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  #1  
Old 22-11-21, 04:46 PM
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Default 16th Public Works Duke Of Cambridge's Own (Middlesex Regiment)

Hello I’ve just acquired a medal to a man Wilfred Hunt with a PW prefix to his army number 6684 which I believe stands for Public Works Duke Of Cambridge's Own (Middlesex Regiment).

He was sadly killed on the Somme aged 25.

Anyway I wondered what cap badge this battalion wore?
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  #2  
Old 22-11-21, 06:32 PM
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The 16th (Service) Battalion (Public Schools), Middlesex Regiment were not Public Works Pioneers.

The Public Works Pioneers were the 18th, 19th (Service) Battalions and 25th (Reserve) Battalion. The PWPB did have a bespoke badge with an extra scroll, however, until last year there were no period photographs of it in wear by any members of any of the battalions.

Thanks to Brian (FoT) who rediscovered a picture of the PWPB badge in wear by the band of the 25th Bn: https://www.britishbadgeforum.com/fo...ad.php?t=79061

The Battalion’s title in the annotation suggests a date of pre September 1916 and even then not ever man wears the badge. So it seem likely it was a bandsmen’s badge but not universally worn.

Back to your man, if he’s 16th Battalion or was not a musician in the 18th, 19th or 25th Bns then he will have worn the standard Middlesex cap badge.
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  #3  
Old 22-11-21, 08:54 PM
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Default PW Battalion

Hi Luke

Thanks it’s odd he has the PW prefix on his medal and medal index card. Sadly I can’t find any service records so I’ll never know for sure but I think I’ll buy a standard badge that you mention to go with his medal.
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Old 23-11-21, 08:45 AM
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CWGC record has him as 16th Bn. Middlesex Regiment.

https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/fi.../wilfred-hunt/

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  #5  
Old 23-11-21, 01:21 PM
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Default Thanks Mike

Thanks Mike
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Old 24-11-21, 08:59 AM
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As does the roll in WO329.



Quote:
Originally Posted by mike_vee View Post
CWGC record has him as 16th Bn. Middlesex Regiment.

https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/fi.../wilfred-hunt/

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  #7  
Old 19-04-23, 04:36 AM
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Default PW prefix

Thanks everyone any idea on the PW prefix?
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  #8  
Old 19-04-23, 06:11 AM
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I found this: PS - Middlesex Regiment. 16th (Public Schools) Battalion
PW - Middlesex Regiment. 18th, 19th & 26th (Public Works) Battalions (Later Labour Corps) , so it could have been an error when the medals were named? Also I found his pension details.
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  #9  
Old 19-04-23, 07:33 AM
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Default PW

Thanks for that I don’t think I’ll ever be able to explain it. The guys on the medal forum reckon it denotes public works but clearly all his records say different. Thanks for all the responses.
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  #10  
Old 19-04-23, 08:17 AM
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There is a photo of him on Ancestry in family trees. See below
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  #11  
Old 22-04-23, 06:31 PM
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Default Wow thank you

Wow thank you so much
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  #12  
Old 23-04-23, 05:53 AM
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Default Public Works Pioneer Battalion

Morning all,

Back in January, I posted the below link on a different thread but received no replies, but thought it relevant to post it again on this one.

http://www.ww1photos.org/regiment/middlesex-regiment/

The link is to a photo of Pte Peter EDWARDS, 18th Middlesex, wearing what appears to be a double-scrolled badge ??

Assuming it is, it leads me to 2 thoughts:-

Firstly, could research potentially show he was a Bandsman and offer more support to who wore the bespoke PWPB badge ?

Secondly, and it may be just lack of detail in the photo, but my initial thought was that the ends of the scrolls look as though they point more upwards compared to the accepted more horizontal ??

I could be completely wrong but would be interested in other's thoughts.

Cheers,

Mike



Quote:
Originally Posted by Luke H View Post
The 16th (Service) Battalion (Public Schools), Middlesex Regiment were not Public Works Pioneers.

The Public Works Pioneers were the 18th, 19th (Service) Battalions and 25th (Reserve) Battalion. The PWPB did have a bespoke badge with an extra scroll, however, until last year there were no period photographs of it in wear by any members of any of the battalions.

Thanks to Brian (FoT) who rediscovered a picture of the PWPB badge in wear by the band of the 25th Bn: https://www.britishbadgeforum.com/fo...ad.php?t=79061

The Battalion’s title in the annotation suggests a date of pre September 1916 and even then not ever man wears the badge. So it seem likely it was a bandsmen’s badge but not universally worn.

Back to your man, if he’s 16th Battalion or was not a musician in the 18th, 19th or 25th Bns then he will have worn the standard Middlesex cap badge.
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  #13  
Old 23-04-23, 07:38 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Luke H View Post
T The PWPB did have a bespoke badge with an extra scroll, however, until last year there were no period photographs of it in wear by any members of any of the battalions.
From "The Die Hards" The Journal of the Middlesex Regiment.
VOL XIII No.5 SEPTEMBER 1958

Quote:
MUSEUM NOTES

Requests

Especially required to make the collection complete are the officer’s pattern Glengarry badge of 1881-90 and the Public Works Battalion’s cap badge issued to 18th, 19th and 26th Battalions in 1915. This badge has an extra scroll underneath the one “ Middlesex Regt.” bearing the inscription “Public Works Battalion.”
https://queensregimentalassociation....3/vol-13-5.pdf


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  #14  
Old 23-04-23, 07:39 AM
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Interesting photo. Also this one is clearly pioneer by the collars but no double scroll.
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