Genealogy Chat

The East Yorkshire Regiment - Battalions of the New Armies - 7th (Service) Battalion
Formed at Beverley on 16 September 1914 as part of K2 and came under orders of 50th Brigade, 17th (Northern) Division.
14 July 1915 : landed at Boulogne.
http://www.1914-1918.net/eastyorks.htm


A lookup of wo95/2002/4 at http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ gets the purchase details for the unit's war diary for the time in question

50 Infantry Brigade: 7 Battalion East Yorkshire Regiment.
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115 files totalling approximately 24 MB
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Reference: WO 95/2002/4
Description:
50 Infantry Brigade: 7 Battalion East Yorkshire Regiment.
Date: 1916 Oct 1 - 1916 Dec 31
Held by: The National Archives, Kew
Legal status: Public Record


I don't know if you've ever seen a unit War Diary - there are Australian ones on-line at their AWM.
Here's a Canadian one (for 13th bn CEF - Nov 1916):

http://data2.collectionscanada.ca/e/e044/e001088057.jpg
thru
http://data2.collectionscanada.ca/e/e044/e001088071.jpg

The Nov 1916 Appendices are:
http://data2.collectionscanada.ca/e/e044/e001088072.jpg
thru
http://data2.collectionscanada.ca/e/e044/e001088078.jpg

Looking at records of the Somme battles in WW1 it seems likely that Walter Nettleton was killed during the battles for the Transloy ridges in late October/early November 1916. Although the main battles ceased a few days before his death on 10 November there were numerous skirmishes after that. The location of these battles is consistent with the CWGC trench map record of where his body was found.

RIP

The CWGC say his body was recovered from 57c.N.34.b.8.5 - you need a "trench map" to find out where this is. e.g.,
http://library.mcmaster.ca/maps/ww1/ndx5to40.htm
In particular:
http://digitalarchive.mcmaster.ca/islandora/object/macrepo%3A4201/-/collection
So sheet 57c is divided into a 4 x 6 grid of lettered sqs, and 57c.N is further divided into a 6 x 6 grid of numbered sqs, each of side 1000 yds.
Each of these sqs was divided into 4 quadrants:
a b
c d
and this was followed by an easting in 50 yd steps, then a northing in 50 yd steps.

On a modern map, like http://maps.google.com/
Look up Lesbœufs, France, then take the D474 NE towards Le Transloy.
Abt 1km out of town, one comes to the Somme-Pas de Calais departmental boundary.
I think your guy was found under the 2nd M of "Somme" 300m off road to left.

The CWGC says your guy's body was identified by 15th East Yorks and his regimental # stamped on his boots, and by his dentures.
Presumably, he was drafted from the 15th bn into the 7th bn as a replacement.


He's buried at
Grave Reference: 9.A.23. Cemetery:LONDON CEMETERY AND EXTENSION, LONGUEVAL

The picture from Haltemprice (Hessle) Cemetery, just W of Hull, is his memorial marker.

I am amazed and forever grateful for all the information passed on to me from my initial query. The story goes back to a tale my dad used to tell of a distant relative who 'went bad' and went to America. My dad's stepfather was George Wakefield - the uncle identified in George Nettleton's passage records. There are many links for me to follow up here about Mr Nettleton's life/family/war service/marriage/ family etc, and I will follow them through and add them to my family history files. Knowing something about the people and their lives is what research is all about - it's not just dates of births deaths and marriages. The bottom line is that I have a real story about a real person - not just a statistic - and it really is good to know that if he 'went bad' as a youngster he seems to have made it up in later life in his army and WW2 service. I wish I could pass all this on to my dad - he would have loved to hear it. Thanks to all of you. Who knows, one day I may be visiting a distant step-cousin in the US or Canada - watch this space!!

Best wishes to all - from Allan

allnall


I have sent you a private message on 19th, with details of George death and wife.

Ship:EMPRESS OF BRITAIN
Shipping Line:Canadian Pacific Ocean Services Ltd.
Port of Departure:Liverpool, England
Date of Departure:1920-12-31
Port of Arrival:Saint John, N.B.
Date of Arrival:1921-01-09
Year:1921
Microfilm Reel Number:T-14842
Reference:RG 76
Item Number:19695

Form 30A
http://data2.collectionscanada.gc.ca/microform/data2/dm10/d10/006003/t-14997/jpg/30927_2000901327-03703.jpg
http://data2.collectionscanada.gc.ca/microform/data2/dm10/d10/006003/t-14997/jpg/30927_2000901327-03702.jpg
http://data2.collectionscanada.gc.ca/microform/data2/dm10/d10/006003/t-14997/jpg/30927_2000901327-03874.jpg
http://data2.collectionscanada.gc.ca/microform/data2/dm10/d10/006003/t-14997/jpg/30927_2000901327-03873.jpg

You can search 1921 for free, but only via:
http://search.ancestry.ca/search/db.aspx?dbid=8991
[Don't let Ancestry bounce you to another Ancestry site]

There is a Montreal city directory at:
http://bibnum2.bnquebec.ca/bna/lovell/
[NB Doris might be alphabeticized under M as Mrs Doris]

1930 https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:X4PG-51L
Household ID: 310 , Line Number: 30
Affiliate Film Number: 1590 , GS Film number: 2341325 , Digital Folder Number: 004639139 , Image Number: 00809

Magnify 4 clicks, then save image:
https://archive.org/stream/newyorkcensus00reel1590#page/n806/mode/1up

Detective's only partly right abt US census images on FS - only 1850/70/1900/40 are free.

