WW1 Sapper Thomas Rosie R E

[roscoe]

Hello, this is my first post and I hope some of this makes sense.

I am researching a Great War soldier, Sapper Thomas Rosie #177513 Royal Engineers. I have seen his MIC which has little information on it and can't tell if any more of his papers survive in the National Archives. I have had little luck with tracking the unit he might have served with or anything else that would give me his age and other details. I plan to post on the Great War Forum soon and hope that the poster there who researches the R E and interprets MICs will respond because he is very good at what he does.

Next, I went to CWGC site and didn't find his name listed but noticed that all or nearly all of the surname Rosie casualties served in Scottish units, so this leads me to believe that Spr. Rosie was from Scotland. Next I went to rootweb and found some research that someone had done on surname Rosie and Canisbay, Caithness and the Orkney Islands kept appearing, which leads me to believe that he may have been from that area. I found two listings for Thomas Rosie who might be in the right age groupings, one born in 1891 and one 'about 1900'. After that there is no information as to date of death or anthing to help guide me. This may not even be the right man, but it is what I keep finding in my limited research so far.

Now, I live in the U S and am currently laid off work so money is tight but I notice that a lot of sites charge for information so I want to at least be on the right track before I spend much money or wait until I am back at work before I lay out a lot of funds. I know NA charges and that Scotlands People also does, I just want to have some idea that I am on the right track.

This is my first research and I may be going at it from the wrong direction but I would like to know who this man was so we can remember him and his service.

I'm not sure if anyone can help but if anyone can point me in the right direction I would appreciate it.

Thank you.

[Russell]

Hi Roscoe
Welcome to
We love this type of enquiry onTalkingScot. Like you I wouldn't have much of a clue where to start on your quest but there are plenty others with better knowledge of the subject. It pays off to find out as much as possible before reaching for your wallet on a pay-to-view site and on occasions posting up the name has triggered off a response from another researcher looking for the same name Let's hope this will be just such a time.

Russell

[apanderson]

Have a look here: http://www.rbls-kirkwall.org.uk/wmo-index.html

The Orkney Branch of the Royal British Legion have all the Orkney War Memorials listed.

You'll have to go through the locations one by one though to see if you can find Thomas on any of them, but these are men who were killed/died and your Thomas may have survived?

The only alternative would be possibly on Rolls of Honour. Many villages (or churches) kept these and most times they listed men (and women) who served, not just the ones who didn't come home.

Anne

[Rockford]

Hi Roscoe,

Are you researching only his military service in isolation, or do you have any information (however scant) regarding his parents or family members? Even if you are trying to establish whether the soldier is 'your' Thomas Rosie in terms of being a relation - any other info you might have could help locate him in other records.

Best wishes

Brian

[apanderson]

The Scottish War Memorials Project have almost all of the Highlands and Morayshire Memorials photographed, have a look here:

http://warmemscot.s4.bizhat.com/viewtop ... warmemscot

and

http://warmemscot.s4.bizhat.com/viewtop ... warmemscot

Anne

P.S. Again, would only probably be of any use if Thomas didn't survive the war.

[roscoe]

Thanks for your responses and I will follow the leads you have kindly provided.

And to Rockford, I am trying to learn about his whole life, but maybe having a little more information from the one or the other could tell me if I am on the right or wrong path here. I have a little more information about his parents, names and birth years and will post it later tonight as I don't have access to it now.

Thank you all so much.

[roscoe]

Here is a link I found. The three I am interested in were born in the years 1879, 1891 and 1900.

http://worldconnect.rootsweb.ancestry.c ... ven=thomas

I will begin looking through the War Memorial site and the RBL site this evening and hope to have an answer from someone on the Great War Forum soon concerning his service in the war and possibly where he attested at.

Thanks again for your suggestions and assistance.

[Currie]

Hello Roscoe,

The UK Census Index can be searched for free until midnight GMT tonight (27th). You only need to register. http://search.ancestry.co.uk/group/ukic ... ction.aspx

You’ll find a free English BMD index here http://freebmd.rootsweb.com/cgi/search.pl

The Free IGI can sometimes be useful http://www.familysearch.org/Eng/Search/ ... _form=true


I’ve been tracking the Thomas Rosie born June quarter of 1891 at Toxteth Park (Liverpool). His parents were Thomas Rosie and Catherine Sinclair, both from Scotland. The most likely English marriage I could find for young Thomas was September quarter 1912 in Portsmouth to an Edith F Summers. They had a daughter 1914 in Portsmouth.

It sounded like Navy so I checked the National Archives and sure enough. http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/docu ... ultcount=3

Description
Name Rosie, Thomas
Official Number: M4307
Place of Birth: Liverpool, Lancashire
Date 08 March 1891
Catalogue reference ADM 188/1026
Dept Records of the Admiralty, Naval Forces, Royal Marines, Coastguard, and related bodies Series Admiralty: Royal Navy Registers of Seamen's Services

So if your fellow was in the Army it seems likely that the one born 1891 isn’t him.

Hope you can find out enough about the soldier to identify which family he is from. You probably already know that almost two thirds of WW1 British army service records were destroyed during WW2 bombing.

Hope that helps,
Alan

[roscoe]

Alan, that is most helpful. Thanks so much for taking the time and posting this.

I'm beginning to think he is the youngest of the three but am awaiting an answer on the GWF.

Thanks again for your assistance, this forum is a tremendous resource.

[Currie]

Hello Roscoe,

That’s ok, here’s a bit more.

These are the WW1 military age UK births for Thomas Rosie. (Although you never know where to draw the line here, I’m sure I’ve read somewhere about some old codger in his 70s fighting in the trenches.)

From FreeBMD
Births Dec 1879 Rosie Thomas W. Derby 8b 569
Births Jun 1891 Rosie Thomas Toxteth Park 8b 145

From ScotlandsPeople
Year Surname Forename Sex District City/County/MR GROS Data
1869 ROSIE THOMAS M CANISBAY/CAITHNESS 035/00 0055
1878 ROSIE THOMAS MCCULLOC M SOUTH RONALDSAY AND BURRAY/ORKNEY 029/00 0087
1885 ROSIE THOMAS M SOUTH RONALDSAY AND BURRAY/ORKNEY 029/00 0053
1885 ROSIE THOMAS M FLOTTA/ORKNEY 032/02 0010
1886 ROSIE THOMAS H S DEAR M SOUTH RONALDSAY AND BURRAY/ORKNEY 029/00 0061

There’s a 1906 death for one of the above.
Year Surname Forename Sex Age District City/County/MR GROS Data
1906 ROSIE THOMAS M 21 HOY AND GRAEMSAY/ORKNEY 020/00 0007

Here’s a very recent message and an email address from someone whose grandfather was Thomas Rosie born Flotta 1885 (she thinks). http://www.orkneycommunities.co.uk/imag ... r24838.asp

There are people on GenesReunited with an interest in these families.

All the best,
Alan