RootsChat.Com
England (Counties as in 1851-1901) => England => Bedfordshire => Topic started by: treslade on Wednesday 27 October 10 15:23 BST (UK)
-
I found Horace Dolton listed as......No.33621 1st Batt, Bedfordshire Regt, formerly 2459 Beds Yeo.
Died in France ( he is on the Arras Memorial) 23 April 1917
I found 2 medals listed for him, the Victory and British, but I can't find his service record showing when he enlisted.
He was from Woburn Sands, Bedfordshire born in 1892, possibly late 1891.
I checked the Birth Regs and didn't find a Horace Dolton and the nearest one I found with the reg dist of Woburn was for a Harold Horace Dolton, Dec quarter 1891. I then searched through the Military records for a Harold Horace Dolton/Harold Dolton/Dalton/Doltan.........I looked up as many records for the Beds Regt that I could find, and found no trace for him..........and then I look again, because I think it's there and I must have missed it....
I would be grateful if anyone has any tips, or better way to search the records for me.....
Thank you, Lee
-
Hi,
It is estimated that around 60% of these records were burnt in WW2 when the building they were housed in was bombed. This may be the reason you can`t find him.
Regards,
Mo
-
Thank you for that Mo,
I didn't know so many records were missing.....what a shame.
Lee
-
Hello Lee,Have you tried the national archive at Kew,I know they hold alot of military records,it might be worth a go.
Regards Diarmuid.
-
Hi Diarmuid,
No, I never did think of looking there, I have been looking through Ancestry trying to get my monies worth for my membership.....although if I can't find him then I will have a look there...
Thank you for that, Lee
-
You might be in a loop here - Ancestry's British Army WWI Service Records, 1914-1920 are copies of all service records held at the National Archives
-
You might be in a loop here - Ancestry's British Army WWI Service Records, 1914-1920 are copies of all service records held at the National Archives
Thank you for that piece of information, something else I didn't know, I spent all day going through the records, and although the men I'm searching for all live in the Wobun Sands/Aspley Guise area of Bedfordshire, I can only find about 50% of the men I'm looking for..........so maybe they are missing :'(
Lee
-
Lee,
Have a look for men with similar service numbers.
My hunch is that he was one of a batch transferred from one of the Home Service battalions of the Beds Yeo to the Bedfordshire Regiment, some time before early 1917 when the Territorials were re-numbered.
Phil
-
Hi Phil,
I think you are right, but not sure of how to go forward, I contacted the Beds Regt Museum in Luton and I have to phone back next week to see what can be found.........4 cousins joined about the same time and what started off as a little look to just 'see' has ended up being a bit obessive about finding them...
Lee
-
Hi Lee
Did you ever find anything more on Horace? This is what I have on him:
PRIVATE HORACE DOLTON
Died 23rd April 1917
No. 33621 of the Bedfordshire Regiment, 1st Battalion.
Born: Woburn
Resided: Woburn Sands
Enlisted: Early January, 1916 at Bedford
Horace's parents were Andrew and Elizabeth. Possibly formerly in the Bedfordshire Yeomanry, no. 2459. The 1st Bedfords had arrived at Vimy Ridge on April 13th. An attack began at 4.45am on 23rd April, when the regiment advanced behind a creeping barrage from their own guns, as the Battalion assaulted La Coulotte during the Battle of Arras. However the barbed wire was left intact, and progress was also slowed by concrete emplacements and heavy machine gun fire. After 10 hours the attack was called off. In all, 11 officers and 320 other ranks were killed in this action.
He appears on the Woburn Sands Memorial, the Methodist Memorial, and is listed on the Arras Memorial, Pas de Calais, France. He is also mentioned on his mothers memorial stone in St. Michaels churchyard, (see below) but this mistakenly records the year as 1916. His army service papers have not survived. A possible brother, 2nd Corp.. G..H. Dolton, of the Royal Engineers survived the war, and lived in Vicarage Street.
-
Hello Hogsty....
Thanks for the information, it is the right Horace Dolton, I couldn't understand the transfer between the 1st Battalion, The Bedfordshire Regt.and the Bedfordshire Yeomanry because I thought soldiers kept the same Number for the whole of their service. I will get over to the church at Woburn Sands and look through it........it was kind of you to help and send the information regarding the fighting that he must have died in, how different he would have found it after leaving his quiet village behind.
Thanks again, Lee
-
Here is the grave stone, sorry it's not very clear.
-
Thank you for the wonderful photo, it is very clear I think and readable......it is VERY kind of you..........
Regards Lee