Dear C I accessed the National Archives - looking for evidence of a Duddington Home Guard - and I discovered the attached document. This ascribes the '2nd Huntingdonshire' Home Guard Battalion to a Sergeant recommended for a BEM - and who appears to have marched as a Home Guard representative in 1952 during the Coronation of QEII (this is described in the document). Was there a Home Guard contingent reformed this late after WWII just to take part in this march? Furthermore, if it is correct that the 1st and 2nd Peterborough Battalions of Northants were transferred to Huntingdonshire - as suggested in the standard Northants work - and if each kept its own number designation, then this would have meant that Huntingdonshire would have possessed two '1st' and '2nd' Battalions! Of course, you have pointed-out a contradiction in this. Best Wishes Adrian
0 Comments
Dear Hunts Archive I am researching whether the village of 'Duddington' - listed as now being in 'Northants' - possessed a 'Home Guard' Unit between 1940-1944. Although nearby King's Cliffe possessed such a Unit in the Northants Home Guard - I have reason to believe that 'Duddington' may have been included in the '2nd (Peterborough District) Battalion' which existed in the 'Northants Home Guard' between 1940-1942 - before being transferred to the Huntingdonshire Home Guard - within which it served between 1942-1944. The '2nd (Peterborough District) Battalion' (also known as the '2nd Soke of Peterborough Battalion') possessed '4' Companies designated 'A'-'D' - and patrolled an eighty square mile area. Interestingly, it was the '2nd (Peterborough District) Battalion' Home Guard Unit which was responsible for guarding the RAF King's Cliffe Aerodrome - and not the nearby King's Cliffe Home Guard Unit. Today, all postal addresses in Duddington possess a 'Peterborough' (PE) Postcode, etc. Thank you for your time in this matter.
Yours Sincerely Adrian Chan-Wyles Northants Home Guard was comprised of 15 Battalions - with each Battalion being comprised of 3 Companies. Each Company was usually comprised of 3 Platoons. A Platoon should be comprised of around 30 men. Of course, these are ideal numbers not always followed due to local conditions. Incidentally, 3 Battalions usually form a 'Brigade' - with 3 Brigades forming a 'Division'. The book referenced below gives the exact designation of the King's Cliffe Platoon - although we do not know the exact number of the Platoon - which was part of 'A' Company of the 3rd (Oundle) Battalion of the Northants Home Guard. Oundle Divided into Six Companies The 3rd (Oundle) Battalion (Lt-Col FR Berridge) was well in step with the new regularization. It now divided into six companies, with the area reaching from Denford and Addington in the south to Easton on the Hill in the north, and from Lutton in the east to Brigstock and Deene in the west A Company (King’s Cliffe) was originally commanded by Major FJ Lenton, MC, who later became the Battalion’s second-in-command. He was succeeded by Major Simpson, a farmer, and a veteran of the 1914-18 war Chapter VII – The Battalions Reviewed, Page 75 Another interesting observation quoted below states that the 2nd (Soke Peterborough) Battalion of the Northants Home Guard also covered the King's Cliffe (and by implication - Duddington) area, Just what this means is open to interpretation - but it seems to suggest that some Home Guard Units 'overlapped' their defensive capabilities: Like other battalions, the 2nd also had its own special problems and responsibilities – among them being the Wittering, King’s Cliffe and Westwood aerodromes, the works of P Brotherhood & Co, the Royal Army Ordnance Depot at Walton, and the Wainsford viaduct on the Great North Road. Chapter VII – The Battalions Reviewed, Page 73 Quoted from: BG Holloway – Zone HQ Intelligence and Public Relations Officer (Editor) & H Banks A Company, (Northampton) Battalion (Collaborator), The Northants Home Guard (1940-1945) – A History of the Services of Men and Women of Northamptonshire Who in the World War of 1939-1945 Forsook Their Rest and Leisure to Rally in the Defence of the Homeland and Defiance of the Invader, The Naval & Military Press Lrd, (2019)
My mother - Diane Wyles - received the above photograph from an individual online. This person stated that her father served in the King's Cliffe Home Guard between 1940-1944 (that is during most of WWII). This confirms that King's Cliffe possessed a Home Guard Unit and strongly suggests that the nearby village of Duddington (situated 4.7 miles North of King's Cliffe) also possessed a Home Guard Unit! As of yet - we do not know the Platoon, Company or Battalion designation - but this is an ongoing research project and we will post all our resulting findings on this website! The soldier standing second from the left in the back row is one 'Jim Bollans' (the 'father' in question) - although we cannot ascertain whether this gentleman is a 'Private' or an 'NCO', etc. As the sun was shining brightly during the taking of the photograph - we have not been able to successfully enlarge and/or clarify the details of the cap-badge - which could give us the Battalion designation - but it could be the Northants insignia as follows:
