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Author Topic: Trying to find more info about William Thomas Dickens' military service  (Read 625 times)

Offline dicko99

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Trying to find more info about William Thomas Dickens' military service
« on: Monday 11 September 23 14:16 BST (UK) »
Hello there,

My grandfather (who I never knew) was born in 1899 in Hammersmith, London. I know very little about him but I've just found him in the 1921 census serving as a rifleman in the 1st battalion of the Rifle Brigade in Cawnpore, India.

I've tried search on Ancestry for more records but nothing matches with great certainty. Can anyone recommend the best way to find out more information?

TIA,
Richard
Pratt, Smith, Jay, Wyatt - Essex
Dickens, Betteridge - London, Oxfordshire
Perrins, Bourne, Hickman, Fletcher - Aylesbury, Stoke upon Trent

Online KGarrad

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Re: Trying to find more info about William Thomas Dickens' military service
« Reply #1 on: Monday 11 September 23 14:54 BST (UK) »
Service records for people serving after 1920 are mostly still with the MOD.
See: https://www.gov.uk/get-copy-military-records-of-service

These records are slowly being transferred to The National Archives.
Garrad (Suffolk, Essex, Somerset), Crocker (Somerset), Vanstone (Devon, Jersey), Sims (Wiltshire), Bridger (Kent)

Offline dicko99

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Re: Trying to find more info about William Thomas Dickens' military service
« Reply #2 on: Monday 11 September 23 15:11 BST (UK) »
Quote from: KGarrad on Monday 11 September 23 14:54 BST (UK)
Service records for people serving after 1920 are mostly still with the MOD.
See: https://www.gov.uk/get-copy-military-records-of-service

These records are slowly being transferred to The National Archives.

Thanks for that, I've submitted an FOI request via the National Archives so we'll see what comes back.

R.
Pratt, Smith, Jay, Wyatt - Essex
Dickens, Betteridge - London, Oxfordshire
Perrins, Bourne, Hickman, Fletcher - Aylesbury, Stoke upon Trent

Offline amondg

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Re: Trying to find more info about William Thomas Dickens' military service
« Reply #3 on: Monday 11 September 23 15:14 BST (UK) »
1920 he is on an absent voters list for Hammersmith. (ancestry)

William Thomas Dickens 549 Kings Road     S/45735  1st. Rifle Brigade

ADDED
Is this the correct one there seems to be more than one by the same name

Offline dicko99

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Re: Trying to find more info about William Thomas Dickens' military service
« Reply #4 on: Monday 11 September 23 15:33 BST (UK) »
Quote from: amondg on Monday 11 September 23 15:14 BST (UK)
1920 he is on an absent voters list for Hammersmith. (ancestry)

William Thomas Dickens 549 Kings Road     S/45735  1st. Rifle Brigade

ADDED
Is this the correct one there seems to be more than one by the same name

That must be him, his mother and a sister are at that address in the 1921 census.

R.
Pratt, Smith, Jay, Wyatt - Essex
Dickens, Betteridge - London, Oxfordshire
Perrins, Bourne, Hickman, Fletcher - Aylesbury, Stoke upon Trent

Online ShaunJ

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Re: Trying to find more info about William Thomas Dickens' military service
« Reply #5 on: Monday 11 September 23 17:45 BST (UK) »
He was a PoW in Lamsdorf camp in 1918, Captured on 27 May.
UK Census info. Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk

Offline dicko99

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Re: Trying to find more info about William Thomas Dickens' military service
« Reply #6 on: Monday 11 September 23 18:05 BST (UK) »
Quote from: ShaunJ on Monday 11 September 23 17:45 BST (UK)
He was a PoW in Lamsdorf camp in 1918, Captured on 27 May.
Shaun,

Is there a record of that on-line somewhere? As I said, I know almost nothing about his life.

R.
Pratt, Smith, Jay, Wyatt - Essex
Dickens, Betteridge - London, Oxfordshire
Perrins, Bourne, Hickman, Fletcher - Aylesbury, Stoke upon Trent

Online ShaunJ

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Re: Trying to find more info about William Thomas Dickens' military service
« Reply #7 on: Tuesday 12 September 23 00:01 BST (UK) »
Red Cross PoW record:  https://grandeguerre.icrc.org/en/List/2407579/698/34251/

For some reason the Germans had him down as Northumberland Fusiliers
UK Census info. Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk

Offline dicko99

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Re: Trying to find more info about William Thomas Dickens' military service
« Reply #8 on: Tuesday 12 September 23 00:11 BST (UK) »
He seems to be listed more than once...
https://grandeguerre.icrc.org/en/List/5283352/698/35140/
Pratt, Smith, Jay, Wyatt - Essex
Dickens, Betteridge - London, Oxfordshire
Perrins, Bourne, Hickman, Fletcher - Aylesbury, Stoke upon Trent
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