Angel

Hello Gunner 1

Many thanks for the reply it is extremely helpful. Iv'e got something to search for now..

If I have got this right it, as he was a Gunner, I'm assuming he would have been with the following;-

445th RGA

B Section - attached to 10th Heavy Battery RGA

joined 61st HAG

became 18 HAG

Please correct me if this is wrong as I'm still trying to understand this Army system.

Can you recommend any good books on this subject, a trip to the library might help?.. Thanks for the info re the NA

Many Thanks

Angel

Hello Angel,

I didn't find anything on the 445th, sorry.

Hi Tony

The pic is brilliant, I was under the impression he was in the trenches with a Gun !!!

Silly me...

The shells were huge... can't imagine the sort of noise they would have made.

Good News:

Contacted the Royal Artillery today and the 445th did exist, and they are holding some war diaries there, Just in case anybody else is interested they are dated Sept 1917-Mar 1918 and June 1918-Dec 1918.

Iv'e to contact them again next week to talk to the archivist, he can probably give me more info on them.

So looks like another place to try to visit.

Thanks for your help as usual..

Angel

I don't envy your task, it looks like a few trips to Kew are in order.

Hello Tony nice to hear from you.

You guessed what I'm trying to do.. get as much info as poss on all these soldiers/ancestors before I go to London, then I might know what I'm looking for...

Had a quick look at the Site looks very helpful, will check over the weekend. Not checked the 1901 Census yet, as it would be a complete guess which one could be him..Will have to try the family again see if anybody can come up with an area at least.

Did the 445th Siege Bty mean anything to you?

Thanks for your help

Angel

Hi everybody

Iv'e found my GGrandfather Charles Daniels on the CWGC site, info as follows:-

Charles Daniels (Gunner)

161789, 445th Siege Bty, Royal Garrison Artillery.

Died aged 30, 16 December 1918.

in Mikra British Cemetery, Kalamaria, Greece.

I am trying to find out any info on where he might have been Based/Fought/Died.

Can anybody help as I can find no reference to the 445th Siege Bty.

Any help or advice would be great.

Thanks

P.S. No other info is known about him at present as he died when my nan was only 5

YOU CAN PUT A ADVERTISEMENT IN MEDALS NEWS FOR MISSING MEDALS AT A SMALL COST.BUT VERY RARE DO THEY COME UP.

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Hi Paul

Will certainly have a look at Medal News, might be worth trying, will also try asking the family again, just in case.

Thanks for your help.

Angel

Hello Angel,

I seem to remember a lot of people having the nickname ferret when I was in the army, had nothing to do with any particular unit though. 

In WWII German guards would plant equipment to detect tunnelling and lie under huts eavesdropping on the prisoners or carry out raids on selected huts without warning if the men inside were thought to be up to no good. Because of their job, the allies gave them the nickname ferret.

I just wonder if the name stems from tunnelling fatigues or if British camp guards did the same in the Great War.

Tony

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Hi tony

have been looking on the web, see what you mean about the germans using ferrets, havn't had any luck with the same reference for the British troops, but did find a Ferret Reconnaissance vehicle, interesting stuff...will keep looking...

Angel

HI, AFTER LOOKING AT PERCY CULSHAW MIC.IT LOOK LIKE HE ONLY GOT A SILVER WAR BADGE.NO MEDALS ISSUED. AS THE 1st/8th BN LONDON REGIMENT WENT TO FRANCE ON THE 11/5/15 AND THE 2nd/8th BN LONDON REGIMENT WENT ON THE 31/1/18. THE KR.PARA 392(XVI) = KINGS REGULATIONS PARAGRAPH 392(XVI) NO LONGER PHYSICALLY FIT FOR WAR  SERVICE. AND HAS FOR PTE.A.CULSHAW HE GOT THE 1914-15 TRIO & THE SILVER WAR BADGE YOU WILL NEED TO GET HIS SWB ROLL OUT TO FIND OUT WHY HE GOT IT.HE WAS IN THE ARMY PAY CORP.A VERY NICE TRIO TO THE APC.I NEVER SEEN ONE.AM BEEN BUYING WW1 MEDALS 13 YEARS NOW TTFN PAUL

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Hi Paul

Thanks for the info. very helpful, do you know if there is someone/somewhere I could contact to see if the medals were actually issued as none of our family have ever seen them, the only one we do have is a Britain Legion Badge. No luck tracing this tho.

Another question do you know what the APC did?

Angel

Hi Everybody

Does anybody know if there was a nickname for a regiment/regiments called "The Ferrets", I'm researchng my family Tree and have been informed one of my great uncles was a ferret!!!

Clutching at straws really... If this was a regimental nickname does anybody have any info about "The ferrets", anything at all be very helpful.

Thanks

Angel

He tells me that Percy would have been eligible for a 'Silver War Badge' (for those discharged from the army on health grounds) only if his discharge was due to poor health resulting from his brief service between September and December 1914. If he was eligible he would need to have applied for it. Unless you know he got one then the only way to find out is to look at his entry on the Medal Roll at the National Archives.

Hi Andrew

Trip to London definately needed as I don't know if he did get any medals.

Many thanks for all your help and advice.

Angel

And, a link about Clisptone Camp: [url=http://www.mp-

Sorry forgot to mention Iv'e looked at all the sites you recommended

Congratulations on a very good site, very helpful on tracing soldiers and where to go, Trip to London is definately needed sometime in the future. Clipstone was very interesting, but not many pics, at least I have a bit of history behind it now.

Many Thanks for the advice.

Angel.

Angel - I'm a little confused. Are you looking into Percy Alfred Culshaw or Alfred Culshaw?

