This post will look at army service numbers issued to men joining the regular battalions of the Middlesex Regiment between 1881 (when the regiment was formed) and 1916.
From 1881 to 1900 the Middlesex Regiment comprised two regular battalions: the 1st Battalion - formerly the 57th (West Middlesex) Regiment of Foot - and the 2nd Battalion - formerly the 77th (East Middlesex) Regiment of Foot. In 1900, during the Boer War, two more regular battalions were authorised and these became the 3rd and 4th Battalions. This presented a problem for the two Middlesex Regiment Militia battalions - the Royal Elthorne Militia and the Royal East Middlesex Militia - which prior to 1900 had been the 3rd and 4th Battalions respectively. With the addition of the two new regular battalions they now became the 5th and 6th Battalions.
After the conclusion of the Boer War, the Middlesex Regiment retained its two additional battalions and therefore went to war in 1914 with four regular battalions. Three of these four battalions - the 1st, 2nd and 4th - were fighting in France before the year was out. The 3rd Battalion was stationed in India in August 1914 and didn't reach the Western Front until January 1915.
The L/ prefix was generally, but by no means uniformly used for regular Middlesex Regiment enlistments and I have omitted this prefix (where it occurs) from the list below. The data - which should be regarded as a snapshot - has been compiled as a result of looking at service records held in the WO 363 and WO 364 series at the National Archives and now accessible on-line.
In fact, there
are over 74,000 Middlesex
Regiment service and pension records (for this regiment - and its
antecedents) in various War Office series held at the National Archives.
Clicking on the link will take you to the results on Findmypast but you will need a subscription or
Pay-Per-View credits to actually view the records. Some of these records
can also be viewed on-line on Ancestry although Findmypast has by far
the most comprehensive service record collection.
Use the regimental numbers and dates on which these
were issued, below, to determine parameters for when your own Middlesex
Regiment ancestor would have joined up. Note though that
these numbers are only for regular enlistments. Special Reserve and Territorial
Force battalions operated completely separate regimental number sequences.
121 joined on 15th November 1881
462 joined on 20th November 1882
539 joined on 10th January 1883
888 joined on 12th January 1884
1344 joined on 29th April 1885
1735 joined on 29th April 1886
2244 joined on 6th September 1887
2356 joined on 2nd January 1888
2562 joined on 9th February 1889
3033 joined on 24th October 1890
3233 joined on 15th May 1891
3490 joined on 28th January 1892
4049 joined on 18th January 1893
4631 joined on 29th March 1894
4710 joined on 16th August 1895
4792 joined on 21st February 1896
5160 joined on 16th September 1897
5332 joined on 14th February 1898
5669 joined on 16th January 1899
6165 joined on 23rd March 1900
6865 joined on 15th January 1901
7729 joined on 30th January 1902
8326 joined on 2nd January 1903
9590 joined on 15th January 1904
10063 joined on 16th February 1905
10888 joined on 2nd January 1906
11492 joined on 12th February 1907
12137 joined on 10th March 1908
12466 joined on 26th January 1909
12818 joined on 4th January 1910
13356 joined on 30th January 1911
14082 joined on 13th May 1912
14442 joined on 29th January 1913
14821 joined on 2nd March 1914
When Britain went to war with Germany in August 1914, the Middlesex Regiment maintained the number series above for men enlisting for regular periods of service and started new number series for those men enlisting for wartime service only. It also started new series for war-time enlistments joing the 5th (Special Reserve) & 6th (Extra Reserve) Battalions which I'll deal with in future posts.
War-time only enlistments in the 11th - 15th service battalions, the 20th - 22nd Battalions, the 28th - 32nd Battalions and the 1st Garrison (Home Service) Battalion had their numbers prefixed with the letter G/ (or GS/ in some cases). Those men enlisting as regular, career soldiers, still received their numbers from the old series, prefixed with the letter L/.
L/15019 joined on 15th August 1914
L/15278 joined on 2nd December 1914
L/15371 joined on 18th February 1915
L/15446 joined on 14th March 1915
L/15449 joined on 14th April 1915
L/15680 joined on 11th May 1915
L/15807 joined on 1st June 1915
L/16013 joined on 21st July 1915
L/16079 joined on 6th August 1915
L/16314 joined on 26th October 1915
L/16315 joined on 1st December 1915
L/16433 joined on 10th February 1916
I've borrowed the image in this page from Norfolk County Council's (NCC) website. NCC notes the soldier as Private Reginald Eugene Kerridge of the 1st Middlesex. Private Kerridge's number was G/24450 indicating that although he may have served with the regular 1st Battalion, he joined up for war-time service only.
