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6th Class, Indian Army School of Cookery, Poona 1905


mrfrank

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4 minutes ago, FROGSMILE said:

still seems to imply that his parent corps was ASC, but I hope that can be confirmed somehow as it still isn’t specifically mentioned.

See edit to my post on him. Mic shows Welsh Regt.

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37 minutes ago, charlie962 said:

See edit to my post on him. Mic shows Welsh Regt.

Fantastic!  So he was indeed originally a regimental instructor!  That is so revealing.  It has me wondering now if there were actually no ASC cooks ## (no trade for them as there was for butchers and bakers) and that the school at Aldershot might have been run by the Army, but staffed by civilians who then trained the unit cooks of the field army.

It’s also especially significant that his appointment was ‘Conductor’ (a special appointment for the most senior warrant officers) on the Indian Miscellaneous List.  The Indian Army had their own Conductors for a very long time indeed (they were inherited from the HEIC), over and above and preceding those in the British Imperial service that existed in variously reorganised service support corps, before ending up in the Army Ordnance Corps and now the Royal Logistics Corps.  The Indian service is an aspect only rarely mentioned.  This individual might be of interest to @Muerrisch I think.

## those in e.g. formation headquarters must have come from somewhere…

** @MaureenE  do you know if the Indian Miscellaneous List was a subset of the Indian Unattached List?

Edited by FROGSMILE
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12 minutes ago, charlie962 said:

17 Fitzgerald

This is probably his record

Screenshot_20240907-090031_Chrome.jpg.430d32ff7096b55e391d88e4e1bc4205.jpg

source Findmypast 

Thanks again Charlie.  The reference to ‘Indian Miscellaneous List’ is clear and repeated.  I think this is probably a subset of the Indian Unattached List and a direct equivalent of Garrison Staff in the Imperial Service (i.e.at home).

NB.  The Welsh Regiment connection (as his origin) might have some bearing on why he’s wearing a red sash. 

Edited by FROGSMILE
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1 hour ago, FROGSMILE said:

 @MaureenE  do you know if the Indian Miscellaneous List was a subset of the Indian Unattached List?

Yes, it was.

Maureen

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There is 2148 Sergeant John Fitzgerald who was awarded a LSGC on 1 July 1903, archive reference WO 102/17 refers. His contemporary 2149 Charles William Joslin joined the regiment on 7 December 1887, so presumably John Fitzgerald transferred in at the same time.

It looks like he has a Queen's South Africa medal with 7 clasps, alongside a LSGC, in the photo. He does appear on the medal roll, but I have not looked at the roll itself.

The 1st Battalion were garrisoned at Malta from 29 Aug 1889 to 14 Nov 1893. I do not think they are on the 1891 census.

Image derived from that already posted.

Fitzgerald.JPG

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15 minutes ago, MaureenE said:

Yes, it was.

Maureen

Thank you Maureen 👍

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11 minutes ago, Keith_history_buff said:

There is 2148 Sergeant John Fitzgerald who was awarded a LSGC on 1 July 1903, archive reference WO 102/17 refers. His contemporary 2149 Charles William Joslin joined the regiment on 7 December 1887, so presumably John Fitzgerald transferred in at the same time.

It looks like he has a Queen's South Africa medal with 7 clasps, alongside a LSGC, in the photo. He does appear on the medal roll, but I have not looked at the roll itself.

The 1st Battalion were garrisoned at Malta from 29 Aug 1889 to 14 Nov 1893. I do not think they are on the 1891 census.

Image derived from that already posted.

Fitzgerald.JPG

Presumably originally enlisted with the Welsh and trained at Maindy Barracks, Cardiff, unless he transferred in from another regiment.  He must then have been the cook sergeant before being posted to the cookery school at Aldershot as an instructor, and then (as mentioned in the newspaper article) subsequently moved on to the school at Poona, where he was obliged to join the India Miscellaneous List.

Edited by FROGSMILE
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He is at Poona with the 1st Battalion, Welch Regiment, on the 1921 census, archive reference RG 12/28122. He is married and from Ireland.
https://www.findmypast.co.uk/transcript?id=GBC%2F1921%2FRG15%2F28122%2F0201%2F02

First name(s)    John
Last name    Fitzgerald
Age as transcribed    54 y 3 m
Marital status    Married
Birth place as transcribed    Ireland
Rank or rating    Conductor
Branch of service    Army
Service and branch or arm of service    1/B Welsh Regt
Name of ship or barracks    Various Units, Poona District
Archive series    RG 15
Piece number    28122
Page    14
Schedule type code    NM
Record set    1921 Census Of England & Wales
 

Partial transcription courtesy FindMyPast

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23 minutes ago, Keith_history_buff said:

He is at Poona with the 1st Battalion, Welch Regiment, on the 1921 census, archive reference RG 12/28122. He is married and from Ireland.
https://www.findmypast.co.uk/transcript?id=GBC%2F1921%2FRG15%2F28122%2F0201%2F02

First name(s)    John
Last name    Fitzgerald
Age as transcribed    54 y 3 m
Marital status    Married
Birth place as transcribed    Ireland
Rank or rating    Conductor
Branch of service    Army
Service and branch or arm of service    1/B Welsh Regt
Name of ship or barracks    Various Units, Poona District
Archive series    RG 15
Piece number    28122
Page    14
Schedule type code    NM
Record set    1921 Census Of England & Wales
 

Partial transcription courtesy FindMyPast

As per usual he retained his parent unit, but in modern parlance the India Miscellaneous List provided the funding line (responsible for his pay and allowances).  It meant he was ERE (extra regimentally employed) as far as the Welch Regiment were concerned.  Of but not with.  Interesting that the post was also in effect a ‘long service’ category and took him beyond the usual maximum 21-years of colour service.

