Please could you help me interpret military records?

[graleystives]

I wondered whether anybody who is familiar with WW1 records could help me interpret my G grandfather's records? I would be very grateful.

could

[MaryA]

Not having very much luck but on the top of the first page of his papers it does say "Horse Transport".

Also I wonder if the National Archives might have any documents referring to to "A.F.Z.22 Received Disability Claimed" as is stamped on the second page.

[daggers]

Here are a few comments on the service record, which is probably far from complete.
Your g/father's service number was T/2/SR 02814 [strangely this does not seem to be on his Medal Index Card - see below.]
He stated that he had previously served with the 4th Battalion,Manchester Volunteers for four years and had resigned. This would be the part-time unit of the Manchester Regiment, an earlier equivalent to the Territorials which came in in 1908, where a number of spare time attendances would be required, plus a spell at annual camp.

His attestation was on 14 Feb 1915 at Aldershot, but service was deemed to have begun on 9th. He served in UK (home) to 17 March 1915 and was overseas from 18th March.

His Medal Index Card shows entitlement to the Victory & British War Medals and the 1915 Star, for which he qualified by being in France before the end of 1915. If you have his medals, which would be sent to him in the early 1920s, details of his name etc should be impressed on them.

There is a note on the MIC that he was discharged to 'Class Z Reserve' which was one part of the Army's reserves, making him liable for recall in emergency. Although 'disability claimed' appears on the papers, there is no more evidence of this, and I think you should assume that he served until discharged to the Reserve at some date after the Armistice.
The 'T' prefix to his number and the hand-written note on the attestation show that he was in the Horse Transport side of the Army Service Corps. There was still a great deal of horse transport in WW1, even though some mechanisation had been introduced by then. If you Google 'Long, Long Trail' you will find a site with masses of information about WW1 in most of its aspects.

D

[MaryA]

Thank you for such an informative reply.

[alcavtay]

I noticed that a note on his marriage details states he was married under the name Walter Frankish Roseby.

Under that name he has an entry in The National Roll of the Great War (available on Ancestry)

It's such an amazing list of actions that he was involved in that I've transcribed it here for everyone:

ROSEBY, W.F., Driver, R.A.S.C.
He volunteered in February 1915, and a month later proceeded to France, where he served on important transport duties in the forward areas. He did good work during the battle of Neuve Chapelle, St Eloi, Hill 60, Ypres, Festubert, Albert, Vimy Ridge, the Somme, Arras, Messines and was gassed in November 1917, at Ypres. Admitted to a Base Hospital in February 1918, he was later evacuated to the Lister Road War Hospital, Higher Broughton, and after treatment served with his unit at home. He was demobilised in February 1919 and holds the 1914-15 Star and the General Service and Victory Medals.
50, Blackthorn Street, Ardwick, Manchester

Amanda

[graleystives]

I will post any updates I find.

[daggers]

I have found an answer (on the Great War Forum) about Form Z 22. It was a " Statement of Disability".

D

[alcavtay]

I may be pointing out the obvious here, but did you check 'backwards' on the ancestry pages? the Z.22 isn't there but his demob certificate Z.11 and receipts for medals are.

Amanda

[graleystives]

Many thanks for that - the disability must have been a result of being gassed. He died 10 years later from pneumonia, it is possible that his lungs were still weakened as a result of the gas.
I had not gone backwards on Ancestry - so I had not seen that. Many thanks for your help.