Jump to content
Free downloads from TNA ×
The Great War (1914-1918) Forum

Remembered Today:

(Empire Battalion)17th Battalion Royal Fusiliers


Dian

Recommended Posts

My maternal grandfather, Private(Lance Corporal) John Arthur SHARGOOL (in 1916), who survived WW1, served in the 17th Battalion of the Royal Fusliliers in France. He was awarded two medals and these were announced among others in the London Gazette. The Military Medal and the Distinguished Conduct Medal were both gained in July 1916. Both were for bringing back the wounded at night. In fact he and one of the men he saved remained friends.

But that is not why I am writing. I have one or two postcards he sent to his family and there is another which has the photograph of eleven men in uniform, with their names (not all decipherable) and perhaps not all in the same regiment (?). On one side of the pic: "After 12 months with the B.E.F, (landed 16/2/1915)" and on the other side:"Sergeants' Mess, C.Coy. First Surrey Rifles (21st London) France, 16/2/16". On the back are one or two signatures, but others have obviously faded away. I can scan and send both sides if anyone is interested?

I also have a very old newspaper cutting of "The procession of the 17th, Empire Battalion, Royal Fusiliers, leaving Warlingham Parish Church after their Memorial Service on Saturday" but no date. At the time (on the back of the cutting) the fare from Victoria to Croydon was 1/- single and 1/6 return, by Green Line Bus. I have written to the church to see if anyone knows how I can get hold of a better copy (with Granpa stepping out in his plus-fours, among the throng, medal ribbons flying!). Again, there may be someone else with relatives in the photograph.

Dian Montgomerie Elvin

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 weeks later...

Dian,

A relative of my wife (a great uncle) named William Brunette served in the 17th Battalion Royal Fusiliers. He was killed in action on 13th November 1916 - presumably at the Battle of Ancre. I would be interested in any pictures you might have.

David M

Link to comment
Share on other sites

David

I have attached the postcard and, because I am not sure how to send two attachments together, will send the back of the pc with another posting and a list of names I have managed to decipher. I found two of them at the War Graves website. I don't know how many of that group were in the 17th Battalion. Some are First Surrey Rifles. I did not find the name Brunette but there are a few names completely unreadable.

My grandfather, Jack Shargool, (third from the right - standing at the back) was wounded at some point and may have been sent home around July 1916. I will have to check. He was exceptionally lucky to escape with his life. His back wounds healed but when I was staying with him as a student in the early 1950s they bothered him and I think a small piece of metal had worked itself to the surface after all that time.

Dian

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Apologies for losing the attachment. Here are the names with, I hope their photograph. Dian

Standing, L.to R.,

1. W C Stoddart

2. Sgt George J Perry (London Regiment, First Surrey Rifles, died 10th June 1917 - Ypres)

3. Sgt ?????

4. J A Shargool (survived - my grandfather)

5. M?C?Teal?

6. Leonard Vine?

Sitting, L. to R.,

7. L B Dick?

8. James Scroggy (Company Quarter Master Sgt)

9. ????

10. ????

11. G D Blackman (Sgt George Dullam Blackman, 21st Battalion, London Reg, First Surrey Rifles, died 23rd May 1916, age 32, buried Arras, Pas de Calais,

post-20-1076454602.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 14 years later...

Hi Dian,

 

I only just discovered this 2004 thread in this great forum.  I am researching the 17th Royal Fusiliers and have just returned from a road trip to the battlefields in Northern France. I, too, have come across your granddad J A Shargool in Everard Wyrall History of the 17th Royal Fusiliers. I was wondering if you could send me a photograph - and the story behind your granddad -  and permission to use it in my biography of Frederick Lewis Taylor, Captain in the B-company of the 17th Royal Fusiliers, wounded in Haplincourt on 24 March 1918, invalided out of the war and later Abbot of Ramsgate, historian and writer. FL Taylor was my grandma's cousin.

 

Kind regards,

Tom Bekers (Belgium)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 10-2-2004 at 23:03, Guest dmottram said:

Dian,

A relative of my wife (a great uncle) named William Brunette served in the 17th Battalion Royal Fusiliers. He was killed in action on 13th November 1916 - presumably at the Battle of Ancre. I would be interested in any pictures you might have.

David M

 

Has anyone ever contacted Guest DMottram?  I have new information for him.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Try admin because it looks like he is no longer a member.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 6 months later...
On 14/04/2018 at 22:44, 17th Royal Fusilier said:

Hi Dian,

 

I only just discovered this 2004 thread in this great forum.  I am researching the 17th Royal Fusiliers and have just returned from a road trip to the battlefields in Northern France. I, too, have come across your granddad J A Shargool in Everard Wyrall History of the 17th Royal Fusiliers. I was wondering if you could send me a photograph - and the story behind your granddad -  and permission to use it in my biography of Frederick Lewis Taylor, Captain in the B-company of the 17th Royal Fusiliers, wounded in Haplincourt on 24 March 1918, invalided out of the war and later Abbot of Ramsgate, historian and writer. FL Taylor was my grandma's cousin.

 

Kind regards,

Tom Bekers (Belgium)

Hi Tom, 

 

My Great Grandad, William Walter Goodger, was in 17th battalion and wounded by shrapnel on 26/02/1918 (see attached photo of his pocket watch with the piece of shrapnel they took out of his face).

 

I don't suppose you've come across his name anywhere in your research?!

 

Many thanks for any help you can offer,

Stuart

 

 

20180727_150224.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...
  • 2 months later...

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...