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General => Armed Forces => World War One => Topic started by: SimoninEaston on Saturday 20 May 17 11:19 BST (UK)
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I just posted this in an old thread, but have been advised to start a new thread (Thanks Jim!)
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Hi - I've just registered, and as I'm trying to find out more about my grandpa, I was wondering if you could help?! As far as I know, he was a despatch rider, who was injured (as I understand, many of them were...) and returned to duty afterwards as a staff car driver. He survived the war and lived until 1971. I've seen a picture of him in uniform, standing by his motorcycle, but I haven't seen the picture in ages - I wish I knew what has become of it! I have found a copy of his war medal record though, so I know he served with the RASC, and the record shows his regimental number as M2 104238 and also that his rank was first, private, then corporal, which chimes with the comment made up thread. I'd love to find out more about him and am currently wading through boxes of family photos to try and find the picture of him and his 'bike. I've read a couple of books recently, written by Great War despatch riders, including WHL Watson's Adventures of a Motorcycle Despatch Rider, which is full of detail of their day to day existance and I almost felt I was there! It must have been grim, especially when you realise that the enemey would deliberately target the riders, cos of their strategic importance - very often the only way staff knew what on earth was going on was if a rider got through to tell them! The book reveals what a ghastly existance it must have been - no wonder my grandpa seldom talked about the war...
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I imagine you are already aware that the medal card and the associated medal rolls are the only records that survive for your Grandfather.. Apart from the facts you have already, the card tells us he served in France from 16 July 1915, hence his entitlement to the 1914-1915 Star and he was discharged on 8 December 1919, although we don't know for certain that he served continuously until the end of the war. The 1915 date also tells us that he was in all likelihood a volunteer.
The difficulty in tracing his war, as it is for most ASC men, is that it is pretty much essential to know which company(ies) he served with. As the book will have showed you, these men ranged far and wide in a particular large area of the battlefield and, unlike, say a front line infantry unit, where all things being equal it is relatively easy to pin point where they were at a given time, even knowing the company usually only gives the broadest idea of where he was operating.
My thought would be to continue your search for general reading on the role of despatch riders and ASC Motor Transport companies. I'll send you a link by PM.
Sorry it is not too helpful!
maxD
Just seen Jim's comments on the old thread - snap!