pompeyrodney Posted 13 September , 2006 Share Posted 13 September , 2006 Does anybody have any photos of the 7th Battalion Somerset Light Infantry of which my grandfather was a member until wounded in May 1917. As far as I know there are no photos of him (Private CWG House) anywhere so I would like to see if I can find any anywhere. Many thanks in advance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
delta Posted 13 September , 2006 Share Posted 13 September , 2006 Brendon Moorhouse is likely to be your best bet! have you read his book on the Bn - it is first class! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pompeyrodney Posted 14 September , 2006 Author Share Posted 14 September , 2006 Brendon Moorhouse is likely to be your best bet! have you read his book on the Bn - it is first class! Bought it and read it thanks but I don't remember many, if any photos in it, correct me if I am wrong by all means. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevenbecker Posted 15 September , 2006 Share Posted 15 September , 2006 Mate, Don't all British Regts have a museum in there county somewhere, you could try that. S.B Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pompeyrodney Posted 15 September , 2006 Author Share Posted 15 September , 2006 Mate, Don't all British Regts have a museum in there county somewhere, you could try that. S.B Hi Steve Thanks mate I believe the museum to be in Taunton so I guess I need to get myself down there sometime. Cheers Julian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Light Bob Posted 17 September , 2006 Share Posted 17 September , 2006 Hi Julian The SLI Museum is part of the County Museum at The Castle Taunton, however the archives are at the Somerset Record Office, Obridge Road, Taunton The Archive Catalogue is available on line at http://www.somerset.gov.uk/archives/dservea/ You may find it worth a visit Brian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BMoorhouse Posted 18 September , 2006 Share Posted 18 September , 2006 Unfortunately the 7th Somersets have very few photos - and the only ones that I am aware of at the Light Infantry Office/County Museum are a group of 4 photos showing the battalion entraining for France. (2 of which are in my book) I have a group photo of what I believe to be one of the companies prior to Feb 1916 (as the men were in hats) that I can e-mail to you. Unfortunately there are no names to help identify the men. Regards, Brendon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrislock Posted 18 September , 2006 Share Posted 18 September , 2006 Nice one Brendon! Hope all is well with you mate, dont forget, when you are over here in Ypres again, look me up and dont forget that 5th pic, ha! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pompeyrodney Posted 18 September , 2006 Author Share Posted 18 September , 2006 Unfortunately the 7th Somersets have very few photos - and the only ones that I am aware of at the Light Infantry Office/County Museum are a group of 4 photos showing the battalion entraining for France. (2 of which are in my book) I have a group photo of what I believe to be one of the companies prior to Feb 1916 (as the men were in hats) that I can e-mail to you. Unfortunately there are no names to help identify the men. Cheers Brendon that would be very useful indeed. Regards Julian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BMoorhouse Posted 23 September , 2006 Share Posted 23 September , 2006 Chris, Good to hear from you. I hope to get over the channel again soon - its been far too long... and I will certainly look you up when I get there. I hope all is going well with your new venture. Regards, Brendon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ejcmartin Posted 7 January , 2007 Share Posted 7 January , 2007 Mother may have some photos. My Grandfather (N. C. Parsons) served with the SLI, not sure exactly which Battalion. My Great Uncle (A. C. Parsons) also served and what I can gather from research so far, he was originally UPS Bn then 2nd LT 7th SLI (wounded at Transloy Ridge, Oct 1916) and then was killed March, 1918 Captain with the 1st Bn SLI. My mother has a number of photos from my Grandfather, a number of which include my Great Uncle and others. (Many of whom my Grandfather has put the initial of underneath.) Problem is I have to get my mother to have them copied or scanned and sent to me as she lives a few thousand km away! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
delta Posted 7 January , 2007 Share Posted 7 January , 2007 Welcome to the Forum - and what a brilliant first post we will be looking foward to the phots is you Mum on this side of the pond or on the other side of the Rockies? Stephen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
themonsstar Posted 7 January , 2007 Share Posted 7 January , 2007 Also as well as Brenden's book there is another book on the 7th Battalion SLI, its 'Scrap Book of the 7th Bn Somerset Light Infantry' published 1932, by H.A. Foley. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ejcmartin Posted 8 January , 2007 Share Posted 8 January , 2007 Welcome to the Forum - and what a brilliant first post we will be looking foward to the phots is you Mum on this side of the pond or on the other side of the Rockies? Stephen I am closer to Tipperary (2,200km) than I am to my "Mum" (3,000km) who lives north of Toronto. I have been wanting to get copies made of the photos for some time, so this might move it along. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
delta Posted 8 January , 2007 Share Posted 8 January , 2007 So much for my knowledge of "relative" distances. mind you I have only flown from Toronto to St John (NB) and never visited Newfie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ejcmartin Posted 9 January , 2007 Share Posted 9 January , 2007 I have put in the order for photo from my "Mum", when I receive them I will certainly post what I can. I have attached an interesting series of caricatures, which includes my Grandfather N. C. Parsons. Although I know he was with the SLI and was a Signals Lieutenant, I do not know much else. If anyone would have insight into these sketches it would be much appreciated. My research so far has told me that S41 refers to the military charge for "scandalous behaviour" and JB Melhuish later became a cartoonist for some paper in the UK. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BMoorhouse Posted 9 January , 2007 Share Posted 9 January , 2007 ejcmartin, I wonder whether you can post a better quality pic of the caricature. I suspect that if the names are clear enough you will find that someone here will be able to tell you all about them - there are some amazing researchers on this forum. Also, I am currently researching a book on the 1st Somersets and would be very much interested if you have any information that might help. I will try to keep an eye out for the Parsons name as I go along. Regards, Brendon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ejcmartin Posted 9 January , 2007 Share Posted 9 January , 2007 ejcmartin, I wonder whether you can post a better quality pic of the caricature. I suspect that if the names are clear enough you will find that someone here will be able to tell you all about them - there are some amazing researchers on this forum. My original attachment kept being rejected as too large a file, so I kept reducing it until was accepted. If anyone knows another way I would be glad to. I presently have it on a PDF file. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ejcmartin Posted 10 January , 2007 Share Posted 10 January , 2007 ejcmartin, I wonder whether you can post a better quality pic of the caricature. I suspect that if the names are clear enough you will find that someone here will be able to tell you all about them - there are some amazing researchers on this forum. Also, I am currently researching a book on the 1st Somersets and would be very much interested if you have any information that might help. I will try to keep an eye out for the Parsons name as I go along. Regards, Brendon. I have changed the pic to make it larger. On the 1st Somersets you should come across my Great Uncle Alfred Cyril Parsons (Nephew of the painter Alfred Parsons) as he was a Captain killed in March 1918 and is mentioned in Wyrall's book, which I am presently reading. (PS My next read is your book on the 7th Bn or "The Fighting Newfoundlander") Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Light Bob Posted 13 January , 2007 Share Posted 13 January , 2007 Hi Hope this will be of interest. The records at the Somerset Light Infantry Archive show that 2nd Lieutenants C C H Lewin, R A Morris, A C Parsons and N F Boyes arrived in France on 14th October 1917. The first three joined the 1st Battalion on the 20th October followed by Boyes on 4th November. Lewin was killed in action on 2nd November 1918 and Parsons on 29th March 1918. Morris returned to England on 15th December and Boyes remained with the Battalion until 30th January 1919. Brendon Have you come across Tim Machin’s book ‘Cowards War’ which are the edited notebooks of George Coward of the 1st Somersets. It gives a fascinating account of the experiences of an ordinary ‘Tommy’, particularly if read in conjunction with the War Diaries and other contemporary accounts. Brian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bsears Posted 13 January , 2007 Share Posted 13 January , 2007 I would very much like to see any pictures you have of the 7th. My G Grandfather was killed at Le transloy Oct 1916. He was CSM of B Coy. We have no pictures of him so very keen to see any. Barrie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BMoorhouse Posted 13 January , 2007 Share Posted 13 January , 2007 Brendon Have you come across Tim Machin’s book ‘Cowards War’ which are the edited notebooks of George Coward of the 1st Somersets. It gives a fascinating account of the experiences of an ordinary ‘Tommy’, particularly if read in conjunction with the War Diaries and other contemporary accounts. Brian Many thanks for that Brian. It is on my Birthday list - and if it does not arrive in the next few days I will be sneaking out and getting it for myself. Regards, Brendon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ejcmartin Posted 14 January , 2007 Share Posted 14 January , 2007 My mother sent me a few pics by email but unfortunately they appear to be training photos of my grandfather with the Royal Fusiliers 19Bn prior to joining the Somersets. She has additional photos but I think I will need to give her the money to have them all scanned and sent. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Big G Posted 20 January , 2007 Share Posted 20 January , 2007 I stumbled across these posts whilst casually looking for information on the 7th Battalion SLI and I'd like to take this opportunity to give a big "thank you" to Brendon for his book. In the Autumn I went with my wife Jo to visit the graves of her grandfather and his brother who were both killed during the attack on Guillemont. Our interest in finding out more about what happened to them was no doubt heightened by staying in a B&B virtually on the battlefield and when we returned home I set out to locate as many books as I could. A quick search on the internet located "Forged by Fire" and a copy soon arrived by post at my office. The index led me to Page 79, where I discovered the fate of "The two brothers Porter of Durleigh". The image of Charley (his spelling) "last seen going towards a shell hole where his brother was" was extremely powerful. The brother, Tom, is my wifes grandfather. However this was nothing compared to the revelation on page 84 where the desperate efforts of Ada Porter, wife of Tom, to find out what had happened to her husband are described. As you can imagine little work was done for a while, but it was strangely comforting to read, however briefly, of the devotion to each other shown by the two brothers and Ada. Thanks Brendon. Anyway "pompeyrodney" if you've stayed with me I may be able to help in your quest. As well as photos of Charley, Tom and Ada with Tom and I think their eldest son, we have photos of an "unknown Corporal" and a group of 20 soldiers and one officer outside their "hut" with 2 more soldiers visible in a window. This might be Brendons photo, No.33 has been scratched in the bottom left hand of the negative, and as soon as I find out how to use this web-site properly I'll "post" them. I'll also check with my wifes cousins to see if they have anything of interest although this may take some time. Co-incidentally one of Toms grandchildren is called.....Rodney. In the mean-time Brendon I'd be gratefull for a copy of your photo. Thanks again. Gordon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bsears Posted 22 January , 2007 Share Posted 22 January , 2007 Hello Gordon, I have to agree with you on your comments re Brendons book. It has been an invaluable source of information for me. My G Grandfather was CSM Joe Sears of B then C Coy up until he was KIA in October 1916. There are several references to him Pages 50 and 13. After reading the book and in particular the piece on P13 it told the story of him getting word of the birth of his son. We only knew he had one son, my Grandfather who was born in 1913. We very recently discovered the actual telegram stamped by the 7th Btln orderly room announcing the birth of his son. It must have been passed to my G Grandmother some years after his death. No one in the family knew she had any children that died in infancy. Quite amazing really that I discovered this from Brendon's book and not information passed down by the family. In those days though I'm sure many infants died young. The Somerset Infantry museum I have found helpful maybe worth contacing them as well. Barrie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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