I also offer a comprehensive, fast and cost-effective military history research service. Follow the link for more information.
From The Naval & Military Press:
The Die-hards in the Great War
"The ‘Die-Hards’ is the nickname of the Middlesex Regiment, earned at the battle of Albuera in the Peninsular War in May 1811. The Regiment was one of five that had four regular battalions before the outbreak of war, it also had two Special Reserve battalions (5th and 6th) and four Territorial battalions, 7th to 10th..." Click the link to read more.
87 comments:
Hello, I've found a photo of a relative of mine we think is in a pow camp in edewecht, Germany in may 1916. The description on the photo says 13978 private j Thomas we believe his first name is 'John' and it says 4th Middlesex regiment. We've failed to find anything on google can you shed any light on who he might be or whether he was in a pow camp? Many thanks
Melany, L/13978 was a regular soldier who originally joined the Middx Regt in February 1912. He was part of the original expeditionary force and arrived overseas in France on the 14th August 1914, thus qualifying for the 1914 Star with clasp and roses (which he later claimed), as well as the British War and Victory Medals. His medal index card (accessible online via the Ancestry.co.uk site) indicates that he was a prisoner of war.
Paul
Hi Paul
Struggling with what I think may be a great uncle of mine. The medal card reads:
Arthur Popplewell, he got the Victory and British Medal and so must have served after 1915:
Middx R Pt 15149
11 – Lond. R. 59249
KRRC ,,
The regiments are clear, but not which battalion of the Middlesex Regiment he joined and when, plus
why and when the transfer to 11 London Regiment and when, plus the same for the KRRC (plus why would he transfer with his number). Any help you can give unravelling this would be very much appreciated.
Thanks
Justin
Justin
Two possibilities here. If the number belongs to the regular series it would have been prefixed with the letter L/ and would date to late August 1914. Men with these numbers joined the army as career soldiers rather than for the duration of the war.
If the number was prefixed with a G/ then it dates to 31st May or 1st June 1915. These men joined up for war-time service only and all the men I have seen with numbers close to Arthur Popplewell's were posted to the 21st Battalion.
I'm not too sure about the KRRC/ 11th Londons number but it might be worth your while calling up the original medal roll at TNA to see if battalions for both the Middx and KRRC are noted.
Paul
Justin
Two possibilities here. If the number belongs to the regular series it would have been prefixed with the letter L/ and would date to late August 1914. Men with these numbers joined the army as career soldiers rather than for the duration of the war.
If the number was prefixed with a G/ then it dates to 31st May or 1st June 1915. These men joined up for war-time service only and all the men I have seen with numbers close to Arthur Popplewell's were posted to the 21st Battalion.
I'm not too sure about the KRRC/ 11th Londons number but it might be worth your while calling up the original medal roll at TNA to see if battalions for both the Middx and KRRC are noted.
Paul
My Grandfather (Archibald Chase) enlisted in the Middlesex in August 1914 and took part in the retreat from Mons and the battles of the Somme and Arras. He was transferred to Italy in 1916. His service number began with an S (S/6937). Is there anywhere I could find his complete war record?
Maureen
If Archibald enlisted in August 1914, it must have been as a Special Reservist with the 6th (Extra Reserve) Battalion. That he was overseas by November that year suggests to me that he may have had prior military service. A lot of time expired soldiers joined the Special Reserve and it's possible that Archibald was one of these men. Unfortunately, in the absence of a service record, all of this is conjecture, and there doesn't appear to be a surviving service record on Ancestry. Maybe post a query on the Great War Forum and hope that a Middlesex Regiment expert may turn up something for you.
Dear Paul,
I have just discovered your website whilst attempting to find some information about the Middlesex Regiment which my Grandfather was with during WW1. It is certainly an impressive site and has provided me with some new facts for my research. However, I keep drawing a blank when I try to research my Grandfather's war record.
His name was Frederick William Green, he was born in Clewer, Berkshire in 1885 and he was a Private in the Middlesex Regiment. His Regimental No was G/50559.
I am trying to find out when and where he enlisted and also which battalion he was in. I am assuming that he enlisted after February 1916. My reason for this is that Private Reginald Eugene Kerridge mentioned on your web page enlisted 20 February 1916 and his Regimental No was G/24450. At that time my Grandfather was living in the Kensal Rise, Willesden area of London.
Any help you can provide would be most appreciated.
Thank you in anticipation.
