Lost Military Service Record

[BrianClaydon]

Hi all,

I need help trying to find any military records belonging to Charles Westrop (1893-1948). He was born in St. Saviour, Southwark to Arthur Harry Westrop (1848-1912) and Mary Ann Westrop (Nee Cottis 1852-1912)

I believe his service record was possibly lost during the Blitz. On the 1939 register it states he was born on the 29th of June 1893. According to our family history he may have lost an eye and a lung in the conflict. We don't know if he was in the Army or Navy, but the story goes he lost a lung due to gas, so probably the Army.

He married Victoria Julia Sullivan on the 8th of April 1917 and they had three children together, CW Westrop 1917, AM Westrop 1919 and WH Westrop in 1921. He went into the Print after the war.

The following are people I have ruled out in the search:

Charles Westrop Reg Number 1101 NORWICH Lincolnshire Rgt (NO. TOO OLD)
Charles Hall Westrope Reg Number 13453 ASHWELL Inns of Court 030718 to 120519 (NO MOTHER MARTHA)
Charles Westrop Reg Number 15235 BATTERSEA DCLI (NO. TOO OLD)
Charles Westrop Reg Number 42573 RFA Driver (NO. TOO OLD)
Charles Henry Westrop Reg Number 87285 HACKNEY Royal Fusiliers KIA 1918 (NO)
Charles Westrop Reg Number 139811 NW London TF RGA 183rd Heavy Battery (NO)
Charles H Westrop Reg Number G.S.87285

The following are yet to be ruled out or confirmed:

Charles Westrop Reg Number 109172 RGA Gunner
Chatles J Westrope Reg Number 172065 Royal Engineers
Charles H Westrup Reg Number 227015 RFA Gunner
Charles E Westrop Reg Number 241346 5th Lincolnshire Rgt

Is there any other way I can find out his service number? From war injured records or other sources? I'm not great at Military research and any help would be gladly received.

Thanks for reading this post and for any help you may be able to give.

Kind Regards,

Brian

Edited to move 'Charles H Westrop Reg Number G.S.87285' to discounted.

[martin hooper]

Hello Brian

Have you looked at the medal cards? They won't help you to identify the correct one but they do have service numbers. I guess that's where you got the candidates from?

Martin

[BrianClaydon]

Hello Brian

Have you looked at the medal cards? They won't help you to identify the correct one but they do have service numbers. I guess that's where you got the candidates from?

Martin

Hi Martin,

you're absolutely correct, I should have made that clear. I have the medal cards for all the above candidates. I also have the service records of some I have rejected, but not the service records of those that are yet to be rejected or affirmed. I have put Reg Number, but I guess that should read 'Service Number'.

Some of the records of the latter men have notes in the 'Remarks' such as with Charles H Westrop Reg Number G.S.87285. His states K.A.23.8.18 - does anyone know if 'K.A' is Killed in Action with the 23.8.18 as the date of death?

Thanks for reading and for your question Martin.

Kind Regards,

Brian

[martin hooper]

If it is Killed in Action (I'm inclined to agree) you should find him on the CWGC website.

Martin

[jim1]

You might need to discount the story re. his wounds as there
is just one Charles Westrop on the SWB list & it's not him.
He certainly would have been discharged with those injuries.

[Jebber]

Do you have his marriage certificate and/or the birth certificate of the eldest child? If he had not been medically discharged before then, and if you are lucky, they will probably show his service details.

If medically discharged with the loss of an eye, he should be a record of a pension.

[BrianClaydon]

If it is Killed in Action (I'm inclined to agree) you should find him on the CWGC website.

Martin

Thank you for this Martin,

I hadn't used that website before and you are correct once again as that Charles Westrop is on there, shown as killed in action on the 23rd of August 1818. It seems that the remarks do indeed reveal that, which is very useful to know.

So that is another off my list. Will edit my first post to reflect this.

Kind Regards,

Brian

[BrianClaydon]

You might need to discount the story re. his wounds as there
is just one Charles Westrop on the SWB list & it's not him.
He certainly would have been discharged with those injuries.

Hi Jim1,

thank you for your post. You are correct that the only Silver Badge recipient listed is not my Charles Westrop. He is in my discard pile with the service number 13453.

I am happy to discount the family story about how he lost an eye and lung in the war. I do know he definitely only had one eye as a living descendant can attest to it - but the origin story may be corrupted/wrong.

Does anyone know whether the records for Silver Badge recipients is complete or whether records could have been lost? Was the Silver Badge for injured Navy personnel too?

The other question is, could he have lost his entitlement to a Silver Badge in some way? Or could he have been in the forces before WW1 and was injured in training or some other conflict? I'm not trying to keep hold of the family stories, but I'd like to discount these possibilities first.

Thank you for you observations and research Jim1.

Kind Regards,

Brian

[ALAMO2008]

As Jim1 said you have only a Story which appears about his injuries as Jebber says there should be a Pension and there is only one record for 11101 in the Lincolnshire Regt but he was Discharged 22 May 1919 as  Class Z and fit to be recalled so obviously not him.
If he married 8 April 1917 he was in UK 1917 1918 1919 per his Children Births
There is no Evidence that he Enlisted- Sorry