Margaret(?) Longueville(?), Ambulance and Despatch Driver

Discussion in 'Searching for Someone & Military Genealogy' started by Rerun 57, Jul 28, 2012.

  1. Rerun 57

    Rerun 57 Junior Member

    Hello,

    I have acquired a huge collection of negatives (about 1000), of photographs taken by this lady during here war time service as an ambulance driver and motorcycle dispatch rider. I would love to be able to find out more about her. I think she came from a place called Penylan, just outside Oswestry, Salop. Her family seems to have been well to do, and after the war she did a great deal of skiing - perhaps even skiing for the British Army team. Here is a picture showing her alongside her ambulance:

    http://sdrv.ms/N44zRc

    She also took a series of photographs showing the effect of the bombing on Pembroke Dock in 1940 - I think she was then attached 22 General Hospital. Example below.
    http://sdrv.ms/N44Kfm

    Among other places, she was also posted to Preston:
    http://sdrv.ms/N44Qnk


    and Quernmore Park.... wherever that is!
    http://sdrv.ms/N44XiK


    If anyone is able to help with tracking down more information about this lady, I would be most grateful.
     
  2. Owen

    Owen -- --- -.. MOD

  3. Rerun 57

    Rerun 57 Junior Member

  4. Vitesse

    Vitesse Senior Member

    How certain are you that she was Margaret? I've found references to Olive Mary Longueville born 1922. She had a twin brother called Reginald.

    If it's the right one she married Major Robert Charles Windsor-Clive of the Coldstream Guards in 1949. He died in 2003 - haven't traced her death.
     
  5. Rerun 57

    Rerun 57 Junior Member

    How certain are you that she was Margaret? I've found references to Olive Mary Longueville born 1922. She had a twin brother called Reginald.

    If it's the right one she married Major Robert Charles Windsor-Clive of the Coldstream Guards in 1949. He died in 2003 - haven't traced her death.

    This is very interesting! Among the box of papers and negatives is a book on the World War Two exploits of the Coldstream Guards. I acquired these items via eBay about three years ago. They came from the West Country - Timberscombe near Dunster the seller thought. I will dig out the rest of the things and look at the book.

    I will get back to you. Many thanks indeed! This has a feeling of right about it.

    Best wishes
     
  6. Rerun 57

    Rerun 57 Junior Member

    Hello again,

    A quick reply. The book has a couple of section written by Bob Windsor-Clive. He was in the 2nd Battalion, a Lt. and mentioned in dispatches twice - fought in Italy. Rather poignantly, one of the pages is bookmarked with a piece of card. The page shows a picture of Lt J. Longueville, who seems to have been KIA on 14 September 1943.

    More again soon. Many thanks indeed!

    Adrian
     
  7. DaveB

    DaveB Very Senior Member

    CWGC has two deaths with the surname of Longueville - Reginald & John, both KIA in Italy and both in the Coldstream Guards.

    Probably cousins and from military families:

    Lieutenant LONGUEVILLE, REGINALD FRANCIS 229117 MiD - Son of Lt.-Col. Francis Longueville, D.S.O., M.C., and Gertrude Beatrice Longueville, of Forthampton, Gloucestershire

    Lieutenant LONGUEVILLE, JOHN 200099 - Son of Maj. Edward Longueville and Doris Longueville, of Lemore, Herefordshire
     
  8. DaveB

    DaveB Very Senior Member

    According to the London Gazette Miss Olive Mary Longueville was in the WRNS

    Viewing Page 3346 of Issue 36614


    THE LONDON GAZETTE, 18 JULY, 1944

    The following are promoted to rank of Acting Third Officer, with seniority of dates shown:

    Miss Olive Mary Longueville 25th June, 1944
     
  9. Rerun 57

    Rerun 57 Junior Member

    According to the London Gazette Miss Olive Mary Longueville was in the WRNS

    Viewing Page 3346 of Issue 36614


    THE LONDON GAZETTE, 18 JULY, 1944

    The following are promoted to rank of Acting Third Officer, with seniority of dates shown:

    Miss Olive Mary Longueville 25th June, 1944

    Interestingly, the photographs stop in 1944, with pictures taken at Craven Arms. Precisely when the last picture was taken is not clear. The lady labelled rach negative with a number and a code for location, but it is not obvious that the coding is chronological for each location.

    Could it be that she transferred to the WRNS?

    Many thanks for this - I still think that we have the right person here, but only 80%!
     
  10. Rerun 57

    Rerun 57 Junior Member

    CWGC has two deaths with the surname of Longueville - Reginald & John, both KIA in Italy and both in the Coldstream Guards.

    Probably cousins and from military families:

    Lieutenant LONGUEVILLE, REGINALD FRANCIS 229117 MiD - Son of Lt.-Col. Francis Longueville, D.S.O., M.C., and Gertrude Beatrice Longueville, of Forthampton, Gloucestershire

    Lieutenant LONGUEVILLE, JOHN 200099 - Son of Maj. Edward Longueville and Doris Longueville, of Lemore, Herefordshire

    Many thanks for this. I will return to the book and try and find the other chap.
     
