Grandads war records

[organicgardener]

Thanks for all the information. He had two medals but I don't have them as they were given to the males in the family. The first record seems more like Alfred as I never knew him to drive a car just a bike.

[jonwarrn]

First record (M2) is Mechanical Transport
Second record (T4) is Horse Transport
And see
https://www.greatwarforum.org/topic/50028-prefix-t4-before-army-number/

[alan o]

Unfortunately there are many candidates of the same name in the Infantry and other Corps so without any regimental number or another fact you are unlikely to find out any more.  I am assuming that we can discount the other medal winners with middle initials. Once they are removed and the deceased there are at least a further 2 candidates:  one a Royal Engineer and another in the Labour Corps.  Unfortunately none of them have surviving service records so there is a limited amount you can find out about them.  I found out a lot about my great grandfather's movements through the local newspaper which reported on his enlistment, training and leave to his parents during the war and his demob in 1919.  That might be an option if you know where his parents were living.

[organicgardener]

I know his parents lived in Rowley Street Walsall Staffordshire as I have all the census records. I will try that. Thanks for helping me. After the war he turned up in Warrington where he met my grandmother Dora Eliza Eckersley.

[jonwarrn]

Walsall 1918 electoral register (Division 1 voters) has
34a Upper Walhouse Street
Onions, Helen Jane
Onions, John Alfred
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSN9-LY3B

Division 2 voters at that address, first three are absent, naval/military voters
Onions, Alfred
Onions,Frank
Onions, Howard
Onions, James Lewis
Onions, John Henry
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSN9-LLDF

[organicgardener]

WOW thats amazing as the 1911 census shows them all at 40 Rowley Street Walsall.

[jonwarrn]

Hi
We have an absent voters list!

Alfred Onions at 34a Upper Walhouse Street is
T4/253161 Lce.-Cpl., 1st Co., A.S.C.
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSN9-L5TL

Plus details for Frank and Howard

[organicgardener]

Thats amazing, thank you so much. The family seems to have moved up and down Rowley street for most of the census years, but 34a Upper Walhouse Street is a new one to me. Will have to investigate further !

[alan o]

So in addition to his medal entitlement you now have a unit.  '1st Co' would be 1st Company Horse Transport Army Service Corps was a depot company based in Aldershot.  It seems likely that he has been posted back to Aldershot after returning from France as this was depot company that would not leave UK; however it is just the sort of unit he might have been discharged from in 1919.

The rank is Lance Corporal. "Lce - Cpl"  This is not the usual abbreviation of LCpl or L/Cpl but is consistent with others on the page.

https://www.longlongtrail.co.uk/army/regiments-and-corps/the-army-service-corps-in-the-first-world-war/army-service-corps-horse-transport-companies/#trains
I found his  medal card on Ancestry but it has no further information other than his name, driver, ASC and number.  . As he did not have the star you know that he was not in France until 1 Jan 1916 or later.