Edmund TINGLE, a WW1 Gunner from Cinderford (General)

by Jefff , West London, Middlesex, Friday, January 29, 2016, 18:43 (3010 days ago)

First, may I wish my belated but heartfelt best wishes for a Happy & Healthy 2016 to all forum members past & present.

Second, I'm posting in the hope this nice WW1 item will find it's way to the best possible new home, hopefully descendants of it's original owner, or a local collector. I'm sorry it's a tight timescale before the auction ends, I've only just spotted it myself. Please be assured I'm in not linked to the seller or the family, I don't stand to benefit in any way from this auction, I won't be bidding.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Vintage-WW1-Brass-SNUFF-BOX-Edmund-Tingle-CINDERFORD-Glos-191...

The item is marked "Edmund Tingle Cinderford 1917", and carries the Royal Artillery Crest. It's possibly "trench art" made from a used brass shell case which a member of the Artillery would obviously have access to, it's 2.5" diameter suggests it may have been the base portion of a 6 pounder shell, see Figure 9 in this article.
http://cartridgecollectors.org/?page=introduction-to-artillery-shells-and-shell-casings
By WW1 this calibre gun & shell was outdated for front-line Artillery use, although some were used in anti-aircraft guns, others were still used for Home Defence and training duties. However it was used in the new British tanks, which may make this item even more desirable to a collector ?. By coincidence, the prototype of the world's first battle tank was first secretly shown to Lloyd George and the Government 100 years ago this week.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/QF_6_pounder_6_cwt_Hotchkiss

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Regarding Edmund Tingle himself, since cancelling my Ancestry subs I'm unable to research his War History in any detail, or show any Census data. This site’s WW1 database names four Tingles, all from Cinderford, but no Edmund.
Searching this site’s PRs finds three Edmund Tingles, all in the Cinderford area. I haven't found them mentioned within any existing forum threads.

The first Edmund Tingle is too old to be a WW1 soldier;

Record_ID: 729
Entry_Number: 742
Year: 1858
Month: Oct
Day: 31
Parents_Surname: TINGLE
Child_Forenames: Edmund
Fathers_Forenames: Robert
Mothers_Forenames: Caroline
Mothers_Surname:
Residence: East Dean
Occupation: Miner
Officiating_Minister: Wickham M. Birch
Event: Baptism
Memoranda:
Notes:
Register_Reference: P1 IN 1/7
Page_Number: 93
Parish_Chapel: Abenhall
Soundex: T524

Record_ID: 4848
Entry_Number: 313
Year: 1878
Month: Nov
Day: 30
Grooms_Surname: TINGLE
Grooms_Forenames: Edmund
Grooms_Age: 23
Groom_Condition: Bachelor
Grooms_Occupation: Coal Miner
Grooms_Residence: Bilson
Grooms_Fathers_Surname: Tingle
Grooms_Fathers_Forenames: Robert
Grooms_Fathers_Occupation: Coal Miner
Brides_Surname: JENKINS
Brides_Forenames: Mary Ann
Brides_Age: 19
Brides_Condition: Spinster
Brides_Occupation: [not stated]
Brides_Residence: Bilson
Brides_Fathers_Surname: Jenkins
Brides_Fathers_Forenames: Enos
Brides_Fathers_Occupation: Coal Miner
Licence_or_Banns: Banns
Date_of_Banns: [not stated]
Signature_or_Mark: Both Sign
Witness_1: George Tingle
Witness_2: Sarah Bryant
Other_Witnesses:
Officiating_Minister: William Barker Vicar
Event: Marriage
Memoranda:
Notes:
Register_Reference: P109 IN 1/7
Page_Number: 157
Parish_Chapel: Drybrook
Soundex_Groom: T524
Soundex_Bride: J525

His possible burial ?;
Record_ID: 8638
Entry_Number: 1606
Year: 1937
Month: Jan
Day: 16
Surname: TINGLE
Forenames: Edmund
Residence: 4 Bishopstone R[oa]d Gloucester
Age_at_death: 81
Officiating_Minister: Tom T Haines Vicar
Event: Burial
Cause_of_death:
Memoranda: A/2/77
Notes:
Register_Reference: P85/1 IN 1/15
Page_No: 201
Parish_Chapel: Cinderford St John
Soundex: T524

The next Edmund Tingle in the PRs could easily be our soldier, indeed he dies very young and during WW1, perhaps a result of wounds, perhaps the 1917 date on the Snuff Box indicates this ?;

Record_ID: 7364
Entry_Number: 332
Year: 1918
Month: Oct
Day: 14
Surname: TINGLE
Forenames: Sidney Edmund
Residence: Cinderford
Age_at_death: 32
Officiating_Minister: H M Biddell Vicar of S Stephens Woodside
Event: Burial
Cause_of_death:
Memoranda:
Notes:
Register_Reference: P85/1 IN 1/15
Page_No: 42
Parish_Chapel: Cinderford St John
Soundex: T524

However, Sydney Edmund Tingle is not commemorated on Cinderford's War Memorial.
http://www.memorialtranscripts.co.uk/Compressed/gloucestershire_ww1.html

I cannot find his Baptism PR, but from GlosBMD;

Birth Details

Child Surname Child Forename Father Surname Mother Surname Mother's Former Name Year District Office Register Entry
TINGLE Sydney Edmund TINGLE TINGLE JENKINS 1886 Forest of Dean Westbury on Severn, Newnham 55 57

Which suggests he may be the son of the aforementioned Edmund & MaryAnne Tingle (nee Jenkins). This birthdate perfectly fits the burial record.

Apart from confirming the above birth and death records, the only other Sidney E Tingle record on FreeBMD is this Marriage, which seems a good fit;

Surname First name(s) Age District Vol Page
Marriages Jun 1911 (>99%)
Allen Arthur Bristol 6a 334
Allen Florence M Bristol 6a 334
Bardell Frances M Bristol 6a 334
Basdell Frances M Bristol 6a 334
Tingle Sydney E Bristol 6a 334

I hope someone can please supply Census details for this family, and perhaps Edmund's Army Records, thanks.

Re his Army Records, in absence of Ancestry etc I've searched the National Archives site for his medal card. The nearest fit could perhaps be our Edmund, especially if viewing the actual card suggests a possible transcription error wrt "c" and "e" ?

Reference: WO 372/20/37634
Description:
Medal card of Tingle, Sidney C
Corps Regiment No Rank
Royal Garrison Artillery 304 Gunner
Date: 1914-1920
Held by: The National Archives, Kew

http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D5579664

Searching the War Graves database confirms the above record, the type-written Report definitely shows "C", so maybe this isn't our Edmund, altho the date "fits" the Burial PR.

Rank:Gunner
Service No: 311038
Date of Death: 04/07/1917
Regiment/Service: Royal Garrison Artillery 1st/1st (North Riding) Heavy Bty.
Grave Reference: III. D. 171
Cemetery: BAILLEUL COMMUNAL CEMETERY EXTENSION, NORD
http://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/201905/TINGLE,%20S%20C

???

R.I.P. Gunner Tingle.