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Royal Warwickshire Regiment

  • Thread starter Thread starter frodo
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frodo

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My grandfather Pte. C.Watts 8817 was in the Royal Warwickshire Regiment and I remember him telling me that he served in the Sudan in the 1890's. The next record I can find is 1901 census when he was in Barracks in Essex ? I would like to know if anyone can tell me where the Battalion ( the 1st I think) was from 1901 to 1914 and if he was there. He served during WW1 and I have his medals, one of which is, I believe, the Mons Star. It has 1914 and Aug - Nov. on it. Perhaps someone would know from this which battalion he served in.

Thank you.
 
Sherry1

Any first names? I can't see any in Curzon street for the 1918 absent voters list for Bham.

Suzanne
 
If he has the Mons Star he can only be 1st or 2nd Battalion. The 1st Battalion was in India from at least about 1898-1912 when they returned home and were based at Shorncliffe Camp, Folkestone until they were sent to France in August 1914 as part of the BEF. 2nd Bn were in Malta from 1912 and were called back to Belgium cOctober 1914.

The nearest service numbers of those who were killed...
8815 2nd Bn 31.10.14
8821 2nd Bn 5.10.15
8826 1st Bn 7.6.15

It is also possible that he had left the army and went on the reserve and was called up in 1914. If this were true it makes it more likely to be 1st Bn as 2nd Bn did not a top up with reserves to be sent out after a short stay in the New Forest on return from Malta.
 
Hi my Great Uncle was also in the 1st Battalion RWR and he too served in the Sudan at the end of 1898 he went to the East Indies for four years, came back and was moved to various Battalions as a Sergeant. He came out the Army in 1913 after doing 21 years and went straight back in when WW1 started..as Regimental Sergeant Major, with the 10th Battalion.
 
Colettebenson said:
Hi my Great Uncle was also in the 1st Battalion RWR and he too served in the Sudan at the end of 1898 he went to the East Indies for four years, came back and was moved to various Battalions as a Sergeant. He came out the Army in 1913 after doing 21 years and went straight back in when WW1 started..as Regimental Sergeant Major, with the 10th Battalion.
Click to expand...

Full name????
 
Hi Alan he was Edward Joseph Pratt born 1875 Tile Hill Stoneleigh, I have his service records from when he joined the 1st Battalion 1892, but his WW1 records did not survive.his brother my Great Grandfather moved from Warwickshire to Liverpool so our side never really knew much about the Warwickshire side until all my research..so we have no photos of Edward Joseph..I bought Landers War and Charles Lander mentions Edward in his war diary he said he was a kind hearted soul loved by everyone, I would love to find a photo of him.
 
Hi Colin thats him 2469 killed 20th Sept at Menin RD quote (Landers War) Sergeant Pratt took one in the side and refused stretcher bearers he walked all the way back to the dressing station were he collapsed and died, he was acting RSM he is also mentioned in despatches 22nd May 1917, his wife would had been given his oak leaf emblem.
 
Interesting stuff. I have him in my history of the regt....

RSM Edward Pratt, 42, died from his wounds and twenty other ranks were killed with 64 wounded and seven men missing. Lander described Pratt as a “huge, heavy man, a dear good natured soul loved by everybody. He…refused aid from our stretcher bearers, walking all the way back to the dressing station near the Spoil Bank where he collapsed and died” (2186). He came from Kenilworth where he worked as a school attendance officer and was married to a local teacher. He had been a soldier before the war and rejoined in September 1914. The local newspaper described him as “an extraordinarily fine specimen of manhood, 6 feet 2 inches in height and spendidly proportioned” (2187).

He is named on the Coventry Roll, Kenilworth war memorial, Kenilworth Methodist Memorial.
War Diary 21.5.17 says he was mentioned in despatches
 
Thanks Colin I have all that info but appreciate you looking for me..he lived in Kenilworth his parents moved there c 1891ish from Tile Hill Lane..His father Thomas Edwin Pratt was born in Kirby Corner Stoneleigh were I have gone back a further two generations.I have tried tracing what happened to his children he had 3 daughters and one son, two of the daughters never married and I cannot trace the other two the son being Charles Edward Pratt born WARWICK prob at the Barracks 1906. He seemed a really nice man by newspaper accounts with a nice nature etc..if you ever come across a photo of any of the battalions he was in give me a shout .
 
Would this be your Charles?
1911 at 13 Empress Road Kensington Liverpool
Charles Pratt aged 37 born 1874 Warwickshire Stoneleigh,Police Constable
Janet Ellen Pratt Wife aged 26 born 1885 Warwickshire Coventry

Marriages Sep 1910
Charles Pratt married Janet E Lee Coventry 6d 982
In 1911, another of the brothers Walter G Pratt (born 1868 Tile Hill) was listed in the Warwick Union Workhouse And Infirmary.
He is listed with parents and siblings 1871 and 1881 in Tile Hill Lane.
Deaths Dec 1930
Walter G Pratt aged 61 Warwick 6d 804
 
Hi Charles was Edward Joseph's brother, Charles and my Great Grandad both came to Liverpool c1893 Charles joined the Police and Arthur worked his way up in the pubs, When Their parents died 1910 & 1911 Walter G who was a bit slow must have had to go into the Workhouse.It doesn't look like Charles had any children.Their were 3 sisters one died in 1900 and the other two married I have traced both their lives and descendants didn't know about Edward.Will carry on working on Edward's other two children maybe one married...
 
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