Finding stuff out about your family

Paddy O'Dors

Paddy O'Dors

Striker
that you never knew. Good stuff like.

Found out on Thursday that me maternal grandad served with the Royal Field Artillery in WWI when I was given his medals (he was dead before I was born so never knew him).

Bit of research and it turns out he was an 18yo volunteer (rather than a conscript). Joined 151 Howitzer Brigade (which was part of 30th div/4th Army) which had A, B, C & D batteries in early 1915 and trained at Grantham. They moved to Salisbury then moved to a place called Bray-on-the-Somme on in late 1915 (the brigade war diary tells you the exact journey from Southampton to the front line)

In February 1916 C battery left to join 3 Highland Brigade/51st Division. A, B & D batteries were broken up in May 1916 and they were used to re-strengthen 148, 149 & 150 brigades (this happened quite often apparently). That's where I'm at so far. 3 Highland, 148, 149 & 150 RFA brigades were all at the 1st day of the 1st Battle of the Somme so it's quite certain that he played a part in that.

Next up, purchase the diaries of the four brigades above to see what happened next.
 


My daughter is currently going through our family tree.
My mother was doing it until she passed away and she left the genealogy stuff to us and my daughter took great interest in it because she would sit down with ner nana and go through some stuff when she was a kid.

She's unearthed quite a bit, so it'll be interesting to see what else she comes up with.

It's likely we'll all end up related to Ant and Dec. ;)
 
both my parents are dead. after my mam died i started to do a bit of the family tree but lost a bit interest. i don't have the patience for that sort of thing tbh.
i did find out that my mam wasn't my dads first wife, his first died when she was about 25. it took a while for the penny to drop as they both had the same first name. it explained why we used to visit a lot of people when i was a kid as they were all relatives of my dads first wife.
i also found out i would have had another older sister but she died in hospital shortly after she was born. i already knew about that but i don't know how as i can't remember anybody ever talking about it or telling me.
 
I found out my great grandad was in the DLI reserves before WWI. I think he was serving for four years but they could add another year if there was a crisis. His service was due to end in August 1914, so he got that extra year added in and was shipped off to France as part of the Army Cyclist Corps.

It turned out to be a bit of good luck for him as after a year his service was officially over. Conscription hadn’t yet started so he was free to leave the army and France and didn’t get called up later. His war was over after just a year.

Looking back at other members of one side of the family it seems we have a trait of getting into wars quickly, and getting out of them again just as quickly.
 
Paddy O'Dors said:
that you never knew. Good stuff like.

Found out on Thursday that me maternal grandad served with the Royal Field Artillery in WWI when I was given his medals (he was dead before I was born so never knew him).

Bit of research and it turns out he was an 18yo volunteer (rather than a conscript). Joined 151 Howitzer Brigade (which was part of 30th div/4th Army) which had A, B, C & D batteries in early 1915 and trained at Grantham. They moved to Salisbury then moved to a place called Bray-on-the-Somme on in late 1915 (the brigade war diary tells you the exact journey from Southampton to the front line)

In February 1916 C battery left to join 3 Highland Brigade/51st Division. A, B & D batteries were broken up in May 1916 and they were used to re-strengthen 148, 149 & 150 brigades (this happened quite often apparently). That's where I'm at so far. 3 Highland, 148, 149 & 150 RFA brigades were all at the 1st day of the 1st Battle of the Somme so it's quite certain that he played a part in that.

Next up, purchase the diaries of the four brigades above to see what happened next.
Click to expand...
Their memorial is near to Hawthorn ridge crater I think. One of the Highland divisions has theirs about 600 yds from it. I went last year to visit where my great grandad died. Some utterly fascinating places to see along the 26 mile front line. If you want to see the ulster's trenches you need to book them as its private property and they are fully as they were when they attacked schwaben redoubt.
 
Found out a couple of years back that my Great Grandfather on my Dads side served with the DLI and was killed in action at the Somme on 3rd August 1916..he lived at Canon Cockin Street down Hendon and was 38 years old when he was killed.
 
Paddy O'Dors said:
that you never knew. Good stuff like.

Found out on Thursday that me maternal grandad served with the Royal Field Artillery in WWI when I was given his medals (he was dead before I was born so never knew him).

