Hitting a brick wall...

[barryd]

"His mother going to France to get him back home" is most probably not true. The records of my 3rd Cousin 2 times removed Joseph Smith Routledge did survive. He was under age in France so his father wrote to the War Office enclosing his birth certificate which is included in his service record. He was brought back to Britain but not released, send back to France later and was killed 2 SEP 1918, Neuville-St. Vaast area, France, 3 Heavy Battery, Royal Garrison Artillery.  

[Nobby Nobby Boy]

Ady,

Both Regiments are listed on his Medal Index Card, but only one reference for the Medal Roll books, so I can only assume that the entry would list both periods of service?

Luckily, I live in Hampshire so a trip to Surrey is not more than an hour in the car.  The Medal Roll Books will definately have his entry in it - is that right?

From what I have looked into so far, it does not seem that locating his service with the Mercantile Marines is going to be possible but I will be very happy if I can find the information on the time he spent on land during (and after) the war.

[Nobby Nobby Boy]

"His mother going to France to get him back home" is most probably not true. The records of my 3rd Cousin 2 times removed Joseph Smith Routledge did survive. He was under age in France so his father wrote to the War Office enclosing his birth certificate which is included in his service record. He was brought back to Britain but not released, send back to France later and was killed 2 SEP 1918, Neuville-St. Vaast area, France, 3 Heavy Battery, Royal Garrison Artillery.  

I think you're right. I can't quite imagine a mother being allowed to go to France, during wartime, to collect her son like a naughty school boy.

It's most likely that the same thing occurred with my family writing to the War Office with the information but the story has been spiced up through the generations.

I've read articles about boys as young as 14 fighting a dying before anyone could try to bring them home. Such a shame.

[mmm45]

His entry will be in the Tank Corps Medal Roll that is the one you need it will have date of enlistment and discharge plus hopefully Battalion.
His number with Black Watch definately links him to 4th Batt post 1917.

There are a number of Mercantile Marine experts that may pick up on this and give you better steers.
If he was issued the Medals there has hopefully got to be something within Board Of Trade archives which has him listed.

The Index Card has the page and volume you need to see written on it.

Ady

[Nobby Nobby Boy]

Cheers for the info. I will have to have a day trip down to Kew and see what I can dig up (providing my translation of 1910s handwriting is up to standard! It appears to be TO/101 B22)

Hopefully once I've found what I need about his army service, I can focus on his Mercantile Marine service.

Do you happen to know where I can find information on the movements and actions of particular battalions?

Thanks again,

Chris

[Nobby Nobby Boy]

His medal card.

[mmm45]

Chris
Kew again you will need to get the Unit War Diary some are online (WO95 Files) available for download the rest you may have to photograph at Kew.

It MAY be worth posting on the Great War Forum ref his Tank Corps history as it was a much smaller Corps than the Black Watch.

its TC 101/22 as in Tank Corps Records Office.possibly volume 22 with the page number.

Some of the Regimental Experts on there have nominals and all sorts of info.

Ady

[Bangladore]

Hello MMM45,
Your earlier comment - my father didn't return from India until the end of 1919. Then he was in the reserves and had to go to camp sometime.
My uncle came on leave from France at Christmas 1918; returned to France afterwards and was told he needn't have bothered!

[Nobby Nobby Boy]

I'll take your advice and stick a post up on The Great War Forum concerning his Tank Corps service.

I've read somewhere that the Tank Museum in Bovington have lots of the Tank Corps records, so might also try there.

Thanks also for letting me know that it was a TC and not TO - I didn't realise that the prefix could've meant something!