Battle Of The Somme 1 July Centenary

[PatHayward]

Hi Chris - thank you for your reply which was very interesting - Arthur had a sister Rose who was married to Jack Quincey and they lived in Bolton Road, Small Heath and they both worked at the BSA so Arthur could possibly have lived in that same area.
On Saturday last we had a very enjoyable time at the Summer get-together with everyone and then my daughter Lindsay drove my husband Cyril and myself to Aston Parish Church and we took with us a picture of 1/8th regiment and the historian of the church was absolutely amazed when he saw it and said he had been searching for this picture for many many years and had never seen it before and asked permission to scan it. There are so many mementos of The Royal Warwickshire Regiment and he showed us The Colours of the 2/8 Regiment also.

 

[PatHayward]

Do you have a date of birth? The more info you can put then the easier it might be for someone to help.
Janice

 

[PatHayward]

Dear Janice
We don't have his date of birth and just know that he was born about 1878 which isn't much help sadly.
Pat

 

[Old Boy]

Pat,
I have some information which you will probably find of interest. However, I think it would be best to continue this matter by Email rather than on the thread. Can you send me a private message giving your Email address please?
Chris Beresford.

 

[rowan]

Hi Pat, Your Arthur was born 1893 in Birmingham. The Rose (Rosa) you mentioned married a relation of mine John Thomas Edgar Quincey in 1913. It seems a lot of Quinceys worked at BSA as did my Grandfather who married a Quincey.

Apologies for hi jacking this post but I don't know how to contact Pat privately

 

[pjmburns]

Private messages are now "conversations". Click on her name on the avatar and then "start conversation".

Janice

 

[rowan]

Thank you Janice )

 

[PatHayward]

Hi Pat, Your Arthur was born 1893 in Birmingham. The Rose (Rosa) you mentioned married a relation of mine John Thomas Edgar Quincey in 1913. It seems a lot of Quinceys worked at BSA as did my Grandfather who married a Quincey.

Apologies for hi jacking this post but I don't know how to contact Pat privately

Hello Rowan - it's wonderful to hear this about Arthur and I have tried to contact you privately but have been unsuccessful - it's really urgent that I speak to you so do hope we can be in touch.
Regards Pat.

 

[Steve R]

I was fortunate to have a ticket for the Thiepval 100 year memorial event last week. I have to say that I was impressed by the effort the French authorities put into this. There were 10,000 people at the event which required a tremendous amount of organisation to get us all through the security screen and to the event on time. Having arrived by coach food and drinks were plentiful and there were other things to see to keep us occupied awaiting the main event. These included the new visitor centre at Thiepval , a World War 1 aircraft and replica British tank. The bands played in the background and the Irish guards were immaculate. I sat amongst these 10,000 and looked around. As far as I could see there were people everywhere, to my back there were dozens of rows of seated people, the same to my left and right and then in front were the remaining 1000's. It dawned on me that in every direction there were crowds of people but on that day 100 years ago, twice as many of those present were killed in action and an incredible five times that number were wounded or killed. It is not until you have 10,000 in front of you that you quite realise the sacrifice.
I have visited the battlefields of France and Belgium for the last 16 years making over 40 visits. I have visited numerous cemeteries and memorials to the fallen who have no known grave. If I have come to understand one thing it is this, each and every man who fought on those battlefields is a much a man I could ever hope to be.

Steve R

 

[Vivienne14]

Thank you Steve for describing the memorial event. Must have been a very moving occasion. And incredibly hard today for us to visualise the scale of loss and injury. Viv.

 

[Astoness]

thanks from me too steve...it is good to know that these men will never be forgotton...steve i sent you an email a couple of weeks back..not sure if you received it ok..

lyn

 

[Steve R]

I thought I would add some pictures I took at the Bovington tank museum two weeks ago they have an excellent WW1 display there including this running 'replica' of an Mk IV tank dating from around 1917. I was also at the Imperial War museum this week and again they have a very good section on WW1

 

[Astoness]

nice photos steve thanks for sharing them with us..

lyn

 

[maypolebaz]

Hi Steve,

I was at "Bovvy" last year and thought the indooor reconstruction of a WW1 trench was a wonderful thing, even down to the German soldier looking up in terror at the tank.
Back in the 60s while I was on my first course there, there used to one of those tanks roaring around the camp, I'm wondering if that's the one you've photographed.

 

[Steve R]

Maypolebaz

Perhaps it is but this one was also on display and several others I did not photograph as I was only interested in the 'male' tanks as I have located where two of them were knocked out in Sept 1916 around Flers in France. I have read that they do not run these older ones now as there are so rare and need preserving. The German soldier is still there and looks just as terrified.

Steve R

 

[rowan]

Hello Rowan - it's wonderful to hear this about Arthur and I have tried to contact you privately but have been unsuccessful - it's really urgent that I speak to you so do hope we can be in touch.
Regards Pat.

Hello Pat, I have only just noticed your message of July 9th 2016 re: contacting me. I assume it is regarding a Quincey. I have sent you a PM

 

[Steve R]

Folk
I will be visiting the Somme battlefield again in March. If there is anybody out there who wishes me to take a photograph of a grave or monument etc please PM me with the details. I will need as much as you can give concerning full name, service number, regiment etc. If I can get there I will for you and it won't cost you a penny. Picture will be sent electronically. so please supply and email address.
Steve R

 

[mw0njm.]

 

[olibobs]

i am trying to understand the formation of the Birmingham Pals during WW1. I know there was a tremendous reaction to Kitcheners call to arms from Brummies but were the Pals mainly classed as non manual applicants?

 

[Paulo76]

Remembering three Old Veseyans/Suttonians who lost their lives on this day:

2/Lt. George Russell Courtney Martin (aged 24), 1/6th Warks, of Hartopp Court.
2/Lt. Sidney Joseph Winkley (20) 1/6th Warks, of Hartopp Road.
2/Lt. Stanley John Ellison (19), 1st/5th S. Staffs of "Wyndhurst", Driffold.

At least 12 more would follow them over the coming weeks in the same battle.

(Source: "Pro Patria Mori", 1999, by Dave Phillips)

Chris

Hi Chris,
I appreciate your post is nearly 8 years ago but noted the names George Martin and Sidney Winkley. They are commemorated on both the All Saints Church, Four Oaks memorial and the Sutton Coldfield War Memorial in King Edwards Square. Stanley Ellison and his brother Douglas are also on the Sutton Coldfield War Memorial. Details of these four men are included on the Royal Sutton Coldfield Great War Project website https://www.sutton-coldfield.net/memorial/war memorial.html.

I've particular interest in Martin and Winkley as I've researched all the men listed on the All Saints Church https://www.warmemorialsonline.org.uk/memorial/231054. All of the men on that memorial are detailed on the above Royal Sutton Coldfield Great War Project which is in the process of being updated and will include the additional information I've provided about Martin and Winkley. Both were initially reported as wounded and missing in the Birmingham Gazette on July 14th 1916 (cutting below). I've also included images of both the men below, George Martin being the image with no text label.
Hope this is of interest.