• Welcome to this forum . We are a worldwide group with a common interest in Birmingham and its history. While here, please follow a few simple rules. We ask that you respect other members, thank those who have helped you and please keep your contributions on-topic with the thread.

    We do hope you enjoy your visit. BHF Admin Team

Driver

S

spooner

master brummie
I have just obtained the death certificate for my great-uncle, who died in the military hospital in Southampton. Next to his Service number is the 'rank' of 'Driver'. Can anyone tell me whether he would have been a driver of a motor vehicle, or perhaps a horse drawn gun-carriage?
He was wounded in late 1916 and he was with the South Staffs.

Spooner
 
What was his name and service number? If we can establish what regiment or Corps he served in then we can probably say if it was a lorry or a horse.

Terry
 
Hello Terry, thanks again for the photo of the grave at the London Cemetery. This concerns Private Alfred Ball, 10819, 7th South Staffs. (he was the brother of the man whose gravestone you photographed for me). Date of death was 10/12/1916 at Southampton. Cause of death was a gunshot wound to the lung, so I would think that he had been only a short time at the hospital.

Peter
 
Peter

The 7th South Staffs was an infantry regiment and he could have been only the rank of Private, Corporal Sgt, etc. Driver rank was only found in the Army Service Corps or the Artillery. The Soldiers Died in the Great War and the CWGC have down as a Private which is correct.

Terry
 
Hi Terry

In my research efforts, I haven't been able to find out much about the 7th S Staffs, except one reference which refers to (1916) it as 7th (service) Btn S Staffs, 33rd Brigade, 11th Division. Albert Ball's record refers to service in the Balkans and France, and I have no other information. I have always assumed that he was wounded at the Somme. I don't know whether the reference to the 33rd Brigade is correct. Could you give me any information regarding where his batallion was at the time that he was wounded?

Peter
 
Hi Peter

Got the following from the WW1 site 'The Long Long Trail' . Having checked his Medal Index Card. It states that the theatre of war was 2B Balkans, which should be 2A. 2B was Gallipoli.

7th (Service) Battalion
Formed at Lichfield in August 1914 as part of K1 and became part of 33rd Brigade in 11th (Northern) Division. Moved initially to Grantham. Moved to Frensham in April 1915.
Sailed from Liverpool in early July 1915 for Gallipoli, landing at Suvla Bay 7 August 1915.
Evacuated from Gallipoli December 1915, moved to Egypt via Imbros.
Moved to France in July 1916.

The 7th South Staffs served in the 11th Division. Here is a link to the Divisional page on the 'The Long Long Trail' website:

https://www.1914-1918.net/11div.htm
 
Hi Peter

A 'Service' Battalion was a Kitchener's New Army battalion raised for the duration of the war. Thus a regiment would have it's pre war Regular and Reserve battalions plus the Territorial Force battalions and then the 'Service' battalions which were raised in 1914-15.

I still have a few more pictures of London Cemetery for you. I will get round to emailing them to you. They are on my PC. I am doing this from my laptop.

Terry
 
That's very useful information Terry, thank you. I look forward to seeing the London Cemetery pictures

Peter
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top