HERBERT GEORGE SHRUBSOLE

1891 - 1958

Hearsay:  He was known as Snowball & had a taxi business running 4 or 5 taxi’s in Folkestone after the war .

In Arduis Fidelis

Faithful in Adversity

Private Herbert George Shrubsole 049416 had previously served in The Buffs (East Kent Regiment) from 1908-1910 before rejoining the army 14th Febrary 1915 as a driver in the Army Service Corps.  He served in France from 26 February 1915 until 9th May 1919 with three periods of leave, where he returned to England;  his last period of leave was 28th September 1918 to 12th October 1918 & his 4th child Herbert George was born the following July.  I can't begin to imagine what his life was like during those years in France.  He joined the 46th Divisional Supply Column on 3rd December 1916, was awarded his first Good Conduct badge 8th May 1917 & promoted to Lance Corporal on 12 March 1918.  He was awarded the 1914/15 Star Medal, The British War Medal & The Victory Medal.

1st Good conduct badge:

Good conduct "badges", in the army, were inverted chevrons worn on the lower left sleeve. Only soldiers with the rank of corporal or below were entitled to wear the good conduct chevrons. One chevron represented 2 years "good" service, two stripes 5 years, three for 12, four for 16, and five stripes for 21 years. Obviously, many soldiers would qualify for the 2 years, but few in the CEF would qualify for more than that. Soldiers with militia or permanent force service would qualify, and may have had several years good service. Good conduct chevrons are not frequently seen in WWI photos.

1914/15 Star Medal:

Authorised in 1918, the 1914/15 Star was awarded to those individuals who saw service in France & Flanders from 23 Nov 1914 to 31 Dec 1915, and to those individuals who saw service in any other operational theatre from 5th Aug 1914 to 31 Dec 1915.

The British War Medal:

The British War Medal 1914-1920, authorised in 1919, was awarded to eligible service personnel and civilians.  Qualification for the award varied slightly according to service.  The basic requirement for army personnel and civilians was that they either entered a theatre of war, or rendered approved service overseas between 5th Aug 1914 and 11 Nov  1918.  Service in Russia in 1919 & 1920 also qualified for the award.

The Victory Medal:

The Victory Medal 1914-1919 was authorised in 1919 and was awarded to all eligible personnel who served on the establishment of a unit in an operational theatre.

The Army Service Corps of 1914-1918

The organisation of the ASC :  The ASC was organised into Companies, each fulfilling a specific role. Some were under orders of or attached to the Divisions of the army; the rest were under direct orders of the higher formations of Corps, Army or the GHQ of the army in each theatre of war.

The British Army was the most mechanised of all in the Great War when it came to using motor vehicles for transport. A large total of ASC Mechanical Transport Companies eventually existed, in the following categories.

The ASC MT Companies in the Divisional Supply Columns:  Each Division of the army had a certain amount of motorised transport allocated to it, although not directly under its own command. The Divisional Supply Column Companies were responsible for the supply of goods, equipment and ammunition from the Divisional railhead to the Divisional Refilling Point and, if conditions allowed, to the dumps and stores of the forward units. Used, of course, where loads were heavy. A Company initially comprised 5 officers and 337 other ranks of the ASC, looking after 45 3-ton lorries, 16 30-cwt lorries, 7 motor cycles, 2 cars and 4 assorted trucks for the workshop and stores of the Supply Column itself. All Companies served in France.

46th Army Service Corps  - 2nd Cavalry Division.

On 6 September 1914, the 3rd Cavalry Brigade (then under 1st Cavalry Division) and 5th Cavalry Brigade (an independent command) were placed under orders of Brigadier-General Hubert Gough. A week later they were formed into the 2nd Cavalry Division and other units required to make up the divisional structure were added as they arrived. The Division remained on the Western Front in France and Flanders throughout the war. It took part in most of the major actions & from December 1916 when Herbert joined them it included the following:

1917

The First Battle of the Scarpe (9 - 11 April, a phase of the Arras Offensive)

The Tank Attack (20 - 21 November, a phase of the Cambrai Operations)

The capture of Bourlon Wood (24 - 28 November, a phase of the Cambrai Operations)

The German counterattacks (30 November - 3 December, a phase of the Cambrai Operations)

1918

The Battle of St Quentin (21 -23 March, a phase of the of the First Battles of the Somme in which the Division was engaged until 1 April)

The Battle of Hazebrouck (14 - 15 April, a phase of the Battles of the Lys)

The Battle of Amiens (8 - 11 August)

The Battle of Albert (21 - 23 August, a phase of the Second Battles of the Somme 1918)

The Second Battle of Bapaume (31 August - 3 September, a phase of the Second Battles of the Somme 1918)

The Battle of the Canal du Nord, St Quentin Canal, Beaurevoir Line & Cambrai, between 27 Sept & 9 October 1918 - all phases of the Battles of the Hindenburg Line

The Pursuit to the Selle (9 - 12 October)

The Final Advance in Picardy (17 October - 11 November, including the Battle of the Sambre (4 November) and the capture of Mons (11 November))

The Division was selected to advance into Germany as an advance screen for Fourth Army and form part of the Occupation Force. The move began on 17 November, Cinet and Rochefort were reached five days later and the 5th Cavalry Brigade crossed the German border south of St Vith on 1 December. The Division ceased to exist at midnight 31 March / 1 April 1919.

Ancestors of Esther Ann Frances Shrubsole

JOHN SHRUBSOLE + ANN CLEMENTS ARTHUR EDWARD SHRUBSOLE 1895-1917 CHARLES FILMER SHRUBSOLE 1820-1906 FREDERICK JOHN SHRUBSOLE 1896-1916 GORDON SHRUBSOLE GRANVILLE HERBERT SHRUBSOLE HARRY JAMES SHRUBSOLE HENRY GEORGE SHRUBSOLE HERBERT GEORGE SHRUBSOLE 1891-1958 JAMES WILLIAM SHRUBSOLE JOHN ALBERT SHRUBSOLE 1875-1955 JOHN SHRUBSOLE JOHN ALFRED SHRUBSOLE 1900-1917 LOUIS HENRY SHRUBSOLE PETER SHRUBSOLE 1856-1932 STEPHEN JOHN SHRUBSOLE WALTER FREDERICK SHRUBSOLE 1893-1918 WILLIAM SHRUBSOLE 1815-1880 WILLIAM FRANK SHRUBSOLE WILLIAM GEORGE SHRUBSOLE 1855-1889 WILLIAM RICHARD SHRUBSOLE WILLIAM STEPHEN SHRUBSOLE WILLIAM SHRUBSOLE 1760-1806

FRANCIS HENRY (FRANK) LOCKLEY 1890-1970 FRANK ALBERT COVENEY 1887-1969 GEORGE LEADBETTER 1885-1956 JOSEPH HENRY ERNEST LOCKLEY 1895-1979 LEONARD CHESWORTH 1886-1968 PERCY JAMES COVENEY 1886-1961 SAMUEL WALLS 1888-1970 WILLIAM ERNEST LOCKLEY 1895-1966

ALEXANDER JOHN WILLIAM TICK 1887 - 1915 ALFRED WILLIAM JIM COLLINS 1926-2009 DORAN ROBSON DEAN 1896- WILLIAM GEORGE TICK 1890 - 1948

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