Herbert Mathison

[Guest neddie62]

hello i am trying to find out as much information about my grandfathers war service as is possible. My grandfather was Corporal Herbert Mathison of the Royal Engineers i have 2 service numbers for him 200610 & wr/552805 i have only a ring of his that is inscribed baghdad 1918 and i believe he served in the mesopatamia campaign. he also suffered from smallpox and was not demobbed at the wars end. he was born 2/11/1887 and would have been living in birmingham at the time of his enlistment ,his next of kin would have been his wife Mrs Ada Mathison.

any information.advice or help would be greatly appreciated.

best wishes to all Ned

[SharonWitherden]

Ned,

Have you downloaded his medal index card?

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documen...p;resultcount=1

This will give you the medal roll numbers which you can look up at the National Archives. This may give more information on the units he served with.

Sharon

[Stebie9173]

Royal Engineer Medal Rolls are usually very sparse with information on actual units served with. However, you will probably be best served to check...

I don't know if the Birmingham absent voters lists are still around (he was obviously alive in 1918, and over 21 so should have registered for the 1918 General Election). If you can find the AVL then it may list his full unit.

The WR/ number above is a Waterways and Railways number. This part of the Royal Engineers was made into a separate department of the main Corps of Royal Engineers in 1918 and all its men were given a new number. (They did not necessarily change jobs).

The 200610 number, the WR/ prefix, the 500000 number and the theatre of war of Mesopotamia all lead me to think that he was part of the IWT (Inland Waterways Transport) Department.

I would say from his earlier 200610 number that he may have enlisted in 1916. He was possibly a man who registered as a Derby Scheme enlister and then was called up later during 1916 due to his family status.

If any of his children's births and/or his marriage occured during the war, it would be worthwhile getting copies of the certificates to see if they state what unit he was with.

Steve.