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Steel Grinder in the army

B

Bournvilleboy

knowlegable brummie
In WW1 my grandfather was a "steel grinder", he was in the Cambridge Regiment, does anyone know what
a steel grinder would have done? Cheers
 
i would imagine he worked in a steel works factory before he joined the army...if he survived the war and came back to working as a steel grinder the 1921 census usually gives the actual names of the companies people worked for which may give you a clue as to what sort of steel works it was but obviously he was grinding steel of some sorts

lyn
 
Hi, thanks for your help, he was a rim polisher at a cycle works on the 1911 and 1921 census. The reference to him being a steel grinder was when he was in the army in 1917. Do you think a rim polisher could be classed as a steel grinder? Cheers
 
Bournvilleboy said:
Hi, thanks for your help, he was a rim polisher at a cycle works on the 1911 and 1921 census. The reference to him being a steel grinder was when he was in the army in 1917. Do you think a rim polisher could be classed as a steel grinder? Cheers
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The process of making certain objects like edge tools, knives and scissors involved a lot of griding and polishing to remove surplus metal and to then give a good shiny finish. Therefore, its most likely he would have had the transferable skills to do both jobs.

Have a look at this video film by Shaun Bloodworth at Ernest and Write Ltd, one of the last scissor manufacturers in Sheffield. Shaun was quite fascinated by hand and hand eye coordination with manual workers.

 
i was getting confused as i thought the occupation of steel grinder was on his army records meaning that is what his work was before he joined up..

lyn
 
Morturn said:
The process of making certain objects like edge tools, knives and scissors involved a lot of griding and polishing to remove surplus metal and to then give a good shiny finish. Therefore, its most likely he would have had the transferable skills to do both jobs.

Have a look at this video film by Shaun Bloodworth at Ernest and Write Ltd, one of the last scissor manufacturers in Sheffield. Shaun was quite fascinated by hand and hand eye coordination with manual workers.

Click to expand...
What an interesting video, so much skill to manufacture scissors. Thank you for sharing it. As you said he probably used his skills from polishing and grinding and as Janice said he could have sharpened bayonets and other tools in the army which makes sense.
Interestingly his father was an Edge Tool Polisher, and his brother was a Tool filer, the video has given me an insight into what these occupations may have involved.
Astoness said:
i was getting confused as i thought the occupation of steel grinder was on his army records meaning that is what his work was before he joined up..

lyn
Click to expand...

You may well be correct that it was on his army records, I do not have his army number to find his service history.
 
you do not have to have his army number...just his name..year of birth and where he lived ie birmingham ..his service records maybe on ancestry..if you are not on ancestry and you would like to give us those details someone would be happy to look for you

lyn
 
Bournvilleboy said:
You may well be correct that it was on his army records, I do not have his army number to find his service history.
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In post 2 you wrote
The reference to him being a steel grinder was when he was in the army in 1917
If you don't have his army number or records where did this info come from? Thank you.
 
mikejee said:
Surely the point has to be sharp , else it would not slide in well
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I thought so - perhaps the comment I read referred to the rest of the blade. (can't find where I read this now).

Bayonets are normally not issued sharp, They are meant to be stabbing,or thrusting weapons. If you find a bayonet that is sharp, the soldier who had it prior sharpened it himself.
 
The information was on his daughter's death certificate. It was entered under the "Rank or Profession" heading.
I think it was entered because she was only 5 years old.
 
Astoness said:
you do not have to have his army number...just his name..year of birth and where he lived ie birmingham ..his service records maybe on ancestry..if you are not on ancestry and you would like to give us those details someone would be happy to look for you

lyn
Click to expand...
Thanks for the offer, but I have looked on Ancestry, Find My Past and The National Archives with no success. I have also been to my local genealogy club, the conclusion is that they are probably part of the "burnt records".
 
The death cert may actually just be a reference to his civilian job not what he did in the army. Do you know if he was "home" at the time or did someone else register the death? They may not have known what he did in the army.
[Occupations are stil recorded today. I had to give my Dad's occupation for recording on my Mother's death cert.]
 
pjmburns said:
The death cert may actually just be a reference to his civilian job not what he did in the army. Do you know if he was "home" at the time or did someone else register the death? They may not have known what he did in the army.
[Occupations are stil recorded today. I had to give my Dad's occupation for recording on my Mother's death cert.]
Click to expand...
 
His wife reported their daughter's death. I do not know if he was at home at the time.
The wording on the certificate under Rank or Profession is " Daughter of Ernest James Hughes, a private Cambridge Regiment (a steel grinder)". I assume these details were entered because his daughter did not have a profession and
this why I thought his occupation in the army was a steel grinder.
 
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