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B'ham Aston & Nechells Surnames

romwell, would you have any info on my Uncle, William Venville, who was in the King's Own Rifles and died in September 1915 in Laventie, France where he is buried. I have a photo of the grave as two of his sisters went to visit it in the l920's. I have his CWGC info and service number S/1459. I would like to know when he joined up and where. He lived in Witton at the time of his joining. I am not sure why he joined the Rifle Brigade because a lot of Witton fellows joined the Warwickshire Regiment. He was shot through the head "going over the top". My brother has his cap badge which is mostly melted by the bullet. The family were devastated by his death as he was the oldest son.
 
Jennyann
He was in the 12th Battalion Rifle Brigade and was born in Wolverhamton Enlisted in town at Curzon St
Joined the Rifle Brigade (The Prince Consorts Own)
I have datails on them from 1914 and 1916 but not 1915 so you are out of luck
but you can get the info from Kew
You want the War Diaries from Jan 1st till the day he was killed and it will tell you were he got killed and the action he was in .
 
:)Do you have any info on a Reginald Twittey in the Royal Warwickshire, WW1 at all please Cromwell ?
 
Hi Cromwell thanks your reply. I must be out of luck as all that side of the family now passed on.All I know is he was invalided out due to gas attack. Was very well connected with the salvation army in both Victoria road and the citidal in cororation street. He also had connetions with the scout movement.He lead a group of scouts to the cristal palace world jamburee ?in London.
I had hoped some one out there may have known him.
Regards ASTON
 
Hello:
Sorry it took me so long to reply but I have been sick. That is a very wonderful photo of Cpl. A. G. Bent. You must be very proud of him.
My father, Pt. GEORGE FREDERICK BURLTON enlisted on January 28th, 1916 at Orillia, Ontario. He was with the 157th Simcoe Foresters Battalion.
Arrived in England: October 28th, 1916 and was transferred to the 116th Battalion.
December 8th, 1916 - Transferred to: 116th - Bramshott
- 8-12-16 Pt. 11,DO172
December 16th, 1916 - Y.O.S. from the 157th Battalion - Witley -
8 -12-16 - Pt.DO328
February 11th, 1917 - 28 PT2D 0 44
February 13th, 1917 - OC 116 - Proceeded overseas -Witley
June 30th, 1917 - CL a87 Dangerously wounded
July 4th, 1917 - No. 7 Casm Clearing Station - field
July 11th, 1917 - CL a99 GSW Head & leg
July 19th, 1917 - To No. 7 General hospital - St. Omer
Sept. 8th, 1917 - CLB8 GSW Head and Leg
Sept. 11th, 1917 - Adm. King George Hospital - Stanford Street
Sept. 6th, 1917 - No. 189 (116th 67 15-9-17)
Sept. 14th, 1917 - VorPisted (wd) from the 116th ESandlg?
Sept. 21st, 1917 - CLB19 - GSW head - leg
Sept. 24, 1917 -Ont. Military Hospital - Orpington

I remember quite a few years ago looking at a book for WW1 and it showed some maps and dates of where the soldiers where fighting in France. It seems that when he was wounded it was just after Vimy Ridge had been taken. Is this correct? Can you tell from the date of his wounding where he was in France?
My brother has my father's war medals. I was at a Military fair a few years ago and found some badges (hat and lapel) from the 157th and from the 116th overseas battalion. I know they are not his badges but it is still nice to have them.
A friend of mine also gave me an antique cigarette holder. Some veteran soldiers at the legion told me it was made during WW1 from the bullet casings of a 303 Calibre Ross Rifle. Probably made by recovering soldiers in the hospital.
Thanks so much for your help.
Isobel
 
Isobel, Thanks for info. So we are looking at a 4 month period in 1917. Hard to believe that 53,100 Canadians were killed in action or died of wounds,as well as 159,400 non-fatal casualties
Canada raised over 250 infantry Battalions,astonishing.
I will reply in more detail next week
 
Cromwell,is it only the men that enlisted in the RWF in Birmingham that you have info on?
My wife's Grandfather was in the RWF, think he joined them in 1911,his number was 4180869 Alfred Thomas.
Any information would be gratefully appreciated.

Cheers Nick
 
Hello:
Whenever I do look-ups for people on the WW1 CEF Canadian website it seems to me that the majority of soldiers were born in England. Also, over 100,000 children were sent over to Canada from the U.K. an dmany enlisted in WW1.
Perry Snow, who is the moderator of the the British Home Children's site searched through records of WW1 soldiers and this was his report so far.   The names of the children who were soldiers killed in action is listed on this site.
https://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~britishhomechildren

I’ve identified 2,422 young men who were some of the thousands of British Home Children who served and died in WWI.  From what I have discovered so far, I believe a disproportionate number of them enlisted - apart from patriotic reasons – as simply a way of returning to Britain to find their families. 

660,000 Canadians enlisted in WWI.            My sample so far shows 1,766 confirmed BHC enlistments.

