Pte Frank Sweeting 1/16 London R trans to RDC

[jacqueline cox]

My grandfather Pte. 3931 Frank William Sweeting went to France 11 11 1915 with 1/16 London Reg. Queens Westminster Rifles. I have a superb photo of him in an entertainment in Rouen 26 Jan 1916. (in My Pictures, as a novice, I'm not sure how to get it from there to here, no one else in it is identified).  He contracted rheumatic fever and was sent back to England. He was in Hospital, which? for so long that his mother is said to have written to King to see if they had forgotten him (no record in Royal Archive) He resurfaced in August 1917 as L/cpl 49096 in Royal Defence Corps. when he married, address "Orderly Room" Frinton on Sea. (photo, very plain in uniform terms ditto My Pictures) Maybe attached!
No record in the "Burnt Collection". Essex CC Archives no help on Frinton, nor local free paper.
I should like to add some flesh to this but have not got anywhere.
Jacqueline

[mmm45]

He was discharged with SWB(silver war badge) according to his MIC.Entitled to trio of medals entered theatre on 11/11/15 with 1/16th Londons.

There was a hospital in the Frinton/Clacton area in the Great War.Perhaps he was recovering?

He should have had a pension record if it survives but i cannot find on Ancestry however they havent loaded S onto Service Records online yet so it maybe there unless you have visited Kew and know otherwise?

Ady

[jacqueline cox]

Thanks Ady. Yes I went to Kew. He is not in the Burnt Collection of surviving pension records. How do you know about the Hospital in Clacton/ Frinton?
He was not discharged from the army, was he - if he was in the Royal Defence Corps? - a kind of Home Guard staffed by old or one legged soldiers as far as I can see. I can't find much about it.
I didn't look at the silver war badge list; it'll have to go on my list for my next visit to Kew at the end of the known world!
Jacqueline

[mmm45]

Hi i googled frinton and great war and found a mention in one of the searches....His MIC  has discharged annotated on it and he was awarded a SWB so he definately was discharged.
He may have been in RDC  awaiting discharge as this was for non frontline soldiers suffering from illness or wounds as you say a home guard type organisation with not much info on it!
http://www.1914-1918.net/royaldefencecorps.html
The SWB Roll may give you further info it will give date of discharge and reason.

Ady

[Dave Hall]

Just a tidy while passing through

[jacqueline cox]

Thanks Dave. Can any WW1 buff tell me anything about this? Are they pulled out of the Line because they are better at entertaining than fighting? (My mother's belief). Are they convalescent? LOADS of hospitals at Rouen.
J

[d-a-lansley]

Fascinated to see the photo of your grandfather. I can shed some light on the name Dodgson. I am writing a biography of a brother of the author Lewis Carroll, i.e. Charles Lutwidge Dodgson. Reginald H L Dodgson was his nephew and is recorded as being a Lt in the RDC, date of death March 1918. The caption lists far more names than persons present on the photograph - do you know the names of the group of 10 in the Rouen ents. photograph?
David

[kwr]

Hi Dave,
did you put the names at the bottom of my grandfather's "entertainment " picture? Because the first on the left is not Hall, but Frank William Sweeting.
I did not know the names of any of the others. Where did you get these names? Who else has a copy of this picture from a source other than myself?
Jacqueline

[kwr]

David,
you can see my post to Dave Hall. I'm sure my grandfather was still in the QWR when he was in this entertainment. Until Dave answers, I'm not sure about any of these names, but I'm sure he will explain.
Jacqueline