  11. Rerun 57

    Rerun 57 Junior Member

    I have looked through the box of papers and negatives, and I came across an item that firmly identifies the lady as Miss M. M. C. W. Longueville, who became a Captain in the WRAC after the Second World War. However, finding a reference to her on the web was difficult, but I managed to get to a family tree that included her in some detail at:

    Conqueror A6

    I can now pursue this and try to verify this information.

    Many thanks for everyone's help with this. Quite a breakthrough!
     
  12. Rerun 57

    Rerun 57 Junior Member

    Since I last posted here, I have manged to find out that Margaret (b.21 June 1915) married David Norton in 1952.

    Margaret died, at Taunton, September 2000. Can anyone advise how I might track down an obituary for this lady?

    Best wishes

    Adrian
     
  13. rewdco

    rewdco Senior Member

    Hello,

    I have acquired a huge collection of negatives (about 1000), of photographs taken by this lady during here war time service as an ambulance driver and motorcycle dispatch rider. I would love to be able to find out more about her. I think she came from a place called Penylan, just outside Oswestry, Salop. Her family seems to have been well to do, and after the war she did a great deal of skiing - perhaps even skiing for the British Army team. Here is a picture showing her alongside her ambulance:

    http://sdrv.ms/N44zRc

    She also took a series of photographs showing the effect of the bombing on Pembroke Dock in 1940 - I think she was then attached 22 General Hospital. Example below.
    http://sdrv.ms/N44Kfm

    Among other places, she was also posted to Preston:
    http://sdrv.ms/N44Qnk


    and Quernmore Park.... wherever that is!
    http://sdrv.ms/N44XiK


    If anyone is able to help with tracking down more information about this lady, I would be most grateful.

    Would you have any pictures that show her on the motorcycle? Maybe Rich and I can tell you a bit more about that aspect of her life!

    Regards,
    Jan
     
  14. Oldman

    Oldman Very Senior Member

    Adrian
    Have you tried the local paper archieves for Taunton for an obit, maybe worth contacting the local library to see if they have any info or can put you intouch with the local historian/historical society
     
  15. annswabey

    annswabey Junior Member

    Looks as though she had children so perhaps you could track them down? Won't put their names here as they are probably still alive.
     
  16. Rerun 57

    Rerun 57 Junior Member

    Would you have any pictures that show her on the motorcycle? Maybe Rich and I can tell you a bit more about that aspect of her life!

    Regards,
    Jan

    Hi Jan, I have posted the pictures to the links below. I am not sure that she is the rider on the bikes in the picture, but I am pretty sure she used them! Do you know anything about markings on vehicles?

    http://sdrv.ms/QBuG3X

    http://sdrv.ms/QBuOk4

    http://sdrv.ms/RTB77z


    Thaks for the offer of help. It is much appreciated,

    Adrian
     
  17. rewdco

    rewdco Senior Member

    Hi Adrian,

    Thanks for the photographs!

    I have no idea about the autocycle in the second picture, but the first and the third photograph both show a late 1939 - early 1940 Royal Enfield model D. This date is confirmed by the (civilian) registration number, the BNT number being from a Salop C.C. series from October 39 - 40.

    I have done some research on the war time history of the Royal Enfield motorcycles (see also http://dl.dropbox.com/u/38004199/The%20RE%20WD%20models%20report%20part%202%201930%27s%20-%201941.pdf), and although quite a lot of civilian model D motorcycles were impressed for work in the British Army, I don't think that this is an Army motorcycle...

    The reason for thinking so is the fact that this motorcycle is still using a civilian registration number (and tax disc), and the lack of a military census number. And the rims appear to be black, while the rest of the bike seems to be overpainted (in khaki green...?). This is also unusual for a military motorcycle.

    The prancing horse sign is something that I haven't seen before on a military vehicle, so this could also be proof of my theory that this is most probably a privately owned motorcycle.

    If my memory serves me right I don't think that "normal" people were allowed to drive a car or ride a motorcycle during the war. At least the petrol was rationed. So Margaret may have needed this bike for her job. To me this is the most likely theory...

    Good luck with your research,
    Regards,
    Jan
     
  18. Rerun 57

    Rerun 57 Junior Member

    Jan, Many thanks for the info, it all fits well with what I know about Margaret. Her home was near Oswestry and she was from a well-to-do military family. She seesm also to have been a keen horse rider!

    Super reply - I am very grateful!

    Adrian
     
  19. rewdco

    rewdco Senior Member

    I was so enthusiastic about these Royal Enfield pictures that I missed something... Rich just told me that this might be an overhead valve engine, not a side valve... And of course he's right! :D

    So this is a small correction: the bike is a late 1939 or early 1940 model SF, the OHV version of the model D. :rolleyes:

    Regards,
    Jan
     
  20. Rerun 57

    Rerun 57 Junior Member

    ....So were these "expensive" motorcycles? I have a few other pictures that show riders on bikes, from the same series of negatives, I will try and dig those up!

    I take it that you are both motorcycle "buffs"!

    Thanks again,

    Adrian
     

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