Pte. Thomas Henry Culverhouse MM, 21796 - 8th Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry

[Ivor Anderson]

Pte. Thomas Henry Culverhouse MM, 21796 - 8th Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry

This MM was gazetted 11 Dec 1918 as a single award to the 8th Bn. - one of only 13 awarded to the Bn. during their service in the SALONIKA theatre during 1915-1918.

LG: https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/31061/supplement/14658  

The 11 Dec 1918 contains awards for the Battle of Amiens in August 1918, so this MM is likely for an action around August 1918?

The war diaries for 8th DCLI are not yet digitised.

Thomas' discharge papers are available on Ancestry. He enlisted 24 May 1915 at Marylebone (aged 19 years, 33 days). He was a 'milk carrier' and single.

Address at enlistment & in 1911 was 28 Frederick St., St John's Wood, London.

He was in Egypt Feb-Aug 1916, and then moved to Salonika for the duration. Discharged 14 June 1919 as a L/Cpl.

   MM index card - The National Archives' reference WO 372/23/96174:

 

Edited 22 May by Ivor Anderson
Additional Info

[Matlock1418]

40 minutes ago, Ivor Anderson said:

Discharged 14 June 1919

There is a pension index card at WFA/Fold3 which shows he put in a disability pension claim on discharge [condition not specified] but was Rejected.  3 Frederick Rd, St John's Wood.

There is a second, undated, PIC with the claimant being Caroline Matilda CULVERHOUSE, 12 Emon St, St John's Rd, NW - however the trail then goes cold.

M

Edit: I suspect the second claimant might perhaps be his mother [but the reason for the claim is unclear].

Thence potentially:

Surname   First name(s)      District     Vol Page 

Marriages Dec 1890

Costello Caroline Matilda  Marylebone 1a 1158  

Culverhouse Edwin Philip  Marylebone 1a 1158

and

Births Dec 1895

Culverhouse Thomas Henry  Marylebone 1a 577  [GRO record mother's maiden surname as Costello]

Always assuming there aren't naming and locale coincidences  - a small discrepancy in age on enlistment might be being revealed here ???

Edited 22 May by Matlock1418
edit

[Ivor Anderson]

6 hours ago, Matlock1418 said:

There is a second, undated, PIC with the claimant being Caroline Matilda CULVERHOUSE, 12 Emon St, St John's Rd, NW - however the trail then goes cold.

Thanks M. That must be his mother. His parents Edwin Philip Culverhouse & Caroline Matilda Costello married at St. Stephen the Martyr Church, Marylebone on 25 Dec 1890.

His father served in WW1 as 117468 with the Royal Engineers. His service record is on Ancestry. Enlisted 24 August 1915. embarked with 6th Labour Bn. 2 Sept 1915.

He was invalided home with TB in Jan 1916 and died in 3rrd London General hospital, Wandsworth on 3 Feb 1916. Buried Wandsworth cemetery.

[Ivor Anderson]

Thomas Henry Culverhouse's birth was registered in Marylebone in Q4 1895. He was baptised in St Ann's Tottenham 20 July 1896. Ancestry:

He married Emily Roe in Marylebone district in Q4 1920.          Family living 3 Eamont Street, St. John's Wood in 1922 & 1925 ERs.

Dau. Betty b. 10 July 1921 (m. Leslie Amsbury Q2 1942 in Hendon), Ivy b. 19 Jul 1923, Winifred Q4 1926, Thomas b. 27 Oct 1935.

In 1939 they were living in 44 Blundell Rd., Hendon. Thomas b. 26 June 1897?, Emily b. 28 April 1898, Betty b. 10 July 1921, Ivy b. 19 July 1923.

Edited 23 May by Ivor Anderson
Additional Info

[Matlock1418]

46 minutes ago, Ivor Anderson said:

His father served in WW1 as 117468 with the Royal Engineers. His service record is on Ancestry. Enlisted 24 August 1915. embarked with 6th Labour Bn. 2 Sept 1915.

He was invalided home with TB in Jan 1916 and died in 3rrd London General hospital, Wandsworth on 3 Feb 1916. Buried Wandsworth cemetery.

E P CULVERHOUSE, 117468, RE

A detailed and interesting PIC is available at WFA/Fold3 - makes further reference to THC [additional dependant's pensions awarded with respect to THC - see Remarks, in red ink, bottom right]

Image thanks to WFA/Fold3

Rear has further annotations

46 minutes ago, Ivor Anderson said:

There is a second, undated, PIC with the claimant being Caroline Matilda CULVERHOUSE, 12 Emon St, St John's Rd, NW - however the trail then goes cold.

This is where CMC's pension record relating to THC is now elsewhere found.

