Trying to obtain info on my Great-grandfathers

[PabloC]

Evening,

I'm trying to obtain info on two of my great-grandfathers who fought in WW1. I have obtained copies of their Medal Cards via the National Archive, but I was wondering just how much I can find out about them, given the information that I have?

Name: Cuddy, Enoch
Corps: Loyal North Lancs Reg   Rank: Corporal Regtl No. 17979
Corps: Labour Corps   Rank: Private Regtl No. 261778
Victory Roll LC/101 ^B93 Page 9396
British Roll LC/101 ^B93 Page 9396
15 Star Roll LC/47 (10^c69 Page 106/9
Theatre France
Date of Entry 25-09-15
Remarks CL-Z 27-4-19

and...

Name: Jordan, Luke
Corps: RFA   Rank: Driver Regtl No. 171677
Victory Roll RFA/276 ^BPage 35202
British Roll RFA/276 ^BPage 35202

How do I make the most out of this info?! Is the information contained within the Roll available online anywhere? Any pointers would be appreciated!!

[bernard_lewis]

Not an expert in this area but the rolls are not on line. If you go to Kew and track the entries down I think they can sometimes give a little more info (e.g. maybe a battalion number).

If you get a battalion number (for the infantry man) you would be able to get a copy of the unit war diary from Kew (fee) - they are in WO95 records and you'd need to track down the one you need from the NA website (not the most user friendly). The diary would give a day by day account of what the unit did/where it went. Unlikely to name your man.

There is a chance that the men's service records survive (60+% destroyed by bombing in WW2). For what that might show see the examples on my site under Butler and Billington (on the front page, but these chaps never got overseas).

I suspect that the first chap served with the infantry and was then wounded or injured and so transferred to the Labour Corps.

Others will know more than me!

Bernard

http://swanseabattalion.net/

[mmm45]

PabloC
Ill have a go at the MICs
Enoch Cuddy 17979 Loyal North Lancs
261778 Labour Corps
Entitled to British War Medal,Victory Medal and 1915 Star

Entered France 25-9-15
Looks like he survived and was demobbed to Class Z reserves(liable to recall if Armistice went pear shaped) on 27-4-19

You will probably find his entry to theatre date will tie him to particular division and Batt(possibly 25th Div 8th  or 9th Batt which deployed to France between 25th-30th Sept
1915)

They were formed at Preston 1914.
As Bernard suggests possibly injured so transferred away from frontline duties to Labour Corps.
Is there an x next to One of the Regiments this normally denotes Reg that was stamped on his medals.

Luke Jordan.
Driver Royal Field Artillery 171677
Entitled to Victory and British War Medal so it looks like he was a post 1916 conscript or at least didnt gon overseas until 1916 or later as no 1915 Star awarded.

Bernard has given you the info on the Rolls they do (Usually!!) contain info such as the Battalion or Battery so worth viewing or getting someone to view and photo.

Hope this helps.

Ady

[PabloC]

Cheers for the advice.

As regards my Great-grandfather Enoch....it's quite strange....

I found this Index Card just by chance whilst searching for the Luke Jordan one. As you can imagine, Enoch Cuddy is not the most common of names at all, and the only two entries I've found on Ancestry or in the BMD to date are for Enoch Cuddy (1880 - 1927), verified as my Great-grandfather, and his son Enoch, my grandfather.

No one in my family was even aware that he fought in the war, let alone might have been injured. Might he have been transferred to the Labour Corps given that he was relatively older?

Oh, just a quick question for Bernard.....

Was there such a Welsh regiment as the Swansea Border Regiment? My Grandfather always used to say that his father Joseph Bennett (born in Pontadawe, from what I can tell, around 1895, although could be 1893, given conflicting census/birth data) fought with them during WW1 ??

Paul

[mmm45]

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documentsonline/search-results.asp?searchtype=browserefine&query=first_name%3djoseph%7clast_name%3dbennett%7ccorpname%3dsouth%20wales%20borderers&catid=10&pagenumber=1&querytype=1&mediaarray=*


Could be South Wales Borderers on link above.

He could have moved to Labour Corps if he was "older" many men transferred as they were unfit for frontline duties through wounds or sickness later on in war Battalions were disbanded and men supplied to other Regiments/Corps.

Ady

[bernard_lewis]

Agree with Ady; South Wales Borderers as there is no Swansea Border Regiment. There was a Swansea Battalion (Welsh Regiment) but he's not on my (incomplete) nominal roll.

Bernard

http://swanseabattalion.net/

[PabloC]

Evening,

Actually, something's just come back to me...

My Grandad used to tell me that his dad served with the 'same regiment who fought at Rorke's Drift'.

This would appear to be the South Wales Borderers.

Paul

[bernard_lewis]

The regimental museum is at Brecon. You can probably turn it up on Google.

Bernard

[PabloC]

Cheers for the the National Archive link 'mmm45'.

I think I may have a potential match. I took a look and there were four entries: 3 Ranks of Private, and one of Acting Warrant Officer Second Class. Decided to see if I could gain any more info from my family, however small, and my mum recalled that she seemed to remember that he wrote of 'men under his command' in a diary that my uncle still has. My great aunt then commented that she seemed to remember that he was a Sergeant Major.

Just hoping that there might be a record of his Regimental No. somewhere in this diary or on the back of a photo he apparently kept, to be sent to his wife, which is still around somewhere, should he not return.

Fingers crossed. Ha ha. Cheers for the pointers and advice!

Paul