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General => Armed Forces => Topic started by: kojak on Thursday 22 February 07 18:31 GMT (UK)

Title: Can anyone identify my Grandfather's regiment?
Post by: kojak on Thursday 22 February 07 18:31 GMT (UK)
Can anyone identify my Grandfather's regiment?

The picture was taken around 1916 at Flanders Field.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.  Is it of the KOSB or a Rifle Regiment? Or something else?

I unfortunately cannot access his medal records unless I know his regiment.

Thanks for looking.

Kojak
Title: Re: Can anyone identify my Grandfather's regiment?
Post by: atom12 on Thursday 22 February 07 19:19 GMT (UK)
Hi Kojak

Judging by the photo, your grandfather is not in a rifle regiment.  He could be in the KOSB.  He is a piper, but on the sporran cantle I can't see a badge to identify properly.  Also, because of the condition of the photo it is hard to discern the badge on the buckle. 

However, the best clue is the tartan which  though in black and white, the pattern appears to be the correct King's Own Scottish Borderers tartan for the period, the Leslie tartan.

 ::)
Title: Re: Can anyone identify my Grandfather's regiment?
Post by: atom12 on Thursday 22 February 07 19:23 GMT (UK)
Hi again Kojak

Forgot to ask if your Grandfather survived the war?  Also would you like to tell us his name or any other information that could help identify his regiment!

Anne  :)
Title: Re: Can anyone identify my Grandfather's regiment?
Post by: kojak on Thursday 22 February 07 20:18 GMT (UK)
Hi Anne,

Thanks for that info.  My Grandfathers name was David James Green.  He was ineed Scottish from Dumfriesshire.  He survived the war, but later died of his shrapnel wounds sustained in the Battle of the Somme in 1931.

I had no ides he was a piper or of his tartan.  Many thanks for your kind help.

If you can trace any more info I would be very grateful.

Thanks again,

Kenny
(kojak)
Title: Re: Can anyone identify my Grandfather's regiment?
Post by: kojak on Thursday 22 February 07 20:26 GMT (UK)
Here is the only other picture I have of my Grandfather - believed to have been taken in 1914/15.

Not sure if it helps identify the Regiment.

I hope it does though.

Regards,

Kenny
Title: Re: Can anyone identify my Grandfather's regiment?
Post by: atom12 on Thursday 22 February 07 20:49 GMT (UK)
Hi Kenny  :)

Yes, the second photo of your Grandad still makes me think he is a KOSB.  There is a medal card:

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documentsonline/search-results.asp?CatID=10&searchType=quicksearch&pagenumber=1&query=green%2C+david+kings+own+scottish&first_date=&last_date=&queryType=1&sortSpec=Score+desc&pagetitle=

What a great photo, as is the first picture, though it is a wee bit damaged.

Here's a cap badge:



Title: Re: Can anyone identify my Grandfather's regiment?
Post by: kojak on Thursday 22 February 07 23:12 GMT (UK)
Ohh my goodness Anne.

Thanks very much.  I dont know how you managed it, but I am truly grateful.

Many thanks.

Kenny
Title: Re: Can anyone identify my Grandfather's regiment?
Post by: harribobs on Thursday 22 February 07 23:57 GMT (UK)
if we are looking for a KOSB man then perhaps you should look at this medal card

http://www.rootschat.com/links/01a0/   (http://www.rootschat.com/links/01a0/)
Title: Re: Can anyone identify my Grandfather's regiment?
Post by: kojak on Friday 23 February 07 09:21 GMT (UK)
Thanks Harribobs.

I printed off that record.  Unfortunately it doesnt detail much.  Do you know if it was common for details such as the date the soldier entered the theatre of war was omitted from the card and/or the discharge date due to shrapnel?

Apart from the name, rank, regiment and regimental number, the card states that my grandfather was awarded with two medals (the 1915 star and the British War Medal).

Nothing else is recorded.

