WW1 Diaries

[janwhin]

Ancestry has just started putting the regimental diaries on to the site.

[Coquet]

Thanks for that. I see the Dardanelles theatre is included. Don't think they are on the 'Naval and Military Press' site yet. Although it's Salonika I need to crack the Dr. Loughridge problem. It's always the data set that's not there you need!

[Coquet]

I recently purchased a quantity of assorted WW1 medals, a bunch of auction lots. some interesting items including an Alnwick casualty - one of the sad "presumed dead" fatalities for the 7th NF which will join my own collection.

Anyway, in with these medals is a 'trio' - 'trio' being the name given to the common set of three medals issued to those who served in a theatre of war on or prior to 31st Dec 1915. This set is named to '11339 Pte. D. Todd North'd Fus.' A quick check on the commonwealth war graves site shows our man Private Daniel Todd died on the 2nd February 1916, and served with the 9th Battalion Northumberland Fusiliers. Various other searches fill in more information, and a notification of his death was published in the Journal 21/2/1916. It reads:

9th NORTHUMBERLAND FUSILIERS
DIED OF WOUNDS
Mrs Todd of 37, Thames Street West, Wallsend, has received information that
her husband, Private Daniel Todd, 9th N.F., has died of wounds. Private Todd was a miner,
31 years of age, and worked at the Rising Sun Colliery, Wallsend. He leaves a widow and two children.

Nothing unusual about this until you check the newly digitised war diaries. One of the last pages in February 1916 for the 9th Battalion is a casualty list for the month. Daniel Todd is listed, but there is something else noted. in brackets after his name is "attd. 182nd R.E." This is interesting because this is one of the Engineer Tunnelling Companies that formed and expanded in 1915, drawing in lots of coal miners. It shows that without the war diary you would make the complete wrong assumption about the unit Todd died with.

I mentioned that one of our local men that died in the war, Adam Dennison, had found himself attached to a tunnelling company, again just a reference in the Northumberland Gazette to confirm this, nothing on the official papers. (Although in his case he is probably back with the 7th when he is killed)

[Coquet]

I don't think the 182nd RE Diary is online yet. If the Tunneling Diaries list men arriving, and from what units, it would be most useful. The 7th NF diary lists, aka 'the weekly field returns' appear to be missing for the critical 1915 period.

[Coquet]

The Rising Sun Colliery was a fairly new enterprise in 1914, shaft being sunk 1906-08. Quite a workforce in 1914 of 1,393.

[Ss1]

My great-uncle was George Mathew Milburn. He was born in Radcliffe in 1872 and died in France on 6 June 1916. A miner, he was also part of 182nd Tunnelling Company and I believe a letter written on his behalf by a nurse to his family just before he died is in the Hancock museum. He was the grandson of Mathew Young also of Radcliffe. Mathew is mentioned on another thread in this forum as he and most of his family became Mormons and emigrated to Utah

[Coquet]

Originally Posted by Ss1

My great-uncle was George Mathew Milburn. He was born in Radcliffe in 1872 and died in France on 6 June 1916. A miner, he was also part of 182nd Tunnelling Company and I believe a letter written on his behalf by a nurse to his family just before he died is in the Hancock museum. He was the grandson of Mathew Young also of Radcliffe. Mathew is mentioned on another thread in this forum as he and most of his family became Mormons and emigrated to Utah

I wonder if Matthew Young was related to my lot; George and Hannah Young (nee White) that lived in Radcliffe mid 19c. I've not gone back into the Parish records territory yet, which is what it would take to find out, unless you have some info.

I see George Matthew Milburn was one of those men that found himself in Somerset Light infantry for some reason. We have a bunch of those. If I recall correctly it looked like a draft of Northumberland Fusiliers Kitchener's men, probably destined for dispersal to the 10th to 14th Battalions, found themselves sent to the 8th Somersets.

[Coquet]

When the diary for the 182nd Co. goes online you might find out more about the nature of George's death.

I had an officer casualty trio (medal set as above) to the 179th Co, and he was killed by a shell while the company were deployed in road construction. Therefore they did general engineering things as well as tunnelling, so tunneller casualties might not necessarily be killed tunnelling.

[janwhin]

Originally Posted by Coquet

I wonder if Matthew Young was related to my lot; George and Hannah Young (nee White) that lived in Radcliffe mid 19c. I've not gone back into the Parish records territory yet, which is what it would take to find out, unless you have some info.

Coquet....cousin.....If Matthew Young is related to George Young from your side (Hannah is my side) then he would be a brother, which is possible. George was the son of John Young. Both Matthew and George were in Togston as agricultural labourers.

[Coquet]

Originally Posted by janwhin

Coquet....cousin.....If Matthew Young is related to George Young from your side (Hannah is my side) then he would be a brother, which is possible. George was the son of John Young. Both Matthew and George were in Togston as agricultural labourers.

Lovely to know. Salt Lake City had a population not much bigger than modern Amble in the 1850s. Must have been and interesting change of lifestyle nevertheless. Hey, Our Radcliffe ancestor siblings might even have rubbed shoulders with Brigham Young, or one of his 55 wives.

[John venus]

The trio of medals you purchased with the other world war one medals, belonged to my great grandad daniel todd. What a surprise it was to come across them.I have the death penny , Kings scroll and a letter from his commanding officer which were left to me when my grandmother died .

[Coquet]

Nice to see the other items have survived. I think complete sets - with the scroll in particular are difficult to find. Not too good that they are now split from the medals though!

Have you a transcription of the letter? Is it by his Engineer officer? does it say what happened to Daniel?

[John venus]

I will sort a transcript of the letter in due coarse. The letter was written by his commanding officer.lieutenant RB Pollard .