Edited by FROGSMILE
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There is a death of a John Fitzgerald in Poona. He died 15 December 1921 and was buried 16 December 1921.

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10 minutes ago, FROGSMILE said:

As per usual he retained his parent unit, but in modern parlance the India Miscellaneous List provided the funding line for his pay.  It meant he was ERE (extra regimentally employed) as far as the Welch Regiment were concerned.  Of but not with.

Confirmed by the image, which has the header of Army School of Cookery, Poona
Major & Quartermaster James Thomas Gorman is the first person listed

Image courtesy FindMyPast

GBC_1921_RG15_28122_0201.jpg

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3 minutes ago, Keith_history_buff said:

Confirmed by the image, which has the header of Army School of Cookery, Poona
Major & Quartermaster James Thomas Gorman is the first person listed

Image courtesy FindMyPast

GBC_1921_RG15_28122_0201.jpg

Interesting how they’ve struck him through.

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37 minutes ago, Keith_history_buff said:

Confirmed by the image, which has the header of Army School of Cookery, Poona
Major & Quartermaster James Thomas Gorman is the first person listed

Presumably everyone from line 4 onwards were the contemporary course passing through the school rather than permanent staff.

Is there a Mrs Fitzgerald recorded at Poona on the same census - there isn't on the 1911 Census but I assume that was because the School was classed as an Indian Army facility.
If a wife can be identified then the possibility of tracking Johns' units and rank via marriage and birth \ baptism records might firm up.

Possibles for children at the moment from the Army Births and Baptisms records for a Fitzgerald recorded at Poona are:-
William Henry Fitzgerald, 1905, father serving with the "41st Foot". (The Welsh Regiment was formed from the merged 41st and 69th Foot).

And looking for births in the same source just for a Fitzgerald whose father served in the 41st Foot also brings up a John A. Fitzgerald, Aldershot, 1902.
In the civil birth records for England & Wales that is likely to be John Alexander Fitzgerald, mothers' maiden name Watson, registered in the Farnham District in the April to June quarter, (Q2), of 1902.

Cheers,
Peter

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27 minutes ago, PRC said:

Presumably everyone from line 4 onwards were the contemporary course passing through the school rather than permanent staff.

I can also identify
9692 Thomas William Craker, Sergeant, South Wales Borderers. He enlisted towards the end of 1907. I presume he would return to the 2nd Battalion upon completion of the course.

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4 hours ago, Keith_history_buff said:

There is 2148 Sergeant John Fitzgerald who was awarded a LSGC on 1 July 1903, archive reference WO 102/17 refers. His contemporary 2149 Charles William Joslin joined the regiment on 7 December 1887, so presumably John Fitzgerald transferred in at the same time.

It looks like he has a Queen's South Africa medal with 7 clasps, alongside a LSGC, in the photo. He does appear on the medal roll, but I have not looked at the roll itself.

The 1st Battalion were garrisoned at Malta from 29 Aug 1889 to 14 Nov 1893. I do not think they are on the 1891 census.

Image derived from that already posted.

Fitzgerald.JPG

2148 Sgt J Fitzgerald had QSA with clasps 

Paardeberg

Dreifontein

Johannesburg 

Diamond Hill

Belfast

Relief of Kimberley

South Africa 1901

      Total 7

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3 hours ago, PRC said:

William Henry Fitzgerald, 1905, father serving with the "41st Foot". (The Welsh Regiment was formed from the merged 41st and 69th Foot).

And looking for births in the same source just for a Fitzgerald whose father served in the 41st Foot also brings up a John A. Fitzgerald, Aldershot, 1902.

That seems likely to be them I agree.  The 41st of course became 1st Bn Welsh and, as well as it being common within battalions to use their old precedence number colloquially, it was also not unusual for the clerical personnel at higher authority (Bde, Div, Garrison, etc.) to use a similar shorthand.  It was much quicker to write “41st”.

Edited by FROGSMILE
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9 minutes ago, Keith_history_buff said:

Thanks for identifying the seven QSA clasps.

Major & Quartermaster James Thomas Gorman, Connaught Rangers, appointed on 7 Dec 1920 as Commandant, Army School of Cookery, Poona
No other staff listed.

https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.284991/page/n69/mode/1up

That’s also interesting Keith, all of these key appointees are seasoned infantrymen who’ve been there and done it, fully understanding the challenges of feeding a combatant unit in the field.  A far more pragmatic and sensible appointment I think than someone from Supply and Transport. 

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I know this does not add to the erudite content of this thread but having just read it I must thank @mrfrank for posting the photos and congratulate the other contributing members for a fantastic demonstration of knowledge and research skills.  I am in awe.

Wonderful content - I'm very much impressed and grateful for your sharing.  Thank you all. :thumbsup::)

M

Edited by Matlock1418
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23 minutes ago, Boydo said:

A Garvey 2nd Bn. Connaught Rangers.

20240914_090706.jpg

An interesting transitional shot as it shows the old woven thread shoulder title alongside the new, brass ‘CR’ shoulder title.  The changeover took place 1907-1908.

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2 hours ago, Boydo said:

A Garvey 2nd Bn. Connaught Rangers.

Hopefully picked up the right individual to make a side by side comparison. Any idea who he was was?

AGarveycomparisonv1.png.6c3fd5431e19a38eb55a02bf833063c5.png

No new IP is claimed for the above and all image rights, if any, remain with the current owners.

Cheers,
Peter

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2 hours ago, PRC said:

Hopefully picked up the right individual to make a side by side comparison. Any idea who he was was?

AGarveycomparisonv1.png.6c3fd5431e19a38eb55a02bf833063c5.png

No new IP is claimed for the above and all image rights, if any, remain with the current owners.

Cheers,
Peter

The three match perfectly Peter. 👍

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