LynnLyons Posted 14 July , 2007 Share Posted 14 July , 2007 I was wondering if anyone might be able to help me find further information on Joseph V Lucas 141148 RGA. I understand that he enlisted 18/11/1915 and was discharged 21/5/1919. I have been told that he was probably in 53 seige battery. Any more information about what they did & where, would be much appreciated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coldstreamer Posted 14 July , 2007 Share Posted 14 July , 2007 medal and swb rolls will give you more info such as reason for discharge Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LynnLyons Posted 15 July , 2007 Author Share Posted 15 July , 2007 medal and swb rolls will give you more info such as reason for discharge Thanks. Can anyone help translate the number on the medal card, to the National archive numbers, so I know where to look please? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ororkep Posted 15 July , 2007 Share Posted 15 July , 2007 Lynn, For the SWB its WO329/2989, he will be found on the first page. Unfortunately I’m certain this volume disappointly only shows batteries as ‘RGA’ only, and note you already have his enlistment and discharge date; though as Coldstreamer mentions it will also give the reason for his dischargement and possibly his age. A better bet for confirming the battery might be the British & Victory roll, NA ref WO329/286, although this might also only just say RGA or Depot. If 53 SB does prove to be to be correct, a diary survives at ref WO95/304 covering Oct 1915 to Jan 1918. 53 SB went out to the Western Front 26/10/1915. Alternately, with hopefully the imminent release of the balance of the pension files on Ancestry, you might just strike lucky and find his files if you wait just a little longer. Rgds Paul Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LynnLyons Posted 15 July , 2007 Author Share Posted 15 July , 2007 Thanks Paul, I shall keep a note of those details in the hope that I can get to Kew some day. I am eagerly awaiting the further release of pension records on Ancestry, to see if his are available. Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KONDOA Posted 15 July , 2007 Share Posted 15 July , 2007 The award of a SWB is interesting for the discharge date of 5/19 . Around this time he would be demobilised anyway so wonder if your information is correct. Conversely, being a late 1915 recruit he would be one of the last to be demobilised so perhaps was discharged for other reasons. Roop Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LynnLyons Posted 15 July , 2007 Author Share Posted 15 July , 2007 The information I was given said the reason was para 392, if that makes any sense. My grandad's discharge date is given as 27/5/1919, on his medal card. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KONDOA Posted 15 July , 2007 Share Posted 15 July , 2007 OK, 392 is sickness generally, so looks like he was not due for demob for some time. Do you have another MIC as I do not see a discharge date on the one posted above. Roop Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LynnLyons Posted 15 July , 2007 Author Share Posted 15 July , 2007 OK, 392 is sickness generally, so looks like he was not due for demob for some time. Do you have another MIC as I do not see a discharge date on the one posted above. Roop No, that is the only medal card I could find. The discharge & enlistment dates came from the same person who said that he was in 53sb, although looking at the email again, it looks like that should actually say 55sb Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kevinrowlinson Posted 15 July , 2007 Share Posted 15 July , 2007 Given his number I would put say he was given it the first quarter of 1917. The possible reasons for the November 1915 enlistment may be put down to being tranferred from somewhere else, or in my opinion more likely he was a Derby Scheme man. Regards kevin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ororkep Posted 15 July , 2007 Share Posted 15 July , 2007 The SWB details are correct. sometimes numbers can 'go round the clock'. with the addition of his middle name you might be able to find him on Ancestry for his age. Rgds Paul Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LynnLyons Posted 15 July , 2007 Author Share Posted 15 July , 2007 Thanks for posting that Paul, that is great. I should have mentioned that I already know his age, he was born in 1881. He was living in Chester, prior to enlisting & worked as a butcher. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KONDOA Posted 15 July , 2007 Share Posted 15 July , 2007 Interesting to see the man above him in the SWB roll was a Welsh Heavy Battery man. The discharge date is still interesting and points to him not being due for demob at date of discharge. Did he join the army on the Rhine? The picture posted of a railway gun is consistent with 53rd SB, however there are other batteries equally suited to the limited evidence available. Roop Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kevinrowlinson Posted 15 July , 2007 Share Posted 15 July , 2007 A tenner to the forum if my post above is found to be incorrect. Reasons for discharge can be found on the following- index_for_discharge_on_MIC.pdf Regards Kevin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KONDOA Posted 15 July , 2007 Share Posted 15 July , 2007 Such confidence requires at least £20 Kev, but you must prove yourself right! He most probably is a Derby scheme man as you say, I am not so sure that he was hanging around until early 1917 though to get a number. Discharge in 1919 is still odd unless his age or term of service demanded it. Roop Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ororkep Posted 15 July , 2007 Share Posted 15 July , 2007 I'll happily buy you a drink in Skindles anytime Kevin. It is the best railway gun photo Ive ever seen though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kevinrowlinson Posted 15 July , 2007 Share Posted 15 July , 2007 Such confidence requires at least £20 Kev, but you must prove yourself right! He most probably is a Derby scheme man as you say, I am not so sure that he was hanging around until early 1917 though to get a number. Discharge in 1919 is still odd unless his age or term of service demanded it. Roop OK Roop, £20. My grandfather hung around from 7 Dec 1915 until the 21 April 1917. His number was 156608. Without exception (but there's always an exception!), the mens service records in the RGA always shows when the man attested, not when he was transferred or mobilised which is when he was given his number. I am not talking about the TAs though. When I think I have sufficient data I hope to post the results on the forum. Hopefully Paul will look over them before I post to see that I haven't made any obvious mistakes. I only have another 60,000/70000 numbers to cross reference. I sincerely hope that Gunner Lucas records are available. Paul, I had a look in Skindles but couldn't get to the bar. Regards Kevin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KONDOA Posted 15 July , 2007 Share Posted 15 July , 2007 Good one Kev, Paul had gone when or because I arrived at the bar too! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LynnLyons Posted 16 July , 2007 Author Share Posted 16 July , 2007 Thanks for your interest gentlemen, I am glad that you like the gun photo. It was one that we found in a box that my MIL had, she didn't even know that her grandfather had served in the war. I had originally put the photo up on another site along with the first photo & another uniform photo, which was of a Captain in the Cheshire regiment. It was through this that we discovered that Joseph was in the RGA. We originally thought all the photos related to the Cheshires man. Anyway, I am interested to know what the "Derby Scheme" you refer to was? Thanks Lynn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KONDOA Posted 16 July , 2007 Share Posted 16 July , 2007 http://www.1914-1918.net/derbyscheme.html Roop Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LynnLyons Posted 16 July , 2007 Author Share Posted 16 July , 2007 Thanks for that, it is very interesting. Joseph would have been 34 at the time & married, with 2 children, unfortunately he died in 1926, possibly as a result of whatever caused him to be discharged from the war. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kevinrowlinson Posted 27 July , 2007 Share Posted 27 July , 2007 Given the recent release of more records on Ancestry, I have tried to find the nearest records to Gunner Lucas. They are; 141123 William, David Penrhyn attested 12-12-1915 Newtown mobilised 2-3-1917 signed on 6-3-1917 Fort Brockhurst 141135 Livesey, John attested 2-12-1915 Preston mobilised 5-3-1917 signed on 6-3-1917 Fort Brockhurst 141146 Williams, Joseph attested 4-12-1915 Birkenhead mobilised signed on 7-3-1917 Fort Brockhurst 141172 Cooper, Leonard attested 10-12-1915 Warrington mobilised signed on 7-3-1917 Fort Brockhurst May be of interest if you do not find his records, to give some indication of where and when he started his service career. Regards Kevin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LynnLyons Posted 28 July , 2007 Author Share Posted 28 July , 2007 Thanks for that, it is interesting that they all seemed to be from the north. I have looked for his records on ancestry but alas have been unable to find them. Lynn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LynnLyons Posted 8 November , 2008 Author Share Posted 8 November , 2008 I have now found his service records, such as they are in the burnt records which are now on Ancestry. He was in 442 Seige Battery & was discharged after having his little finger on his left hand amputated following a detonator explosion in March 1919. He joined the RGA in 1917. Can anyone help me with where he would have served & where he would have been in 1919 please? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ororkep Posted 8 November , 2008 Share Posted 8 November , 2008 Lynn, I am pleased you finally found his service record. But he attested in 1915 but mobilised in 1917, so Kevin keeps his £20. 442 SB went out to the Western front 19-10-1917, joining 72 HAG on th 26th at Elveidinghe. With 58 HAG 24-11-1917 at Ervillers. During Dec 1917 moved to Velu Wood where 1 gun was condemned and replaced. Still at Velu when they became Army Troops 14-2-1918. The last recorded positions for them in the diary is on the 31-10-1918 at Lealvillers. Their armament was 2 x 9.2 in Guns on Railway Mts. This fooled me because I thought in the photograph the gun looked a larger 12 in. Rgds Paul Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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