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General => Armed Forces => World War One => Topic started by: Beaver49 on Wednesday 09 November 22 19:28 GMT (UK)
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Looking for info about my grandfather who was in the 'Buffs' during WW1. I have odd bits of info about him but I woukd like a whole lot more.
Thanks
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I'm sure Rootschatters would like to help.
Can you share his name? What have you already found and what would you like to find out?
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Was your grandfather in the Buffs (infantry) or the Royal East Kent Yeomanry (mounted)?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buffs_(Royal_East_Kent_Regiment)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_East_Kent_Yeomanry
Tony
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Without his name, birthyear, birthplace it would be impossible to try and find any personal info about him
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Tonepad asks : "Was your grandfather in the Buffs (infantry) or the Royal East Kent Yeomanry (mounted)?"
In fact he could have been both as, in common with a number of other Yeomanry units, the East Kent Yeomanry were converted into dismounted infantry in early 1917. From Wikipedia : "The brigade units were reorganized in January and February 1917. As a result, the 1/1st Royal East Kent Yeomanry was amalgamated with 1/1st Queen's Own West Kent Yeomanry at Sollum on 1 February 1917 and re-designated 10th (Royal East Kent and West Kent Yeomanry) Battalion, Buffs (East Kent Regiment)." In April 1918 these units were sent to France where they served as Infantry until the end of the War.
My understanding, from another Yeomanry unit, is that officers retained their Yeomanry badging but Other Ranks were re-badged to the Infantry regiment.
Maec
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Good question. No idea. I have his full name, DoB & birth place. Possibly a Service number, possible rank. Any help/advice appreciated
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And a very poor, torn photo. Cap badge is not like those red/yellow ones on your post
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I have his full name, DoB & birth place. Possibly a Service number, possible rank. Any help/advice appreciated
Can you post those details, and a scan of the cap badge?
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Beaver49 -- please post as much information as you can, e.g. full name; place of birth; service number and a scanned image of the cap badge. With this information, there are many RootsChatters that will be more than happy to try and assist you.
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Beaver - see my reply 3. How can anybody help you without knowing who you are referring to?
You say you have all his details but despite requests to post them - you haven't done so. Why??
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Alfred Albert Horton. Born Tooting in London on 25th May 1897. Possibly a Corporal in Royal East Kent Yeomanry. Possible Service Number 1275. Then a Company Quarter Master Sergeant in the East Kent Regiment. Possible Service Number 270027 or 270378. I have some other ref. number Archive Ref W.O.
372/10/47737. Was wounded, came back, married in 1922.
Don't have actual photo just a torn copy of one.
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1275 and later 270027 was Archibald Alfred Horton. Lived in Canterbury.
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270378 was an Alfred William Horton, also from Canterbury
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Seems to be plain Alfred Horton in his baptism, marriage record and the 1921 census. He was a pensioner in 1921 so there should be a pension record.
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Yes there is a Pension Index Card for him. The address (10 Lochinvar Street Balham) tallies with the 1921 census.
He was in the Royal Sussex Regiment 9/17957
ADDED other records give his service number as G/17957.
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PoW record (Minden). Captured at St Eloi 25/4/1918. Wounded in right thigh.
https://grandeguerre.icrc.org/en/List/2728081/698/28467/
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He enlisted 4/3/1916 and was discharged from 13th Royal Sussex on 28 March 1919 (aged 22 per the SWB record) because of his wounds.
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ShaunJ - if I knew how to send the dodgy photo of my grandfather you would see he was quite 'officer uniformed' and the cap badge is quite East Kent-like that is to say like a dragon/griffin
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If your relative is Alfred Horton born in Tooting 28th May 1896 or 1897 ( I think it is actually 1896) to a Dutch mother Grietje/Grietia, who had siblings Douglas and Albert, then there is no doubt that he served in France with the Royal Sussex Regiment. If he had prior service with the East Kent regiment, he did not go overseas with them.
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Yes that's him.
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WW1 medal roll shows previous service with "2/5 R Sussex regt" no 3895
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Hi - first of all thank you very much for your help ShaunJ. I have been speaking with my son and we checked our records. You're right he was born 25th May 1896 in (Streatham) and he is called Alfred in his birth certificate and marriage certificate. He did also live in Lochinvar Street in 1922 (on his marriage cert). So I think you must be right about him being in the 13th Sussex Regiment if you can see his Pension Index Card record with Lochinvar St listed. It is great to be able to confirm this and have his service number. Also thanks for the extra information on the PoW and discharge records - do you know where can we obtain those records if we wanted to get copies? One mystery still is the photo we were given of him, it very much looks like his face from memory but this chap looks like he's in an officer's uniform which doesn't seem to tally. I will try and upload the (very poor) photo I have
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Hopefully this picture comes through. He's holding a pipe in his left hand and he did smoke a pipe.
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The photo is indeed of a British officer (and a German officer). So not Alfred
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Also thanks for the extra information on the PoW and discharge records - do you know where can we obtain those records if we wanted to get copies
I posted a link to the PoW record on the Grande Guerre website which is free of charge.
The discharge information came from the Silver War Badge medal roll which you can view on Ancestry (also free of charge I think for this Remembrance weekend). And the Pension index card is on Fold 3, and should also be viewable foc this weekend.
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The officer's cap badge could be Machine Gun Corps
https://www.brittonsbadges.co.uk/en-GB/all-badges-currently-in-stock/a-wwi-officers-bronze-machine-gun-corps-cap-badge/prod_11028
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Good evening,
If he was in the 13th batt RSR then his number would start SD****. 11th, 12th and 13th batt's were the South Downs batt's raised by Colonel Lowther, also known as Lowther's Lambs.
The names of all 11th, 12th and 13th men are available online if I can find the link.
John915
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If Alfred Horton was a Private how did he end up in Minden which I think was a PoW camp for officers?
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If Alfred Horton was a Private how did he end up in Minden which I think was a PoW camp for officers?
Well he was a Private, and Minden wasn't just for officers.
Look at the Minden list that I linked to earlier. Ten Privates (including Alfred Horton) and one Sergeant Major.
https://grandeguerre.icrc.org/en/List/2728081/698/28467/
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Good morning,
I believe officers camps all had a certain number of ORs. They acted as batmen for the officers but not one on one as was usual.
John915
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See https://archive.org/details/prisonerofwaring00mccauoft/page/76/mode/2up for conditions in the camp at Minden.