Research My Family Dot Com **Main Index**

William James DAGG -[SpousesAnd children] was born to William Bristow Dagg II and Martha Elizabeth Snoad on 24 Jul 1902 in Chiswick, London Middlesex, at 102 Duke Road. I was told by his second partner, my mother Irene Pearce, that he ran away to sea when his father died because he "couldn't stand being in a house full of women" He was certainly serving aboard the "Emma" on the 9 March 1918 when she entered the French port of Callais. And the General Register and Record Office of Shipping and Seamen certified that "W Dagg who at the time of his engagement on the first vessel named below gave the following personal particulars- age 15, nationality or birthplace London, appears by the Records in this Office to have served on board the undermentioned Vessels in the Capacities and during the periods herein Stated, viz:- (CLICK ON THE IMAGES below to see larger copies of the original documents)
Vessel Name
Official Number
Port of Registry
Tons
Horse Power
Capacity in which served
From
To
Trade
Ability
Conduct
Inflexible
95306
Ipswhich
65
-
Cook
31 July 1917
5 Nov 1917
Coasting or Home Trade
Very Good
Very Good
Emma
104424
Weymouth
68
-
Cook
10 Jan 1918
3 June 1918
Coasting or Home Trade
Very Good
Very Good
Issued on the 5 March 1919 signed by William Avery (1 shilling and sixpence office fee) Click on the small pictures to see the copies of the original documents

His medal card (above right) shows authority to wear the British War Medal ribbon and the Mercantile Marine Medal ribbon was authorised on 20 March 1920. on the 5 October 1921 the authority to wear the British War Medal ( and clasp) and the Mercantil Marine Medal were added.(I have the Medals in my Possession) The next pieces of the puzzle are photographs taken in the early 1920s. The writing just above the inscription "Billie" is "Central Koln" - the German name for the town of Cologne. It is most likely that he was serving in the army of the Allied Occupation of the Rhineland. The next interesting document is a certificate of Qualification of Fireman Examiner or Deputy (Coal Mines Act 1911) This certifies that William James Dagg residing at 11 Abergwawr ? Place, Aberaman near Mertha Tydfil has been duly examined (etc) and it is dated 26th April 1926. The United Kingdom General Strike of 1926 lasted 9 days, from 3 May to 12 May 1926, and it is likely that he was either "one of the middle class scabs" or more likely member of the military forces who kept things running during the strike and afterwards. I have been unable to find out which if either version is true. (source: http:// en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UK_General_Strike_1926)

. In any case this is undoubtedly how he met and married Rachel HINTON in 1925 in Merthyr Tidville District. The family must have moved back to the London area because his second son William T DAGG was born in 1927 in Kensington. The next document is a military identity card dated 9 December 1941 Number M 475235. His rank was 2nd Lt in the 8a Middlesex Battallion of the Home Guard. He was living at 13 Thornfield Road Shepherds Bush. By 1945 an Extract of Army Order 32/1945 Territorial Army and Airforce Association of the County of Middlesex, reference L.28:(H.R) 7th Ba/E Coy granted him the honary rank of Captain upon disbandment of the Home Guard. The notification dated 4th November 1946, was addressed to 13 Thornfield Road W2.

I have quite a deal of documentation about William James in my possesion, but each piece seems to pose more questions than it answers! In late 1945 he is documented in Alexandria in Egypt, where he has a military pass (below left) permitting him to enter the docks with camera equipment, his occupation is listed as a film contruction manager, but the typed text says "William James Dagg -naval photographer". This fact although startling enough on its own, should be viewed in light of the extremely unstable political situation in Egypt at the time (2 years before the start of the Suez Crisis and the same time as the up risings in Cairo)

 

He was obviously on a film set because I have a picture of him dressed up as a centurian (above left) presumably he was doubling up as an extra! I have done some research and the 1945 J Arthur Rank British film production Ceasar and Cleopatra seems to be a strong candidate for the film being shot. Living in Shepherds Bush as he did, he was close to the film studios of the day, maybe that's how he got the job? Then another photograph from the same time period, together with the phrase "naval photographer" puts a possible different interpretation on his time in Egypt.

He is shown Dining with several Egyptian military types - there do not appear to be any other europeans present. Click on the small picture below to see full sized version.

Spouses and Children

The Victory Medal, 1914-19

 The British War Medal, 1914-1920 Allied Occupation of the Rhineland

This medal was awarded to all those who entered a theatre of war. It follows that every recipient of the Victory Medal also qualified for the British War Medal, but not the other way round. 300,000 fewer Victory Medals were required than British War Medals. All three services were eligible. It is not generally known that Victory Medals continued to be awarded after the Armistice, for the British forces who saw action in North Russia (up to October 12th, 1919) and Trans-Caspia (up to April 17th, 1919) also qualified.

