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The Great War (1914-1918) Forum

Remembered Today:

Thomas W. Howlett 34th Div. Signal Co.


lefty gunner

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Hello All,

Just signed up with this forum. Great source of info.

I am hoping the gent above is my grandfather but am not sure. I do have two of his cards here.

Based upon the below data, is there any way to get more detailed personal info. so I can verify this is my grandfather?

Details are:

Awarded France Military Medal

Howlett, T.W. rank Sapper

34th D.S. Coy RE

Reg.# 84823 (what does this signify?)

Date of Gazette 6-8-18 (release date?)

Registered Paper 68/121/569 (does this mean anything?)

Schedule #176631 (???)

Other card shows Victory and British medal received

Notations are:

Roll RE 101 B/45 page 9473 (???)

Any help understanding the above is greatly appreciated.

Thanks Again!

Scott Howlett

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Hi Scott

Do you have any other information?

Is it just military information you are looking to find or personal as well?

Cheers Carol

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Hi Scott

The number 84823 is his Army Number.

Here is his MIC.

ThomasWHowlett.jpg

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Hi

The first number is his regimental Number 84823, every soldier has a number to identify him.

The next are the references to the award of his Military Medal in the London Gazette.

The next set are the Book and page references to the award of his |War and Victory Medals

The attached will be of interset to you as it was sent by Tom 85196 who served with Number 2 Section of 34 Div Signal Comapany at Sutton Veny in Wiltshire, This is where the 34th Division did their final training before leaving for France in January 1916.

Regards

John

post-27843-1209666615.jpg

post-27843-1209666627.jpg

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Hi Scott

Do you have any other information?

Is it just military information you are looking to find or personal as well?

Cheers Carol

Thanks for the reply Carolann.

I am mainly interested in military info. I just want to make sure this is this is the right guy.

He grew up in the Pentney/King's Lynn area. His mother's name was Susan, father was Benjamin I believe. He emigrated to Canada then US after the war.

thanks again!

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After late 1917 the London Gazette records the place of their residence (or that of their next of kin at least) for Military Medal winners.

In Thomas' case the London Gazette of 6-8-1918 records:

84823 Spr. T. W. Howlett, R.E. (Narbrough).

http://www.gazettes-online.co.uk/ViewPDF.a...amp;exact=84823

Sounds a good bet to me, assuming that it is the Narborough between King's Lynn and Swaffham, and of course Narborough is a whole (very weak) stone's throw from Pentney...

Though you can't automatically draw assumptions from the date of the London Gazette announcement, many of the August 1918 MM gazettings would have been for gallantry during the German Offensives of March/April/May 1918.

He MAY get a mention in the Divisional Signal Companies war diary at the National Archives:

WO 95/2450 34 Division

WO 95/2450 Divisional Signal Company 1916 Jan. - 1919 July

Steve.

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Numbers around Thomas Howlett's appear to have been allocated to the members of 34th Division's Royal Engineers Companies (207th, 208th, 209th and the Divisional Signal Company) around about March 1915, so I would think that it is likely that Thomas went overseas in January 1916 with the first contingent of 34th Division. Difficult to be certain without further information, but I am fairly confident of it.

It seems like he probably missed out on a 1914-15 Star by a couple of weeks, as would the rest of the Division.

http://www.1914-1918.net/34div.htm

Steve.

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Thanks Steve for your replies.

There is no doubt now. I am certain this is my grandfather.

Now comes the fun part of attempting to trace his footsteps 1915-18.

Scott Howlett

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Thanks Steve for your replies.

There is no doubt now. I am certain this is my grandfather.

Now comes the fun part of attempting to trace his footsteps 1915-18.

Scott Howlett

You missed my 'picture' post Scott

Guy

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Awesome pic Guy!

Noticed it when I replied to the other post It' Fri afternoon here so I'm still at work... keep getting distractions to my internet viewing. :D

I have a pic of Grandfather just after the war. I'll have to try to match it up.

Thanks!

Scott Howlett

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Scott,

There is: Shakespear, Lt Col. J., The Thirty Fourth Division 1915-1919. Naval & Military Press. Sadly, there is no Howlett in the index. This is partly explained by men of the Division being awarded over 500 MM and bars during 1918.

In June 2006 there was a thread titled " 34th Division, Engineer Units". There is another photo of signallers there.

Rob.

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  • 1 month later...

I would agree that this chap is a Norfolk Narborough man, rather than a Leicestershire Narborough one. No sign of him in Rolls of Honour, Absentee Voters Lists or the local press.

Dave

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I'm also researching a Corporal in the 34th Division Signals Co. Sydney Denzil Oliver. His service number was 32046. He died on Nov 18th 1918, so wounded perhaps and died as a result. He came from Salisbury, Wiltshire, so I was interested to see they were stationed nearby until they went to France. I assume Sydney must have gone with a late contingent as he was photographed with his infant sons, born Oct quarter 1917, in Hampshire. Does anyone have access to Shakspear's book? I have just ordered it but would like to know if he is mentioned in the index.

I have an excellent pic of him astride his Triumph bike. Sue.

I would agree that this chap is a Norfolk Narborough man, rather than a Leicestershire Narborough one. No sign of him in Rolls of Honour, Absentee Voters Lists or the local press.

Dave

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Sue,

Oliver is not listed in the index.

The index is patchy at best. When your copy arrives you will spot a lot of unindexed mentions of Royal Engineers, RE, Engineers and engineers, as well as the individual companies by number. So do not be put of by the single index entry "Signal Company, raising of....page 2". I'd be very surprised if that was it.

Post the picture. Let's see him.

Rob

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