Devonshire Regiment

[Pearly Queen]

I believe my grandfather Thomas ROWSELL was in one of the Devonshire regiments (photo attached)(i hope), I have been unable to find any service records for him on Military or Ancestry web sites. He was born 28 June 1886 in Exmouth, Devon and died 1 May 1934 in the Royal Devon & Exeter Hospital, his death certificate states the cause of death as "Extrinsic Carcinoma of the Laryanx", the family were told this was because of the gas that was used while he was at war.  I have found that gas was used by the Germans at Hill 60 in Flanders and that some Devonshire regiments were involved.  I am trying to find out which Devonshire regiment my grandfather belonged to and where he fought, and came in contact with the gas that caused his early death.  Any help will be appreciated. 

[Rhododendron]

Have you tried googling "Devonshire Regiments" because one of the sites will probably give details of what Regiments were where.  Worth a try!

[ShaunJ]

Can you do a better quality scan of the cap badge? Could be Royal Engineers

[jim1]

These are the only Thomas Rowsell MIC's.
None in the Devons.
Their cap badge was a 7 pointed star.
As Shaun said this looks like RE so could be the first man on the list.

Thomas Rowsell
Royal Engineers, Northumberland Fusiliers, Royal Engineers 177407, 57839, 177407 

Thomas Rowsell
Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry 21465 

Thomas Rowsell
Army Service Corps S2/015386 

Thomas J Rowsell
Royal Field Artillery 50354 

Thomas Seymour Rowsell
Royal Sussex Regiment SD/3004, G/6643 





 

[ShaunJ]

I see the same suggestion was made on this Forcesreunited thread: http://www.forcesreunited.org.uk/forum/54866/99999/latest

[Pearly Queen]

Thanks for your help, I assumed he was in the Devon's because of where he was born and lived and his uniform looked the same as others in pictures of Devon's.  Please forgive my ignorance, I am female and not into military stuff.  I never got to see the replies on Forces Reunited, I found their site very difficult to navigate so I gave up with them, actually I'm not much good with most technology.  I know for certain that he is not #4 or #5 on the 'jim1' list.  If he is one of the other's on that list, where would he have come in contact with the Gas?  Do you know the next of kin for #1-#3, that may help me a little.  I have service records for other ancestors but nothing for my own grandfather and without a service number it is very difficult to find out anything.

[jim1]

About 60% of WW1 service docs. were destroyed in WW2 so the chances of finding him are slim.
If he's the RE above you will see this man was also in the Northumberland Fus.
The Germans used gas from 1915 on various fronts & would be impossible to say where he was at the time.
It's also worth remembering that gas is subject to wind conditions which resulted in men being gassed by their own side.
It's also worth noting that most men smoked ( actively or passively ) & is more likely to be the cause.
In 1934 smoking wasn't widely believed to be a cause of cancer.

jim

[Rudolf H B]

Medal card of Rowsell, Thomas
Corps   Regiment No   Rank
Royal Engineers   177407   
Northumberland Fusiliers   57839   Private
Royal Engineers   177407   Private

The National Archives, Kew
Reference:WO 372/17/111248
http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/SearchUI/Details?uri=D4970360

Gas:
My grand uncle has been officer of the US Army Engineers, he has been specialist for gas protection, they had a laboratory, but they had also gas to use in the battle fields ...

Sappers and miners (Engineers) might have been in the first line.


Rudolf

[Rudolf H B]

Welcome to RootsChat Pearly Queen!

Rudolf