RGA (Tynemouth), Northumbrian Hvy Bty

[DRF]

I am currently researching a number of potential family members (name of Bower) who served with the RGA in Tynemouth and Northumbrian Hvy Bty RGA.

I have found two medal card references to a Thomas H Bower RGA No. 651 15 Star and 311304 BWM and VM. I was wondering if this might be the same man the numbering being before and after the 1917 renumbering.

Is it possible that an individual might have his medals split over two cards in the register ?

(If anyone has any other information regarding men by the name of Bower (Thomas H/William/Henry/Cuthbert J) originating from the Tynemouth RGA this would also be gratefully recieved. I am also interested in William Bower 5/3299 / 6/8005 5 & 6 Northumerland Fusilliers).

Thanks in anticpation of any responses.

regards

Dave

[SteveE]

I am currently researching a number of potential family members (name of Bower) who served with the RGA in Tynemouth and Northumbrian Hvy Bty RGA.

I have found two medal card references to a Thomas H Bower RGA No. 651 15 Star and 311304 BWM and VM. I was wondering if this might be the same man the numbering being before and after the 1917 renumbering.

Is it possible that an individual might have his medals split over two cards in the register ?

Dave

I'd suggest that it's highly likely to be the same man, a 'split' MIC is not uncommon.

A quick look at the NA online index shows a couple of other 'similar' split entries, two cards, two different numbers but in the same numbering sequence.

Thomas H Bower, numbers 651 & 311304.

Arthur Hawthorne, numbers 654 & 311306.

Daniel McCudden, numbers 655 & 311307.

Based on that I'd be fairly confident that they were all members of the Northumbrian Hvy. Bty. RGA (renumbered in 1917 in 311001-312000 number block).

Steve

[DRF]

Dave

I'd suggest that it's highly likely to be the same man, a 'split' MIC is not uncommon.

A quick look at the NA online index shows a couple of other 'similar' split entries, two cards, two different numbers but in the same numbering sequence.

Thomas H Bower, numbers 651 & 311304.

Arthur Hawthorne, numbers 654 & 311306.

Daniel McCudden, numbers 655 & 311307.

Based on that I'd be fairly confident that they were all members of the Northumbrian Hvy. Bty. RGA (renumbered in 1917 in 311001-312000 number block).

Steve

Thanks Steve it certainly seems logical once you see the other men in the pattern.

Dave

[sandyford]

Dave

I am sorry but I have no further information than you already have about William Bower 5/3299 & 6/8005.

I expect that you saw from his medal card that he was renumbered with the 6th battalion in April 1917 as 267458.

His name is not among the soldiers who went overseas in 1914 or 1915, but numbers of soldiers with 80** start to appear in the War Diary in September 1916.

It looks as though there may have been as between 100 & 200 soldiers with similar numbers who transferred from the 5th N.F. to the 6th.

William Bowers name does not appear in the casualty listings of the 6th Battalion N.F. but I see from his medal card that he received the Silver War Badge, so he was invalided out at some time, sick or wounded.

Unfortunately he also does not seem to appear among the pension documents on Ancestry.

Kate

[sandyford]

The pattern of these numbers showing 5th & 6th N.F. It is interesting that the numbers are not only in sequence but although not quite alphabetical, all the names beginning with B are together.

This carries on at least all the way up to Wray G. 5/4414, 6/8154, 267571

Bailey 5/1386, 6/8002, 267456 wounded 15/09/1916

Browell Geo 5/3224, 6/8004, 267457 Sick to hospital 15/11/1916

Bower Wm. 5/3299, 6/8005, 267457 -

Brinton John 5/3441, 6/8006, 267459 wounded 11/09/1916

Brinton Jas 5/3442, 6/8007, 267460 wounded accidentally 29/08/1916

Blakey David 5/3884, 6/8009, 267461 Sick to Hospital 01/08/1916

Brightman W. J. 5/4331, 6/8012, 267462 -

Bacon J 5/4341, 6/8014, 267464 Missing 07/07/1917

I have not found the mention of this draft of men but will try to find it in the War Diary.

Kate

[DRF]

The pattern of these numbers showing 5th & 6th N.F. It is interesting that the numbers are not only in sequence but although not quite alphabetical, all the names beginning with B are together.

This carries on at least all the way up to Wray G. 5/4414, 6/8154, 267571

Bailey 5/1386, 6/8002, 267456 wounded 15/09/1916

Browell Geo 5/3224, 6/8004, 267457 Sick to hospital 15/11/1916

Bower Wm. 5/3299, 6/8005, 267457 -

Brinton John 5/3441, 6/8006, 267459 wounded 11/09/1916

Brinton Jas 5/3442, 6/8007, 267460 wounded accidentally 29/08/1916

Blakey David 5/3884, 6/8009, 267461 Sick to Hospital 01/08/1916

Brightman W. J. 5/4331, 6/8012, 267462 -

Bacon J 5/4341, 6/8014, 267464 Missing 07/07/1917

I have not found the mention of this draft of men but will try to find it in the War Diary.

Kate

Kate

Thank you, as you may remember from previous exchanges my primary interest to date has been 5NF (my Grandfather's Bn) it is only recently that I have been widening my research to other potential family members so the information regarding 6NF etc is very interesting to me.

To transfer this many men from 5 to 6 around this time I assume would be to balance experience in the battalions after losses rather than just to balance actual numbers ? Do you know if all of these men transferred from 1/5 or would any of them have been directly from 2/5 or 3/5 in the UK ?

I havnt been able to unearth anything yet either regarding William's SWB so if anything does appear about this or the draft in the diary I would be grateful.

I vainly search Ancestry for all of my potential family members but almost always end up frustrated I have only found one man in the "burned" service records to date, never mind they do all still make fascinating reading and I guess there is still more to come, (there is also always hope in transcribing errors, on the medal roll William Bower apparently served in the "Monmouth" Fusiliers).

Thanks again

Dave