66,655 (10%) were killed                              620 (35%) are confirmed as killed .

175.000 (26%) were wounded.                      No numbers regarding those who were wounded.

Best regards
Isobel
 
Brummie Nick, Were did you get info that he joined in 1911 from ?was it from the family as the number you gave just does not add up to a 1st or 2nd Batt Man
If he was a 1st Batt man he would have been in Irland in 1911
2nd Batt were in Quetta india (Pakistan ) 1911 they had a draft from England on the 25th Feb
Have you any paper work as he would have had no medals exept a Durbar medal if he was present
 
Cromwell,the number is on his certificate of discharge army form 2079, it says he enlisted in Cardiff on 21-10-1911 and was discharged on 20-10-1923, his medals are 1914 star British war medal, and Victory medal, we also have his pay book with 6th Pioneer Corps dated 31-8 1941 with the same number on 4180869.
Hope this helps.
Nick
 
Cromwell thanks for giving me info on the Birmingham Pals website, your mate Terry was a great help. He has given me all the relevant info i need on Reginald Twittey & more. I found another brother of Reginald who was killed in WW1 called Thomas who i didnt know about. Thanks again. :)
 
Brummie Nick
Something does not make sense what you are telling me or I have read it wrong
Does it say RWF on each medal or RWR ?
 
Cromwell, I don't have his medals, only his discharge papers, with Royal Welsh Fusiliers and his medal entitlement on it.
 
There were no 7 digit numbers in the Great War RWF
So, have to have a rethink on this one
Have you got his medal index card ? which whould tell you his Battalion Details
I have a detailed graph scatter diagram showing all numbers and year dates
But we will get to the bottom of this
 
cromwell said:
Photo or information available of the men of Birmingham who joined the Royal Welsh Fusiliers in the Great War 1914-18
Abel F - Allbutt P - Allen James - Allen R.E –Arbuthnot - Arkell R.E -Asbury - Asbury R.J - Bainares F - Banner J - Bannjng A.H. - Bass C.H .-Bates R.H - Bath H. -Batty J.- Baxter A.N. -Beddoes-Bent A.G.-Bevan A.G,- Birks J- Bishop T.- Blake Cpl.G.P.- Blake G.P.-Blaymires -Bluck -Boneham- Boswell Reuben- Bown A – Braganhall -Bridgewater J.O.-Brogan- Brooks - Brown- Broxton B.- Bunce- Bunce S- Bustin R.-Butler J.-Butwell W.A.-Carter B.-Chatwin W.-Checketts F.E.A.-
Chilwell W.-Collins A-Cooke F.-Cooper E.-Cox J.W.-Crump H.-Cumberland-Currah J.H.-Dandy H.-Darby A.-Davies F.W-Davies J.F.J- Dayus F.-Downs I.- Earp W.F.-Eccles J.W.-Edwards W.-Edwin -England W. -Evans C.C.-Evans E.-Everett F.-Everton - Farr S.- Faulkner FT.- Fellows C.H.-Field C.- Finlan J.-Fox H.-Garratt A.-Garratt E-George G.F.-Gerrand A.E.- Gibb.F.-Gilderthorpe -Giles J.-Golby- Gorman E.P.-Greaves G.C.-Green E.W.-Green F.E.-Greenway F.W.F.-Grimmet T.- Hall Albert – Hand - Hanks P.O.- Harnes T.-Harper H.J.-Harris-Harvey A.V.-Heath A. H.-Hewitt T.-Higgins G.-Higginson F.H.- Hill J.- Hill T.-Hodgetts H.J.-Hogan-Hopkins W.-Hughes A.-Hunt-Huskisson T.-Ison J-Jackson Cpl.-Jackson F.-Jackson J.-James E.G.-James G.H.-Jarvis W.-Jenkins A.E.-Jennings E.-Jones G.- Kathrens G.- Keepax W - King J.W.- Kinsell W.- Latham G.H.-Lavender A.- Lawley T.- Lawrence C.- Lawrence C.L.- Lees G.- Lewis - Lewis J.- Linthwaite A.E.- Long E.- Maddocks A.B.- Malins T.W.- Marshall- Mathews S.- Mclndoe J.- Meredith W.- Mincher T.- Mitchell P.G.- Morgan T.- Morris- Morton W.- Neale- Nesmith A.- Nickolls T.W.- Norton A.H.- Oates.A- O'Gara A.- Page Pte. - Page W.- Palmer R.- Parker A- Parker LCE - Penn J.- Perks A.G - Priest- Puffer R.- Puffet R.- Rackshaw - Rackshaw A.V- Richards A.C - Richards T.- Ricketts R- Robinson J.- Robinson S.- Rock - Roden D.- Rowe F.S.- Rushton F.G.- Sankey- Saunders C.- Scragg W.- Shepard T.- Simkins J.W.- Simpson W.A.- Smith A.- Smith Albert - Smith G.L - Snooks W.- Somerfield E.E. - Stanley J.- Stead R.- Stevens B. - Stockwell W.H. - Stokes J.- Stonehouse T.- Stubbs S. - Stubley G - Styche I. - Tarrat S.- Taylor J. - Taylor J.W. - Thomas W.-Thompson P.W.G - Tiplady P. -Tracy - Troman E.- Turral H.F.- Twyford A. -Vale H.-Vince A.- Wakelin C.J.J.- Wallace C.- Wardell - Webster A - Webster C.F.- Wells J.R.- Whitfield- Whitfield A.- Whittaker A.- Wilkes H.- Wilkes Harry -Williams A - Williams Albert - Williams T.- Withington -Woods F.- Wright G.- Yendall G
Click to expand...
CROMWELL'S WW1 KNOWLEDGE O0

