Lieutenants

Lieutenant Alexander Frank Creedy

There are no Gazette Entries for Lieutenant Creedy, however there is a long service record at Kew that shows he served in the Army Service Corps from 1915 to 1919 (WO 339/42256). He only gets two mentions in the 801st War Diary; on the 23rd August 1918 he proceeded on leave to the UK, then just two months later on the 14th October it would appear he didn’t return as he was struck off the strength. There is a record of an Alexander Frank Creedy born 16th May 1889 who died in California 5th February 1982 aged 94, with an entry to the effect that he was born abroad. There is also a medal index card for Lieutenant Creedy.

Lieutenant Richard Clement Hocken

Lieutenant Hocken’s medal card shows that he served in the Army from 1914 to 1920 eventually reaching the rank of Captain. He was appointed 2nd Lieutenant in the Gloucester Regiment 4th January 1916 before transferring to the Army Service Corps, he was appointed Lieutenant A.S.C. 12th December 1917. Lieutenant Hocken joined the 801st from the 767th MT Company as workshop officer 1st May 1918. Shortly after joining, Lieutenant Hocken was sent to Hospital (40th C.C.S.) but returned on the same day so probably a workshop injury. On the 7th June 1918 he took temporary command of the 801st when the CO Major Holland went on leave. On the 25th November 1918 Lieutenant Hocken also went on leave and there are no more diary entries for him. Richard Clement Hocken was born 1892, married Edith Agnes, died 1969 and is buried in the church yard of the village of Wythall Worcestershire.

Lieutenant Nigel James Dalrymple Martyn

I have no personal details for Lieutenant Martyn and there is no Gazette entry for his appointment as 2nd Lieutenant but there is one for when he was appointed Lieutenant Lancashire Fusiliers 12th November 1916. At some time in the next year he transferred to the Army Service Corps joining the 801st from the 244th MT Company on the 9th of November 1917. Just a month later, 16th December, he was appointed Captain and he must have left shortly after as he is struck off the strength of the 801st on the 5th May 1918. He served for another two years finally relinquishing his commission 1st April 1920. His address recorded on his MedalIndex Card is 10 Arundel Avenue Sefton Liverpool.

Lieutenant Wyndham William Waithman

Wyndham William Waithman was born 15th June 1887, the son of Captain S. Waithman of Merlin Park, Cappa Road, Barna, County Galway. In 1898 at the age of 11 he attended Sandroyd Private School, Chobham, Surrey and then Eton College in 1901. He was at Eton for just 2 years before obtaining an apprenticeship with Mr. Stevenson-Peach of Great Malvern, for mechanical shop and draughtsman training and then took another apprenticeship with Midland Great Western Railway of Ireland, this was mostly civil engineering work. In 1907 after completing his apprenticeship he took a job as Contractor’s Assistant Engineer with Sir John Jackson, Mechanical Engineers, on their works at Kinlochleven. He applied to join the Institute of Mechanical Engineers as a Graduate in November 1909 and applied for and was offered a position as Assistant Engineer with the American Cement Company of Philadelphia. The following year he was in Washington, Virginia but on his application for a commission he also stated that he had worked as a mechanical engineer in Vancouver and had spent 3 years with the Robertson Construction Company. On the 25th March 1913, whilst living in Vancouver, he married May Winifred Lindsay of Fox Hill House, Keston, Kent.

He was appointed 2nd Lieutenant ASC 8th October 1915 and completed his officer training at Grove Park and Bulford before being posted as workshop officer to 594th M.T. Company 34th Brigade R.G.A. ammunition Column in November, moving to France in December 1915. In April 1916 after a short stint at the MT School of Instruction St. Omer, he returned to England and held a series of short workshop officer appointments including; Grove Park depot, at Bulford 13th F.A.W.U., 719 MT Company ASC 62nd Division Column, finally joining the 801st MT Company ASC as workshop officer at Bulford in September 1916.

The first time he was mentioned in the 801st war diary was in June 14th 1917 testing a prototype Decauville petrol tractor he built on the Likovan to Mirova narrow gauge line. His design was approved, and the company went on to build seven tractors, operating them successfully on the Struma Valley light railway line. On the 17th August 1916 he was appointed Lieutenant and about this time was MID (mentioned in dispatches) probably for his work on the petrol tractors. In January 1918 Lieutenant Waithman was Posted to the 244th MT Company and then 910 MT Company as workshop officer.

He was taken ill perhaps with malaria or influenza and in March 1919 a medical board declared him unfit for general service but fit for home service. When he relinquished his commission, 7th June 1919, he had reached the rank of acting Captain and was granted the honorary rank of Captain. It seems he didn’t resume his engineering career after the war as on his discharge papers it states that he was a farmer, he died in County Galway in 1975.