concert parties

[Rosie6]

My step-father Albert Edward Pearce b.1889 was a member of a concert party for Troops in the WW1. He took the part of girls as he sang and danced well, wearing the wigs and flowing gowns to complete the effect.
I have been unable to find any mention of him in any records, he worked in the pay office dealing with the army pay. He told me he was commissioned. (His left arm was deformed  how did he enter the army with this problem? He said it didn't matter they needed men to do a job. )
There seems very little anywhere about the troop entertainment, apart from Talbot House Popperinge Belgium, which I visited a few months ago.  Any Suggestions Rosie6

[Nigel at 78]

Hello  Kate,
Are you still out there?
If so, have you anything on concert party known as the Gamecocks?
There were possibly around in 1916 in Ypres.
Nigel. 

[CLIVEAnjean]

Hi
My great Grand uncle was in the First World War he joined the army went to France then came back with Flu. Whist in Hospital recovering the Army found out that he was under age and decided that he could join a Concert Party Sir Sedrick Harwick was recrutting. My great Uncle became great friends with him. The concert party was called the Wing Boys. He learnt to play the saxaphone. My great uncle stayed there until the War ended but still played his Saxaphone in the clubs in the evenings and worked during the day until his death in 1959 where he was found in his office. Sir Hardwick wanted my great uncle to go to LOndon and seek thier fortune my uncle declind and sir harwick went on to become famose and also Knighted.
I can not find any records of any concert parties. I do have photos of the Wing boys.
regards Angie.

[gareth50h]

Dear Kate,

I have a grand uncle who was in the concert parties for some time both in France and Newcastle in the 1914-18 war. His name was Joseph Abrahamson but changed his name for Joe Rae. He was in the 9th Duke of Wellingtons and he was a principal Comedian.
Cheers,
gareth

[Jellyby]

My step-father Albert Edward Pearce b.1889 was a member of a concert party for Troops in the WW1. He took the part of girls as he sang and danced well, wearing the wigs and flowing gowns to complete the effect.
I have been unable to find any mention of him in any records, he worked in the pay office dealing with the army pay. He told me he was commissioned. (His left arm was deformed  how did he enter the army with this problem? He said it didn't matter they needed men to do a job. )
There seems very little anywhere about the troop entertainment, apart from Talbot House Popperinge Belgium, which I visited a few months ago.  Any Suggestions Rosie6

Rosie

I know it is a very long time since you posted onto my Concert Parties thread on Rootschat. I am an administrator of the Great War Discussion Forum

http://1914-1918.invisionzone.com/forums/index.php

 which takes up most of my time, so I got out of the habit of visiting Rootschat. In the meantime, several of the queries here have appeared on the GWF, and I have responded to them there.

However I was summoned to Rootschat today to help with an enquiry about a Northampton man who appeared in an Army Pay Corps concert party in Warwick. Now, soldiers belonging to corps (e.g artillery, pay, medical, engineers etc) are notoriously hard to research, and I couldn't help much. At present, I only have one Army Pay Corps concert party on my list, which operated in Cairo in 1916. Did Albert ever mention Egypt? Do you have any pictures of him in uniform?

I have added Albert's name to my list of performers. I would be very interested in learning more about him. Do you have a photo of him? I have quite a few photos of unidentified groups and individuals, so he may already be lurking in my collection somewhere without me knowing.

Best wishes for your reseach

Kate Wills