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Royal Warwickshires whereabouts

M

mrsb

proper brummie kid
Here is a photo of my grandad during WWI together with his Army Medal Rolls. From the information on the certificate can anyone help with which battles he was involved in? I believe he was injured twice and returned thats why he has 2 numbers, but don't know much else. Hope someone can throw some light on his whereabouts for me. Charles henry Eagles WW1.jpgCharles Henry Eagles.jpg
 
Hi mrsb, I'm sure our WW1 experts will give you more info, but my grandad had 2 numbers like yours. This was to do with the fact that he re-enlisted after the end of the war.
Have you found his Service Record on Ancestry? The Royal Warwickshire Regiment Museum in Warwick have proved very helpful to me in my research, but I see you're in Preston so can't just pop in!
 
He has two numbers because he was a Territorial. As a private 2242 but under all Territorial renumbering in 1917 he was given a 6 figure number 200382. On his Medal card their is a code which says TF War R which reinforces this. He has no 1915 star so did not go out with any of the four first line TF bns in 1915 but could have been a reinforcement. His two medals show that he saw active service after January 1 1916. 2nd Line Territorials went out in May 1916.

The bad news there were eight TF battalions - four first line - 1/5 1/6 1/7 1/8 and four second line - 2/5 2/6 2/7 2/8.

The better news is all first line made up 143 Brigade 48th Division. All second line made up 182 Brigade 61st Divsion (see Long Long Trail web site for more on distinctions).

The key is that he came out wounded.....on the card SWB reference. SWB is Silver War Badge (do a web search for this). One of FindmyPast or Ancestry has a searchable database of the SWB Rolls which will give date of discharge and nature of wound. Come back when you have got these details and I can be very helpful.
 
Thank you so much Journeyman. I found his SWB Rolls on Ancestry as you suggested, I then found on the internet a list of causes of discharge in the "King's Regulations 1912".
All it said under XVi was "no longer physically fit for war service" which I suppose could mean anything. I've put a copy of the document here so you maybe able to tell me where he was. thanks again.Charles H Eagles War Badge.jpg
 
Have you checked whether a pension or service record is on Ancestry?

I have a database of all Royal Warwicks deaths. There are ten with a number close to his.......200363-200407 range.

4 were in 1/5th Bn
3 were in 2/5th Bn
2 were in 2/6th Bn
1 was in 9th Bn

Ignore the last one - he was highly likely to be in one of the first three. 1/5th were in Italy from November 1917 to the end of the war. I will need to check up on 2/5 and 2/6. Date of discharge does not help that much as he must have been wounded at a previous date. What is interesting is that he enlisted on 13.3.14 so was a pre-war Territorial - probably 1/5 or 1/6 based at Thorp Street Barracks. (1/7 in county of Warks'1/8 at Aston). After being mobilised for war in August 1914 in cOctober 1914 they were given the option of being available for service abroad (you joined pre-war for home defence only). Those who said yes became first line Territorials. If you said no you became one of the new second line bns who took over in Essex cFebruary 1915 when the first line went to France. It is a pity that on the medal card there is nothing under Date of Theatre of war entered which might have helped. Usually those who said no usually did so for family reasons. Do you know if he was married with a young family? Because men were needed there were enough men in the second line to go out in May 1916.
 
Sorry - he didn't die in the war. He joined at 17 almost 18 he wasn't married. He lived in Berners Street, Lozells at the time he joined. I was really interested in where he went if you have any info - but i quite understand if its not possible.

Many thanks for your time.
 
The surname is quite rare I knew a Derek Eagles and his brother, they lived in Weoley Castle in the 50's, 60's, and went Ilmington
Road School, was it the same family???
paul
 
There seems to be loads of Eagles around the Aston area during 1800/1900's. My grandad lived in the Aston area all his life and after he married they lived in Alma Street. They also had two shops at 116 and 117 Coleshill Street up to early 1950's Pie Shop and Tobacconists.
 
For obvious reasons you cannot make deductions from a sample of those who survived. You can try to find numbering patterns from those who were killed. Therefore my deductions are the best bet to narrow down the bn. You need to know the bn to open up a wealth of other information some of which I have. You now only have two actions left - service and/or pensions record on Ancestry or approach the Fusiliers Museum in Warwick to see if they can help.


mrsb said:
Sorry - he didn't die in the war. He joined at 17 almost 18 he wasn't married. He lived in Berners Street, Lozells at the time he joined. I was really interested in where he went if you have any info - but i quite understand if its not possible.

Many thanks for your time.
Click to expand...
 
His six digit service number 200382 was in the block of numbers allotted to the 5th Bn Royal Warwicks. So he served in the 1/5th or 2/5th.

Regards

Terry
 
Therefore, although a pre-war Territorial, he would not have been allowed to go out in February 1915 with the first line as he was not yet 19 - the age for service at the front. He could not get away as 'under-age' as many did as his pre-war record would show his true age. Does not help that much as he was therefore either a 1/5th reinforcement or served in 2/5th.
 
Hello again I'm back looking at this problem. Can anyone advise where I can find Charles Henry Eagles Nos. 2242 and 200382 Royal Warks Service Record? I have looked through all the Eagles on Ancestry his brother is there but there are no records for him. The only thing I can find on ancestry is the medal rolls (above). Thanks.
 
Like I said earlier mrsb, the museum in Warwick was extremely helpful in my research. I was able to copy quite a few original documents from their archives. I see you're in Preston so I know you can't just pop in though!
 
Hi mrsb,
In case you don`t have it, here is the address of the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers, ex R.W.R.
The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers.
St. John`s House,
Warwick, CV34 - 4NF.
Tel, Military: (942) - 483633.
Tel, Civil: (01926 - 491653.
email: areasecretary@rrfmuseumwarwick.demon.co.uk
I have written to them on a couple of ocassions, and they have been very helpful.(They don`t hold Service Records)
Good luck, cresser.
 
Hello again

During the war the B'ham Daily Post published casualty lists of killed and wounded. Just name and number. No other info.
Charles Henry Eagles name and number appeared twice.

Cpl C H Eagles 2242 publication date 27 September 1916

Lance Sgt C H Eagles 200382 publication date 9 October 1917

Please note the dates are not the day he was wounded, it was the day they were published. So as a rough guide say about two weeks before.
As you can see his number changed because of the Territorial re-numbering that took place in 1917.

September has got to be the Somme and I would suggest October 17 the battle of Paschendaele (or not see post below)

Regards

Terry

p.s Looking at his medal card I see he was also entitled to the Territorial Force Efficiency Medal
Granted for a minimum of 12 years service in the Territorial Force with war service counting double.

Which means he probably joined the TF in 1912
 
Having gone through the entire thread I can see that myself and Alan agree that he either served in the 1/5 or 2/5 Warwicks. As Alan said he did not qualify for a 1915 Star as he would have done if he went to France with the 1/5th in March 1915.
However, when the second line Territorials were formed around October 1914 a nucleus of officers, nco's and other ranks were transferred from, for example,. the 1/5 to the newley formed 2/5 for training purposes.


I do not have any info regarding the 2/5 Warwicks war service, but, I do have a copy of the book 'Black Square Memories' which is the account of the 2/8 Royal Warwicks in 1914-18. This helps as the 2/5, 2/6, 2/7 and 2/8 were all in the same Brigade. i.e. the 182nd Brigade of the 61st Division.

At the beginning of September 1916 the 61st Division moved to Levantie and were in the Fauquissart sector and it was very quiet sector (though casualties still occured)

In September 1917 the 182nd Brigade were in the Arras/ Roeux area and were in the trenches known as the 'Chemical Works Sector'

Terry
 
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