M

Edited 22 May by Matlock1418
add

[Ivor Anderson]

It looks from his (Ancestry) discharge papers that Thomas suffered from Malaria in Salonika in Aug 1917:

[Matlock1418]

8 hours ago, Matlock1418 said:

There is a pension index card at WFA/Fold3 which shows he put in a disability pension claim on discharge [condition not specified] but was Rejected.  3 Frederick Rd, St John's Wood.

20 minutes ago, Ivor Anderson said:

It looks from his (Ancestry) discharge papers that Thomas suffered from Malaria in Salonika in Aug 1917:

This abstrct provided is off his Army Form Z.22 'Statement as to Disability' - a form all men had the opportunity to submit, should they wish, at point of discharge.

In order that a pension be awarded a Medical Board had to be satisfied that there was an on-going disability.

Just having had Malaria [without an on-going effect] would result in no award / rejection.

Is there any further evidence amongst his papers of such a MB or decison notice to award or reject?

M

[Ivor Anderson]

28 minutes ago, Matlock1418 said:

Is there any further evidence amongst his papers of such a MB or decison notice to award or reject?

Thanks M. This page seems to state 'claim rejected': 

Edited 22 May by Ivor Anderson

[Matlock1418]

1 hour ago, Ivor Anderson said:

Thanks M. This page seems to state 'claim rejected': 

Thank you.

As I would have expected from the PIC - From the MB note the No Disablement

M

[Ivor Anderson]

Thanks M.

On 22/05/2024 at 09:27, Matlock1418 said:

Births Dec 1895

Culverhouse Thomas Henry  Marylebone 1a 577  [GRO record mother's maiden surname as Costello]

Always assuming there aren't naming and locale coincidences  - a small discrepancy in age on enlistment might be being revealed here ???

  I noticed this age discrepancy myself, given his stated age at enlistment in May 1915 as 19 & 334 days (also, his stated age at the time of the claim in April 1919 was 23):

NB there was a Thomas Edwin Culverhouse b. in Marylebone in Q3 1897.  The age on the 1911 census matches neither exactly (Ancestry):

The age on the 1939 Register gives 26 June 1897 as his DoB (Ancestry):

NB a Thomas Henry E Culverhouse died in Hendon district Q4 1981, aged 84, DoB given as 26 June 1897.

Edited 23 May by Ivor Anderson
Additional Info

[AndrewSid]

On 22/05/2024 at 09:06, Ivor Anderson said:

The 11 Dec 1918 contains awards for the Battle of Amiens in August 1918, so this MM is likely for an action around August 1918?

Ivor -  Ive deleted my original reply as it’s incorrect.  i have some war diaries and documents  so I will take a look shortly.

 

Andy

Edited 23 May by AndrewSid

[Ivor Anderson]

13 hours ago, AndrewSid said:

There were no major actions at that phase of the campaign although trench raids were not infrequent.  More digging required.

  Thanks Andy. An individual award at that stage is likely to have been for some specific act. Unfortunately, without the WD we cannot be sure at present.

  The 8th SLI were with 79th Brigade, 26th Division. So other WDs may mention something.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/26th_Division_(United_Kingdom)   11th Worcestershires were with 78th Bde., 26th Div. They also got a single MM in that gazette:

Like Culverhouse's, the MM index card of Sgt Frederick Charles Clarke has no schedule no. It has the same RP ref: 68/121/715.

Edited 24 May by Ivor Anderson
Additional Info

[Ivor Anderson]

FROM THE BMF site: https://britishmedalforum.com/viewtopic.php?p=961574&hilit=16072+clarke#p961574

Hampshire Telegraph - Friday 29 November 1918           re 16072 Sergeant Frederick C. Clarke, M.M., 11th Battalion, Worcestershire Regiment.

"GALLANT DEEDS REWARDED.— In a recent issue it was announced that the military medal had been awarded to Sergt. F. C. Clarke, of the 11th Battalion, Worcester Regt., a Portsmouth man. Particulars are now to hand of how this gallant N.C.O. in charge of the left flank party of a patrol party at Piton des Quatres Arbres, Salonika, charged an enemy patrol. They were so heavily bombed that it was only by skillfully handling his men that Sergt. Clarke covered the withdrawal of the wounded and protected the Lewis gun. He has served continuously since September, 1914, and has twice previously been recommended. As a result of his reconnaissance at Macukovo village an enemy day post was captured. He has been in charge of the Battalion scouts for nearly three months, and has set a magnificent example to his men."

[Ivor Anderson]

Thomas Henry Culverhouse's MM:

 

Edited 24 May by Ivor Anderson

[Ivor Anderson]

His brother William Robert Culverhouse served in WW1 as 67891 Royal Field Artillery. He has a surviving Service Record on Ancestry. Enlisted Marylebone 6 Jan 1915.

EDIT: Thomas Henry Culverhouse's MM sold online on 26 May 2024 for £520. Neither bought/sold by me.

Edited 26 May by Ivor Anderson