Hi Andrew

Sorry for the confusion. Alfred Culshaw is Percy's Father, so eventually I'll be looking into Alfred's Military History as well. I only put Alfred's on at present to see if the date in the remarks section meant anything to anybody. I do know Alfred did go to France as I have another photo, don't know where it was taken at present, It has on the back "somewhere in France" Alfred Culshaw..lots more info on his MIC so not so confusing, although I havn't looked in to the A.P.C. side yet...

Hope this makes sense..

Angel

It would be helpful if I could see the MIC in this case as it may solve a few problems - could you attach it to a post in this thread?

Hello Andrew

This is Alfred's MIC

Angel

[attachmentid=7890]

It would be helpful if I could see the MIC in this case as it may solve a few problems - could you attach it to a post in this thread?

Hi Andrew

Trying again..

Angel

[attachmentid=7889]

Hi Andrew

Attachment didn't work, I will have to try from home. Iv'e done it on a excel programme doesn't like it.

Angel

Hi Andrew

Many thanks for the links (I havn't looked at them yet, but will do this afternoon, bit busy) and advice.

I don't have the MC at work but I do have transcriptions here, hopefully they are attached. I have also sent one for Alfred Culshaw, Percy's Father, My GGrandfather.

More info on this one, still unsure what to look for under the Army Pay Corp tho, also what the date is in the remarks box. Alfred died in 1947, but around 1930+ he was working at the Woolwich Arsenal, in the Armaments Inspection Div, a civilian employee, so they informed me. Have you any idea what this date might mean.

Thanks for your help

Hello Tony

Thanks for the info and for the census info, Percy was actually 1 of 10 children born between 1885-1903, and I think there might be more, as their Parents seemed to have babies every year/other year.

Out of the first six children 5 were boys, Percy, Edgar, Sidney, Joseph, Harold. 1885 - 1893.

I know more about Percy than any of the others, (no photos) of Harold or Sidney.

I havnt looked for Edgar's MC as Iv'e ony just confirmed his middle name, (Ernest),and at the time I was looking for them, there were a few Edgar Culshaw, same with Harold. I do have 1 photo that could be either of them, but I can't identify the uniform/badges at all, Guessing really.

I do know that both Edgar and Harold were alive in 1947, as I have a letter from Edgar to Harold.

Joseph died in 1911, aged 18/19 so missed the war.

Thanks again for your help..

Angel

Hi Andrew

Thanks for replying, if Iv'e got this right, do you mean the 1/8th were part of the 47th Div were also known as the 2nd london Div, Post Office Rifles.?

Also do you know if the following is correct but I have been told that the men enlisted for a number of years i.e five years, but if they were discharged, they had a choice of either serving their time at home waiting to be called up (reserves ?) or they could serve out their time at one of the training camps, this might explain the 1918 photos at various camps.

If this is wrong and he did actually re-enlist 3-4 years later, would he have been given a new army number and seperate records from the 1914 records.

The medal card I have for him, was the second type, not the one that actually lists which medals he was entitled to, if I remember correctly its the one that meant he was entitled to the silver war badge automatically. Sorry but I don't have all my records with me. (Work)

The other camps he was at were Thorsby Park Notts August 1918 (Cook)

Clipstone Mansfield Notts Deember 1918 (A.S.C.)

Camberley Aug 1914 (Group pic must be 8th London)

Many thanks for your help..

Angel

Hi Tony

Sorry for the delay in replying, but I was attending a funeral yesterday.

I must tell you, you have helped, as I didn't know the 8th London were part of the Post Office Rifles, shows you how confusing all this army stuff can be for someone who knows nothing about it..

Were the Post Office Rifles actually anything to do with the Post Office, as Percy was employed by them around 1908. He was 18 then (again I have a photo)?.

I have a silly question for you, is Khaki the creamy colour, worn in the desert or hot places,(Shorts etc) or is it the Brown/Green, as my colleague and I are having a friendly dispute at the moment....

Think I'll have to find where his records might be/if they exist..

Many Thanks for your help.

Angel

Hello Angel,

I can't tell you anything about the Post Office Rifles but, my great Grandfather was a territorial in the 12th London Regt. which he joined in 1912, he was invalided out in 1916 and in 1917/18 he joined the Labour Corps.

My other great Grandfather who served in the 24th Londons was wounded in 1914, I have photos of him in khaki with bandages and hospital blues. In November 1915 he was sent to Alexandria, then India and then Rangoon but there is no record (that I can find) of him ever going to France or Belgium and being wounded.

Records are sometimes hard to follow.

Sorry I couldn't really help and good luck with your research.

Tony

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Hi everybody

Is there a kind soul out there, that could help with some advice on the following:-

I am researching my family tree, In particular the name Culshaw, at present I have a few great Uncles who were involved in WW1, but I can't seem to find any info at present.

I do have the medal cards for two of them Percy Alfred Culshaw, and Sidney Culshaw, I can't find them on the CWGC site, or any Marriage/Deaths Registered. So at present I'm assuming they were war casualties.

The medal card for Percy states he was in the 8th London Regiment, No. 2672, a private. Also states he was discharged for health reasons around 3 months after enlisting. July+ 1914. No theatre of war listed.

But I have photos of him in uniform all various dates and in different camps. Most around 1917/18, based at Camberley, and Cambs etc. In one of the photos he is holding a coat/jacket over his arm and you can see A.S.C on the shoulder. In another photo he is a cook!!!

Can any body throw any light on a slight history of the 8th London Reg etc, as I understand that reg did change names or numbers quiet often, I'm just totally confused as if he was discharged, how do I have the photos taken a lot later. Also where does the ASC come into it.

Can anybody help?

Any advice at all would be greatly received.

Thanks