7 replies to this topic

[Alan Ridgway]

I am undertaking research for a Village Exhibition we hope to present in 2014, covering local men and women who were in the Services in the Great War. One of the 90, or so, men I am trying to find more about was Lieutenant Jesse Dell Berridge, M.C., "J" Special Company, Royal Engineers, who died on the 24th. May, 1918, near Arras. I have been successful with many of the personal and local family history, but have been unable to trace specific details of his war record, and the role of "J" Company, (I am guessing that it may have been involved with chemical weapons, as he was a member of The Institute of Chemistry.) He was wounded in December 1915 and in June 1916, and awarded the M.C. in the latter part of 1917/early 1918 the citation for which I have been unable to trace so far. If anyone has come across Jesse in researches or knows the purpose of "J" Special Company I would be very grateful to hear. Thank You.

[David Underdown]

There's a record for Lieut J D Berridge in WO 339/37153.  I believe the Special Companies RE were indeed charged with the use of gas.

MC gazetted in 1918 New Year Honours http://www.london-ga.../supplements/31 - so no citation (these tend to be more for sustained good work, rather than individual acts of gallantry)

[SPOF]

Some background information on the Special companies http://www.1914-1918...pecialcoyre.htm

I'll see if I have time to look at his record tomorrow at Kew.

Glen

[sotonmate]

AR

J Special Coy RE has a War Diary at Kew under WO95/401 which runs from Mar 1917 to Jul 1919.
If you wish to get a flavour of day-to-day business of one of these Coys I have a couple of month's summary for Z Coy which I did a few years back for a member here.
Quite a bit of it concerns the planning,preparation,firing and recovery of equipment concerned with the despatch of oil and gas projectiles.
You will need to have made 5 posts befoe being able to use the Personal Messaging system here,so if you want to see please send me your e-mail by that means.

Sotonmate

[Colin W Taylor]

Alan

I have copies of much of the J Company War Diary but only up until March 1918. If you want any look-ups please let me know.

Kind regards

Colin

[Alan Ridgway]

Thank you all so much for your assistance with these responses - they have been of great help indeed and have provided much to direct me in the research about Jesse Dell Betteridge.  
Kind Regards,  Alan Ridgway

[SPOF]

Alan

I managed to photograph his service record on Tuesday. If you make 2 more posts, you will have access to the Private Messaging system and you can send me your email address so I can forward the pages on to you.

Please don't put an email address on this page as spammers trawl the internet looking for them and you'll never get a moments pease.

Glen

[Alan Ridgway]

SPOF, on 23 August 2012 - 07:11 AM, said:

Alan

I managed to photograph his service record on Tuesday. If you make 2 more posts, you will have access to the Private Messaging system and you can send me your email address so I can forward the pages on to you.

Please don't put an email address on this page as spammers trawl the internet looking for them and you'll never get a moments pease.

Glen