Hilary
After such a detailed question, I'm afraid I'm going to give a disappointing answer. The number appears to be a 1916 vintage and my guess would be, based on the limited information I have, that it dates to the beginning of July 1916. In all probability, your grandfather attested under the Derby Scheme (was he already married, witrh children perhaps?) in December 1915 and was then called up in July 1916. The number would date to July 16 rather tha December 1915.
Impossible to determine which battalion/s he served with but the medal rolls at the National Archives may yield more information on that front.
Oaul
Dear Paul,
Thank you for your quick response to my question. Although you said your answer was disappointing, it did give me some 'food for thought'. My Grandfather was married at that time and he also had a young son of two years, so your suggestion that he may have enlisted under the Derby Scheme does seem to be quite feasible.
I have now found a page about the Derby Scheme on 'The Long, Long Trail and it suggests that a married man born in 1885 would have been in group 36. Then, under the Mobilisation Dates heading, it states that group 36 was proclaimed on 27 April 1916 and mobilised on 29 May 1916. This is quite a possibility.
I must now make a visit to the National Archives and see if they can throw any more light on this puzzle!
Thank you once again for your help and your excellent web site.
Kind regards
Hilary
Good luck Hilary, and apologies for my sloppy two-finger typed response to your original query.
Paul
This is a very interesting thread, which I've only just found.
My Grandfather George William Graham was also in the 4th Middlesex Reg, in 1914, Service Number 9650, rank Private 1914-1919.
He also was a POW according to his medal card, but I don't know where he was held. Can you shed any light on him?
I feel really bad that he lies in a porpas grave in Wandsworth cemitary, when he served his country so well, and now lies almost forgotten by his family.
John Graham
John
I can't tell you where he was held but he was certainly captured before Christmas 1914 as his name appears on a 12-page typed document submitted to the fund dealing with the distribution of the Princess Mary tin. As you may know, Princess Mary had wanted men who were serving, to have a gift of chocloates or tobacco at Chrismas 1914 and after the war, her thougts turned to those men who'd missed out as a result of having been captured before Christmas that year. There are 442 Other Ranks listed for the Middx Regiment and your grandfather is recorded as 9650 Private G W Graham of 11 Harnage Road, Brentford. That's all that there is. You should access the war diary for 1914 to find out exactly what happened.
Paul
Hello Paul.
So if I understand your post, my Grandfather was captured in 1914, after the battle of Mons?
I have his discharge card from 1919, signed by his CO, so I know when he was discharged from the army.
You see it does not fit to well with the birth of his second child, Irene, in 1917!
How did he manage that, if he was a POW? This new information is very confusing.
Regards.
John
Hello Paul.
I've found out from his marriage certificate George was a male nurse in 1913, I prosume he was an army nurse at the time. Would he been trained by the RMC?
Regards.
John
John
No, not necessarily an army nurse. He would have been on the reserve at that time and so no longer in the army. As for his capture; definitely pre Xmas 1914 but perhaps he was repatriated before the war ended. That's all that I can tell you.
Paul
Hello Paul.
Thankyou for your information.
So to recap. From your list of numbers, my grandfather joined up sometime after Jan 1904, with the Middlesex Regiment aged 19.
He would have then done basic training, and stayed in for how long?
Then he became a reservist, until mobilised 1914, and sent to France, in Aug 1914.
Battle of Mons, and then captured sometime before Christmas 1914.
I'm trying to find out if he fathered a child, Irene in 1917. If so he must have been exchanged, as I doubt a prisoner escape is likely.
As I have his discharge certificate dated 1919, would he have gone back to the front in 1917, or posted to home duties?
I know, with the mists of time, it's impossible to say without being certain, but what's your best guess as to the blanks?
Regards.
John
Hi,
I am attempting to find my grandfather who was in the 3rd battlation of the Middlesex regiment, enlisted before 1906 and went off to Singapore where he got married. His name was either Alfred Joseph Heassey or his alias Herbert Smith.
Any help would be greatly appreciated or a direction as to where I could possibly find enlistment data for the regiment.
Mr Senn
You'll need to identify him in medal rolls (on Ancestry for pre WW1 or on Ancestry/National Archives website for WW1 medals). If he's a pre 1906 enlistment then you're looking for a man with a number lower than 10888.
John
Re 9650 Graham. Joins mid Feb 1904. Transferred to Army Reserve Feb 1907.
"As I have his discharge certificate dated 1919, would he have gone back to the front in 1917, or posted to home duties?"
No idea, but my guess would be the latter. Assuming he was repatriated, the Germans were not in the habit of repatriating men who could then go back and fight them. Repatriated PoWs were usually those men who had lost limbs or become permanently disabled in other respects.
