Soldier Record
Jack Winch
Contributed by: Jack Winch, on 2008-11-05
| Rank | |
|---|---|
| First Name | Jack |
| Surname | Winch |
| Year of Birth | 1883 |
| Year of Death | 1963 |
| Regiment | Royal Engineers |
| Place of Wartime Residence | Paisley, Renfrewshire |
Jack's Story
Only this very week, I discovered some of the detail of my grandfather's war service: Egypt 1916, then on to the Somme, Le Transloy Scarpe, Polygon Wood, Broodseinde, Poelcapelle Passchendaele, Bapaume, Arras, Hazebrouck, Bethune, Drocourt-Queant, Canal du Nord, Selle and Valenciennes - some of the bloodiest battles of the Great War.
"Specially mentioned" in Sir Douglas Haig's Despatch, London Gazette - 7 November 1917, photograph him in Egypt , building canal defences, securing water supply and building light railway between January and April 1916
His commanding officer Lieutenant Colonel A.H.Anderson presented him with his own silver pocket watch - why, I wonder? I still have that watch which keeps perfect time to this day.
Other memories
"From mobilization till Dec 1915 CSM Winch did exceedingly good work in both the Forth and Clyde Defences. From Apr 1916 till present CSM Winch has been continuously with the Co carrying out his duties both in Line."
The 1st Renfrewshire Field Company arrived in Egypt in January 1916 to work on canal defences, water supply and build a light railway. Then they received orders to leave Egypt for the Western Front. The company embarked at Alexandria on 17 April 1916 bound for France and Flanders. On 23 April 1916 they had arrived on the Western Front in time to participate in the bloody battle of the Somme and subsequent conflicts.
CSM J.R.Winch was "specially mentioned" in despatches on 7 November 1917 and was "gassed"on 2 December 1917. He was awarded the Victory Medal with oak leaf, the British War Medal, the Meritorious Service Medal, the Territorial Force Efficiency Medal (with clasp in 1929) and the Territorial Force War Medal. After the Great War, Jack Winch went on to be an Instructor, Sapper, Sergeant and A/CSM with the 51st The Highland Division (T) RE until 1929. During World War 2, he served with the Home Guard Bomb Disposal Squad.
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