Bit of research and it turns out he was an 18yo volunteer (rather than a conscript). Joined 151 Howitzer Brigade (which was part of 30th div/4th Army) which had A, B, C & D batteries in early 1915 and trained at Grantham. They moved to Salisbury then moved to a place called Bray-on-the-Somme on in late 1915 (the brigade war diary tells you the exact journey from Southampton to the front line)

In February 1916 C battery left to join 3 Highland Brigade/51st Division. A, B & D batteries were broken up in May 1916 and they were used to re-strengthen 148, 149 & 150 brigades (this happened quite often apparently). That's where I'm at so far. 3 Highland, 148, 149 & 150 RFA brigades were all at the 1st day of the 1st Battle of the Somme so it's quite certain that he played a part in that.

Next up, purchase the diaries of the four brigades above to see what happened next.
Click to expand...
Great story Paddy. I found something similar about my Great Uncle who was in the DLI 8th Battalion. He was a Territorial but got sent over and within 3 days, with no acclimatisation, straight into battle at Second Ypres in 1915. He was gassed, shot and hit by shrapnel but he was one of the lucky ones. He survived and was taken prisoner. I understand he was well cared for by the German medics. After a while as a POW he was part of a prisoner exchange through Switzerland and my Great Grandma went over to bring him home. I remember sitting on the floor of his house in the 1970`s and him explaining what the marks were on his neck. I just wish I could have talked to him about it now.

In 2015 me and my son went out to Ypres and went out to the exact place at Boetliers Farm where the DLI 8th battalion were on that day in April 1915. I think we are the first from our family to be back there since that day in 1915. I also found a rare copy of their Official History published in small number in 1925 which tells exactly what happened before and during the war complete with maps.
 
Me Grandfather Albert A. was always known as "the man of mystery" because all he would say about his life before he moved to Sunderland in 1918 was; He was born in London, when he was a kid he lied about his age to work on a ship then jumped ship to live in Canada. When war broke out in 1914 he came back to England and joined the Sherwood Foresters aged 23.
I got his enlistment papers and his next of kin was an "aunt" who lived in Chelsea. His marriage certificate said his father "John" was a plater in the shipyards but deceased, no mention of his mother. He died when I was 10 but I knew he supported Chelsea all his life so I assumed this was where he was born but searched records for all London to try and find his birth. There was only one possible birth I could find that could be him, an 18 year old girl from Ripon called Jane A. gave birth to an Albert A. in a hospital in Hammersmith, she disappeared from records for a few years and as far as I could tell Albert was Christened then given to a church orphanage where he too disappears from records. I thought I had him banged to rights but I couldn't be 100% sure this was the same Albert so I started to trace Janes relatives. Jane had died a spinster in the 1960's and she never had any more kids so I traced her sisters living relatives and one agreed to do a DNA test to see if we were related. I was 99% sure we'd match but we didn't so I was back at square one, who the feck was my Grandad and why was he so secretive about his past. Anyway through being on the Ancestry.com DNA list I'd get hits from all over the world from relatives One hit was from a close relative living in Hammersmith but no way did our families cross even though we matched as second cousins. Then I got a hit from someone in America who was also a 2nd cousin and who also matched with the Hammersmith guy. I contacted her and discovered her Grandmother had been born in London but the family had been split up when both her parents had died, she was sent to live with her aunt, her older sister went to live with the grandmother but her older brother was put into a Barnardo's home where after 3 months he was shipped off to Canada and she never saw him again. They stayed in contact through letters and in 1914 he re-enlisted in the Canadian Cavalry having already served them for 4 years. When the Canadians arrived in England on his first weekend of leave her brother headed to London from their base in Kent and was never heard from or seen again. The only problem was her brother was called Alfred Jonah Gaster and my Grandfather was called Albert A. Alfred Jonah Gaster disappeared one day in 1914, the next day 23 year old Albert A- was born.
Since this discovery I have found out a lot more about him, his parents and his siblings. It's just a shame my father and all his brothers and sisters apart from one living sister never knew who there father really was.
You're right Paddy, family history is fascinating.
 
