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  • Can anyone help?

    Hi, Can anyone tell me anything at all about my great uncle John Maldwyn Ellis. He was born and died in Denbighshire in North Wales. We know that he served in the first world war but I am having problems finding any evidence at all of this - there are about 5 medal roll records that could possibly be his but no service records or pension records at all that I am able to find. I believe through the family that he was gassed and suffered from the effects of this for the rest of his life. I know that this photo is definately of him, but I have no idea whether there are any clues on it at all. Any help / identification of anything at all would be so helpful. Thank you Sooz [IMG][/IMG]

  • #2
    Sooz- your great uncle was serving as a gunner/driver in the Royal Artillery when this image was taken.

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    • #3
      WOW - thank you. How have you worked that out? JUst so that I can learn something too!
      Why is he on a horse - I would not have thought a gunner or driver would be on a horse!? But my knowledge of the military is incredibly limited!

      Thank you so much!

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      • #4
        That has narrowed the medal rolls down to one royal field artillary as a driver and another John M Ellis in the Royal Field artillary as a gunner and Royal Garrison Artillary. I just now need to find something to verify which one he is...
        Might pop into the military forum and see what help an expert there can give me! Thank you again, you have made my day!

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        • #5
          The R. A. have a crown surmounted on top of a cannon with scroll work underneath the cannon which, when looked at gives the form of a triangle coupled with the fact that he is mounted and has a bandolier across his chest drew me to him being in the artillery. The "rank" of Gunner in the R.A. would be the same as a Private in any other regiment (although saying that in the R.E.'s a Private would be a Sapper and in the Cavalry it would be a Trooper). A Driver in the R.A. could be either mounted on a team or, later when vehicles came in during the war years, behind a wheel. As a rule the term Driver (when used for a soldier in the R. A.) would normally be attributed to the former.
          Last edited by don.t; 01-12-12, 17:43.

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          • #6
            Thankyou for taking the time to give me so much detail. I have spent much of the day trying to find a pension or service record but to no avail. However at least now you have filled in some of the gaps for me and I will start trawling websites other than ancestry for some information!

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