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General => Armed Forces => World War One => Topic started by: Steven1314 on Monday 13 February 12 14:44 GMT (UK)
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Hi I recently found out that my great uncle was shot in either France or Belgium in WW1 - unfortunately so far I haven't been able to find him on the CWGC or any medal index card or service record.
His name was Charles Harold Ward and he was born in West Ham on 8th October 1896 and his parents were Charles Ward (died 1905) and Clara Ward (second married name Driscoll). His step father James Mathias Driscoll served with the grenadier guards and I have one very poor photo?
Can anyone help?
(http://i920.photobucket.com/albums/ad42/stevie2006/CharlesMumsBrother-1.jpg)
I just cannot seem to find anything that might help
His last known address was 201 vicarage lane, forest gate london
Steven
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I'm sorry to say there is no clue [for me at least] on the photo - no badges for regiment or rank.
When you say 'shot', I presume you mean that he died of wounds or was killed in action. He may be listed by CWGC with only one initial. I did see an entry on CWGC for a C. Herbert Ward, Grenadier Guards, but that might be a shot in the dark.
A
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Very difficult...Could be known as Charles or Harry Ward or Driscoll??
Have looked on Soldiers Died In Great War Database and theres none with direct links to West Ham there are similar names to London area lads but nothing that stands out.
Local papers may have that photo as an obituary so you could marry it up but thats gonna be time consuming if you have access to the local papers for a start.
The Grenadier is from Norwich.
Theres one possibility that there MAY be info on his step dads record(Guards ones didnt get destroyed in WW2) However it would cost £30 to get and may not be anymore info.
Ady
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Thanks ainslie too much of a long shot I fear
Hi ady I looked at the Herbert one but it doesn't look like him
I wonder if maybe he was wounded and maybe died back home? Might need to check out that route
Thanks for your help
Steven
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Hi Steven there is a ward on the cwgc site that might be worth a look at.
WARD, C H
Rank: Private
Service No: 515241
Date of Death: 16/08/1917
Regiment/Service: London Regiment (London Scottish) 14th Bn.
Grave Reference I. K. 45. PERTH CEMETERY (CHINA WALL)
Could be him since he was born in West Ham. Hope this may help. Lowanslow.
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Lad above was born Walton on Thames,resident Spittalfields
Source: Soldiers died in great war
Ady
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Thanks lowanslow and ady alreday checked that one out and as ady says its not him but thanks for looking.
I have another but no way of checking if its him
This is the one remaining with info from his medal card & the CWGC site, although that site gives his number as 4752 but it is the same person.
47502/74231 Charles Ward died 21/12/1918 The Queen's (Royal West Surrey Regiment) 16th Labour Coy. transf. to 124th Coy. Labour Corps
Victory Medal LC/101 B45 page 4537
British Medal “ “
Grave ref: I.B.2 DON COMMUNAL CEMETERY,ANNOEULLIN,NORD,FRANCE
Any ideas ady?
Steven
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Hi Steven
Unfortunately no details on Soldiers Died database...at that stage hes not going to be killed in action would be wounds,illness or accident.
Ady
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Thanks ainslie too much of a long shot I fear
Hi ady I looked at the Herbert one but it doesn't look like him
I wonder if maybe he was wounded and maybe died back home? Might need to check out that route
Thanks for your help
Steven
Hi What is the Electoral Borough for his last known address the are a lot of Charles Harold Ward's on the London Electoral Register's
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Hi ady yes I wondered that if he was shot surely he would have served in a more military arm?
Hi Marg the family seem to have lived in Stratford, West Ham (also Forest Gate) around that time
Steven
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steven
let me go back to soldiers died database with that other info you just provided ill re-assess what the results give.
am away from my cdrom for a couple of hours.
Ady
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Thanks ady I appreciate the time you have taken to help look.
It would be fantastic to find him after all this time
Steven
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Steven
Theres a few with Stratford featuring however I would look closer at the guy Lowanslow found.
14th London Scottish 515241
He has Stratford enlistment
Ady
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Hi ady that one is Charles Heber Ward born Walton on Thames enlisted Stratford. The middle name and place of birth are wrong unfortunately. Are there any others on your database that were born or enlisted in Stratford that we could check?
Thanks again for your help
Steven
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Heres the Ward C and Stratford Enlistments from SDGW
Ady
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Hi
Have you checked the Absentee Voter list for 1918 it should give his regiment number and his battalion.
Margp
Edit he may also have been known as Harold
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Thanks for that ady I will have a look at them
MargP - how or where do I find the absentee voters list that you mention? Thanks
Steven
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Hi
The Absentee Voters list should be in the nearest archive's to where he was living at the time of the war, this is how I found my dads reg no and the battalion he was with.
Margp
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http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/topic,267704.0.html
West Ham AVL not good news :(
But he may have been on other ones
Ady
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The straws are floating past for me, but, considering his age around the war, could he have signed up using an alias ?? also could this be him on the anc.site?
Name: Charles H Ward
Birth Date: abt 1898
Date of Registration: Apr-May-Jun 1921
Age at Death: 23
Registration district: West Ham
Inferred County: Essex
Volume: 4a
Page: 31
This would explain why he was not on any other site. Good Hunting lowanslow.
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Think thats a great spot :)
Ive checked silver war badge rolls for discharged soldiers with Wounds theres a couple to Charles H Ward that would approx be right age (20s) but theres no positive ID such as address on the Rolls.
Maybe DC of the lad from West Ham would show he was an Army Pensioner?
Ady
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Hi lowanslow I thought about that but there is a birth in 1898 for a Charles Henry Ward which ties in with that death.
I am even starting to think maybe he died in WW2 instead? Maybe he was shot in France/Belgium but maybe he was older and instead was shot then?
Is that possible?
Steven
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Its a WW1 Uniform not WW2
Ady
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I got him!!!!!!!
Here is the link I found
http://search.ancestry.co.uk/cgi-bin/sse.dll?indiv=1&rank=0&f4=charles&f5=ward&sx=&rg_81004011__date=&rs_81004011__date=0&f13=&f12=&f19=&f2=&gskw=vic*&prox=1&db=britisharmyservice&ti=5538&ti.si=0&gss=angs-d&pcat=39&fh=2&h=2047341&recoff=
Very exciting but I cannot work out if he died as a result of injuries/illness during the war - he died in 1921 and exactly what regiment he was in - very confusing
Steven
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steven
Had a look at the record on the post on GWF.
Its my suggestion that you get a Death Cert for the lad If it states that TB Killed him then with the evidence in his record you have in my mind at least a hope of getting him onto CWGC.
I dont want to get your hopes up too much BUT the factor is he was given a pension and discharged with what says TB and he seemed fit when he enlisted.The provision is "caused or aggravated by service" so id either apply for a death cert or as the In From The Cold Project to have a look at the case and advise you.
Good luck and well done finding the record.
Ady :)
Ady
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Thanks ady will order that cert today
Steven
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http://www.infromthecold.org/
Heres IFCP website :)