was my grandad a soldier in WW1?

[sushi]

I lchecked on the National Archives to see if there was a medal card to indicate if my grandfather Harold Wootton b. 1877 Smethwick Staffs, had been a soldier during the first world war. But there is a choice of 6 different regiments. Would it follow that if he lived in Staffs he would be in the North Staffs Reg, which was one of the choices? I ask because there is also a  George Harold Wootton listed who could be his son. Any advice please?
Cheers
Sushi

[nanny jan]

Hi Sushi,

Do you have any evidence that either Harold or George were soldiers?  If not it is a £3.50 "gamble"  to download the cards ( 6 to a page).  I was lucky looking for my gtgrandfather (I knew he was in WW1); I found his son on the same page!  Two for the price of one.

Have you looked for either of them on the Pension Records now available on www.ancestry.co.uk?

Nanny Jan

[Suffolk Mawther]

To my knowledge (researching own families and the boys listed on our village War Memorial), there were recruiting campaigns that travelled around the country.  They would call in at various towns and get lads to sign up then be on their way to the next town on the route.

We have a Suffolk born and bred great-grandfather who signed up for the Bedfordshire Reg. when they were visiting Framlingham on a Recruitment campaign in the area.

Also, I have been told that if another Regiment was paying more money, it was not unusual to get a transfer.  Not sure if there is any truth in that but it might explain why one of the village boys ended up with a Canadian Regiment?

Good luck with the search.

SM ...

[sushi]

Hello Nannyjan and Suffolkmawther!
Thanks for your responses. No, I have no proof that either of them were in the forces, but as they were both at an age to be so, thought I would try to find out. That proved to be more difficult than I thought.
 Nannyjan, I am just off to look on the pension records at Ancestry.
SM, I had forgotten about the recruitment drives !
I may decide to bite the bullet and get the ones I found if curiosity overcomes sense!!
Many thanks for your interest!
Sushi

[Suffolk Mawther]

Two messages exactly the same came through to the board from me - we have swapped to Broadband but the strength is very weak and am having probs sending anything today - SM ...

[Suffolk Mawther]

Another thought  

My grandad upped his age by two years and joined the Royal Naval Flying Corps at sixteen.  

He served in northern France throughout WWI as a mechanic on airfields.

Consequently when he was on leave from France to marry my grandmother, his age and her age are two years more than they should have been.  He gives age as 20 and she says 19, in fact they were 18 and 17 respectively.

His father served with the Royal Engineers, they both had same name and I had not realised that both had served until I saw the Service numbers and RFC (which is what RNFC became), and the other stated clearly RE which was on the rim of their medals.

The thought was    . . . . . .
(sorry I get carried away easily !)

. . . . .  remember there were various forces that they could have joined - not just the Army.

Bons Baisers de Suffolk

SM ...

[sushi]

Oh how romantic!!
I wish I had a story like that!
My other grandad was in the navy in 1899 - 1902. He  was on HMS Egeria, in the engine room. The ship was surveying the coastline all around British Columbia. How hard must the life been in those days, and how cold the winters! He got shore purchase then, with the birth of their first child.
My mother told me he was also in the Merchant Navy, an articifer, but havn't managed to trace that fact either.
Bonnes felicitaions, Sushi