On the bottom of the WWI Monument situated at the gate of St Mary's Church - Duddington - there is a section recording the death of a 'Sergeant' Killed in Action in North Africa during WWII! His name is obscured by the wreath. This means there were men in Duddington who had joined the British Army during WWII. Interestingly, although there is a metal plaque and hand-written list honouring the Duddington men who fought during WWI - there is nothing recording the men who fought during WWII. This might explain why I cannot find anything about a Duddington 'Home Guard' during WWII! The dedicated online website detailing the Northants Home Guard mentions all the surrounding areas - but does not mention Duddington, King's Cliff or Gretton for that matter! Given that the British government ordered (in 1942) that all areas of the UK had to have an 'Invasion Plan' - these areas must have possessed some type of Civil Defence Force. This makes me wonder whether perhaps the Duddington Home Guard defence did not fall in the Northants area. I have contacted the local Vicar for Duddington, the Northants Records Office, the Women's Institute, King's Cliffe Museum and an 'expert' on the history of the Home Guard - and none of these depositories of knowledge have anything to add to this subject. However, the general consensus is that Duddington probably did possess a Home Guard - even if their is no tangible evidence for it!
Dear Merrill
Thank you for your very interesting email regarding Private Edward Vaught and my following article: 69th (South Lincolnshire) Regiment of Foot – Battle of Quatre Bras (1815) I have never seen an official 'Discharge' Document issued to Enlisted Men when leaving the British Army during the early 1800s - and I must thank you for sharing this with me. We will examine the text of this Document and see if we can extract any further data or conclusions - although you seem to have done a very good job. As you know, many of the men from this era were often recruited from over-crowded inner city areas and were usually 'illiterate' (partially or completely). Therefore, when issued with these 'legal' documents - they probably made the mistake of not attaching too much importance to them. I suspect these Documents granted certain legal rights and obligations on behalf of the British governmet, etc, to Veterans of the British Army. The designation of the 'East' Indies (India) and the 'West' Indies (Caribbean) seems a little vague - but can be explained. Of course, soldiers recruited in the UK were often relatively 'small' in number and transported all over the Empire to secure stability - and where necessary train 'Native' troops recruited into 'newly' formed Regiments of the British Army. This is the case with the West Indies and a very good historical assessment of the late 18th and 19th centuries is dealt with in Barry Renfrew's book entitled 'Britain's Black Regiments - Fighting for Empire and Equality'. The author discusses how 'White' British soldiers were brought over to the West Indies to 'train' 'Black' men (usually 'Slaves' or 'former' Slaves) who had volunteered to join the local British Army Units. I believe that these 'Slaves' were granted their 'Freedom' with Enlistment. Interestingly, components of the newly created West Indian Regiment were transported to the British colony of 'Sierra Leone' in West Africa - which I had no idea was part of the British Empire until I read the above book! On occasion, 'White' soldiers (recruited in the UK) are traversed through the area. This type of peripheral military data is often of interest to various historical researchers - as the professional (military) authors have gained access to difficult to find historical documentation. Within 'India', as far as I am aware, The East India Company was permitted to recruit and train a 'Private Army' which was commanded directly by the East India Company (and not the British government) - but was to be used only in the pursuance of British government business and political objectives (which 'mirrored' the business interests of the East India Company). The East India Company locally recruited ethnic Indians as private soldiers - and 'White' Officers from the UK (at least in the early days) - these 'Officers' were either recruited from retired British Army personnel or directly from University, etc. Even so, British Army Units (recruited from the UK and directly controlled by the British government) were still traversed through India on occasion. The following is what we think we can read from the 'Discharge' Document of Private Edward Vaught. He apparently could 'Sign' his own name - but does not seem to know his exact date of birth. The British Army authorities seem to be assuming that Edward Vaught was '18' in 1811 - which would suggest the birthdate was somewhere within the year of 1793: Colonel: Liet Gen Sir John Hamilton Bart Discharge: Edward Vaught (Private) Reason: Being affected with tape worms and being lame from an old (permanently hot) wound on right thigh - Charles Whyte (possibly Regimental ‘Doctor’ or ‘Surgeon’). On These Grounds - Demobilisation Process is Authorised: By Maj Gen Commanding - Dated 6th May 1828. Age: About 34 years Height: 5 foot 6 inches Hair: Dark Brown Skin: Dark Complexion Occupation: Labourer Character: Good British Army: 69th Regiment of Foot (Company and Platoon not clear) First Enlisted: Durham, Norfolk - 20th January 1812 - Age 18 - Limited Service. Re-Enlisted: Cannonne - East Indies. 