Is this the same person?

[lininberks]

For years I have been trying to trace my grandfather's war service.  Unfortunately with the name Harry Brown it is not easy.  Success came a few weeks ago when I managed to find him in the Absent Voters lists which gave me his details as 3931 Pte 23rd RFA.

Today I found an entry on Forces War Records for H. Brown, service No. 3931 a private in the Royal Fusiliers of Grandford Oxfordshire who was wounded on 13 Sep 1916.

There was a further record for Harry Brown dated 1914 with Service No Spts 3931 also Royal Fusiliers.

As far as I can see there is no Grandford in Oxfordshire, and my Harry Brown came from Nottingham.  However, just to confuse me a bit more Harry's wife came from an area of Oxford known as Grandpont.

Is it likely that the Harry in the RFA and the Harry in the Royal Fusiliers are one and the same or is it just a complete coincidence.

thanks

[rosie99]

Where and when was your Harry born

[lininberks]

Nottingham 1892, but he sometimes used 1891.

[MaxD]

The RFA has been a mistranscription or misunderstanding by the list compiler.

His rank private means he wasn't in the RFA who had gunners and drivers.  Secondly the prefix SP to his number means Sportman's Battalion.   23rd Royal Fusiliers was one of the 2 "Sportsman's" battalions of the Royal Fusiliers.  Lastly, 23rd RFA is not an artillery unit title, they were 23rd Brigade RFA or 23rd Battery RFA never the number on its own.

Ignore the RFA, your man is the fusilier.

MaxD

[rosie99]

There was a further record for Harry Brown dated 1914 with Service No Spts 3931 also Royal Fusiliers.

Also available at TNA
http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D1529867

[lininberks]

Thanks so much for your replies, although I am now totally flummoxed by the "Sportsman" bit - I never heard of him ever doing anything remotely sporty, although as he was gassed in the war that may have been why.

Many thanks.

[Jomot]

Today I found an entry on Forces War Records for H. Brown, service No. 3931 a private in the Royal Fusiliers of Grandford Oxfordshire who was wounded on 13 Sep 1916.

Just to add that 13 Sep 1916 was the date he appeared in the Daily List of wounded, dead, missing etc published by the War Office, not the date he was actually wounded.  There was usually a delay of several weeks between the two.

[MaxD]

While many who joined the battalion at the beginning were sportsmen of one sort or another, this didn't hold true throughout the war as men were posted to wherever there was a need so a non sportsman would not be unusual.  Harry Brown did not serve overseas until 10 February 1916 so entered the battalion some time after the war began, he was released on 26 March 1919 so while he may have been wounded and/or gassed, he was able to complete the war. Dates are from his medal records which appear to all that has survived.

MaxD

[lininberks]

Thank you for your clarification.  What you have said fits with my very limited knowledge of his service.  I was told that he had been gassed in the war (reading through the war diaries possibly in June 1916, which would also tie in with the report dated Sep 1916) after which he was no longer fit for front-line duty and spent the rest of the war on supply duties.  He was back home definitely by Jun 1919.

He survived until 1971 and had his lungs not been damaged by the gas could possibly have gone on for longer.