Military Chat

Hi
Thanks. At least I have that!
It's been fun and I shall print all this out and leave it with the medal.
Bye.....unless anyone comes up with any more!
margaret

Yes, that is the right man, and the date of disembarkation is as on the record.

I can't say for sure that he went to the Dardanelles, but it seems a distinct possibility, given the date.

Hi all,
Thank you all very much for the help. That's very sad.
The first post from ArgyllGran about him disembarking on 18/3/15 probably in Turkey is correct though as it has the number I have on the medal?
Margaret

That's right Margaret. George A. Ward from Bolton is the one with service number 230402.

The medal you have belongs to a G.A. Ward with two service numbers - first 2249, and then 960429.

I'm afraid very little chance of ever knowing who he was.

Kath. x

Sorry just back home . I will have to look at all this to make sure I understand it. I hoped he was the George Allen Ward from Bolton with 1901 and 1911 census results with his family named. So do I understand that's not him now?
Margaret

:-D :-D we all get keen but I've done a bit of translation on the medal card so at least the change of numbers is explained for Margaret.

You're absolutely right, Pat!


My apologies, everyone! Got a bit carried away.

George Alan Ward has the wrong service number for the medal.

[ Deleted - info about wrong man.]

Deleted - birth of wrong man.

Deleted - family gravestone details for wrong man.

OK am back have read the medal card and there is the following info on it.

It's for the Victory and British Medal so doesn't look like he was fighting 1914/15 time as I can't find the star.

There is an annotation for killed in action for another soldier so looks like he survived the war. Has a date of 19th October 1920 for the paperwork so after the war and would appear to be alive then.

2249 refers to his service number in the Royal Field Artillery (T), T is for Territorials, he had the rank of Gunner (see below.)

960429 refers to his service number in the Royal Field Artillery as a regular with the rank of Gunner then Lance Bombardier

In about 1906 the government asked for men to enlist in the special reserves. My grandfather did this in August 1907, he did training then released to the special reserves June of the following year. He went back to his job but had to do so many days training each year, which he was paid for - they became the Territorials.

My grandfather was mobilised and became a regular at the beginning of WW1. I have a copy of his attestation papers for the South Staffordshire Special Reserves but not as a regular as these documents are part of those destroyed. His medal card also includes the 14/15 star as he was there so early. He survived the war.

George Alan Ward
in the UK, Army Registers of Soldiers' Effects, 1901-1929
Name: George Alan Ward
Gender: Male
Death Date: 30 Dec 1917
Rank: Gunner
Regiment: RFA B/251st Brigade
Regimental Number: 230402

Father: Albert [ at last, a clue! ]


*** EDIT: No, wrong man.

EDIT: NO, wrong man - wrong army number


On CWGC site:


Gunner WARD, G A
Service Number 230402 <<<<<<<<<<<<
Died 30/12/1917
"B" By. 251st Bde.
Royal Field Artillery

Buried at YPRES RESERVOIR CEMETERY
Location: West-Vlaanderen, Belgium
Number of casualties: 1583
Cemetery/memorial reference: IV. A. 5.


His proposed headstone inscription, viewable on CWGC site, gives no age for him.
[But he's commemorated on his family's headstone ]

I don't think you can assume that he is George Allen Ward from Bolton - he could be any one of the many G. A. Wards in the army. Do you have any other information that leads you to think the one from Bolton is the one whose medal it is?

I'd say that with the lack of service records to verify his service number with an address then it will be impossible to know who he was.

Kath. x

Thank you. i will. If he was indeed the George Allen Ward found in the 1901 and 1911 census in Bolton his family have a headstone and he is on it died in Belgium 1917.
Margaret

Yes, during a bombing raid in 1940.

Read here about the destroyed records:

https://tinyurl.com/7242htl

Hi Kathleen
I didn't know about records in a fire ? during the 2 WW bombing?

Trouble is, Margaret, that there are lots of G.A. Wards in the army so I'm not sure how you can decide where he came from as that isn't on his medal card.

If the medal has been in your family for a long time are you certain he isn't a family member (or someone who has married into the family?) Or could it have been bought more recently by someone in the family who has an interest in militaria?

It's such a shame that so many WW1 Service Records were destroyed by fire.

Kath. x

Thanks for all your help. I started off last night vaguely interested and now I 'm really interested in finding out about him.