Ancestry.co.uk has got another period of free access at the moment, this time to World War I records - service, medal, and pension records - so I have been spending my morning learning more about my Great-Grandfather, Lionel Percy Waller, than I ever thought possible to know. What a bonanza - there is even a copy of his record of death (reported by my dear old Grandad himself) among the records.
Lionel Percy Waller was a career soldier, joining the Royal Horse Artillery at the age of 20 (1893), and retiring in March of 1914. Unfortunately for him, and the rest of Europe, World War I began July 28th of 1914, so back he went to his old regiment.
I can report to you that he was a short man (for our family), only 5' 8", and he weighed a graceful 129 lbs at the age of 20 when he was enlisted; he had black hair, brown eyes, and was Church of England. And he was a gardener by profession beforehand, as was his father.
Here is Battery Sergeant Lionel Percy Waller's military service record, registration number 51473 (formerly 96489).
Service with the colours:
14-03-1893 to 13-03-1914, and after the outbreak of WWI, 10-10-1914 to 9-2-1919.
Overseas service:
India: 29-9-1893 to 10-8-1900
China: 11-8-1900 to 22-12-1902
Mediterranean Expeditionary Force (Dardanelles): 15-6-1915 to 25-6-1916
De-mobbed: 9-2-1919
If my research is correct, and trust me, trying to make sense of which brigade and battery was joining and merging with others as the war wore on is a challenge, it looks as though he just avoided Gallipoli, but landed in Salonika somewhere between 5-10 October, 1915 with the 10th Division (the "Irish" division).
We know from one of the old postcards that Len Adams was in Salonika as well. I wonder if these two soldiers knew each other. One day, one of Lionel's sons would marry one of Len's nieces, who would go on to become grandparents to a scattered horde, including me.
Lionel survived his time with the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force, then, presumably ill, he was posted to the No. 2 Royal Garrison Artillery Cadet School as an instructor on March 20th, 1917. This looks like it was at Maresfield Park. If so, here's a lovely tidbit of information that I found today: one of the cadets there in August of 1917 was a certain R. Vaughn Williams, who wrote to Gustav Holst bemoaning the fact that he's been "bunged off [there] all in a hurry" for a 4 month course. He described it as a "free and easy" place, but with a good deal of "stupid ceremonial", with white gloves on parade. (from Letters of Ralph Vaughn Williams, 1895-1956)
Lionel's medical discharge on June 2nd, 1921, reported the reason as malaria and rheumatism, and he was required to continue attending the "tropical clinic".
Of course, there is a lot more information on G-G-Waller, but I think I will probably start another page and post copies of all these military records on it. In the next couple of days, I will find the rest of the records for any other members of the family and put them all together.
image credits: http://www.roll-of-honour.com/Regiments/RoyalHorseArtilleryWW1.html;
http://www.armchairgeneral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=103329&page=116
RVW letters retrieved http://books.google.ca/books?id=NlTUBqBtVxAC&pg=PT200&lpg=PT200&dq=maresfield+park+cadet+school&source=bl&ots=RDQ3-aB87F&sig=_zL4282oul6m6iTwLusSBPvHgPI&hl=en&sa=X&ei=qvmeUKeMG_KO2QWvgoFA&ved=0CCYQ6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q&f=fals)
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