Locke W , Essex Regt.

[Martin26]

Trying to find out any information about my Great Uncle William Ernest Locke , he served with the 7th Bn. Essex Regt.

Thanks

[DavidOwen]

Welcome to the forum

In order to avoid duplication of effort and / or confusion please would you post what knowledge you already have accrued. That way the members can assist you more productively.

Good luck with your research

[Matlock1418]

48 minutes ago, Martin26 said:

Trying to find out any information about my Great Uncle William Ernest Locke , he served with the 7th Bn. Essex Regt.

Martin, Welcome to GWF.

The suggestion made by @DavidOwen is a very valuable one - for one and all.

If you have more 'military' info that would be great, but if you don't have more of that,  or as an extra ,then 'civvy' genealogical info can often be very helpful in tracking down an otherwise elusive man.

• Full names [I think you have probably given those - plus any known familiar diminutives - Will/Bill or Ernie for example and/or most commonly used name - William or Ernest? or nickname]
• Date of birth
• Place of birth
• Parents names
• Parents' dates of birth
• Mother's maiden name [commonly used for an alias]
• Sibling(s)
• Date(s) for marriage(s)
• Wife's name(s)/wives names - date(s) of birth can assist
• Child(ren) [own and/or step] - date(s) of birth can assist
• Occupation(s) [before and after the war]
• Place(s) of residence [throughout his life]
• Any illness(es) or disability(ies)
• Place of death
• Date of death [and those of close family members around the time of the war can also help]
• Any family stories??

I know this can seem a lot, so please try as best you can - All these sort of things can potentially assist as they can pop up in a military and associated civvy record contexts too.

Looking forward to getting on and trying to help you more.

M

Edited 4 May by Matlock1418

[Matlock1418]

OK, Here's a punt - from a MIC with a Silver War Badge listing - possibly 302257 ??? [or is that 302254 ???]

That 302257 opens up a pension index card with an address of 97 North station Road, Colchester and another with a widow's claim by Sophie with William having died on 14.9.80

Does this seem like your GU?

M

Edited 4 May by Matlock1418
pensiondetails

[Martin26]

Hi all, William was born abt 1898 in Colchester He enlisted on the 22.4.15 and was with the 7th Bn. Essex Regt. . He was awarded the silver war badge and was discharged on the 17.11.19.

His parents were Alfred & Alice Locke

 

Thanks

[Matlock1418]

Just now, Martin26 said:

William was born abt 1898 in Colchester He enlisted on the 22.4.15 and was with the 7th Bn. Essex Regt. . He was awarded the silver war badge and was discharged on the 17.11.19.

2 minutes ago, Matlock1418 said:

from a MIC with a Silver War Badge listing - possibly 302257 ???

So that 302257 does seem like your GU 

Discharged 17-11-19 on both MIC and PIC

M

[Matlock1418]

302257 ... The MIC appears to have a discharge reference of Para 392 (xvi) KR = an unfitness discharge

And no war medals shown [and I have not found another MIC for medals] - so possibly Home Service only and thus no medals, perhaps held back due to his medical grade?? Edit: see below

There should be a SWB list to go with that SWB MIC [sorry I don't have access to such a list] though I am not sure there will be much more besides as SWB badge number.

M

Edited 4 May by Matlock1418
strike & edit

[Matlock1418]

This is his disability pension index card

Image thanks to the Western Front Association / Fold 3

The reference NLJ 4677 is representative of a Para 392 xvi / SWB discharge.

The award of  28/- pw from 18.11.19 to 16-11-20 is representative of the rate for 70% degree of disability rate for a pension Class V soldier / Private

To have been awarded a disability pension there must have been an on-going disability attributed to or aggravated by his military service at the start of his claim.

I cannot see a record for the continuation of his pension - no pension ledger page [sadly the pension ledger for region 11, London and SE England, is missing/ potentially destroyed] nor an Awards File [admitedly most awards files were deliberately destroyed once their use was passed - his file does not appear to be amongs the very few files PIN 26 kept] so I cannot comment further on any possible further duration of claim.

There is another pension index card for his widow's claim in 1980 but that is actually a 'modern' Dept of Health and Social Security claim record and not related to war service.

M

Edited 4 May by Matlock1418
add

[Martin26]

I have his Medal card, he was awarded the 15 Star , BWM , Victory Medal. I have never seen his disability pension card before , thanks for the information.

 

Martin

[Matlock1418]

2 hours ago, Martin26 said:

I have his Medal card, he was awarded the 15 Star , BWM , Victory Medal

Ha, as I searched and slowly typed = excellent .... I have also just identified that there are two MIC at TNA for 302257

The second one is a medal MIC [it wasn't originally showing up for me at WFA/Fold3 or Ancestry Edit: his 302257 number was poorly transcribed - now corrected at WFA/Fold3] with an additional, earlier, number of 10908, Essex - so overseas service after all.

https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D3705630 

There should be two Medal Rolls to go with that second MIC [Sorry I don't have access]

M

Edited 4 May by Matlock1418
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[Matlock1418]

Having dowloaded this MIC https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D3705630 [see top left]

I note at as 10908 he entered his first ToW 2B [Balkans Theatre/Gallipoli] 8.11.15 - as a LCpl though his medals will be impressed as Pte as that was his substantive rank

I'll leave Gallipoli experts to try and possibly find you a War Dairy, perhaps @keithmroberts ?

M

Edited 4 May by Matlock1418

[Martin26]

Cheers 

[Matlock1418]

Back from my other duties and I note no WD yet appeared.

A browse of TNA offers these WD for 7th Essex

https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/results/r?_srt=3&_q="WO+95"+"Essex+Regiment"+"7+Battalion"

Sadly not all are digitised - but some seem available from Ancestry [first sub-link - I can't access]

The LLT appear to summarise:

Essex Regiment

Battalions of the Territorial Force

1/7th Battalion
August 1914 : in Walthamstow. Record same as 1/4th Bn.

1/4th Battalion
August 1914 : in Brentwood. Part of Essex Brigade in East Anglian Division. Moved to Norwich in late 1914 and on to Colchester in April 1915.
May 1915 : formation became 161st Brigade in 54th (East Anglian) Division. Moved late in the month to St Albans.
21 July 1915 : sailed from Devonport for Gallipoli, going via Lemnos. Landed at Suvla bay 12 August 1915.
4 December 1915 : evacuated from Gallipoli and moved to Mudros, going on to Alexandria 17 December 1915. Remained in Egypt/Palestine theatre thereafter

M

[Matlock1418]

3 hours ago, Matlock1418 said:

That 302257 opens up a pension index card with an address of 97 North Station Road, Colchester and another with a widow's claim by Sophie with William having died on 14.9.80

Does this seem like your GU?

Martin, You never actually confirmed this confirms 302257 as your GU.

For peace of mind [well mine any way] it rather does need confirming please.

M

Edit: I have found at FreeBMD:

     Surname: First name(s) Spouse District     Vol Page 

     Marriages: Sep 1920

     Donnelly, Sophie        Locke     Colchester 4a 2206  

     Locke, William E        Donnelly Colchester 4a 2206

Does this suit? To me it looks a strong contender.

As does this:

     Surname First name(s)         DoB         District Vol Page 

     Deaths: Sep 1980

     LOCKE, WILLIAM ERNEST 8 DE1898 COLCHESTER 9 1886

The 1898 YoB you earlier provided seems to match ... but does it all fit your family genealogy, known from elsewhere?

 

Edited 4 May by Matlock1418
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