Author Topic: Searching for a soldier  (Read 616 times)

Offline Foffie

  • RootsChat Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 148
  • Isabella Maclean 1837-1921
    • View Profile
Searching for a soldier
« on: Sunday 15 September 13 20:05 BST (UK) »
Can anyone help me locate a soldier even though I don't know his name?  The information I have is that he was billeted in Invergordon, Ross-shire in autumn 1917, he had poor eyesight, red hair, hailed from Glasgow, was a widower with at least one daughter and was possibly in the Cameron Highlanders.  I realise this is a tall order but might there be any way of locating him?   

Offline scandude

  • RootsChat Extra
  • **
  • Posts: 77
  • Census information Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
    • View Profile
Re: Searching for a soldier
« Reply #1 on: Monday 30 September 13 18:12 BST (UK) »
I'll try and help as no-one has replied in a while.

1st - where did you get the details of the soldier from?
2nd - does the source of the info have any other details even if they think the name began with a specific letter?
3rd - do they have any other basic info on the dead wife or daughter, even if its a guess on the initials or any other basic info such as addresses as there are over 4200 records listed for the Cameron Highlanders?
4th - if there are no other details it would be difficult to locate anyone without a name unless someone was to search all the WW1 service records to match the description of the soldier.

Unless anyone else has any other ideas this is the best I can offer so far, but it's a start.

Best of Luck

Mike

Offline Foffie

  • RootsChat Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 148
  • Isabella Maclean 1837-1921
    • View Profile
Re: Searching for a soldier
« Reply #2 on: Monday 30 September 13 19:11 BST (UK) »
Thanks, Mike, for replying to my post.

The information about the soldier came from a family member who, sadly, has now died so I have no way of obtaining additional details as she would have been the only person in recent years who could perhaps have added to the small amount of information that I have. 

I did wonder, though, if there could possibly be records of addresses in the town where soldiers were billeted and, if so, whether this might be an avenue worth exploring?   

Offline scandude

  • RootsChat Extra
  • **
  • Posts: 77
  • Census information Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
    • View Profile
Re: Searching for a soldier
« Reply #3 on: Tuesday 01 October 13 10:03 BST (UK) »
It's always the case that people pass away just when you need more information.  My grandparents died without providing us any information on the family just when we found a whole heap of information only they would know about.

It's worth exploring that avenue although without any name it's a thankless task as there would have been quite a few soldiers billeted during that period.

What connection is the soldier to you?

Mike


Offline Foffie

  • RootsChat Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 148
  • Isabella Maclean 1837-1921
    • View Profile
Re: Searching for a soldier
« Reply #4 on: Tuesday 01 October 13 16:47 BST (UK) »
He is my grandfather...  It's frustrating, having traced back one side of my family to the 1700s and my husband's family to the 1600s, that someone so closely related to me should be such a mystery, but I suppose that's a familiar scenario to many family historians. 

Thanks for your input, Mike - much appreciated.

Regards,
Foffie       

Offline scandude

  • RootsChat Extra
  • **
  • Posts: 77
  • Census information Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
    • View Profile
Re: Searching for a soldier
« Reply #5 on: Tuesday 01 October 13 17:23 BST (UK) »
If you have traced back one side of your family to the 1700's and your husbands family to 1600 you must have spent some time researching family tree's so you are probably not a novice at this.

If this is your grandfather it shouldn't be too difficult to get a name unless its a complicated situation like my grandparents were.  If you do want to PM me with some details to stop the thread becoming too long and I will see if I can add any value to your searches.

It's often a case of two heads better than one and if I can get any further details we can add it here and then see if anyone else can help.

Regards

Mike