RootsChat.Com
General => Armed Forces => Topic started by: CES-genealogy on Monday 20 November 17 20:02 GMT (UK)
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I can’t find any records for my Great Grandfather in either wars.
He was Arthur Ernest Swain 1896 fromGrantham Lincolnshire.
Parents were John and Grace.
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WW2 records are still with the MOD. Do you know if he was in any of the services?
Around 70% of WW1 records were destroyed in the Blitz in WW2.
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It could be that his WW1 records are amongst the burnt documents lost in September 1940, as the result of a fire caused by an incendiary bomb at the War Office Record Store. Approximately two thirds of 6.5 million soldiers' documents for the First World War were destroyed.
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What do you know of him after his birth?
Have you found him on the 1911 census or the 1939 register? Do you know when he married and when he died?
If you can find location and occupation this could point towards possible military activity. Also, there might be press notices of marriage or death with mini-biographies.
Philip
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His death in June 1/4 of 1982 gives his DOB as 1st April 1896.
There is an A E Swain with a DOB of 1st April 1895,with a service number 1981833 in the UK military discharges list on Ancestry.
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His death in June 1/4 of 1982 gives his DOB as 1st April 1896.
There is an A E Swain with a DOB of 1st April 1895,with a service number 1981833 in the UK military discharges list on Ancestry.
Carol - you star! When was he discharged?
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1981833 indicates still in post 1920 so docs. with MOD. It will cost £30 + a long wait.
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The National Archive Medal Index Cards have:
Arthur Swain
pte 4018 East Kent Regt
gunner 186410 RGA
pte 168 Cyclist Corps
pte 330793 Royal Warwickshire Regt
pte 37522 East Surrey Regt
pte 28353 The Queen's Regt
pte 80108 RAMC
pte 241814 The Queen's Regt
pte 12768 Norfolk Regt
gunner 43134 RFA
pte 57729 Machine Gun Corps
pte 367337 ASC
lance corp 17712 York & Lancs Regt - also corp 533552 Labour Corps
pte 35165 East Surrey Regt
pte 94401 Notts & Derbys Regt
pte 13899 Bedfordshire Regt
pte 18/1453 Royal Irish Rifles
pte 32397 RAMC
pte 26210 Coldstream Guards
Arthur E Swain
pte 6677 South Staffs Regt
pte M2/131169 ASC
pte 70088 Cheshire Regt
- these soldiers are not listed on the Commonwealth War Graves Commission website, so are .likely to have survived the war.
CWGC also has:
Arthur Swain
pte 75465 Royal Fusiliers (d 1918)
lance corp L/15618 Middlesex Regt (d 1916)
pte 32637 Essex Regt (d 1917)
pte 8350 Lincolnshire Regt (d 1914)
acting sgt 18552 Notts & Derbys Regt (d 1916)
pte 18365 Royal Berkshire Regt (d 1915)
So it seems there are 22 potentials on the Medal Index Cards to investigate. jim1's post on the service number is well worth thinking about, but a first step would be to check the names above for surviving records to see if they mention birth date or next of kin.
Philip
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Review time?
I don't see the logic of this.
How did we get to A E Swain b189x with no proof/refs?
Why do we not have any agreed [ by c15wol / certs ] refs fo any major point in his life?
Why do we assume that he served in any war? He may have valid exemptions.
Ray
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Arthur's birth from the new GRO records.
SWAIN, ARTHUR ERNEST mmn THORPE
GRO Reference: 1896 J Quarter in GRANTHAM Volume 07A Page 495
Which is the same as his death which gives a birth date of 1st April 1896.
Parents marriage (not sure where the Grace comes from?)
Marriages Dec 1872
Swain John Grantham 7a 1013
THORPE Elizabeth Grantham 7a 1013
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She was born in 1853 as Grace Elizabeth Thorpe,appears in 1911 as Grace Elizabeth Swain and dies in 1926 as Grace Elizabeth Swain.
She seems to spend quite a few years in between having dropped the Grace though ;D
Carol
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. . . . . John Swain seems to have married Grace Graham [ 1892 ]
If you start at 1911, how did you get there [ proof ? ]
What is the connection back to that 1911 census entry?
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Marriages Dec 1872
Swain John Grantham 7a 1013
THORPE Elizabeth Grantham 7a 1013
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[ by "you" I mean C15wol ]
I believe the info came from 1911 :)
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Hey Carol, all your info is correct, I know all about my Great Grandfather.
Arthur died a year after my Grandfather (his son).
We have photos of him in ww1 and ww2 uniform but no nothing of his service or action.
Not sure where the Grace Graham part has come from...
John swain my 2x Great Grandfather married Grace Elizabeth Thorpe and had 12 children. I know a lot about these two but my main query is Arthur Ernest Swain’s military days.
Arthur’s birth date is 1st April 1896 Grantham, Lincolnshire
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Hi C15wol
Have you posted a picture of him in uniform so that the clever people on here could try and identify his battalion?
Carol
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Hi carol, I’ll do that actually. I’ll see which I have and put them on
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Hi
12x children? Grace said 13x.
GG vs G Grandfather is what I could not align.
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So these photos are of Arthur Ernest Swain in his uniform, the group photo is of Arthur his wife Doris and my Grandfather Edward Arthur. So these photos will be from WW2, I do have more photo's but they are with my dad so I will get him to find them as they are more detailed if I remember and Im sure there is one with him with other soldiers.
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Photos
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Hi Ray,
John and Grace had 12 Children, they did bring up a Grandchild of there eldest daughter but he actually wasn't.
John is my 2nd Great Grandfather.
Arthur is my Great Grandfather
Edward Arthur being my Grandfather.