Ernest George Jacobs 1/4 The Buffs East Kent Regiment

[jibba]

Evening

In order to confirm my grandfathers parentage, I'm trying to trace where my assumed great-grandfather was during World War one

His name was Ernest George Jacobs, born 1889 in Sevenoaks but lived in Sittingbourne before and after the war. According to the death certificate of his third child and the birth certificate of my grandfather, he was assigned to the 1/4 Bn of the East Kent Regiment aka The Buffs.

The certificates list his rank as a private. Looking through the medal index I believe his service number to be 200852. His service record doesn't appear to have survived.

Because the record doesn't appear to have survived, I cannot confirm when he joined/left the regiment. Below I drawn up a list of movement made by the 1/4 Bn from varies sources and dates from the family in bold:

August 1914 : in Canterbury. Part of Kent Brigade, Home Counties Division.
29 October 1914 : to India, remaining there throughout the war. The Division was broken up on arrival in Bombay. Joined Mhow Brigade in 5th (Mhow) Division.
February 1915 - Daughter Hilda conceived
August 1915 to Aden Brigade.
January 1916 to India and 7th Meerut Divisional Area.
31 January 1916 - Son Ernest dies. Ernest registered his death certificate in Sittingbourne
November 1916 - My grandfather was conceived
July 1918 to Lahore in 16th (Indian) Division.
~February 1920 - Son Sidney conceived

The problem as you can see above is that Ernest could not have been in the middle east/India with the battalion prior to early 1916. So the question is where would he had been stationed during the war? Does his service number give any clues?

[newburychap]

If that is his only service number it suggests that he was conscripted in 1916 or 1917 and didn't serve overseas until 1917 at the earliest.

[jibba]

Thats interesting. Do you where I would be able to investigate where late conscripts like Ernest would have served or have these records been destroyed as well?

[km1971]

Your also have to consider the 2nd/4th and 3rd/4th.

From 1914-1918.net:

2/4th Battalion
 Formed at Canterbury in September 1914 as a Second Line battalion. Attached to 2/Kent Brigade, 2/Home Counties Division. November : formation became 202nd Brigade, 67th Division. Remained in England throughout the war.

3/4th Battalion
Formed at Canterbury, July 1915.
April 1916 : became Reserve Bns and 4th then absorbed 5th.

During WW1 TF battalions were given pseudo regimental status - eg the pre-war Sergeant Major was given the rank (but not the pay) of Regimental Sergeant Major. So now you can consider that there were three battalions of the 4th Buffs. and there would have been a Depot in Canterbury.

You should also ask at the local Record Office about what it says on the 1918-19 electoral roll.

In March 1917 the TF were renumbered. The 4th Buffs were given the block starting 200001, which means he was the 852th longest serving man in the regiment. Which is high. So either he enlisted late, or he was transferred from another regiment.

The NA medal card site appears to have two cards for him - http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/results/r?_col=200&_cr1=WO+372&_hb=tna&_dt=M&_q=200852+AND+jacobs

You may get both on the same sheet -  the NA images cover six cards. Or you may need to buy both.

Ken

[jibba]

Thanks for the information above.

I'll try contacting the local library to see if they still have the electoral records for that period or if I will need to go to Maidstone to view them.

I could also get his daughters birth certificate to confirm he was already enrolled in late 1915.

As for the medal card, the only extra items on there are the roll and page numbers for the British medal awarded to him

[newburychap]

As for the medal card, the only extra items on there are the roll and page numbers for the British medal awarded to him

But those pages may include the date he joined the battalion.

[jibba]

Morning

Sorry if I sound vague but who would I have to speak to, to see that information?

[newburychap]

Morning

Sorry if I sound vague but who would I have to speak to, to see that information?

Three options:

1. Few will choose this route - http://www.naval-military-press.com/first-world-war-campaign-medals.-10.9-million-medals-5-million-soldierscomplete-on-one-fully-searchable-cd-rom-early-bird_price.html

2. View them free at the National Archives.

3. Online at http://www.nmarchive.com/ minimum of £4.95 for 1 month membership. More specifically - http://www.nmarchive.com/search-result/page/0/medal-rolls/initial-e/surname-jacobs

What you get is a bit hit and miss, in general they are used to identify which battalion a chap served in (which you don't need).  Some have dates of joining, most don't - so odds are that you won't find anything new.  But you might.