24 Imperial Brigade, Worc. Regiment

[wulliam]

Dear All,

in researching my general family history I have, inevitably, come across WWI links. I have, amongst others, a document ("Certificate of transfer to Reserve on Demobilization")that tells me the following - transcribed exactly:

Frank William Ashman, Corpl, Regtl No. 29992, Worcestershire Regiment

Enlisted on the 4-12-1915.

Awarded Military Medal Authy H.Q. 24th Imp. Bde No 2964 [funny squiggle that looks like an over-sized '7'] 6-11-18

Transferred to Army reserve on 2-3-1919...signed by the officer i/c Infantry records.

I also have his enlistment papers and his medal card...neither of which, as far as I can tell, give any further info other than his armlet number CT1026 and the rolls on which his Victory & British medals can be found.

Here's my question...do I know enough at present to work out where he would have fought? I've tried looking for the 24th Imperial Brigade but cannot find anything under that name - might it have been known as something else??

Thanks for reading - and hopefully responding!

Kind regards,

William

[Doug Lewis]

William

Frank William Ashman would have served in the 1st Battalion Worcestershire Regiment who were part of the 24th Brigade.

Go here on the main site for more information.

http://www.1914-1918.net/worcester.htm

Regards Doug.

[Steven Broomfield]

Welcome aboard, William. Guess the 'Imp' is a mis-reading of 'Inf' (for 'Infantry', rather than 'Imperial'). According to the Worcesters History, Cpl Ashman was gazetted his MM on 17th June, 1919, so I guess the action he won it for was the 6th November date. However, the Bn was in reserve from 26th October, and on 6th November was well behind the Lines. I guess therefore that it may be possible that the date referred to is the date the CO had time to make his recommendations; possibly Ashman got the gong for the last fight the Bn was in - the fighting round Douai on and around the 18th October.

The medal experts will be able to tell you about sources of citations, etc.

Good luck!

[Stebie9173]

I would imagine that "Imp." could be "Inf."? As in Infantry Brigade.

Is it typed or hand written?

I also concur with Doug on the 1st Battalion:

London Gazette 17-6-1919

Announcement of Military Medals:

WORCESTERSHIRE REGIMENT.

11788 Sjt. (A./Coy./S.M.) Benianis, H., D.C.M., 1st Bn. (Birmingham).

9189 Sjt. Joseph, E., 1st Bn. (Bristol).

29992 Cpl. Ashman, F. W., 1st Bn. (Birmingham).

12564 Cpl. Capewell, A., 1st Bn. (Birmingham).

44168 Cpl. Saunders, H., 1st Bn. (J'arrow-on-'Tyne).

50730 Cpl. Stinton, G.-W., 8th Bn. (Worcester).

8268 Pte. (L./C.) Arnold, R, 1st Bn. (Birmingham).

46131 Pte. (L./C.) Beesley, V., 1st Bn. (Birmingham).

242089 Pte. Cottle, W., 1st Bn. (Bodmin).

40808 Pte. (L./C.) Davis, R., 1st Bn. (Birmingham).

43037 Pte. Eaton, W., 1st Bn. (Birkenhead).

43060 Pte. (L./C.) Hurley, E. E., 1st Bn. (Taunton).

9106 Pte. Richards, H./lst Bn. (Dudley).

44479 Pte. (L./C.) Summers, J., 1st Bn. (Shipston-on-Stour).

238154 Pte. Watts, W., 1st Bn. (Coltishall).

http://www.gazettes-online.co.uk/archiveVi...&selHonourType=

Which would imply that the date of the winning of the MM was the November date, and that it could have been at a fairly major engagement.

Steve.

EDIT: Ah. Too slow. Steven has pretty much said it all already...

[Steven Broomfield]

EDIT: Ah. Too slow. Steven has pretty much said it all already...

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Fastest Finger First

[wulliam]

Doug, Steven & Steve - many thanks for the responses...very helpful already!

Since posting the message I have been going through my Ashman files and discovered a reference to Frank's being wounded in May 1918 - I knew he had been gassed but wasn't aware that I had the date.

However, on 2-3-1919 he is recorded as being 'A1' in the medical category. A1 sounds to me as being excellent condition rather than the hacking cough which he carried to his grave in the 1990's.

Any thoughts as to whether A1 does mean 'excellent' and how that could tie in to the gassing the previous May?!

Thanks again!

William

[Steven Broomfield]

A1, I believe, is the top grading for health - so he would have been fully fit. he would have been graded after his injury; he would have gone before a panel of medics to asess his state of health. Frankly, the ability to walk and breath unaided would have been enough at certain points, I suspect!

The cough may well have developed over years; 80 years of deterioration (he may well have been a smoker....) will have made his cough far worse by the 90's. An uncle of my wife's had the same thing; i never met him, but Mrs Broomfield (whom God preserve) remembers him sitting in an armchair hacking away.