The Military Historical Society

I've just re-joined the Military Historical Society. I was a member a few years back and then let my membership lapse. However, I was flicking through some back issues the other week and remembered what a well-informed membership they have. The society produces four bulletins annually, plus the occasional special number. They've just published their latest special and it's a real cracker on the Machine Gun Corps and the flashes and badges worn during the First World War.

Membership of the society costs £20 per annum if you're in the UK and runs from January to January. However if, like me, you decide to join mid-way through the year, you'll be sent the bulletins for the year that have already been published plus, in this case, the special edition too.  Well worth the membership fee I'd say, particularly as the MGC special edition has a stand-alone price of £10.

For more information on the MHS, visit their website.

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Cheshire Brigade, Royal Field Artillery

 

I happened to have a couple of hours to kill when I was in Chester the other week and so popped into the cathedral hoping to find memorials to Chester or Cheshire-related units. I was not disappointed. The window above is one of many stained glass windows in the cloister garden and I took photos of all of those which related to the services.

 

 

This particular window is dedicated in memory of the members of the Cheshire Brigade, Royal Field Artillery, a Territorial Force unit. The theatres in which the Brigade served appear in panels to the left and right:

 

 

whilst the simple panel below indicates that there is further detail to be found inside the cathedral.

Here it is:

The names on this roll are as follows:

Major C W Newton
Lieutenant R H Lord
Lieutenant D F Lord
Lieutenant J L Manford
Lieutenant D L Nicholas
Lieutenant S M Pollard
Lieutenant Timmans
Lieutenant C Wrigley
Gunner J Alsop
Bombardier A Ampson
Gunner G Banks
Gunner J Bellis
Bombardier H Benson
Sergeant F Bird
Bombardier W G Boardman
Gunner J Bradshaw
Gunner R R Catley
Driver W Chadderton
Sergeant W Chick
Driver J M Coglan
Driver H G Cottrill
Driver A Croft
Sergeant C Dymond
Gunner W Fleet
Corporal G Goble
Gunner F Harrison
Driver J Helme
Driver J Henderson
Driver F Howard
Driver A V Hughes
Shoeing Smith H F Jenkins
Gunner W Jennings
Gunner W R Jones
Gunner G H Lewis
Gunner W Marshall
Gunner T Mason
Gunner T Meacock
Gunner W Millington
Shoeing Smith J F Mulligan
Driver G Moss
Gunner R Pace
Gunner J D Parry DCM
Gunner R Peers
Driver A J Randles
Driver J Roach
Gunner G M C Roberts
Gunner G Roberts
Driver G Roberts
Signaller J D Roberts
Gunner R F Ryder
Gunner J Rylance
Sergeant R Simon
Gunner G Steele
Gunner G Sumner
Gunner W Thelwell
Driver E F Thomas
Gunner E F Thomas
Driver S Thomas
Driver J Tomkinson
Gunner H H Walley
Gunner G Warburton
Gunner R H Waring
Gunner L Warren
Gunner W Wildig
Driver G W Williams
Driver H Woodworth
Shoeing Smith A Yates

At the going down of the sun, and in the morning, WE WILL REMEMBER THEM

 

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L/8485 Pte Ernest Locke, 4th Royal Fusiliers

 

 

I am always delighted to hear from descendants of the men I commemorate or refer to on my military blogs and the man above is a new face to me, thanks to an email from his granddaughter yesterday. L/8485 Private Ernest Locke appears on my Royal Fusiliers PoW list on the Army Service Numbers blog, and Maureen Locke has sent me this undated photograph of him as a prisoner.

 

 

Ernest Locke arrived overseas with the 4th Royal Fusiliers on the 13th August 1914, an original member of the BEF and an early arrival in France. No service record appears to survive for him but his regimental number indicates that he must have joined the regiment around December 1900. His terms of enlistment would have almost certainly been seven years with the colours and five on the reserve which suggests that he probably chose to extend his period of reserve service as a Section D Reservist. This would have given him a further four years' reserve service tacked onto his 12 years (effective from December 1912) and whilst on the reserve he would have been paid 4d a day.

 

 

Ernest's medal index card is above, the reverse showing an address in Poplar, East London. On my PoW database I have an address for 179 Maypole Road, Battersea.

 

Ernest Locke was captured on the 26th October 1914 at Thulin, Belgium, this information appearing on a single page in the ICRC collection online. The prison camp is noted as Altdamm and his sojourn there quite possibly saved his life. I do not know when he was repatriated to the UK, but presumably in late 198 or early 1919.

 

 

My thanks to Maureen Locke for this great photo of her grandfather.

 

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Name that unit

 

 

Can anyone help to identify the unit and the date that this photo was taken? Some of the men wear First World War campaign medals and a number of them wear medals on their right breasts. Note the headgear of the men standing (and the man seated far right) which, to my eye look more like the Broderick Cap which was worn by the army between 1902 and 1907.

 

These men don't look like army to me. Could they be fire brigade? Any ideas anyone?

 

 

Update - 5th June 2015

 

I'm reliably informed that these men are fire brigade. Note the axe handle protruding from the man seated far right, and also the man next to him. Many thanks to all who responded.

 

 

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