Stephen Stevens

[olliecat]

Hmm! Went hunting again. Found a Silver War Badge record for a private Stephen Stevens who enlisted in 1915 and was discharged in 1919 from the Royal Defence Corps (Territorial Force London.) Age 53. Regimental number 24378.

Also, checking the medal rolls index cards, there is card for Stephen Stevens who enlisted on the 2.2.15 and was discharged on 18.1.19 from the RDC. Regimental number 24378.

The Royal Defence Corps was formed in 1917 and this particular Stephen enlisted before this. It appears that the RDC was initially formed by converting the (Home Service) Garrison battalions of various line infantry regiments. For example, the 2nd Bn. 1st (Home Service) Garrison Bn Buffs. However, all we know from the war badge record is that he was discharged from the RDC and at this point can only speculate over the regiment to which he originally enlisted. Perhaps someone with expertise on regimental numbers can advise further.

A possibility for you anyway.

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BTW: Here is some information on the silver war badge...

www.
1914-1918.net/grandad/swb.htm

Also, Home Service Garrison Bns of various regiments....

www.
warpath.orbat.com/misc_units/defence_corps.htm

[lancsman]

Hi Olliecat, am I being a little thick here but how do I trace the Stephen Stevens then. When I look at the National Archive I can't find a search????

[olliecat]

Hi Olliecat, am I being a little thick here but how do I trace the Stephen Stevens then. When I look at the National Archive I can't find a search????

Sorry I am a bit unclear. Are you asking where you can find the medal roll index card and silver war badge record? If so, you can download the medal roll index card for Stephen STEVENS from the National Archives here or if you have a relevant subscription with Ancestry then you can download the scan from there. Be aware that there is not much information on a medal card. You more or less get a name, rank, medal entitlement, unit, regimental number.

The silver war badge record holds slightly more information (i.e. an age) and the easiest option would probably be to download the record from Ancestry.

Note: you may have to clink the link above twice for it to go directly to the entry for Stephen on the National Archives.

[lancsman]

Ok, so is there anyway of seeing if this is Stephen?????

[olliecat]

Ok, so is there anyway of seeing if this is Stephen?????

Therein lays the difficulty - proving that Stephen STEVENS who served in the RDC is your Stephen. I have checked for surviving service or pension records for this Stephen but have had no luck. I'm not that surprised as many WW1 service records were damaged or destroyed during WW2.

However, here is a surprising development. I noticed on Stephen's medal index card these entries..

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Action Taken: List TP/4027 "Slip and letter extracted for verification"
Resubmitted TP/4127
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The TP number refers to a specific page of the Silver War Badge Roll. The resubmitted number TP/4127 refers to the entry for the Silver War Badge record already referred to in post #31.

Well, looking further back through the Silver War Badge Roll for TP/4027, there is another record. Not much is noted on this earlier record but it does say this...

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Slip ?
24378 Stevens Stephen

Letter ?
67389 Stevens Joseph James
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

So I wondered who Joseph James STEVENS was. There is a medal roll index card for him and it has this...

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
67389, Stevens Joseph James, T Res, address 13 Waldo Street, Bromley.

Action Taken: List TP/4027 "Slip and letter extracted for verification"
Resubmitted on TP/4296
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

At the top of the card it also says, STEVENS Stephen in RDC not identical.

So, if Joseph James STEVENS is the son of Stephen STEVENS, then my guess is they were mixing the two up, perhaps because they were at the same address, but I am just guessing here as to the reason.
Back soon and will look for the record for Joseph James STEVENS - TP/4296.

Note: Perhaps someone else wants to take a look and tell us what the question marks are, my eyes are playing up - (allergy thing) - or I can look again later.

[Kerrywood]

Slip ?
24378 Stevens Stephen

Letter ?
67389 Stevens Joseph James

Perhaps someone else wants to take a look and tell us what the question marks are

Shewed ??

Perhaps indicating that the Slip showed one name, the Letter the other ?

[olliecat]

Shewed ??

Perhaps indicating that the Slip showed one name, the Letter the other ?

Cheers Kerrywood. I thought it looked like Shewed but my eyes are streaming, so I absolutely distrust myself at this moment.

The SWB record for Joseph James STEVENS...

67389 STEVENS Joseph J, enlisted 22.6.17, discharged from the RDC 11.5.18. He was aged 20.

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I just noticed that on the medal roll index card for Joseph the dates of enlistment/discharge are recorded as

enlisted on the 2.2.15
discharged 18.5.18

This is not the same enlistment date as recorded on the SWB record but interestingly Stephen STEVENS was enlisted on 2.2.15. So did they mix up the enlistment dates as well? The question remains why were these two mixed up? Was this because they were living at the same address or because they were in the same unit and happened to have the same surname. The second theory seems rather coincidental to me.
There were 26 soldiers with the surname STEVENS/STEPHENS in the RDC who received silver war badges.

Please check these records for yourself.