13th March 1819 (aged 25 years) - Unlimited Service. East Indies 28th June 1817 - 24th February 1826. British Army: 69th Regiment of Foot (Waterloo) Duration of Service: 25th December 1811 - 28th May 1828. Total Years of Service: 16 years and 156 days. Signed: Charles Cuyler - Commander 69th Regiment of Foot - (Demobilisation Granted) 28th May 1828. With regards to Private Edward Vaught - the Discharge Document states his service could have been 'In East or W. Indies' - and that he served in these theatres between 1817-1826. However, as the 'time served' data column contains only a capital 'E' - I suspect this refers to military service in the 'East India' theatre alone - an assumption supported by the fact that there is no date entry attributed to a capital 'W' (or the 'West Indies' - a matter probably dealt with by a different form already printed with a 'W'. If a soldier had served in both theatres - then a form containing a pre-printed capital 'E' and 'W' would have been used). This seems like a 'medical' discharge as he had tape worms and an inflamed wound as you say. Oddly, it seems he joined the British Army on the 25.12.1811 - but his 'official' join-up is recorded as being the 20.1.1812 (under 'Limited Service'). He seems to have been considered '18' even in 1811 although 'both' dates are retained - with his Service being taken from the earlier of the two. As you can see, 'Drummers' and 'Trumpeters' were recruited - quite often boys as young as 8 or 9 years old at the time. His second 'Enlistment' was in India during 1817 when he about 24 years old (designated as 'Unlimited Service'). He was in India until the 24.2.1826 (around 33 years old) - after which he must have returned to the UK - where he was finally 'Discharged' on the 6.5.1828 (aged around 34 or 35 years old). As to whether Private Edward Vaught was at the Battle of Waterloo - it would seem to be the case from the 'Battle Honour' of 'Waterloo' being added to his Discharge Notes. Although the 1st and 2nd Battalions of the 69th Regiment of Foot were amalgamated in 1816 - it seems that each part (or Division) of this Regiment retained its own distinct 'Battle Honours'. Whilst the 1st Battalion saw action in India and Java, etc - during the time period under discussion - the 2nd Battalion was the Unit of the 69th Regiment of Foot which fought at the Battle of Waterloo. I suspect that Private Edward Vaught enlisted in the '2nd Battalion' in 1811-1812 and was eventually deployed to Belgium during 1815 (where he would have been 22 years old). Perhaps this is where he picked up his leg wound. It would seem a musket ball or piece of shrapnel had embedded itself in his thigh - and after its extraction the wound was 'cauterized' - but never fully healed. If this is the case (as we cannot be sure), then it is remarkable that he continued to serve for another 13 years as a professional soldier in the British Army without complaint! Kind Regards Adrian |
AuthorAdrian Chan-Wyles - Last Male Descendant of the 'Wyles' Family of Duddington! Archives
November 2023
Categories
All
|
- Home
- Wyles family of Duddington Facebook
- Wyles Blog
- Duddington: Etymology
- Duddington Land Survey (1984)
- Statement Of Inclusivity (17.7.2019)
- Wyles Family Tree (1301-2016)
- Origins of the Wyles Family of Kings Cliffe
- Deciphering the Wyles Enigma of Duddington
- Etymology: Wyles Family Name
- Wyles Family Portraits
- Kilmurray Clan (Eire)
- 69th South Lincolnshire Regiment
- Duddington Hoard (1994)
- Duddington Church & Graveyard
- Duddington Videos
- Duddington Digest
- Wyles Family Coat of Arms
- Wyles Family Paternal DNA
- Wyles Family Certificates
- Wyles-Wiles Extra Parish Records Data
- Wyles Marriages
- Northamptonshire Record Cards
- Duddington Militia List – 1777
- Wyles Wills & Marriages (1601-1790)
- Wyles Marriages Cambridgeshire (1618-1830)
- Duddington area: Baptisms (1650-1812)
- Duddington area: Baptisms (1813-1843)
- Duddington area: Marriages (1650-1860)
- Duddington area: Burials (1700-1865)
- Duddington Burials (1735-1966)
- Contact
©opyright: Site design, layout & content (2009) Adrian Peter Chan-Wyles. No part of this site (or information contained herein) may be copied, reproduced, duplicated, or otherwise distributed without prior written agreement
from [email protected].
from [email protected].