You can search 1940 (with free image link) via:
https://familysearch.org/1940census

You can search Ireland 1901/11 via:
http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/search/

You can search for and view the original US census images for free on
https://familysearch.org/search

Its worth checking the site out as your relatives may be listed on some of the other data-bases they hold.

The Canadian census are also on line with
http://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/Pages/home.aspx

Arrival in Canada. She's with Gilbert, 26 but no Walter.

Doris Craig

in the Canadian Passenger Lists, 1865-1935
Record Image View

Name: Doris Craig
Gender: Female
Age: 25
Birth Year: abt 1896
Birth Country: England
Date of Arrival: 9 Jan 1921
Vessel: Empress of Britain
Search Ship Database: Search for the Empress of Britain in the 'Passenger Ships and Images' database
Port of Arrival: St John, New Brunswick, Canada
Port of Departure: Liverpool, England

I think that Gilbert & Doris came to Canada first and this is them in Montreal in 1921 but curiously they have a 7 year old son Walter with them.

Gilbert Craig

in the 1921 Census of Canada
Record Image View

Name: Gilbert Craig
Gender: Male
Marital Status: Married
Age: 28
Birth Year: abt 1893
Birth Place: Ireland
Relation to Head of House: Chef (Head)
Spouse's Name: Doris Craig
Father Birth Place: Ireland
Mother Birth Place: USA
Year of Immigration: 1921
Racial or Tribal Origin: Irlandais (Irish)
Province or Territory: Quebec
District: Montreal (Maisonneuve)
District Number: 180
Sub-District: Mercier and Maisonneuve Ward
Sub-District Number: 29
City, Town or Village: Mercier Maisonneuve
Street or Township: 2912 Lafontaine
Municipality: Mercier Mais
Occupation: Machiniste
Income: 150
Neighbors: View others on page
Household Members:
Name Age
Gilbert Craig 28
Doris Craig 26
Walter Craig 7

Another curiosity is that Gilbert's mother was born USA.

If you do take out a sub to Ancestry, you'll be able to view Walter's medal card

Name: Walter H Nettleton
Military Year: 1914-1920
Rank: Private
Medal Awarded: British War Medal and Victory Medal
Regiment or Corps: East Yorkshire Regiment
Regimental Number: 23687
Previous Units: 7th E. York. R. 23687 Pte.

There is a notation - Regarded as Dead. So the date on the CWGC sites presumably refer to the day he was last seen alive.

As over 70% of WW1 service records were destroyed in WW2 bombing, all you have left are his medal cards.

His Will can be ordered at a cost of £10 from here
https://probatesearch.service.gov.uk/#soldiers

Detective

Thanks so much for those web connections. Tonight has been a very emotional one for me! I have so much now to follow up, all because of a story I remember from my father about a relative who as a boy of 13 caused family problems. Now I find his father was a first world war casualty, and that George was a staff sergeant in WW2. WE don't have many heroes in the family, but I will treasure all this and get it all written down in my family history

I can't stop saying thank you!

Bye for now

Bedtime for sure, but I guess my mind will be working overtime! I have had a quick look at Ancestry and there is even more for me to follow up. Once again many thanks, but for now goodnight!

You can view for free Walter Nettleton's entry on the War Grave Commission site here
http://tiny.cc/z4m2tx
The Home page for the CWGC is http://www.cwgc.org/

An image of his memorial
http://twgpp.org/information.php?id=3805856

His grave and headstone
http://twgpp.org/information.php?id=3778617

Must be past your bedtime over there, it's only 6:30 here. People of our age have to get their beauty sleep you know. Yes, I'm 3 years older than you.

Unfortunately I don't have anything further on my Abbotts. Great grandma was an illegitimate child, I will never know who her father was.

OMG this gets better every minute! I don't have a subscription to Ancestry, but I will follow up a 'one off' look at the records.

Do you have access to Ancestry? There's a tree with George. It has a photo of Staff Sergeant George Herbert Nettleton Craig.

Edit: It also says his father Walter was killed in action 10 Nov. 1916, France & Flanders.

I will pack my thermal vest!!

Regarding your research - strange that there were 3 boys in my school called Abbott - 2 were brothers, the younger in the same year as me (I was born 1946).

Jackson Heights in New York City but don't think of paying a visit until things warm up. I'm in Canada just north of New York State, temperature is -20 celsius, still abt. 2 feet of snow on the ground.

Messages got crossed there - sorry! but so many thanks once again to all! Wow - so much info now - really looking forward to following all this up. Could mean a visit to the States!!!!

Many thanks for the advice - It really has helped - the next frame of the manifest shows his intention to join mother and step father Mr and Mrs Craig (she must have remarried) and an address in Jackson Hts - wherever that is! I am getting very excited!