WWI cavalry

[Peter Goodman]

I am trying to find details of my grandfather Thomas Clement Goodman whom I am told enlisted in a cavalry regiment in WW! and who served mainly in France and belgium.  The family says that he was involved at the very last cavalry charge by a mounted British team in WWI which I assume means at Lessines in belgium.  He returned from war and lived on to the age of 94.  I suspect that it could have been the 18th Hussars and have found a record for a Lance corporal reg No 7679 but not sure if this is the correct ID.  Can anyone advise how I can take this research further?

Regards,  Peter Goodman Sydney Australia

[ShaunJ]

Do you have his medals?

[ainslie]

Peter
There are other records of 'Thomas Goodman', with cavalry links, among the Medal Index Cards listed by the National Archives, but none show a middle name which is quite normal.
As well as the 18th Hussars corporal, there are:
GS/7542, Corps of Dragoons, later renumbered as D/13206.
6514, 7th Dragoon Guards, saddler serjeant.

If you can trace which unit was in the charge, you may find one of these will match.
A

[t mo]

hi peter
i,ve looked at the medal card you talk of and it needs an expert to decipher it as there is mention of clasps to ine of the medals , now this is where i stick my neck out yet again if he was in a cavalry reg i would think he was a regular soldier not just a conscript for ww1 as i would think it would take some time to train up a man for such a reg i,ve looked in service/pension records and none appear for him but there is a t goodman in the boer war records in the 5th ( princess charlotte of wales ) dragoon guards a long shot i know but hopefullly some one else with far more knowledge will sort it out for you , plus apart from that medal card for ww1 there,s no service record available so it must be part of the burnt records of ww2 , the main thing would be to get the medal card deciphered really .
also do you have a date of birth and have you looked in the censuses to see if he,s there in 1911& 1901 it may help sort out if he was a regular soldier or not , just checked both of them and no he,s not in the army so that theory goes out the window in 1901 he,s down as a tailors assistant with parents john and ellen johns occ tailor  and in 1911 he,s a picture postcard dealer married 5 yrs to greta may .
regards
trevor
ps i,d written this just before Ainslie posted so he beat me to it .

[mmm45]

7679 Was a pre War Regular he looks like an original Old Contemptible with date of Entry to war Aug 1914
He was entitled to 1914 Star,British War and Victory Medals.
He was also entitled to the Clasp and Roses for 1914 Star ie he was under fire from enemy guns before Nov 22 1914 (cut off date for Clasp and Roses)...thats the last part of the listing on the MIC ...IV etc are just the Issue dates etc.
The back of the card is all about that he is on list of names supplied to be eligible for Clasp and Rose(not all men were)

The profile fits its a shame theres no address on back of medal index card to back it up!

6514 Can be discounted as he was dead in Oct 1914
The other guy Ainslie found is a post 1916 entry to war

There is a Tom C Goodman on the Medal Index cards as Army Service Corps Remounts Section so they also had horse links but that could be throwing a spanner in works!



Still inconclusive but hope it helps

Ady

[t mo]

thanks Ady that,s another piece of info on the clasps i hadn,t come across before , also those that can be discounted helps as well .
regards
trevor

[Peter Goodman]

thanks guys for all of the comments - much appreciated.  I do not think that he was a regular.  he was born in 1881 and married in 1905 to greta bearcroft.  They had 3 children in 1908, 1911 ( my grandfather) and in 1914.  We think he separated from his wife during the war or immediately after.  As I said all I have is a relative in England who says that she knows he joined a cavalry regiment and fought in France / belgium and was at the last famous cavalry charge.  So that is why I thought of the Hussars or Dragoons. 

No, I do not have any medals or any other details I'm afraid.  My father was in the Guards Armoured Brigade in the Seecond War ( Grenadier Guards) but was unfortunately kiiled just east of Lingen in April 1945 - so we have no one to bounce questions off.

If any other thoughts I would be grateful.

Regards,  Peter Goodman

[Peter Goodman]

t mo - you have the correct guy - in 19911 census he was a Picture Postcard salesman!  and married to great May Bearcroft  living in Mitcham.

Peter

[mmm45]

Peter
Do you have the Birth Cert for 1914 child? If so does it have any details about father ie was he a soldier?

Ady