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General => Armed Forces => World War One => Topic started by: Luke Elmore on Thursday 16 January 20 16:36 GMT (UK)
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Hi I was wondering if anyone can tell me more about my great grandad his name was Alfred Coleshill and his was in the Coldstream Guard I just really want to know what places he went his service number is 3952 thanks luke
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Over 60% of WW1 service records were destroyed during the WW2 blitz. No trace of anything for Alfred except a Medal Roll Index Card showing he was a Private and was awarded the British & Victory medals plus the 14 star
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He also has a Silver War Badge which shows he joined the Coldstream in December 1900. He went to France on 11 September 1914 when the CG battalions were already there so at the moment we can't tell which battalion he served with (there were 3 in his time frame) . He was discharged in October 1916 with chronic nephritis (a kidney disease).
This link:
https://coldstreamguards.org.uk/pages/history will take you to the CG history although not knowing his battalion means we can't be sure where to place him!
There is a pension record card for him in the Fold3 (extra subscription) element of Ancestry. I doubt it will say what battalion he was with though.
In 1901 he was at the Guards Depot in training, can't find him in 1911.
CaroleW is absolutely right but there is a twist with the Guards regiments. Up until recently, in the case of the CG Oct 1918, the regiments kept duplicate copies of their service records which were not among those destroyed and which one could apply to the regimental archivists for. These though are now all at Glasgow and can be applied for in the same way as post 1920/21 records. https://www.gov.uk/get-copy-military-service-records.
There is also another avenue I wish to explore. I'll get back.
Max
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That's interesting about the Guards records Max - will bear that in mind for future posts so thank you for the info
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He was definitely at the front line because my grandad told me he was the first person to go over and he said he was in the Trenches and I think it was like Christmas and he got sent a chocolate tin
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This is what the troops were sent in the first Christmas:
https://www.iwm.org.uk/history/look-inside-the-princess-mary-gift-fund-1914-box
The definition of "first person to go over" is perhaps a little off the mark. His medal record https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D1880618
has the date of entry to France as 11 September 1914, all 3 of the Coldstream battalions had been there since August.
https://www.longlongtrail.co.uk/army/regiments-and-corps/the-british-infantry-regiments-of-1914-1918/coldstream-guards/
I am on the track I hope of finding which battalion he was with which will give us more detail.
MaxD
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I think he told my grandad he was in the 3 or 2 Battalion he really can’t remember he just said he survived the run
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I've been in touch with someone who has a large database of the Coldstream, his name does not appear in the roll of 4th Battalion or in any of the other partial sources he has. Your choice now if you really wish to know about his battalion, and thus his war, is to apply to Glasgow for his record as suggested earlier. From war diaries I get only that 1st Battalion received 218 reinforcements on 20 Sep which would fit entering France on 11 Sep. 2nd Bn received reinforcement on 4 Sep and I find no clues with 3rd Bn.
MaxD
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Thank you for looking for me I really appreciate your help and I really want to know more where he went. I have checked his medal roll card and it says he was qualified on the 11 September 1914
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So if he went to France on the 11 September does that mean he was in the 1st battalion
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It means only that he arrived in France on 11 September and, as I pointed out earlier, 1st, 2nd and 3rd Battalions had already been in France since mid to late August so which battalion he joined is not known.
My post about reinforcements was the result of a quick first reading of the 3 battalions war diaries looking for reference to reinforcements a little after 11 September. The battalions at that time had been heavily engaged in what became known as the retreat from Mons and in mid September were equally heavily engaged on the Aisne. The war diaries cannot, perhaps understandably, be totally relied upon to show when reinforcements arrived, what I quoted was from that first quick reading where the only references I found were to 1st Bn on 20 Sep (about right) and 3rd Bn on 4th (too early).
It may be that the next higher levels of command, the brigade and divisional diaries, may have more clues but that is all they will be, clues, there will be no list with his name. I'll take a look.
You either have to take a leap of faith and assume one battalion or another or, as I have said more than once before, apply for his service record which should show for sure who he joined in France.
MaxD
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I have checked his medal records and says he was in the 2st battalion
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I have checked his medal records and says he was in the 2st battalion
What medal record is this. I have looked at his 1914 Star roll, his British War and Victory Medals roll and his Silver War Badge. None of them, as far as I can see, have the battalion.
MaxD
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Well am not sure but it’s on his victory and British medal record and its written in blue pen the numbers there next to their service number
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Your eyes are much better than mine - good spot and a better clue that we have so far. While we cannot be sure that he stayed with 2nd Battalion throughout, there are no other clues so it would be as well to assume that was his battalion.
The war diaries you need (remembering he was discharged in Oct 1916) are the first two here:
https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/results/r?_q=2+coldstream+WO+95
They are on Ancestry at:
https://www.ancestry.co.uk/interactive/60779/43112_1342_0-00000?backurl=&ssrc=&backlabel=Return and
https://www.ancestry.co.uk/interactive/60779/43849_1215_2-00000?backurl=&ssrc=&backlabel=Return (which includes other Guards battalions)
Happy reading
MaxD
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My granddad did say he was in the 2nd or the 3 but am seeing him tomorrow because he said he had a picture of him when he came home and he was wearing a big fur coat over his army uniform because he said it was too damn cold
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Hi I was wondering if you could tell me where my great granddad was in ww1 he was a coldstream guards thanks luke
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Hi ,
Do you know which Battalion he served in ?
Some information here(Coldstream Guards during WW1) -
https://www.forces-war-records.co.uk/units/242/coldstream-guards/#:~:text=Coldstream%20Guards%20during%20WW1,Brigade%20of%20the%201st%20Division.
ev
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Silver War Badge Roll 1914-1920
Private Alfred Coleshill
Service number 3952
Regt. Coldstream Guards
Badge number 180315
Enlistment date 10-Dec-1900
Discharge date 12-Oct-1916
Cause of discharge Chronic Nephritis(392 xvi)
Whether served overseas Yes
Badge date of issue 12-May-1917
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Earlier thread merged to prevent duplication.
ev
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Luke
What was your great grandad's name and other details that may help us look for him. We seem to have covered grandad (3952 Alfred Coleshill) quite well.
MaxD