Grandads war records

[organicgardener]

My grandad Alfred Onions served in WW1 and we always had a brass spill container on the fireside. He always said it was a brass casing that he had made from a shell during WW1 when he was in the army. It had a pointed top and hammered sides. I have tried to find his war records but with no luck. I have bought several but they are not him. He was born in Walsall Staffordshire in 1889 parents John Alfred and Helen Jane nee Thacker.  In 1911 he was a waggoner in Wednesfield aged 20. I would love to find out what he did between 1914 and when he married my grandmother in 1920 in Lancashire.                                                                                                                                                                                                 

[BumbleB]

Unfortunately more than half of WW1 service records were destroyed in a fire at the War Office repository during WW2.

[organicgardener]

Thanks for that BumbleB Grandad never talked about where he was or what he did, just the brass spill holder and a couple of medals. There seems to be a lot of records that are lost so I guess we are lucky to have all the census records.

[jonwarrn]

The medals should have his army number, rank and regiment on them.

[ALAMO2008]

There were 7 Medal Index Cards for Alfred Onions
And One Burnt Attestation Survived but not him
His Five Brothers also probably Served
There are 50 Ancestry Trees for Alfred none found his Military Number
Do you think he didn't talk about the War because it wasn't a pleasant time of his Life

[Neale1961]

…..just the brass spill holder and a couple of medals.

Your next step should be to pull out the medals and see what they are, and see what is written on them.

[alan o]

If he had 2 then it is likely he had the Great War medal and Victory medal.  This would indicate that he was not deployed overseas until after 31 Dec 1915 or he would have had a third medal; the 1914 or  1914-15 Star.

In all probability he was in the Army Service Corps as they would have wanted his skills as a waggoner but you will need to check what is on the medals' rims.  As a young man then he might be in the Royal Artillery as they also needed lots of men who could handle horses.  Of course he may have voluntered for a local infantry regiment.

[ALAMO2008]

Deleted

[alan o]

2 potentials.