9th Btn. Tank Corps

[MedalHunter]

Hello All,

I am new to the Forum, so please forgive me if I have planted this in the wrong place. I am starting to research a new found relative in my family tree and would appreciate any info or help that people can spare.

He is 91933 Pte. Henry R. Tyman 9th Tank Corps. Date of death 23-7-1918. Aged 30, Commemorated Soissons Memorial.

Also if anyone knows the whereabouts of his medals this info would be appreciated, just for the record.

Thanks in advance

Regards Ian

[Guest Ian Bowbrick]

Ian ,

I have done quite a bit of work on the 9th Bn TC, having been paid to do so a while back. Their war diary is very thin, but there is some useful material in the History of the Tank Corps published just after the war and recently reprinted by the Naval & Military Press. An account of their involvement at Cambrai in November 1917 was also published in one of the Militaira collector's magazines 4 or so years ago, taken from a survivors diary, could have been the Armourer.

Anyway good luck in your hunt - medals to the Tank Corps command a premium and are highly sought after so be prepared to pay dearly if you manage to locate them and can persuade the current owner to part with them.

IanB

[hmsk212]

Ian

In case you don't have it, the Soldiers Died in the Great War information is :-

91933 Pte Henry Tyman Tank Corps

Killed in Action, France & Flanders 23/07/1918

Formerly 22300 Durham Light Infantry

Born Carvilley, Durham

Enlisted Stanley, Durham

Steve

[Guest Ian Bowbrick]

Steve,

Do you think he was originally an MGC HB man who kept the number when they became the TC?

Ian

[MedalHunter]

Thanks to you both for the help/leads.

Didn't have soldiers died info as I don't have access at the moment.

Most, if not all, of my fathers side originate in and around Bishop Auckland so that fits. A lot were born and lived (and still do) around Stanley, Crook etc.

I will follow up on your leads Ian. I do have a book at home that I need to dig out that is about Bovington Camp and the History/origins of the Tank Corps but it is a privately published photocopy A4 type of thing. An old neighbour gave it to me years ago. Time to refresh myself with it. If I think that it might be of use I'll be sure to let you know and could even copy it for anyone that is interested.

I live just a couple of miles from Bovington (Dad was in 17/21Lancers) so if there is anything that I can help people with please shout.

Again thanks for your help so far.

Regards Ian

[Guest Ian Bowbrick]

Ian,

The Tank Corps by Major Clough Williams-Ellis MC - see page 185 to 190, which gives an account of the action in which your relative was lost.

The attack's objective was to seize St Ribert Wood in order to outflank Mailly-Raineval from the South.

IanB

[MedalHunter]

Thanks for that Ian,

I'm off next week and intend going to the library and local records office in Dorchester to see what I can find about the village Memorial. I'll see if they have a copy of that book there. Re the book I mentioned in a previous post, I have dug it out and am in the process of going through it. It turns out that it is actually a 35 page essay by G.E.Lanning called 'From Rifle Range to Garrison' and is about Bovington Camp 1899-1925. It is the history of Bovington Camp and covers the period when it was developed as the home of the Tank Corps. If anyone is interested in a copy I would be happy to run one or two copies off.

Thanks again for your assistance so far, as is usual I expect there will be more questions than answers as time goes on.

Regards Ian