The medal was struck in bronze. On the obverse is a full-length figure of Victory. On the reverse is the inscription "The Great War for Civilisation". There is no clasp, but a ting attachment through which the ribbon is passed. The official description of the colour of the ribbon is "two rainbows with red in the centre".

5,725,000 Victory Medals were issued.

The soldier's regiment and number are inscribed around the rim.

Source:http://www.1914-1918.net/grandad/grandad6.htm#wm
It is impossible to set out all the details of qualification for this medal, but briefly, the requirement was that a member of the fighting forces had to leave his native shore in any part of the British Empire while on service. It did not matter whether he/she entered a theatre of war or not. Service included the intervention force deployed in Russia in 1919 and 1920.

The medal is silver, and circular. A truncated bust of King George V is on the obverse, while there is a depiction of Saint George on the reverse. There is a straight clasp carrying a watered silk ribbon. This has a central band of golden yellow with three stripes of white, black and blue on both sides. The blue stripes come at the edges. An attempt was made to draw up a list of bars, but it was found to be an overwhelming task and was abandoned. Some 4,700,000 of these medals were struck for distribution at home, and another 600,000 in the Dominions and Colonies.

6,610,000 British War Medals were issued.

The soldier's regiment and number are inscribed around the rim.

Source: http://www.1914-1918.net/grandad/grandad6.htm#wm

 British Zone
Military Governor
26 Nov 1918 - 1920 Sir Charles Ferguson
British Commanders
Nov 1918 Sir Douglas Haig (b. 1861 - d. 1928)
Nov 1918 - 22 Apr 1919 Sir H. Plummer
22 Apr 1919 - 1920 Sir William Robert Robertson (b. 1860 - d. 1933)
3 Mar 1920 - 1922 Sir Thomas Lethbridge Napier (b. 1865 - d. 1925)
Morland
8 Mar 1922 - 1924 Sir Alexander John Godley (b. 1867 - d. 1957)
17 Jun 1924 - 1927 Sir John Philip Du Cane (b. 1865 - d. 1947)
30 Apr 1927 - Dec 1929 Sir William Thwaites (b. 1868 - d. 1947)

source: http://www.worldstatesmen.org/Germany.html
     

William James DAGG was born on 24 Jul 1902 in London Middlesex, Chiswick, 102 Duke Road. He died in Nov 1969 in Billericay Hospital , lived in Wickford Essex. He married Rachel HINTON in 1925 in Merthyr Tidville. Read his full Biography HERE

He married Irene PEARCE in 1954. He died in Nov 1969 in Billericay Hospital , lived in Wickford Essex

Other marriages:
HINTON, Rachel

Irene PEARCE was born on 01 Nov 1918 in London Middlesex, Hendon, 37 Ravenstone Road. She died in Oct 1994 in Basildon Essex. She married William James DAGG in 1954. 65th Birthday Newspaper Clipping from 1981

Other marriages:
WOOD, Edward John

William and Irene had the following children:

  F i Diana DAGG was born on 27 Jul 1955.

William James DAGG was born on 24 Jul 1902 in London Middlesex, Chiswick, 102 Duke Road. He died in Nov 1969 in Billericay Hospital , lived in Wickford Essex. He married Rachel HINTON in 1925 in Merthyr Tidville. Read full Biography Here

Other marriages:
PEARCE, Irene

Rachel HINTON.Rachel married William James DAGG in 1925 in Merthyr Tidville.

William and Rachel had the following children:

  M i William T DAGG was born in 1927 in Kensington.
  F ii Neil DAGG was born in 1925 in Merthyr Tidville.

Edward John WOOD.Edward married Irene PEARCE in 1938 in Hendon.

Irene PEARCE was born on 01 Nov 1918 in London Middlesex, Hendon, 37 Ravenstone Road. She died in Oct 1994 in Basildon Essex. She married Edward John WOOD in 1938 in Hendon. 65th Birthday Newspaper Clipping from 1981

Other marriages:
DAGG, William James

Edward Wood and Irene Pearce had the following children:

  F i Carol WOOD was born on 02 Nov 1944 in London.
  M ii Alan WOOD was born in 1945 in London.

 

Christopher John MCGLONE was born on 19 Mar 1952 in Essex. He married Diana DAGG on 07 Aug 1976 in Wickford, Essex. They were divorced in 1987 in Sutton, Surrey.

Diana DAGG [Parents] was born on 27 Jul 1955 in London Middlesex, Hampstead, 124 Heath Street. She married Christopher John MCGLONE on 07 Aug 1976 in Wickford, Essex. They were divorced in 1987 in Sutton, Surrey.

My birth certificate states that my father was one Edward John Wood my mother's first husband, but I was always told that my birth father was actually William James Dagg and my mother changed both her and my surname by deed poll about a year after I was born. How many times has that kind of thing happened throughout history I wonder?, but it hasn't dampened by interest in the detective work involved in researching a family tree,even though the paper trail may sometimes take us in entirely the wrong direction!

Surname List | Name Index | Other Family Stories