Relatives who possibly served in the Great War

[MacGrigor]

Hello,

As I am well aware, many records from WW1 are hard to trace. But I'd appreciate any efforts. I recall one impressive record being found for Frank Thorogood that completely profiled his service.

I've searched for the following as they have rare names and were of age for conscription:

Gilbert Pepper, born 1884, Cambridge. There is a Gilbert Pepper awarded the British and Victory medals. Royal Engineers. Service number WR/330032. Not sure if this man is the same who is a younger brother to my great-great-grandfather Frank - last seen with him in 1911 in Eltham. Don't know when he died.

Morris Lipman, born 1887, Shoreditch. There are two medal indexes, but one died. Mine died in Romford in 1948. The one that may be him is in the Army Service Corps. Service number R/359173.

I'd appreciate any help, although I realise it will be difficult to investigate,

Adam

[rosie99]

Gilbert Pepper, born 1884, Cambridge. There is a Gilbert Pepper awarded the British and Victory medals. Royal Engineers. Service number WR/330032. Not sure if this man is the same who is a younger brother to my great-great-grandfather Frank - last seen with him in 1911 in Eltham. Don't know when he died.

Have you looked to see if he married.  If he did have you checked where and when any children were born. 

Have you looked for him in 1939  so that a time frame for his death can be established     

As you have said many WW1 records were destroyed, those that are available are on Ancestry / F M P

[MaxD]

Have you looked at the Commonwealth War Graves site to see if he died?  Have you checked both Find my Past and Ancestry - as Rosie says if the records survived then that is where they are.  Your Frank Thorogood just happened to be one of the 40% that did survive.
It isn't really a question of being hard to trace (which implies that they are there somewhere to be found).  As the National Archives info makes clear http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/help-with-your-research/research-guides/british-army-soldiers-after-1913/ with the exception of a very small number of pension records all surviving records (for discharges before 1920) are on one or other of the subscription sites.  You obviously have quite a list so a sub to both sites would be well worth it.

MaxD

[MacGrigor]

There's no war grave for this Gilbert so presumably he survived. He is on the 1939 register in Bexley, born 1884. And yes it looks like I will be needing a subscription; my birthday is next month so I may ask for one.

[MacGrigor]

Probably married in 1914 in the Lewisham district as that's not far from Eltham.

[MaxD]

That's v sensible indeed.  Meanwhile free access at a local library is worth looking into as Rosie has suggested before.

To help your list, his service record is among the non-survivors. He was in the Inland Waterways element of the RE so if his pre war trade was to do with barges etc then it might be your man but it can't be proven.

MaxD

[MacGrigor]

His occupation looks like carman (as the transcription on FamilySearch also says) on the 1911 Census so I'm not sure. I only really looked into him because it's an uncommon name and he would have been eligible for conscription.

[MacGrigor]

Does his service record give a date of birth?

[MacGrigor]

I can't make out his rank from his medal index card - it looks like a scribble to me  then under remarks something is noted upon that I can't make out either.

P.S. I did try to attach the file and a screenshot of the section but it was too large