R.F.A. L 15132 WILLIS Arthur Walter.

[johnpeel]

Hi,

Anyone able to confirm personal details of R.F.A.  B. Q. M.S.    L 15132   WILLIS, Arhur Walter entry into France  11/12/1915.

Any information as to private address on entry into service or parents details.

Your help greatly appreciated.

Regards John

[Wendi]

Hi John,

You forgot to mention that he became a 2nd Lieutenant   

All points lead to the information you require being at The National Archives, which is only helpful if you can get there or get a researcher.

Ancestry.com is in the process of uploading Pension and Service records, but as I understand they are not, as yet, complete.

Do you know if he just served during the war? or was he a career soldier.

Wendi 

[forester]

Hello John,

It is possible that he came from around the Camberwell area. I don't know if you have the brigade he went overseas with, but he could possibly have enlisted with one of the Camberwell Brigades going by some research I am currently working on with L/152xx numbers.
As Wendi implies, being BQMS it is possible that he was a pre-war regular who re-enlisted

Regards,
Phil

[johnpeel]

Hi Phill,
Many thanks for the message and I was thinking along the same lines but as yet not sure what line to approach  but I do welcome any info on Arthur as he was a father I never knew and I am attempting to piece his background together.

Many thanks again and appreciate your help. Time flies for me.

John

[forester]

John,

From the MIC index, I see that Arthur's middle name is Walter. Working on that and the possible Camberwell connection, the best fit I can find is this:

Births Dec 1888    Camberwell 1d  887
WILLIS, Arthur Walter

1891 Census  RG12/475   Folio 106   Page 41
43 Crewys Rd, Peckham
Arthur W Willis, age 2, only child of Arthur J and Ruth C Willis. Arthur senior is a schoolteacher.


1901 Census  RG13/502   Folio 78   Page 7
266 Friern Rd, Camberwell (East Dulwich)
Now aged 12, with parents and  four siblings

I am waiting for a book to come through to my local library, from Southwark Libraries, specifically on the subject of the Camberwell Artillery. I will keep you in mind when I am going through it.

Phil

[johnpeel]

Hi Phil,

Many thanks for the message  re Arthur Walter Willis  but unfortunately  it appears that he does not fit in with my information i.e. his parentage as the Arthur that I am searching was bn.1893 Edward St. West Ham. his father George Willis and mtr. Ellen(Pitt) and in the 1901 census lived 26 Starr St. West Ham. aged 7 yrs. and later moved to Corporation St West Ham

The service details were passed on via a Roots request but in looking at the MIC there appears to be other Arthur W. Willis's but I need to search these in more detail but the reproduction seems to be clipped at the sides making the service no. incomplete so I need to make further searches to obtain more precise information to confirm.

Perhaps Phil  you may be able to help  as what you have sent is very constructive.

I am extremely grateful for you assistance.

Regards John

[forester]

Hello John,

That's a shame. It is going to be a process of elimination from now on, I'm afraid. I see there are seven (eleven entries) Arthur W's on the MIC index. You cannot discount the plain Arthur's either.

I suggest that to narrow it down, firstly check them against casualties on CWGC and secondly, against the Pensions records (WO 364) on Ancestry. After that, it is down to researching at the NA, either the medal rolls (which are not going to provide family information), or seeing if service records have survived in WO 363.

I sympathise with the clipped MIC problem. My grandfather's MIC has suffered the same fate.

Regards,
Phil

[johnpeel]

Hi Phil,

Thanks for the message and agree that it is going to be a long slog except if I  have a bit of luck but I will carry on but one fact is that he will not be on the CWWG as the Arthur that I am interested in was around 1926.

Anyway I will keep searching and thanks for your help.

Regards John

[forester]

Sorry John if I misled you.
What I was trying to say is that they are the ones you can eliminate.

Phil