albert arnold Posted 2 December , 2007 Share Posted 2 December , 2007 The third person I'm trying to find out about in my grandfather William Arnold Young. I know he was in the Tank Corps and fought at Cambrai but I don't know his battalion number. From the medal records, I think I've found his number as 311561 and that he was was a private, but this is just through a process of deduction as he was the only William Young to be listed in the Tank Corps. He survived the war and lived until 1969. The medal records don't show a battalion although the medals are listed as being on roll TC/101 B20 - should this tell me anything? I can't get to the PRO to look at the medals rolls at the moment, or to see if his service record has survived. Is there any way in the meantime to find out which battalion of the Tank Corps he was in? Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
albert arnold Posted 2 December , 2007 Author Share Posted 2 December , 2007 This doesn't look too hopeful - I've had loads of input on my two great uncles (in separate posts), but my query about my grandfather seems to be more intractable - is the PRO the only source of info here? Thanks, Albert Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
albert arnold Posted 15 December , 2007 Author Share Posted 15 December , 2007 Just refreshsing this one to see if anyone has got any thoughts on this. I am planning to get to Kew soon to look and see if his army record is among the burnt records, and also to look on the medal index roll to see if his battalion is mentioned. It is not on the MIC. Does anyone have any other suggestions about avenues I could pursue? Are there any specific Tank Corps records that might help? Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Clifton Posted 16 December , 2007 Share Posted 16 December , 2007 Hello again Albert! As an off-chance, do you know what his tank was called? Tank names began with the battalion letter e.g. Deborah was in D Btn, later 4 Btn. If you do get to Kew, you will have at worst nine battalion War Diaries to look for. All the Tank Corps diaries are together under GHQ Troops, from WO95/100 to 110, but War Diaries rarely mention other ranks by name. Ron Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris_Baker Posted 16 December , 2007 Share Posted 16 December , 2007 The Tank Corps medal rolls usually give the man's battalion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
albert arnold Posted 16 December , 2007 Author Share Posted 16 December , 2007 Thanks Ron, thanks Chris, I'm afraid I don't know the name of his tank, but the references for the tank corps war diaries are very helpful. I shall go ahead and look for his medal roll card. I'll let you know how I get one. Albert Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
albert arnold Posted 4 January , 2008 Author Share Posted 4 January , 2008 Right, I'm back. Unfortunately the medal rolls did not yield a battalion number, but I may well have been barking up the wrong tree... In another thread in the uniforms forum, I posted a photo of my grandfather (on the left), and from what others have said, he is clearly in officer's uniform. Stebie9173 tracked down a reference in the London Gazette to a Lt W.A. Young who transferred from the "R. Mar" (Royal Marines?), who may or may not be my grandfather. I would much appreciate any further suggestions about how I might track down his Tank Corps battalion --- unfortunately I didn't have a chance to look at the battalions' war diaries. Thanks, Albert Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
delta Posted 5 January , 2008 Share Posted 5 January , 2008 "Following the tanks" lists most of the tank commanders at Cambrai; your man is not listed but this could be becuase hewas commissioned after the action or he was one of the few that Gibot and Gorczynski did not manage to identify Stephen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
albert arnold Posted 5 January , 2008 Author Share Posted 5 January , 2008 Thanks for this Stephen. Although I am not sure, I think it is quite likely that he had not been commissioned by the time of Cambrai. He was born in Jan 1898, so would only have been 19 at the time. Can I just check something with you: would each tank have had an officer as a commander, and thus one officer per tank? Would the comanders have been of different ranks? I can see I am going to have to get hold of a copy of "Following the Tanks". Albert Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
delta Posted 5 January , 2008 Share Posted 5 January , 2008 Tanks had an officer established as commander, however, should the officer be injured or killed in action, it was not unusual for a SNCO to take over; in fact, in the latter stages of the battle, SNCOs were appointed as commanders. Re one officer per tank - each section of three (or four) tanks, was commanded by a captain. Unilke at Flers-Courcellete, where they were also a tank commander, section commanders had a seperate role. Depending on the tactical situation, section commanders would either ride in the tank or walk between (or lead) the tanks. Good luck with finding Following the tanks. they appear from time to time but they are rare Ii'm surprised that another print run did not take place to coincide with the 80th anniverary of the battle) S Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
albert arnold Posted 6 January , 2008 Author Share Posted 6 January , 2008 Thanks for all this information Stephen - the picture is becoming clearer; I think it is likely that he was not promoted until after Cambrai. But I am going to have to do some more searching in officers' records to see if I can track down his battalion. Can I ask one more thing? Is it likely that he would always have been with the same battalion, or did people move from one to the other? Thanks, Albert Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
