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General => Armed Forces => World War One => Topic started by: Flyingswan on Saturday 27 April 19 15:02 BST (UK)
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hi, would anyone know how to go about finding a soldiers company during WW1? I am looking for my grandad and I know he was in the army service corps and his regimental number which started with m2/ so I know he was with mechanical transport. his medal index card says he entered France on 31/10/15 but I don't seem to be able to find out anything about where exactly he was or what he did. I realise I am probably clutching at straws here but any pointers would be greatly appreciated.
many thanks
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Long shot indeed but post his name and number and we'll see whether that gets us anywhere.
MaxD
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Hi Max D
Pte. John Shaw m2/132923
any help at all would be great
thanks
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No further forward I'm afraid. His number is among a large number of men whose entry date to France is the same. Looking at near numbers (where detailed records exist), the only thing that can be gleaned from that is that they all attested about the same time in late October 1915. After that, the small sample I could look at showed that they scattered to the four winds. 132921 went eventually to 8 different MT companies, 132925 didn't go overseas until May 1916, 132930 went in March 1916, 132934 in November 1915, 132892 went to the Welsh Regiment so the common attestation and overseas dates doesn't tell us where your man went.
Have you looked for him on an absent voters' list? That will only tell you where he was at the time of the list but would be better than nothing.
MaxD
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well thanks very much for looking into it for me, I thought it might be difficult. where would I find the absent voters list you mentioned? it may be useful to look into a couple of other family members from that time as well
thanks again
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This will help:
http://www.longlongtrail.co.uk/soldiers/how-to-research-a-soldier/finding-soldiers-through-the-1918-absent-voters-lists/
MaxD
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His army file is viewable on FindMyPast https://search.findmypast.co.uk/record?id=GBM/WO363-4/007329120/00951&parentid=GBM/WO363-4/7329120/39/951
(around 40 pages!)
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Good spot (again) ShaunJ. I cannot imagine how I missed it, I spent long enough noodling around the ASC near numbers on FindMyPast - kicking myself!
MaxD
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MaxD thanks very much for your help once again,,it's not the first time you've offered what has become invaluable advice.
ShaunJ i'll get onto that link as soon as I can and thank you very much also
best regards to you both
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As you've acknowledged, ShaunJ answered the main question while I was still hacking around in the undergrowth although at least I got his joining date right!
If you have been able to access your man's record, you will find he served in a number of units in the Lines of Communication, and in the MT sections attached to two Siege Batteries, see the section on MT Companies here:
http://www.longlongtrail.co.uk/army/regiments-and-corps/the-army-service-corps-in-the-first-world-war/
War diaries for the type of units he served with are rarer than hens' teeth but I'll scout around to see what can be found if you'd like.
Maxd
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if you are sure you don't mind that would be great
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I've sent a PM
MaxD
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Starter.
Attested 23 October 1915, joined at the ASC Depot at Grove Park 25 October 1915. Sent to France on 30 October 1915, arrived Rouen 31 October 1915. This rapid deployment to France was in all probability because he could already drive (he was a driver on joining). He began at the Base Mechanical Transport Depot (BMTD) at Rouen where he waited to be assigned to a particular unit.
On 15 November 1915 he was posted to 1st Indian Cavalry Divisional Supply Column (89 Company ASC). This was a unit of about 650 men and 160 lorries whose task was to move, among many things, men, coal, oil, horse feed and rations (including cardamoms and live goats for the Indian troops) from railheads to the forward brigades who would then complete the journey to the troops of the division.
He stayed with this until until early May 1916 when he developed synovitis in the knee, severe enough for his to be evacuated back to UK.
There is a war diary for the Supply Column that if nothing else will give an idea of where they were and the type of tasks they undertook. Download the relevant dates from the National Archives from the list here:
https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/browse/r/h/C14016585 or from Ancestry (the whole diary) at http://www.rootschat.com/links/01nq3/
More in due course.
MaxD
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WOW! where do you find this stuff? I really didn't think there was any chance of getting any information.
hope the gardening is going well....
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All in his records. Another PM sent.
MaxD