Walter Gibson 9499, 17th Bn

[csxpab]

Hello all,

Just thought I'd start off with a little introduction.  I started researching my family tree a couple of weeks ago and am trying to find out more about my great-granddad Walter Gibson 9499, 17th Bn, Manchester Regiment.  A quick search of the forum showed me this post from a few years ago:

http://themanchesters.org/forum/index.php?topic=21.0

As Wendi says he was born in Long Clawson on the 26th December 1880 and died 30th July 1916.  His name is indeed on the Thiepval Memorial but given the difference in birth years and Wendi's confirmation about birth place I don't think he's Angular's great uncle.  That's just my assumption but feel free to get in touch Angular (or anyone else) because I've traced the family a bit further back and happy to share what I know to make sure.

Hi Harribobs,

As I said this is my first post so  I hope you can forgive a couple of possibly silly questions I had about your posts.  

- In  your reply to Angular you seemed to suggest that there may be a photograph of Walter Gibson 9499, can you point me in the right direction to find this?  

- Also the picture you posted "gibson1.jpg" seems to suggest he was part of E company and possibly "Plat 17".  My first guess would be platoon 17, but I guess it could be plate as in photograph 17.  Am I reading that correctly?

- When you say that he looks like an original pal is that based on the low numerical value of his service number or is there another way of finding his enlistment date?

I'm thinking of taking a trip to the National Archives, is that the best way to find out about the "Book of Honour", Walter 9499 and E company etc?  Or can anyone help point me in a better direction first?

Many thanks for your time and hello everyone once again.

Kind regards,
Phil

 

[mack]

pte 9499 walter gibson
enlisted 3-3-1915
aged 33
17th manchesters
battalion bomber
resided 28 ainsworth st,west gorton
occupation,maker up
religion,weslyan
married miss sarah,annie thornton at cheetham hill register office,on 13-8-04
children
charles,william 18-1-05
walter 2-2-06
frederick 28-3-11
george 26-10-15
son of william+sarah 46 bradford rd,manchester[his father was a green grocer]
sisters.sarah,elizabeth/mary,ann/florence
brothers.robert+george
georges last known address,was 1 boothroydon terrace,moston[wife alice]

to france 8-11-15
appointed lance cpl 16-6-16
cpl 2-7-16
reported missing at guillemont on 30th july 1916.
his widow remarried in 1919,marrying william bowers and lived at 4 gleden st,bradford rd,manchester.

mack

[harribobs]

Hi Phil

I think Mack has answered your query on enlistment dates 

The best place to research the Manchester regiment is here, we have copies of the book of honour both original and on CD

The photographs i mentioned previously are two shots of approx forty men, they are not indexed and we unfortunately are not able identify the individuals

chris

[csxpab]

Hi Mack,

I am rather astonished and very impressed.  Can I ask where you found the info?  Is it something I could have found myself?

Many thanks for your help, the background you've supplied is fascinating.

Cheers,
Phil

pte 9499 walter gibson
enlisted 3-3-1915
aged 33
17th manchesters
battalion bomber
resided 28 ainsworth st,west gorton
occupation,maker up
religion,weslyan
married miss sarah,annie thornton at cheetham hill register office,on 13-8-04
children
charles,william 18-1-05
walter 2-2-06
frederick 28-3-11
george 26-10-15
son of william+sarah 46 bradford rd,manchester[his father was a green grocer]
sisters.sarah,elizabeth/mary,ann/florence
brothers.robert+george
georges last known address,was 1 boothroydon terrace,moston[wife alice]

to france 8-11-15
appointed lance cpl 16-6-16
cpl 2-7-16
reported missing at guillemont on 30th july 1916.
his widow remarried in 1919,marrying william bowers and lived at 4 gleden st,bradford rd,manchester.

mack

[Wendi]

Hi Phil !

Can we take that as confirmation that pte 9499 walter gibson son of william+sarah and sibling to sarah,elizabeth/mary,ann/florence robert & george is your great grandad ?

and therefore the great uncle of Angular ?

Wendi 

[csxpab]

Hi Wendi,

I've pretty sure he is my Great-Granddad, the siblings and children match with what I knew (although I was missing one of the siblings).  One of the things my family knew is that he died without seeing his son, my granddad (George Gibson), although he had been born before his death on 30th July 1916.  The dates for his moving to France and his death all support that so I believe Walter Gibson 9499 was my Granddad's dad.  I also knew the family came from Long Clawson originally and owned a green grocers in Manchester so that fits too.

I'm not too sure about him being Angular's great uncle though.  It was my understanding (from the previous conversations) that Angular also had a great uncle Harry and Walter 9499 doesn't have a brother of that name.  That, coupled with the 4 year age gap between his great Uncle Walter and Walter Gibson 9499 suggests to me that he is after a different Walter Gibson.

Does that make sense?

Kind regards,
Phil

Hi Phil !

Can we take that as confirmation that pte 9499 walter gibson son of william+sarah and sibling to sarah,elizabeth/mary,ann/florence robert & george is your great grandad ?

and therefore the great uncle of Angular ?

Wendi 

[csxpab]

Hi Chris,

Yes, Mack answered questions I hadn't even asked yet.  This has all been very helpful.

I believe there is a photo of Walter in his uniform in a family album back in Manchester (I live in London these days).  If I can track that down it might be possible to match it with one of the faces in the photos you mention and identify him.  Do you know if it would be possible for me to see these pictures?  Do you know if they have been digitised or are they on-line anywhere?

Kind regards,
Phil

Hi Phil

I think Mack has answered your query on enlistment dates 

The best place to research the Manchester regiment is here, we have copies of the book of honour both original and on CD

The photographs i mentioned previously are two shots of approx forty men, they are not indexed and we unfortunately are not able identify the individuals

chris

[Wendi]

Does that make sense?

Kind regards,
Phil

Complete sense!  Angular in a later post goes on to talk about "the family of four" (siblings) and with one being Harry it looks like you are absolutely right!

I guess in 2007 Mack had not unearthed the "additional info" 

Wendi 

[kingo]

Phil, I think these are the Platoon Photographs that you are looking for. Walter Gibson is on one of them somewhere. As Chris says; they are not indexed so we don't know where. (Click on photo to enlarge)

[kingo]

Second photo;

[kingo]

The platoon Nominal roll;

[mack]

hiya phil.
your gt uncle george had moved from moston,in 1919 he was living at 1 matthews lane,levenshulme

mack

[csxpab]

Hi,

Sorry for the slow response, been out of the country for a while.  Thanks very much for the pictures Kingo and the extra info Mack.  I'm going to see if I can use these and identify him and delve a bit deeper.

Again, thank you everyone, you've been very helpful.

Kind regards,
Phil

The platoon Nominal roll;

[csxpab]

Hi,

I've managed to identify Walter Gibson, 9499.  He's on the front row of the 2nd photo, second from the left.

Many thanks for all your help.

Kind regards,
Phil

Second photo;