albert arnold Posted 6 January , 2008 Author Share Posted 6 January , 2008 Hello again. I'm not having any luck tracking down a William Young who was an officer in the Tank Corps in the National Archive Medal records. Can anyone tell me if the information given there relates to the beginning of a person's service or the end? If for example my grandfather started out as a private and a despatch rider, and ended as a Lieutenant in the Tank Corps how would his details be recorded? Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stebie9173 Posted 6 January , 2008 Share Posted 6 January , 2008 He should be recorded showing Private (with No.) and Lieutenant (without number), but Officer MICs show much more variation from the standard than ORs. Also Officers had to claim their medals. If he didn't claim them, then no MIC! Steve. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
albert arnold Posted 6 January , 2008 Author Share Posted 6 January , 2008 Thanks for this Steve ... there's only one William Young listed in the Tank Corps in the MIC and he was a private; so I suppose it may well be that my grandfather didn't claim his medals ... I can see I'm going to have to explore some other avenues. I wonder if there are any other lists of Tank Corps officers? thanks, Albert Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stebie9173 Posted 6 January , 2008 Share Posted 6 January , 2008 You probably need to look at the Monthly Army Lists - these will have er, Lists of Army Officers by Regiment/Corps identified by initials and surname, e.g. W. A. Young. You might be able to narrow down a shortlist from those. The National Archive has a full run of them. Other places - libraries, regimental museums, etc. will perhaps have some copies, too. Steve. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
albert arnold Posted 6 January , 2008 Author Share Posted 6 January , 2008 Thanks Steve ... yes, I can see I'll be needing to schedule another visit to Kew before too long! Finding out about my grandfather is proving much more difficult that I thiought it would be. Albert Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bryn_Hammond Posted 18 February , 2008 Share Posted 18 February , 2008 Albert The Imperial War Museum has what I think is a full run of Army Lists for the FWW period. Bryn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bryn_Hammond Posted 18 February , 2008 Share Posted 18 February , 2008 Further info: There was certainly a Lt Young with B Company, 9th Tank Battalion in Sep 1918. The Battalion After-action report mentions him. He was a section commander at this date. I have no initial for him, however. Bryn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sidearm Posted 20 February , 2008 Share Posted 20 February , 2008 Following Bryn's lead, you could try the RAC Tank Museum at Bovington. They hold a box of formal papers relating to 9th Tank Battalion. The formal papers includes the War Diary and Battle History Sheets etc. They may (can't guarantee it) also have a box for informal papers. These can be anything, including commanders' notebooks, in which you might find an initial for the Lt Young that Bryn has found reference to. Try contacting the Tank Museum Historian, David Fletcher: historian@tankmuseum.org Good Luck Gwyn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
albert arnold Posted 2 July , 2008 Author Share Posted 2 July , 2008 Dear Gwyn and Bryn, I'm sorry it has taken me months to get back to you on this .... work has taken over for me recently and I hadn't been able to do any more on my research. However, this is very helpful and the best lead I've had so far, so belatedly many thanks ... I will follow your suggestions and contact the Tank Museum. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Clifton Posted 2 July , 2008 Share Posted 2 July , 2008 Hello Albert If your W A Young was commissioned, it is quite likely that his service record (as an original file, not a microfilm) will be at Kew somewhere in WO338. If his file is there, it should also include his file prior to being commissioned. I found all this detail for an officer commissioned into the Tank Corps and serving with 1st Bn in 1918. Unlike the soldiers' records which were severely culled in the Blitz in 1940, most officers' records seem to have survived. Better luck this time! Ron Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
albert arnold Posted 4 July , 2008 Author Share Posted 4 July , 2008 Thanks for this Ron ... another trip to the PRO is looming ... I'll let you know how I get on! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
albert arnold Posted 18 August , 2008 Author Share Posted 18 August , 2008 Following Sidearm's suggestion, I have been in touch with David Fletcher at Bovington who tracked down the Lt Young in 9th Battalion, but he was S F Young, so not my grandfather. I shall be exploring other avenues but that looks like a visit to Kew. But thanks anyway for the suggestion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
17tankman Posted 31 August , 2008 Share Posted 31 August , 2008 Albert I am collect the names of soldiers and officers to tank corps and have not see your Lt W A Young yet. I have completed quite a few battalions and not seen his name. Doing 9th at moment so will let you know if I see him on my travels. Simon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
delta Posted 31 August , 2008 Share Posted 31 August , 2008 Got him Commissioned Tank Corps - 30 Jan 1918 joined 13th Bn 21 Aug 1918 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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