World War One Service Records

[PaulJC]

Hi All,

My wifes uncle, John Mills (born 1892 in Salford but lived in Shaw. Oldham) served with the 2/6th Lancashire Fusiliers in the First World War. His brother John served in the Manchester Regiment at the same time. John mistakenly gave his brother as next of kin on his attestation form and it was then changed to his wife. The problem is that I cannot find any record of Johns military service despite knowing his date of birth and regiment. I have access to records but have drawn a blank so far.
Regards,
Paul

[Blue70]

A lot of records were destroyed. Ancestry and FindMyPast have WW1 Service Records. If you can't find him after looking on both sites then the record hasn't survived. Both sites are often free to access in council libraries.


Blue

[PaulJC]

Thanks,
I have access to one of those sites. I know that many records were lost in fires resulting from the Blitz but thought that I could find a simple one page confirmation of his service rather than the full service history.
Paul

[SmallTownGirl]

My wifes uncle, John Mills (born 1892 in Salford but lived in Shaw. Oldham) served with the 2/6th Lancashire Fusiliers in the First World War. His brother John served in the Manchester Regiment at the same time

I'm a bit confused.

Your wife's uncle was called John and he had a brother called John.  So, that's two men called John Mills, right?  One in the Lancashire Fusiliers and one in the Manchester Regiment.

Or have I completely lost the plot? 

STG

[PaulJC]

Hi STG,
Its me......his brother was James.
Paul

[SmallTownGirl]

FindMyPast has some discharge papers from 1919 for a John Mills, b Salford 20 Jun 1892, s/o Charles, has son called Ernest b 1917, wife Hannah, 47010, 3bn South Lancs Regiment of 5 Burton Street, Cottonwood/Collyhurst Road, Manchester, married, occupation panel planer/dustman.  Might that be him?

STG

[Aulus]

If you know his service number you should be able to find a record in the WW1 Medal Cards.

If you don't know his number, then I find it well nigh impossible to spot the right person in the medal cards (I've just searched on the National Archives site for John Mills in the Lancashire Fusiliers, and it returns 15 matches).  You might be able to spot him or narrow it down, as some have middle initials.  (The medal cards are also on ancestry & findmypast.) 

This is useful for interpreting medal cards.

If you have his medals, they will have his service number on the rim.

Even if you don't have his number, it might be worth searching the findmypast and ancestry collections again using each of the numbers on the medal cards instead of his name (I know you can search by regimental number on findmypast, can't remember re ancestry, sorry).  His name might be mistranscribed or missing from whichever page the indexers have used.  It's likely that his records have been destroyed, but worth a go.

[PaulJC]

Hi STG,
No, that not him.
thanks though,
Paul

[EDDIER]

There is a John Patrick Mills 2/6th Lancashire Fusiliers 241174. Failing that could he have enlisted under his adopted parents name Geraghty? 1911 Census at 170 Oldham Road Shaw with James and also two adopted sisters named  Corringham
Eddie