Tracing a Soldier

[mogwai71]

View attachment 23520My Mum has this old post card of a soldier from WW1 and we're not sure exactly who he is. On the back it has written W. Clark (or Clarke) 1055 1st Royal Warwickshire, date 1916, an address in Germany which is really difficult to read because of the hand writing and the number 10945 (or 10995). I think he may be my Great Grandma's brother-in-law - the post card is addressed to her- but I can't find any information on Ancestry or Find My Past about who he could be. Does anyone have any advice about how to go about tracing him?

 

[terry carter]

I have checked the Medal card index on Ancestry and came up with what might be the answer.

Could it be a John C Clarke that you are looking for, No.1055, 2nd Royal Warwickshire Regiment, who became a Prisoner of War in 1915.

In the Birmingham Daily Post casualty lists his name and number appears twice.

Edition 15 June 1915: Pte J Clarke 1055, Missing in Action (serving with 1st Bn Royal Warwicks.

Edition 5 October 1915: Pte J Clarke 1055, POW.

Terry

 

[mogwai71]

Hi, thanks for the reply. What you've found is very interesting as my Great Grandma eldest son was John Charles Clarke and we asumed that it was him for a while, he would have been the right age but he doesn't look like the man on my Grandma's wedding photo (it was 20 years later mind you). The name on the back of the post card was definatly a W but I suppose that could be a mistake. John Clarke's daughter is still alive so my Mum will have to contact her to see if she know's anything!

Thanks again that's give me quite a bit to ponder!

 

[Lloyd]

an address in Germany which is really difficult to read because of the hand writing and the number 10945 (or 10995).

Can you scan that and post it? It's possibly the address of the PoW camp he was at, and his number there.

 

[mogwai71]

I don't have the post card at the moment, I'll try and get it later today and scan it

 

[mogwai71]

I've got the back of the card scanned now, the number in the top right hand corner reads 10945 or 10995

View attachment 23700

 

[Chris_Baker]

P w Clark
1055 1st Royal Warwickshire Regiment
Gefangenen Lager
Minden J W
Germany

then something scrubbed out by a censor ... could be "military party ..."

Gefangenen Lager means POW camp
Minden is in Westphalia, Germany

Copied from a message on the Great War Forum:

"Minden was a straffe (punishment) camp for NCOs. Putting it as succinctly, and simply as possible, under the Hague Conventions allied NCO POWs and above were not required to work to support the German economy. To say that Germany was suffering pretty severely under the allied naval blockade is a gross underestimate. With a good percentage of its working men at the front, Germany relied on the labour of prisoners to contribute to the economy. NCOs could volunteer to work, however this system seems to have been abused in some army corps area where recalcitrant NCOs were sent off to particularly bad camps where they received some pretty harsh treatment until they 'volunteered'. "Silly stand", beatings, and general bastardry were the norm for British POW at these places until they put up their hand to agree to work.

I keep on harping on about Daniel McCarthy, but his book "The Prisoner of war in Germany" features an entire chapter on Minden, pp.77-104. It has now been digitised, so click here to download."

Hope that helps!

 

[mogwai71]

Hi, thanks for the information, isn't it amazing what you can find on t'nternet!

 

[blessed]

My Grandfather Philip George Bennett immigrated to Australia 1921, from Birmingham with Emma, my Grandmother, and my 1year old Father, I was too young to understand that he had served in W.W1 and Dad never made any mention of it either, however the only thing that I can vaguely remember was talk of 'The Artillery'. Since becoming involved with Genealogy, I have discovered that my Grandfather did indeed serve as a Gunner, R.F.A, volunteering at the outbreak of war and discharged June 1919, according to the National Roll of The Great War, being eligible for the 1914 Star, and the General Service and Victory Medals. At the bottom of the paragraph mentioning his service there is a number being Z 1448. On the UK, W.W1 Service Medal and Award Rolls, 1914-1920 for Philip George Bennett sheet, but his Regimental no. was 835310. How can I verify whether my Grandfather in fact actually received these medals, as no-one here in Australia has ever seen them. I would like to be able to collect his war records, like I have with my Australian Grandfather, so,with having explained all this, what is the best way to achieve this?
Regards,
Blessed.

 

[Astoness]

hi blessed have you checked ancestry to see if his war records survived the bombings of ww2...so many were unfortunately destroyed...i was lucky with my grandads ww1 records..they did survive so i was able to save them from ancestry and print them off...strangely enough he was also in the RFA only on horse back..i would think your grandad most certainly received his due medals but over the years they either get lost or passed onto family who stick them away and forget about them..non of my family have my grandads medals and also remember that very often the brave men who received them either sent them back or got rid of them ..i guess they did not want to be reminded of the horrors of fighting in the field...

do you know your grandfathers date of birth and the address he was living at in birmingham the time of joining up

lyn

 

[Astoness]

you have most likely got this blessed but if not here is your grandfathers medal card..looks like 2 he served in 2 regiments..numbers 2148 and 835310 being the other..i have searched ancestry and although i will look again its looking like his service records did not survive...

Name: Philip G Bennett
Regiment or Corps: Royal Field Artillery
Regimental Number: 1280, 835310


lyn

 

[pjmburns]

He is on the absent voters electoral roll for 1918. 5 Franklin Terrace, Sparkbrook lists Phillip George (835310 Gnr, C.306 Bdg, R.F.A) and also Ernest (162035 also R.F.A). They are also there in 1919.

 

[Astoness]

hi janice thats fits nicely as philip had a brother ernest younger by one year so they both joined up...wonder if his service records survived...

lyn

 

[Astoness]

here is the medal card for philips brother ernest also served in 2 regiments..again looking like ernests records did not survive

lyn

Name: Ernest Bennett
Regiment or Corps: Royal Field Artillery, Labour Corps
Regimental Number: 162035, 660972

 

[blessed]

Hi! Astoness & Janice and thankyou very much for your response and help, I did not have this information on Ernest, as I hadn't yet gotten around to look into his life yet, as I am a beginner at this genealogy. It really is a shame that many records were destroyed during the W.W 2 bombing. My Grandfather, Philip George Bennett was born 8th. July 1897, as I do have his Birth Certificate and his family's address at that time was- 400, no. 4 St. George Terrace Cooksey Road, Aston, but the family moved around often in Birmingham, so I would not have his address on his enlistment. However you are probably right, in regards to his medals, maybe he left with family when immigrating here to Australia or possibly did not want to know about them but I certainly was wondering whether there was means of checking with the authorities somehow. Once again, thankyou for your time and help.
Regards,
Blessed.