Looking for Thomas BRUCE

[RobynAus]

Hi Everyone
I'm looking for my G-father Thomas BRUCE. He was born in 1874 in Sydney Australia. Son of Thomas Bruce and Eliza ms Tancred. Served in the Australian forces in WW1. Medically discharged in March 1918 and by August was back in England and working at P and W Anderson, A. E. R. D. at Henlow Beds. An enquiry was made to the Repatriation Dept in 1924 but there are no details in his file about follow up. He was a telegraphist before and during his Army time. After that he disappears. Well I'm looking for him but also something about the firm and why he would have gone back? Did he meet some oneelse while in france/England and go back and start a new life? I operate on the principal that if noone was talking about it there must be a story there.
thank you all
robyn

[davidcarca]

I can't find out what AERD stands for, but an RAF station first opened in Henlow in May 1918 as No. 5 Eastern Area Aircraft Depot. That may be connected to his return to the UK, as Henlow was just an agricultural area at that time (still is - I was born there!)

David

[RobynAus]

I can't find out what AERD stands for, but an RAF station first opened in Henlow in May 1918 as No. 5 Eastern Area Aircraft Depot. That may be connected to his return to the UK, as Henlow was just an agricultural area at that time (still is - I was born there!)

David

Hi David
Thank you for your reply. He is very elusive. I suspect it may be the fact he was a telegraphist, (morse code and all that). Perhaps they were developing radio there. We tend to forget that in WW1 communications were primitive compared to now. His B-I-L was in London with the War Office until 1920 as well. But thank you again for your reply. It's another little bit of information in the search. regards robyn

[RobynAus]

I can't find out what AERD stands for, but an RAF station first opened in Henlow in May 1918 as No. 5 Eastern Area Aircraft Depot. That may be connected to his return to the UK, as Henlow was just an agricultural area at that time (still is - I was born there!)

David

Hi david
A second reply to your message. You started me thinking and although I have'nt found Thomas I did find RAF Henlow and got a fair bit of information from there thanks again
robyn

[ChristineR]

Chances are that he did meet someone of interest whilst overseas, possibly while in hospital. He was separated from his wife on enlistment in 1916, though he did claim for her and the two kids for his pension after he was discharged. He wasted no time in getting back there, almost as soon as he was discharged from hospital in Australia. He would have went in a private capacity else it would be on his record.

His wife claimed that he had died in England, in a letter about his medals in 1942, though she did not follow up the request by the department for further info on his death. Do you know if they ever divorced? could your fellow have remarried in England?

Christine

[RobynAus]

Chances are that he did meet someone of interest whilst overseas, possibly while in hospital. He was separated from his wife on enlistment in 1916, though he did claim for her and the two kids for his pension after he was discharged. He wasted no time in getting back there, almost as soon as he was discharged from hospital in Australia. He would have went in a private capacity else it would be on his record.

His wife claimed that he had died in England, in a letter about his medals in 1942, though she did not follow up the request by the department for further info on his death. Do you know if they ever divorced? could your fellow have remarried in England?

Christine
Hi ChristineR
Having heard from David at Henlow I can surmise a little of what he was doing there although I don't know of any new relationship but would suspect this. No they didn't divorce although I might check that out.

His B-i-L (died 1927) worked for the War Office packing up and transporting equipment back to Aus after the war so he would have had a contact there and at Henlow they were involved in transporing aircraft to Aus. Unfortunately as a small family there was no-one to ask long before I became interested in this.
regards robyn