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General => Armed Forces => Topic started by: Timbottawa on Friday 16 January 26 14:03 GMT (UK)
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I'm having to dive into military records, a subject on which I am a complete neophyte! I'm searching for William Gray, who was born in 1869-70 in Newark, but who spent most of his life in and around Bradford.
I believe he joined the army in about 1904-5, based on a 1906 newspaper article that implied that he had gone bankrupt around 1904, in Otley, and "subsequently joined the army and is serving in India".
He died, aged 44, on 03/03/1915, but not (as you might expect) as a result of WW1. Causes of death were tuberculosis and cardiac failure, but his occupation is still listed as Master(?) Sergeant, 8th West Riding Regiment.
Without wishing anyone to waste a lot of time on this, if some military expert could find out when he joined up and where he served (e.g., when did he go to/return from India), I'd be most grateful.
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If you have access to Ancestry his service records are on there
He joined up 8 April 1904 York
He was a sergeant
Regiment number 7824 West Riding Regiment
His occupation on enlistment is Grocer Clerk
He served in several countries
He was admitted to City Hospital Leeds Road Bradford 20 February 1915: with acute pulmonary tuberculosis and
died 3 March 1915 . His health broke down while home on leave
Rosie
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William's service records are shown on FindMyPast - quite a lot of pages. Start date 6 June 1904 - medically fit date of 7 April 1904.
Added: (from service record):
Wife - Helena Jane Boyle, married St Paul's, Manningham - 16.9.1895
Chidren:
William Alfred - 26 May 1896 - Bradford
Douglas - 1 June 1898 - Fulham ?
Cyril - 24 October 1902 - Otley
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Does anything in records mention that military service caused his illness?
If it does there could be a case for recognition by CWGC if he was still in uniform in 1915 he should be eligible
https://infromthecold.org/
Having looked at his record I believe he should be added to the CWGC roll id contact in from the cold
Ady
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It says Pulmonary Tuberculosis an acute rapid type accelerated heart failure
Duration of illness unknown but would have been brief
Rosie
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Does anything in records mention that military service caused his illness?
If it does there could be a case for recognition by CWGC if he was still in uniform in 1915 he should be eligible
https://infromthecold.org/
Having looked at his record I believe he should be added to the CWGC roll id contact in from the cold
Ady
He is already on the CWGC roll of honour: https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/411374/w-gray/
To be eligible for CWGC recognition it is not necessary that his cause of death was directly attributable to his military service. It is sufficient that he was actually serving in a theatre of operations, albeit he was home on leave at the time.
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He died, aged 44, on 03/03/1915, but not (as you might expect) as a result of WW1. Causes of death were tuberculosis and cardiac failure, but his occupation is still listed as Master(?) Sergeant, 8th West Riding Regiment.
His actual rank was Staff Sergeant (also referred to as Colour Sergeant in most Infantry Battalions) and his appointment was Company Quartermaster Sergeant. That is to say he was in charge of the Company's stores and in wartime he would have been responsible for supplying the rations and ammunition to the fighting troops, along with more routine supplies such as replacement articles of uniform, blankets, digging equipment etc. In terms of the hierarchy, he would have been the second most senior of the NCOs in the company after the Company Sergeant Major.
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Andy thanks for clarifying that the search I did didn't show him up on CWGC search engine
as id used 3/3/15 and they list him as 4/3/15
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Well, thanks to everyone for your very helpful replies - more than I bargained for!
Just a note to BumbleB, who understandably queried the Fulham birth. I don't know the reason for sure, but I can rationalise this ... Helena Jane's father (my g-gf), Yorkshire born-and-bred, spent about 5 years living in London in the period 1897-8 to 1902/3, when appointed Coordinating Secretary of the Lifeboat Saturday Fund. So Douglas might have been born, whether by design or accident, while his mother (always known as "Nelly") was visiting her parents.
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I am not sure about the '8th'. The Duke of Wellington's West Riding) Regiment's 1st Battalion was in India for the whole war (this was unusual as many Regular battalions were replaced by Territorials in 1914 and sent to France.
As a pre-war Regular he would have been in the 1st or 2nd Battalion. Many regiments kept their old numbers before they were given their regional titles. Before the 1881 reforms they were the 33rd of Foot and the 8th were the King's Liverpools so it is not that. If he signed up in 1904 then the normal term would have been for 12 years but he could have bought himself out early.
There was an 8th Battalion Duke of Wellingtons raised in 1914 who were in Gallipoli not India. They were still in the UK when he died.
From the Long.long trail website:
8th (Service) Battalion
Formed at Halifax in August 1914 as part of K1 and came under command of 34th Brigade in 11th (Northern) Division. Moved to Belton Park (Grantham).
18 January 1915: transferred to 32nd Brigade in same Division. Moved to Witley in April 1915.
Sailed from Liverpool in July 1915 for Gallipoli, landing at Suvla Bay 7 August 1915. Moved to France in July 1916.
13 February 1918 : disbanded in France.
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alan o
His complete service history is as follows:
Was in the 3rd (Militia) Battalion West Riding Regt (dates unspecified).
6 Apr 1904 enlisted in the Regular West Riding Regt and posted to the 1st Bn.
Served in India 5 Oct 1905 to 20 Jan 1912
Promoted LCpl 1 Sep 1904, Cpl 9 Nov 1907, Sgt 1 Jan 1908
Discharged to the Reserve 5 Apr 1912
Mobilised 5 Aug 1914 and posted to 8th (Service) Battalion West Riding Regt in the rank of Sgt, acting Colour Sergeant. He remained in the UK during his time with the 8th Bn. The 8th Bn did not deploy to Gallipoli until after his death.
Died 3 Mar 1915 in Bradford Fever Hospital while on leave. He had been staying with his sister-in-law Ellen Gray at 52 Toller Lane, Manningham, Bradford. It appears that he was estranged from his wife who was living in Huddersfield at the time of his death. His mother was registered as his next of kin. His sister-in-law registered his death. His wife was awarded a pension of 19/- per week and was also due to receive his medals although no details are given about which medals were awarded, or if indeed the wife received them.
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Thanks for clarifying that.