Fred Gates, Raunds

[larkspur]

Lucy. Did your Grandad Donald die 1999 in Suffolk?

[larkspur]

Birth registered Thrapston Cambs Oct 1918 MMS Warner, Donald R Gates

Marriage Thrapston Mar 1917 3b/341
Frederick T Gates and Lily Warner

You need to send for the marriage certificate and this will give you the name of Fredericks father.

[larkspur]

Frederick Thomas Gates Jul 1892 Thrapston 3b/227
Baptism Stanwick
Frederick Thomas Gates
2 April 1893
Parents Owen and Mary Ann

[LucyRobinson]

Yes that's my grandfather seems to be very little about him and nothing from the war. And yes I believe Owen and Mary are Fred's parents

[Stebie9173]

The absent voters list shows Frederick Thomas Gates of West End, Stanwick as a Private in the "1st H.L.I.". Normally this would be interpreted as the 1st Battalion Highland Light Infantry (an infantry unit on the Western Front during 1915 and later in Mesopotamia).

However, there is no medal card for Frederick Gates under that number - which would mean that either the card is lost, he didn't serve overseas or that he was transferred to a different Regiment before serving overseas.


Steve.

[Stebie9173]

This link may be of interest:

http://www.stanwickwarmemorial.co.uk/72.html

Bottom of the page, dated 26 Jan 1917.


The newspaper article refers to "Gunner Fred Gates" - Gunner is usually associated with the Artillery, and occasionally with the Machine Gun Corps. This also suggests that he was serving at the time of his marriage and that his marriage certificate could give further information on his military status.


The death of Lily's brother Horace is noted here:

http://www.stanwickwarmemorial.co.uk/63.html



The Stanwick website may well be a good place for you to contact.


Steve.

[LucyRobinson]

We think the badge on his hat matches the royal garrison artillery but it won't let me upload the picture

I want to say good luck ratatouille in your search for your family I'm sure we will probably bump into each other on these forums one way or another (Fred hey !!) and I called my son Freddie too!!
Thinking about the march to London, my Fred would have only been 13 and your Fred in the army so maybe Fred no3?

And thank you Steve for your help I sing seem to know where to start with a lot of it, but I just can't find any military records for Donald (grandad) if he was a spy or involved in any secrecy how would I find out?

Thanks again everyone

[Stebie9173]

Military Records for men who served after 1921 are still subject to Privacy (rather than Secrecy), so are only fully available to either the man (or his widow) or else the next of kin - children, granchildren etc. You can obtain copies of records from the MOD Archives. See:


https://www.gov.uk/get-copy-military-service-records/overview

https://www.gov.uk/requests-for-personal-data-and-service-records


In general, records for men who served in WW1 (but not later) are generally available, but very fragmented (if they exist at all), and those for after WW1 exist but availability is restricted.



Steve.