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General => Armed Forces => World War One => Topic started by: olinda on Wednesday 25 May 05 12:25 BST (UK)
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I am interested in George William Nippers who served in the Grenadier Guards during WW1. I have his medal card saying he was in the GGDS (does anyone know what these initials stand for ?).
My main issue is to identify him as the same George William Nippers who was born in Keynsham in 1889. For this I need to find out the date of birth in his Army records. Can anyone guide me to an appropriate source for this information.
Would be most grateful for any advice. I can't believe there were more than one George William Nippers' born in 1889 - but I've been wrong before !!.
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http://www.mod.uk/contacts/army_records.htm
explains how to obtain surviving service records, but unfortunately about 70% of those for WW1 were destroyed in WW2
Wendi
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Thanks Wendi. I tried a search of the catalogue at the National Archives and drew a blank. I did get the medal card for George W Nippers but no service record.
I was hoping someone might know of a Grenadier Guards archive/museum which might be able to help.
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Did you try the Google search? I typed in "Grenadier Guards" Museum and several links came up ???
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hi
you could write to the Guards Museum at Wellington Baracks, Birdcage Walk, London, I have found them to be very helpful in searching for Guards Service Records.
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Thanks Rovert. That sounds a promising line and I'm on the job.
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linda,if you want his records they are at the gren guards museum,but they will cost you 25 quid,the letters ggds stand for grenadier guards,manmack,if you want to save your dosh go here,great war forum,they will dig him out no problem,just type in great war forum on google and away you go,good luck
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Thanks manmack. £25 seems a bit expensive so I've registered at GWF. But what can I expect to get from this site ?.
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hiya linda,you will get a lot of pleasure and theres a lot of specialists who will do their best to help,they dont like being defeated so they will hunt high and low for you,the grenadiers have their own records,so sometimes they can be hard to track,one lad who goes under the name coldstreamer has a good bit of knowledge on them,theres a lad on there with a data base of 4000 grenadiers who will help if he can,i send him pictures of grenadiers all the time,if you post what you have on him on here i will have a try,mack
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Thanks manmack. The man I'm after is George William Nippers. He was born on 9th July 1889 in Keynsham and was a private in the Grenadier Guards during WW1. His medal card shows his Regimental Number as 22351 and shows him in France from 13 October 1915.
At some point in his youth he went to New Tredegar in South Wales and then in 1927 he emmigrated to Ontario in Canada. He was a quality rugby player in Wales and Canada although I doubt he had much time for this during his service time. (I posted a picture of him in The Common Room under the title "The British Lions-I doubt it" so you can see him for yourself).
I would like to find out his address and marital status when he was in the Guards and also anything I can find about his service record.
If all else fails I will fork out the £25 but this will be a last resort !!.
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linda,theres a couple of members who are well clued up on the rugby players who served,mack