Grenadier Guards Sydney Ralph Pierce Private 16294

[DevonJewel]

whilst searching for Sydney Pierce's details, census etc I came across a reference to Grenadier Guards and purchased Nat Archives WO 372/16/4544  amongst the various Pierces I found our man 16294 but I can't really understand what it means.  I attach the info and would be really grateful if anyone can decipher it or explain it please.
Many thanks.
DJ

[philipsearching]

Most of the letter/number references are to the original medal rolls on which Sydney was listed.

Briefly:
He went on active service on 13 Aug 1914 (this would be the date he landed with his battalion).
He was awarded the 1914 Star with clasp (the "Mons Clasp").
He was awarded the British War Medal.
He was awarded the Victory Medal.

(this medal trio was later commonly known as "Pip, Squeak, and Wilfred)
(http://www.greatwar.co.uk/medals/ww1-campaign-medals.htm gives information on the medals).

Britain declared war on 6 August 1914 and the British Expeditionary Force was sent to France.  Sydney's battalion landed in France seven days after the declaration of war.  The German Kaiser described the BEF as "this contemptible little army" - so the original members of the BEF proudly described themselves as "The Old Contemptibles".

Philip

[DevonJewel]

Wow, thank you Philipsearching. 
That's amazing being able to tell me that from just a few hieroglyphics !
I really thought I'd wasted £3.50

Thank you so much, if there's anywhere else I can search for more info I'd appreciate the details but it looks like you've covered it.

[MaxD]

Philip has indeed covered it although he left one bit for me to find (consolation prize

His battalion was 2nd Battalion G Gds who fought initially in 4th Guards Brigade in 2nd Division until August 1915 when they transferred to 1st Guards Brigade in the Guards Division.  Given the date he went to France, he was already serving as a regular soldier when war broke out.

However he was taken prisoner in the very early stages of the war.  He appears on a Red Cross lists dated November 1914 as being in the POW camp at Doberitz:

https://grandeguerre.icrc.org/en/List/3071057/698/301/  There are no other Red Cross records for him.

His service record seems to have been among those that were lost in WW2 to bombing and one has to assume that he remained in that camp or others until the end of the war.

If you have another £3.50 to spare, you could download the war diary of his battalion here:
https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C7351962  It has to be remembered that the period covered in August to November is what became known as the retreat from Mons so the diary may be short on detail.

MaxD

** I am investigating another avenue for his record.

[DevonJewel]

Thank you. Again, you people are amazing and so helpful, thank you.
Just spent my £3.50 as you say no detail of individuals unless high ranks but description of war and conditions are detailed.
Happy to pass on a copy to my helpers if wanted.
DJ

[MaxD]

The Guards regiments used to keep copies of their soldiers' service records.  However, apart from, I am advised, the Scots Guards, these records were transferred last year to the Ministry of Defence in Glasgow where, once they had been indexed, application could be made in the normal way.

You may wish to consider doing that?  https://www.gov.uk/get-copy-military-service-records/apply-for-someone-elses-records.  For Great War soldiers you won't need a death certificate as death is presumed after 116 years.

There are many books that deal with the retreat from Mons which you may find more readable about 2 Grenadiers in 2nd Division.  This book readable on line may help too.
https://archive.org/details/grenadierguardsi01pons/page/n10.  The POW list on which he appears is date 8 November 1914 so he was taken perhaps a couple of weeks before that.  Google "Doberitz POW Camp" and you'll get a number of hits, some of which have photographs.

MaxD

[IMBER]

I can recommend ‘Fifteen Rounds a Minute – The Grenadiers at War 1914’ by J M Craster, 1976. An easy to read detailed day by day account of the 2nd Grenadiers at war in 1914.

Imber

[DevonJewel]

Thanks MaxD and IMBER.

And thanks everyone for your help.  What looked like a useless piece of paper costing £3.50 with your help suddenly came alive with so much information.
Thoroughly appreciated.
DJ