Author Topic: New to searching..  (Read 1863 times)

Offline ali50

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New to searching..
« on: Saturday 28 October 17 20:11 BST (UK) »
First time of posting here. This site was recommended to me by someone that thought that you all may be able to help me. My Grandfather was shot to the face on the 18/04/18.  I have been able to get his medical records for the incident, but I am unable to find out where it occurred. Would anyone here be able to point me in the right direction please. His details are as follows.....

Robert Williams

wounded 18 / 04/ 1918

Cheshire Regiment 9Th Battalion

NZ Contingent

Reg . number 66190

Gilles number 263

Plus also, could anyone shed some light as to what a Gilles number is please?

Thank you in advance for any help given.

Offline nanny jan

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Re: New to searching..
« Reply #1 on: Saturday 28 October 17 20:50 BST (UK) »
Welcome to Rootschat.   :)


Gilles number might be a reference to Dr. Harold Gillies, a pioneering surgeon in plastic surgery who treated injured men in WW1.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harold_Gillies
Howard , Viney , Kingsman, Pain/e, Rainer/ Rayner, Barham, George, Wakeling (Catherine), Vicary (Frederick)   all LDN area/suburbs  Ottley/ MDX,
Henman/ KNT   Gandy/LDN before 1830  Burgess/LDN
Barham/SFK   Rainer/CAN (Toronto) Gillians/CAN  Sturgeon/CAN (Vancouver)
Bailey/LDN Page/KNT   Paling/WA (var)



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Online KGarrad

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Re: New to searching..
« Reply #2 on: Saturday 28 October 17 21:35 BST (UK) »
The website Long, Long, Trail might prove useful?
The page for the Cheshire Regiment (http://www.longlongtrail.co.uk/army/regiments-and-corps/the-british-infantry-regiments-of-1914-1918/cheshire-regiment/) has this to say:

9th (Service) Battalion
Formed at Chester on 13 September 1914 as part of K2 and came under orders of 58th Brigade, 19th (Western) Division. Moved to Salisbury Plain and by December 1914 was in billets in Basingstoke. Returned to Salisbury Plain in March 1915.
19 July 1915 : landed at Boulogne. 7 February 1918 : transferred to 56th Brigade in same Division.

Follow the links to the 19th (Western) Division:
http://www.longlongtrail.co.uk/army/order-of-battle-of-divisions/19th-western-division/
where we find:

1918
The Battle of St Quentin+
The Battle of Bapaume+
The battles marked + are phases of the First Battles of the Somme 1918
The Battle of Messines++
The Battle of Bailleul++
The First Battle of Kemmel Ridge++
The battles marked ++ are phases of the Battles of the Lys 1918

The Battle of the Aisne
The Battle of the Selle^^
The Battle of the Sambre^^ and the passage of the Grand Honelle
The battles marked ^^ are phases of the Final Advance in Picardy

The First Battle of Kemmel Ridge (above) took place  17th-19th April 1918.
Possibly the linked Battle of Béthune on 18th April?

See also: http://www.longlongtrail.co.uk/battles/battles-of-the-western-front-in-france-and-flanders/the-battles-of-the-lys-1918/
Garrad (Suffolk, Essex, Somerset), Crocker (Somerset), Vanstone (Devon, Jersey), Sims (Wiltshire), Bridger (Kent)

Offline ali50

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Re: New to searching..
« Reply #3 on: Saturday 28 October 17 21:46 BST (UK) »
Thank you for the welcome, Nanny Jan. The reference to the doctor number could be spot on, as my Grandfather went through numerous operations. Although the majority of them were performed by a Major Pickerill, but there is nothing to say that Dr Gilles never treated him first. @ Kgarrad, I have looked at that site before and numerous others, but none of them seem to pinpoit any battles going on the 18/04/18 though.


Offline groom

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Re: New to searching..
« Reply #4 on: Saturday 28 October 17 21:58 BST (UK) »
He may not have been injured in a battle, he could have been hit by a sniper.
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Offline ali50

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Re: New to searching..
« Reply #5 on: Saturday 28 October 17 22:10 BST (UK) »
That's a possibility I had not thought of Groom!! My Grandfather steadfastly refused to even talk of the war, let alone what happened to him. Here are the pics I have managed to unearth, or my cousin did to be exact.



Offline groom

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Re: New to searching..
« Reply #6 on: Saturday 28 October 17 22:28 BST (UK) »
Considering that was almost 100 years ago, they did a good job didn't they?
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Online KGarrad

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Re: New to searching..
« Reply #7 on: Saturday 28 October 17 22:33 BST (UK) »
@ Kgarrad, I have looked at that site before and numerous others, but none of them seem to pinpoit any battles going on the 18/04/18 though.

See the end of my post! ;D
The First Battle of Kemmel Ridge (above) took place 17th-19th April 1918.
His battalion was in the right Division and Brigade to be involved.
Garrad (Suffolk, Essex, Somerset), Crocker (Somerset), Vanstone (Devon, Jersey), Sims (Wiltshire), Bridger (Kent)

Offline ali50

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Re: New to searching..
« Reply #8 on: Saturday 28 October 17 22:46 BST (UK) »
Considering that was almost 100 years ago, they did a good job didn't they?

An exceptional job. He was one of the Guinea pigs I believe.