I wonder if you have any information on the 7th Hussars.  I have a great uncle who was a trouper in that unit --His name was  John Edwin Smith No. 529467. He was  married on the 24th Dece.1924 age 29yr and profession was given as a Trouper. I dont know when he joined up, but would love to find his 'records' so any help would be appreciated.
Thank you for your time.

Cheers AnnMarie O0
 
Ann Marie
Your best bet is to start with getting info from Kew as my knowledge is mainly Great War
know very little about The Hussars
 
Brummie Nick
Deleted the last Two posts, been in touch with the RWF Archives and you have only got six possibilities
only six Alfred Thomas in the RWF Great War who survived
10718 who was in the 1st RWF got the Star and clasp
10842 Who was in the 1st Battalion taken POW got the Star no clasp
9483
6392
53979
8887
So you see Nick without a medal it starts to become an impossible task to get the right man
 
cromwell said:
Brummie Nick
Deleted the last Two posts, been in touch with the RWF Archives and you have only got six possibilities
only six Alfred Thomas in the RWF Great War who survived
10718 who was in the 1st RWF got the Star and clasp
10842 Who was in the 1st Battalion taken POW got the Star no clasp
9483
6392
53979
8887
So you see Nick without a medal it starts to become an impossible task to get the right man
Click to expand...

Cromwell I've been back to the medal card index, and the 10842 Who was in the 1st Battalion looks promising has its Alfred J Thomas which fits to my Alfred John Thomas.
Nick
 
Nick if that is your man he spent nearly all the war in Altdamm P.O.W. camp in Germany left England for France on 30th Oct 1914
 
Thanks Cromwell, he died in the 1940's my wife only remembers him vaguely as she was only young, when the Gran died we inherited her box of mementos where we found his papers, It also contained notification of her first husbands death in March 1915 while serving with the 3rd Battalion Worcestershire Regiment.

we will probably never know the answer but thanks again for you're effort.
Nick
 
Thank you Cromwell for your reply on my John Edwin Smith of the 7th Hussars.
I will try "Kew" as you suggested.

Cheers. Ann Marie :)
 
Dear Cromwell - I notice that you have a JW Taylor listed among the men of Birmingham who joined the Royal Welsh Fusiliers in WW1.
A JW Taylor living in Aston Manor was my wife's granduncle & I am wondering if you can give me any more information?
Thanks
Tim Clarke
 
Tim, Slip up on my Part it should read J H Taylor shame as I have a pic of him and a bit about him,he came from Small Heath
I do have a J W Taylor listed in the Warwicks but he was killed in action on the 4th Oct 1917
 
Hi Cromwell

I was just wondering if you had any information about the Royal Berkshire Regiment. I have a relative that was a private in the 7th Bn. His name was Walter Dyas and his service number 14659. His wife was Rose Dyas of 456 Park Road, Birmingham. He was killed 15th June 1917. I would love to know anything about him or the regiment he served in.

I would also like to thankyou for all the help you give to so many.I love reading the posts on here.
O0 Tracy
 
Hello Tracy, The 7th Batt was not on the Somme in 1916 where did you get the info he was killed in 1917 ? from the CWGC ?
He never served in France and died of wounds in Salonika and lived in Winson Green Brookfields his parents were Thomas And Mary Dyas and was married to Rose Dyas and lived at 456 Park Rd Soho
His Grave is in Karasouli Military Cemetery No C547
 
Any one have any info on the "BENTONS" NECHELLS PARK ROAD,(JOHN or LEONARD siblings)?
time line 1914 1930 approx.
ASTON
 
Aston If its John Benton who enlisted in 1/8th Territorials RWR he was killed in Action at Serre on 1/7/16 I have events leading to his death
 
WRONG JOHN BENTON CROMWELL. This one lived to a ripe old age,he was my wife's UNCLE.
I think he worked for Birmingham council something to do with the housing dept.
LEONARD BENTON was my father in law.I was told in WWI  he joined the RFC at 16 fibbing about his age.
invalided out after crashing, (metal plate in his head).
We only have tales past down as both have long gone from our lives.No one to confirm this info!
I would love to find out if this was true so as to give my wife some back ground to her dads life.
ASTON
 
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