Genealogy Chat

On my Grandfathers Medal list he is listed as serving ing in 2 regiments and with 2 different service numbers.
How do I find out which one he served in first how long for and where did he fight also the same details for the second, also why was he transferred
Bill

WW1 service records & medal cards are on Ancestry, which is a subscription site.

If you don't subscribe, why not give names etc, im sure it can be looked at.

Please note that only 30% of these records survive, so pot luck if his have.


George

With which Regiments did he serve?

'Medal list'? What is that?

Do you refer to his Medal card?

Men could be transferred from one regiment to another for various reasons

My own grandfather was transferred immediately after he had finished basic training. He move to a Machine Gun Battalion.

Other men transferred on the battlefield ...................... regiments and battalions would be decimated,with most officers killed. Any men left standing were transferred on the spot to another group in the same sector.

Injured men sent from the battlefield for treatment could be transferred to another regiment or battalion on recovery.


You can find some men who have been transferred several times ................... makes one wonder what they went through!

If you can find his service records on ancestry, it will show which number he was assigned on joining up, and then the number that he was given later. If the records are more complete, you may be able to find out exactly when and where he was re-assigned.

I think in those days, if you changed regiment you also were allocated a new number for that regiment.
Not sure about to-day..........don't think much transferring will take place.

Ref Name, number& regiment the details as follows
Vincent .Smith
Regiment
Dorset
Service No.20264
Regiment
Hamps
Service No.31442

Medals
Victory &British

I have no dates on when he joined or which Reg was his first. he did survive the war

There is a Medal Card

Name: Vincent W Smith
Regiment or Corps: Dorsetshire Regiment, Hampshire Regiment
Regimental Number: 20264, 31442

Will send the Medal Card as an attachment thru GR

Dorset Regiment is shown first on the card

Not at the moment finding a pension or service record

Just out of interest, in case you didn't know, the 2 medals your grandfather received are as below ...............

About the Medals:

Medals awarded during WWI included:


Allied Victory Medal (Victory Medal) was awarded for service in any operational theater between 5 August 1914 and 11 November 1918. It was issued to individuals who received the 1914 and 1914-15 Stars and to most individuals who were issued the British War Medal. The medal was also awarded for service in Russia (1919-1920) and post-war mine clearance in the North Sea (1918-1919).


British War Medal was awarded to both servicemen and civilians that either served in a theater of war, or rendered service overseas between 5 August 1914 and 11 November 1918. It was also awarded for service in Russia, and post-war mine clearance in the Baltic, the Black Sea, and the Caspian Sea between 1919 and 1920.




so he did serve "overseas", ie outside the UK, or he would not have got the British War Medal.

This site is brilliant for finding out when men joined up, based on their Regimental numbers but unfortunately it does not have anything on these two regiments for WW1:

http://armyservicenumbers.blogspot.co.uk/2009/07/army-service-numbers-1881-1918-index.html