RWF on the internet archive, do you want links to them?

Regards, Bob.

Yes, the re-soling and re-heeling of boots was undoubtedly a constant task, although once the Labour Corps was established the scale of effort was increasingly at formation level, leaving just exchanges to be done by battalion quartermasters via stocks provided from the supply chain.

Thanks Bob, if I had not seen them I’d have been very grateful indeed, but I’ve been fortunate that my long time acquaintance Maureene introduced me many years back.

I fear that the thread is straying ever further from the Gymnasium staff, and am wary of stretching too far the tolerance of the moderators. 

Edited 25 April by FROGSMILE

[Muerrisch]

Offending drift of a RWF hero removed.

[FROGSMILE]

1 hour ago, Muerrisch said:

Offending drift of a RWF hero removed.

Can you not start a separate thread in e.g. Soldiers and Units, Western Front, or Other Great War Matters?  Your subject is a very interesting one in its own right and will be a welcome addition.  It is very much worthy of its own thread. 

Edited 25 April by FROGSMILE