I really would appreciate some help in trying to find some more details about a soldier who served with both the Gloucestershire Regiment and The Suffolk Regiment. My Grandfather, William James Selwood joined the 1st Battalion of The Gloucestershire Regiment prior to 1914, the exact date is not known. His Regimental Number was 8279. He went to France on 13 August 1914 and was wounded and awarded a wound stripe on 5 October 1914. He was invalided home to the UK and recovered in a military hospital. On return to Active Service he was transferred to The Suffolk Regiment where he was allocated a new Regimental Number of 25378.
The above information has been gathered from the Curators of The Soldiers of Gloucestershire Museum and The Royal Anglian Museum, based on known facts. This has also been verified by the entries on his Medal Card, which is attached. His wedding photograph, taken on 14 September 1918 shows him in uniform, with a Suffolk Regiment cap badge and his Marriage Certificate details him on Active Service as a Corporal with The Suffolk Regiment.
The main problem is his Marriage Certificate shows his age as 29, whereas his Death Certificate in 1959 shows his age as being 72. This therefore indicates a Date of Birth being somewhere between 1886 and 1889, although this may not be true. I have searched via the 1901 Census records, allowing a couple of years grace each way, and have found 3 William Selwood's which may or may not be him. I am also uncertain as to when his Regular Service began or ended. I have checked WO 363 and WO 364 at the National Archives without success. According to the Marriage Certificate, his Father was also named William James Selwood, who was deceased as the time but was previously a Petty Officer in the Royal Navy.
Any information or advice you can provide would be much appreciated as I have no information of his place of birth.