Tuono said:
Me Grandfather Albert A. was always known as "the man of mystery" because all he would say about his life before he moved to Sunderland in 1918 was; He was born in London, when he was a kid he lied about his age to work on a ship then jumped ship to live in Canada. When war broke out in 1914 he came back to England and joined the Sherwood Foresters aged 23.
I got his enlistment papers and his next of kin was an "aunt" who lived in Chelsea. His marriage certificate said his father "John" was a plater in the shipyards but deceased, no mention of his mother. He died when I was 10 but I knew he supported Chelsea all his life so I assumed this was where he was born but searched records for all London to try and find his birth. There was only one possible birth I could find that could be him, an 18 year old girl from Ripon called Jane A. gave birth to an Albert A. in a hospital in Hammersmith, she disappeared from records for a few years and as far as I could tell Albert was Christened then given to a church orphanage where he too disappears from records. I thought I had him banged to rights but I couldn't be 100% sure this was the same Albert so I started to trace Janes relatives. Jane had died a spinster in the 1960's and she never had any more kids so I traced her sisters living relatives and one agreed to do a DNA test to see if we were related. I was 99% sure we'd match but we didn't so I was back at square one, who the feck was my Grandad and why was he so secretive about his past. Anyway through being on the Ancestry.com DNA list I'd get hits from all over the world from relatives One hit was from a close relative living in Hammersmith but no way did our families cross even though we matched as second cousins. Then I got a hit from someone in America who was also a 2nd cousin and who also matched with the Hammersmith guy. I contacted her and discovered her Grandmother had been born in London but the family had been split up when both her parents had died, she was sent to live with her aunt, her older sister went to live with the grandmother but her older brother was put into a Barnardo's home where after 3 months he was shipped off to Canada and she never saw him again. They stayed in contact through letters and in 1914 he re-enlisted in the Canadian Cavalry having already served them for 4 years. When the Canadians arrived in England on his first weekend of leave her brother headed to London from their base in Kent and was never heard from or seen again. The only problem was her brother was called Alfred Jonah Gaster and my Grandfather was called Albert A. Alfred Jonah Gaster disappeared one day in 1914, the next day 23 year old Albert A- was born.
Since this discovery I have found out a lot more about him, his parents and his siblings. It's just a shame my father and all his brothers and sisters apart from one living sister never knew who there father really was.
You're right Paddy, family history is fascinating.
Click to expand...

Me grandad above was born In St Mary's Workhouse in Portsmouth. His ma was in service with a land owning family in Waterlooville and lost the roof over her head when she fell pregnant. Suspicions are it was one of the land owning family who knocked her up. By coincidence the house became the main office of a school that my two kids attended between 2005 and 2015.
 
Someone from our extended family made a tree, we had a great uncle who died in WW1 but we don't know how or where. There was also a pikeman in the 16th century 'Cornish militia' which may also be interesting to follow up on.
 
Paddy O'Dors said:
that you never knew. Good stuff like.

Found out on Thursday that me maternal grandad served with the Royal Field Artillery in WWI when I was given his medals (he was dead before I was born so never knew him).

Bit of research and it turns out he was an 18yo volunteer (rather than a conscript). Joined 151 Howitzer Brigade (which was part of 30th div/4th Army) which had A, B, C & D batteries in early 1915 and trained at Grantham. They moved to Salisbury then moved to a place called Bray-on-the-Somme on in late 1915 (the brigade war diary tells you the exact journey from Southampton to the front line)

In February 1916 C battery left to join 3 Highland Brigade/51st Division. A, B & D batteries were broken up in May 1916 and they were used to re-strengthen 148, 149 & 150 brigades (this happened quite often apparently). That's where I'm at so far. 3 Highland, 148, 149 & 150 RFA brigades were all at the 1st day of the 1st Battle of the Somme so it's quite certain that he played a part in that.

Next up, purchase the diaries of the four brigades above to see what happened next.
Click to expand...
Do you have to pay for the war diaries now Paddy, I thought they were “free” if you had an ancestry subscription (which you have to pay for!)
I enjoy looking through them although some are better than others, the wife’s great uncle was with the ANZACS and their diary was brilliant with the detail.

One of my G Uncles was with 2nd Byrne DLI and went to France at the outbreak of war with the BEF, by the time he was killed in Sept 15 90% of those originals he went with were already casualties. The diaries show their was no action at the time he was killed but I visited his grave at Ypres and he was in a row of about another 5 DLI lads all killed the same day, he was one of the oldest at 20 and I assume it was a few lads from Durham huddled up got hit by a shell.
 
