Grandad in The Royal Engineers

[spook]

hello all 

This seems a friendly forum and I'm just getting started in my family history research so please be patient with me!

My paternal grandfather Thomas Naylor (Bn 31/03/01 Castleford - Died 04 May 1953) apparantly served in The Royal Engineers at the tail end of WW1. I found out from a relative that his Army Prayer book had been sent to the Royal Engineers Museum. I contacted them and they very kindly copied it for me which revealed his 'rank' was:

Sapper Thomas Naylor
1857944
58th Porton Coy R.E.
Porton Nr Salisbury
Wiltshire

Aside from the fact that his age doesn't sound right to me to have served in WWI - can anyone suggest where I go from here? I'd like to obtain his service record although I understand that many WWI records were destroyed in WWII. I don't know how long he served in the Army...

Thanks

Matt

[Rod In Sussex]

Matt,

his age is about right for the end of the WW I. He would have been 16 in 1917, so he could have joined up; many lied about their age and joined much younger. "Sapper" is a private in the Engineers. He may well have been promoted if he remained with the RE for a few years, but everyone started as a Sapper.

As you are already in contact with the RE museum (at Brompton?), why not ask them?

Welcome to roots chat and good luck with your research

Rod

[BeesleSR]

Hey Matt, I have a Grand Dad who was a Royal Engineer Sapper and I have done the odd bit of research. This web site has proven really interesting and useful: http://www.1914-1918.net/

sean beesley

[liverpool annie]

There's a medal, card for a Thomas Walter - could that be him??

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documentsonline/details-result.asp?Edoc_Id=4404963&queryType=1&resultcount=94

Annie

[Hackstaple]

Matt - I think you mean his army Pay Book - not prayer book?  If you can access the Pay Book it will answer most of your questions. It would be very normal for a young man born 1901 to serve in WW1 even if only for a year.
Sapper is the Engineers equivalent of Private soldier.

[spook]

Thanks for the replies the majority of which i missed as I'd not set up the reply notification feature!

Hack, no it'sdefinitely his Army prayer book s the Reg. Museum very kindly photocopied it for me.

Annie, his middle name i've recently discovered was Kirk so probably not him but thanks for looking.

BeesleSR, thanks for that I'll have a look at that website.

Matt

[manmack]

hiya matt,your g/father was to young to serve overseas,hes not listed in the medal rolls,he was probably in a graduated company/battalion,and only saw home service,mack

[spook]

Thanks mack - what was a graduated company?

[manmack]

matt,a graduated battalion/company was for young soldiers under the age for active service,they would do their training with them till they were old enough to be slaughtered on the battlefields,sounds a bit dramatic,but thats what happened to thousands of them,when they reached eighteen and a half years old,they would be sent to the front,many still lie there,mack