Any help would be appreciated on this matter (at least I am getting somewhere now)

:-)

Kojak
Title: Re: Can anyone identify my Grandfather's regiment?
Post by: atom12 on Friday 23 February 07 12:01 GMT (UK)
Kenny

You might want to try and post the medal card here for some of the experts to perhaps decipher a bit more for you.

Anne  :)
Title: Re: Can anyone identify my Grandfather's regiment?
Post by: kojak on Friday 23 February 07 13:03 GMT (UK)
Thanks Anne,

I will do as you suggest.  I am at "work" just now, but will post it later to see if anyone can decipher what the details may mean.

Thanks for your interest and help.

Kenny
Title: Re: Can anyone identify my Grandfather's regiment?
Post by: harribobs on Friday 23 February 07 13:21 GMT (UK)
Thanks Harribobs.

I printed off that record.  Unfortunately it doesnt detail much.  Do you know if it was common for details such as the date the soldier entered the theatre of war was omitted from the card and/or the discharge date due to shrapnel?

Apart from the name, rank, regiment and regimental number, the card states that my grandfather was awarded with two medals (the 1915 star and the British War Medal).

Nothing else is recorded.

Any help would be appreciated on this matter (at least I am getting somewhere now)

after the initial stages of the war, it is quite unusual to see the theatre date entered, Discharge dates you see more often especially if they were pensioned off. of what sort of wound, i have never seen

he would have been awarded the victory medal as well, there's probably a ditto line through it

you have missed the references next to the medals, they will lead you or a researched to the full medal roll which just might throw a bit more light on him
Title: Re: Can anyone identify my Grandfather's regiment?
Post by: kojak on Friday 23 February 07 17:47 GMT (UK)
Here is the Medal Card.

If he was indeed of the KOSB I am surprised that there is nothing mentioned about his discharge or the Victory Medal.

Does anybody know how to go about searching what the references record, and where can these be obtained?  Can it be obtained online etc?

Sorry for all the questions.

Thanks

Kenny
Title: Re: Can anyone identify my Grandfather's regiment?
Post by: kojak on Friday 23 February 07 17:50 GMT (UK)
ohh that will teach me.  There is reference made to the Victory Medal, not the Star Medal.


I would like to know how I can access the records of these refs though.

Does anybody have any idea?

Sorry for being a pain.

Kenny

Title: Re: Can anyone identify my Grandfather's regiment?
Post by: rlaughton on Sunday 25 February 07 05:07 GMT (UK)
Sorry for the intrusion - deleted.
Title: Re: Can anyone identify my Grandfather's regiment?
Post by: liverpool annie on Sunday 25 February 07 14:03 GMT (UK)


Hi rlaughton !

Maybe we should give "our" experts a chance ! and we DO have many !!

Kenny .... I'm sure one of the guys will be able to help you !

Annie  :)
Title: Re: Can anyone identify my Grandfather's regiment?
Post by: harribobs on Sunday 25 February 07 18:45 GMT (UK)
Here is where you will find the experts on this topic:

The Great War Forum (http://1914-1918.invisionzone.com/forums/)

REALLY?  how nice of you to make judgements of our expertise after 14 posts

however..........

Davis didn't go abroad until after the 1/1/1916, therefore he wasn't entitled to the 14 or 14/15 star

the references next to the medals are the actual medal rolls, to which these are just the index cards, they may give more information as to the timing of his entitlement and which (or changes to) battalion he was in

These rolls are at The National Archives at Kew, you visit there yourself to see them or get a researched to look for you. If you wish to look for his service record ( if it survived the blitz) you could always search for that as well

cheers and good luck

chris

Title: Re: Can anyone identify my Grandfather's regiment?
Post by: kojak on Sunday 18 March 07 14:21 GMT (UK)
Thanks Chris.

I will wait and see what information (if any) comes online through Ancestry.co.uk's database of service records...

Thanks again.

Kenny