Last edited:
Paddy O'Dors said:
that you never knew. Good stuff like.

Found out on Thursday that me maternal grandad served with the Royal Field Artillery in WWI when I was given his medals (he was dead before I was born so never knew him).

Bit of research and it turns out he was an 18yo volunteer (rather than a conscript). Joined 151 Howitzer Brigade (which was part of 30th div/4th Army) which had A, B, C & D batteries in early 1915 and trained at Grantham. They moved to Salisbury then moved to a place called Bray-on-the-Somme on in late 1915 (the brigade war diary tells you the exact journey from Southampton to the front line)

In February 1916 C battery left to join 3 Highland Brigade/51st Division. A, B & D batteries were broken up in May 1916 and they were used to re-strengthen 148, 149 & 150 brigades (this happened quite often apparently). That's where I'm at so far. 3 Highland, 148, 149 & 150 RFA brigades were all at the 1st day of the 1st Battle of the Somme so it's quite certain that he played a part in that.

Next up, purchase the diaries of the four brigades above to see what happened next.
Click to expand...
My grandad never spoke about his ww2 exploits. He just used to mutter stuff like we did what we had to do. His dad got a medal off Nicholas the second for rescuing some Russian sailors when he was captain of some boat back in the day. He refused to attend the medal ceremony and just had it sent up. Apparently the medal is now in the hands of the museum.
 
mickb2112 said:
Great story Paddy. I found something similar about my Great Uncle who was in the DLI 8th Battalion. He was a Territorial but got sent over and within 3 days, with no acclimatisation, straight into battle at Second Ypres in 1915. He was gassed, shot and hit by shrapnel but he was one of the lucky ones. He survived and was taken prisoner. I understand he was well cared for by the German medics. After a while as a POW he was part of a prisoner exchange through Switzerland and my Great Grandma went over to bring him home. I remember sitting on the floor of his house in the 1970`s and him explaining what the marks were on his neck. I just wish I could have talked to him about it now.

In 2015 me and my son went out to Ypres and went out to the exact place at Boetliers Farm where the DLI 8th battalion were on that day in April 1915. I think we are the first from our family to be back there since that day in 1915. I also found a rare copy of their Official History published in small number in 1925 which tells exactly what happened before and during the war complete with maps.
Click to expand...
I have a bit of a Saving Private Ryan background in my family.

My grandmother, who even though she only died a few years ago and lived to be 103, was very young at the time, lost 3 brothers killed in WW1. A fourth brother died of dyptheria.

My uncle, her son, who was a 30 year armed forces veteran himself, took her to the France and Belgium battlefields many years ago for her 70th birthday to try and find their graves. They found 2 of them, but have never found the third.

It is my intention to pick up the baton to try and find the third brother.
 
Found out about two years ago that my great great granddad was Ted Ditchurn, the former Sunderland Chairman during the 50's when we got an astromical fine for his troubles as well as being the Mayor of Sunderland at one stage . So I'd like to apologise for the bent bazza getting Sunderland a world record fine and plunging us into a state that we've arguably never recovered from😂
 
Last edited:
My sister won one of them 'like and share' Facebook competitions from a local genealogy firm who spent something like 10hrs researching our family history.

There was always a rumour that we were descended from the Rowntrees (of fruit pastille fame) which was proven correct.

Other than that there was a newspaper story about my great great grandad who saved a few kids on a train that was derailing by throwing them off it and jumping off himself before it smashed to bits.

One of my ancestors also had the first barber shop ever opened in Sunderland, located near where the interchange is in town which probably explains why I've got sensational hair.
 
Found out that one of my uncles was involved in the battle that A Bridge Too Far was based on, defending Arnhem on the banks of the Rhine.

From a bit of research regarding troop deploymentits and timings, he probably died around 15 minutes before ceasefire was called.

This was called by the Germans fighting on the ground, who were horrified at having to kill such a brave but numerically and logistically overwhelmed enemy.

He was 23, poor sod. I went to his grave when we had a pre-season friendly against Vitesse and laid a small momento letting him know that, though we never met, he will never be forgotten.
 

Back
Top