border regiment(Army) Lookup and help please James Smith

[tigster]

I recently found my Gt Grandfather on the national roll of the great War.

The entry Says SMITH JAMES PRIVATE BORDER REGIMENT 'A Serving soldier who enlisted in June 1913, he was sent to france at the outbreak of war and fought at Mons,le cateau the Aisne an La Bassee. He was wounded and taken prisoner at the battle of Ypres bnt, owing to his injuries was exchanged in september of 1916. He was discharged as medically unfit in october of that year and holds the Mons Star and the general service and victory medals, 12 Caygill St.    Z3159
Does any one know what the Z3159 is?
On his marriage cert it sates he has an army pension.

and i cross referenced the address given with the address on my grandmothers birth cert and it matches so this is defo my Gt Grandfather.

I would like to know how i find out more? eg his enlistment number?

His service records? date and place of birth etc as i have not got a clue!!!

thankyou

[bursy]

Hi tigster
As a start you could check out this website

http://www.1914-1918.net/border.htm

With regard to Z3159 If he was wounded and discharged, he was, I believe, entitled to a Silver War Badge, this was individually numbered on the back

Regards, Dave

[bursy]

Hi again tigster

You could contact the Regimental museum in Carlisle, they keep the archives

borderregiment@aol.com

Regards, Dave

[tigster]

thanks for that site, but i am no further in establishing wich regment he was actually in, it looks to me like it is either the 1st battalion second or 1/5th. because none were at all of the battles the roll said he fought in puzzling.

I tried to look up the medal roll cards as well but there are lots of James smith's!!lol

i found an index for the national archives wo 364 microilm (this is the index of medically discharged soldiers with pensions)but i was wandering do you know how i can view this without going to kew?

Regards

[neil1821]

I'd expect an entry like that to give his army service number. Does it definitely read Z3159? That looks like a service number to me. It's not what I'd recognise an an SWB number.
If that's the case, then you should be able to search the medal card rolls using that number.

Neil

[tigster]

I don't think it is the service number, i think it is just the reference number of the entry in the records of the company that compiled the list of the great war.

from the information given in the entry i did write to the border regiment and they took there time but after searching their records found 63 James Smiths and narrowed it down and are now forwarding me the records they hold for him. so when i do get them i will post as to whether the Z3157 is his service number or not.

I do however have another question about the army and service records. it is concerning my grandfather who fought in ww2 i have pictures of him with guns in a desert and do not know what regiment he was in or where he was station or anything else really so i was wondering if there are any indexes or lists i can look at to see if i can get any information from like (e.g Like the national roll of the great war)

Thanks

[kingsbridgecath]

Tigster , grandad Harold army war pics are of him in trobuq desert Egypt, battle against Rommel...there's a tank photo that they captured, he was also in Rome...7th/ 8th army been told he was a desert rat.. hope this helps...
also I searched the sh*t out if James smith border reg etc, James smith Victoria cross winner keeps coming up, have been in comms with a Mathew from the museum where his medals are kept, there's a lot of write ups on that and him, one story on him is he tried to travel,without being noticed etc as he always had heroes welcomes everywhere..I've convinced myself it's not him but keeps popping up...what I do remember from nana dolly...Was James smith had shell shock..ptsd...and Catherine smith was a bit of a man hater..so I would say they clashed a lot... if he had shell shock, he's not going to deal with someone demanding or such like, and be off in a shot (no pun intended)....if I get anymore info I,ll post on here.
Cath

[John915]

Good morning,

Last evening I looked at a thread referring to a James Smith and the Border regt. I went away and did some research and on my return, no thread and I hadn't noted where it had been posted.

However, the border regt and the VC had been mentioned. Only two James Smith with the VC in the Border regt that I could see.  One got his in India late 1800s so not him.

The other was James Alexander Smith (born James Alexander Glenn). Regtl no 6423 3rd battalion Border regt but attached 2nd battalion. Got his VC dec 1914 for going out into no mans land with a private Acton and bringing in wounded men. Acton also received VC.

James died 1949, I can't do links on tablet but google him. It is all on there for the OP to see.

John915

[rosie99]

This one 

topics now merged

It is an old post but someone posted on it yesterday