Sapper Henry Rose. Royal Engineers, No 8 Company. 1917.

[duncanrose]

Hello.  My great-grandfather, Henry Rose, was a sapper in the Royal Engineers, No 8 Company.  He volunteered for the South African War and joined up for WW1 and was drafted to go out in 1917 but due to an unfortunate accident in August 1917, he did not do so.

His CO was a Captain Mitchell.  His Second Lieutenant's surname was Poole, and his CSM, 'Lane'.

Are there any records, photographs, or archives of this No 8 Company from 1914 to 1917 anywhere I could gain access to?

Many thanks for any help or guidance in advance.

Duncan

[DavidOwen]

Duncan

Welcome to the forum.

Is that the Henry Rose from Scotland who was a painter, later coach painter whose service records for South Africa and WW1 are on FindMyPast? 

British Army Service Records 1914-1920 Image | findmypast.co.uk  British Army Service Records 1914-1920 Image | findmypast.co.uk

If so in WW1 he was located for most of his time in service at No 8 Base Depot in the UK.

Hopefully some RE experts will be along soon to assist you in your research.

Good luck

David

[duncanrose]

Hi David.

Yes, that's him. I don't have access to that site, I'll sign up. My sister has been tracking the genealogy for many years but Henry Rose has been somewhat elusive.  His past is not easy to chase up.  There was a very unfortunate incident involving another member of the same No 8 Company, who was Henry's best friend, Frederick Robinson.  The two got into a drunken fight one evening in Newark (28 Aug, 1917) which proved fatal for Fred Robinson and my great-grandfather Henry was convicted of manslaughter.  This is probably the reason all records have disappeared from our family.  We only have one photograph that we think Henry is on (I'm guessing it is of the same No 8 Company), all sitting on a bridge.

Any further details or records would be very gratefully received.

Regards, Duncan.

[DavidOwen]

Actually Duncan he was acquitted and returned to duty.

Image courtesy FMP

His record is probably on Ancestry too - one or the other is often free to access via a local library - or you could take out a free trial.

 

[DavidOwen]

At some point after 1-1-1916 he did serve abroad as he was awarded the British War and Victory medals (Image courtesy Ancestry)

[DavidOwen]

Going by the name of his wife and children in his service records this would appear to be him in the 1921 census (although his place of birth and year don't match - originally Scotland 1877/8 in his service files). 

Image courtesy FMP

[duncanrose]

Thanks again, David.  Very useful.

I'm keen to know if he would have had any previous addresses documented in any records.  We think/thought he was living in Birmingham!

So his Regt number was 184904.

Kind regards.

(I posted this before seeing your Census screenshot above) - Thanks.

Edited 1 May by duncanrose

[DavidOwen]

His address when he attested re ww1 was 32 Canal Street Thurmaston Leicester. However, his earlier service records have him enlisting or at least medically examined in Birmingham in 1900 although he was born Stirling, Scotland - He married Agnes in 1910 in Leicester.