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General => Armed Forces => World War One => Topic started by: Coolbreeze on Sunday 03 October 21 21:43 BST (UK)

Title: WW1 Research Help!
Post by: Coolbreeze on Sunday 03 October 21 21:43 BST (UK)
Hi On our local WW1 Roll of Honour Board in Mildenhall, Suffolk we have what looks like a Simeon Offord listed. I cannot find anything on him via Ancestry or FindMyPast. I was wondering if someone can beat me to it.

Many thanks
Title: Re: WW1 Research Help!
Post by: ALAMO2008 on Monday 04 October 21 14:03 BST (UK)
This is a real mystery
No record of anything near on CWGC site
No record of any Birth in England and Wales on GRO Birth Index Search Facility or Freebmd
No record on Ancestry of him
Title: Re: WW1 Research Help!
Post by: ALAMO2008 on Monday 04 October 21 14:27 BST (UK)
The others on the Memorial above and below him are:-

Pte 6972 Charles Clements  aged ? of 2nd Btn Suffolk Regt died at Ypres 15/09/1915

Pte 24488 David Butcher aged 29 of 2nd Btn Northamptonshire Regt died in France 26/09/1916
Title: Re: WW1 Research Help!
Post by: Coolbreeze on Monday 04 October 21 14:36 BST (UK)
Many thanks for having a look. Yes - A real mystery. The only Offord family l have found is a Henry Offord in the 1911 who was a Police Constable. Although, no children have the name Simeon. Maybe the 1921 Census may tell more. Who he is he survived the war because all those on our war Memorial have a record apart from a J Walker. His record has not yet been found. There seems to be a few where the names were played loosely with. Hopefully one day something will come to light with Simeon.
Title: Re: WW1 Research Help!
Post by: CraigM63 on Monday 04 October 21 14:50 BST (UK)
I found three individual S Offord's showing up in the medal rolls, but cross-checking showed that none of them were a Simeon, although all three of them were clearly pre-war soldiers. Is it possible he was serving with the forces of another country? A quick check of the WW1 service records for Australia, Canada, and New Zealand doesn't produce a match though, and if he had died while serving with a Commonwealth country he should be listed on the CWGC website. The other possibility is that he served using an alias, which is going to make him virtually impossible to find.
Title: Re: WW1 Research Help!
Post by: mmm45 on Monday 04 October 21 15:13 BST (UK)
Simeon Ford - Canadian Royal Newfoundland Regiment 3866 ?
Title: Re: WW1 Research Help!
Post by: ALAMO2008 on Monday 04 October 21 15:26 BST (UK)
Simeon Ford - Canadian Royal Newfoundland Regiment 3866 ?

Appears not to have Died ?
Title: Re: WW1 Research Help!
Post by: ALAMO2008 on Monday 04 October 21 15:29 BST (UK)
Hi On our local WW1 Roll of Honour Board in Mildenhall, Suffolk we have what looks like a Simeon Offord listed. I cannot find anything on him via Ancestry or FindMyPast. I was wondering if someone can beat me to it.

Many thanks

Where is the Roll of Honour Board ?
Is it in a Church ?
There must be records somewhere for the compilation of the Roll which would give his Date of Death to be entitled to be included on the Roll surely.
Title: Re: WW1 Research Help!
Post by: Coolbreeze on Monday 04 October 21 15:44 BST (UK)
The Roll of honour board is in our local church. It contains names of around 450 men from the parish who served. Not all died. I suspect Simeon survived the war. Although, l cannot seem to find any connect to the town or parish with that name.
Title: Re: WW1 Research Help!
Post by: Coolbreeze on Monday 04 October 21 15:45 BST (UK)
Simeon Ford - Canadian Royal Newfoundland Regiment 3866 ?

Appears not to have Died ?

Is there any mention of Mildenhall for this man?
Title: Re: WW1 Research Help!
Post by: mmm45 on Monday 04 October 21 16:08 BST (UK)
His CEF attestation isnt online - hes also listed at RNR too on medal rolls
Title: Re: WW1 Research Help!
Post by: Crumblie on Monday 04 October 21 17:27 BST (UK)
I have a number Simeons in my tree none of them Offords but mine seem to switch between both Simeon and Simon in the various records.
Title: Re: WW1 Research Help!
Post by: CraigM63 on Tuesday 05 October 21 02:17 BST (UK)
Quote
His CEF attestation isnt online

I don't think it would be if he was serving with a Newfoundland regiment during WW1, as Newfoundland didn't join the Canadian Confederation until 31 March 1949. From 1907 until then it was a self-governing Dominion.
Title: Re: WW1 Research Help!
Post by: mmm45 on Tuesday 05 October 21 15:43 BST (UK)
Quote
His CEF attestation isnt online

I don't think it would be if he was serving with a Newfoundland regiment during WW1, as Newfoundland didn't join the Canadian Confederation until 31 March 1949. From 1907 until then it was a self-governing Dominion.

Thanks for that i often wondered why the Newfoundland Regiment Medal Index Cards were in National Archives and not with CEF ones - they arent online on Canadian Archive but maybe in a file somewhere as there is a reference number.

https://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/military-heritage/first-world-war/personnel-records/Pages/item.aspx?IdNumber=650699