Hi,
I am looking for my grandfather who has a number G/52867 his name was Frederick L Couling
I have a a piece of his medal card, this says theatre of war France.
We know he was injured but that is all, any help would be great.
Many Thanks,
shaun
Shaun
Thanks for your message. His medal index card also notes service with the Army Ordnance Corps and the number 05780. This in turn indicates that he joined the AOC around 7th/8th/9th April 1915. He obviously transferred to the Middx Regt later on and my database suggest that that would have been in November 1917.
Paul
Hi
I am trying to trace information on my Great Grandfather Robert George Heath. He was a Corporal in the 2nd Middlesex L/12843 we know h was injured and sent back to England to recuperate at the home of Lord & Lady Digby before returning to service. He transferred to the MGC 101st B 7? service Number 11078 and his medal records states Victory, British and 14 Star. But apart from that thats all we know. We have a regental photo in the Middlesex and thats it.
Can you tell us where he served or any other details or places to look?
Regards
Simon
I can't find any details for this man I'm afraid, but if the numbers you have given me are correct, L/12843 dates to around 24th January 1910 and the MGC number to around Jan 1916.
Paul
Paul, thanks for the information.
The 24th Jan would seem right as I think at the time it may have been at Warley, Brentwood, Essex where he met my Great Grandmother. A correct to my typo his name was Robert George Sheath.
He recuperated at the hospital at Minterne Magna before joining the 101st MGC which I think was unusual as records suggest he would have gone from 2nd Bn Middlx to the 34th COY MGC.
Regards
Simon
Hi Paul,
I'm trying to find out a bit more about my great uncle Benjamin Rouse. He served as a private with the Middlsex Regiment with service number 204117 (sorry don't know the battalion) but we know nothing else of his enlistment or time with the regiment. Sometime later he transferred to the 1st Battalion Wiltshire Regiment - no idea of the circumstances - where he number was 205746. Sadly he was killed in action near Beaulencourt in France on 30th August 1918.
Any help very much appreciated. Thanks in advance
Leslie
Hello Leslie
Both of these numbers belong to Territorial Force battalions: 204117 is the 7th Middx and 205746 is the 4th Wiltshire Regiment. They are both late enlistments, April 1916 onwards and possibly a good deal later. He would have arrived in France with the 7th Middx and then been transferred to the Wilts. Knowing the battalions means you can now also check the war diaries for these battalions. If I were you I'd start with the 4th Wilts at 30th August 1918 and then work backwards. Diaries are held at The National Archives in London and many of them are also available (for a small fee) online.
Hi Paul,
Thank you very much indeed for the information and taking the time to look it out. Interestingly the CWGC has my great uncle as serving in the 1st Battlion of the Wiltshires at the time he was killed so the connection with the 4th Wiltshire is intriguing. Maybe a transfer to the 1st from the 4th Wiltshire after his transfer from the 7th Middlesex?
Best wishes and many thanks.
Hi Paul,
Researching a Leonard Kenneth SCOTT, who married in 1913, first child born 1914. No Service Record, but Medal Card states: 43753 Pte Middlesex Regiment and 238052 Pte Suffolk Regiment. Also has: EN 6-8-15; Dis 25-1-17 or 19?; SWB No.B270571 (W)= wounded?
Trying to find when he transferred from Middlesex Reg. to Suffolk Reg. and what battalion in each he served in? This is for a book in NZ re. WW1 100 Year Centenary 1914-2014, that my Genealogy Group is putting together. Any help very much appreciated!!!
Hi Paul,
Researching a Leonard Kenneth SCOTT for a book re. WW1 100 Year Centenary in NZ. No Service Record, but his Medal Card states:43753 Pte Middlesex Regiment and 238052 Pte Suffolk Regiment. Also states: EN 6-8-15 and DIS 25-1-17 or 19?, SWB No.B270571 (W)= wounded? Trying to find when he transferred from one regiment to the other and which battalion in each he served in? Any help very much appreciated!
Hello Peter
The details on his medal index card regarding enlistment and discharge (as you correctly surmise, as a result of wounds) were added much later - 22nd Dec 1965 is the date given. His original silver war badge roll entry confirms those dates, noting that he was 27 years old when discharged. The roll does not give a battalion for the Suffolk Regiment although the six digit number belongs to the range which was used by the 4th Battalion. I just don't have enough data for this series to be able to hazard a transfer date but my guess would be that it was late on in the war. Best bet would be to try and identify similar numbers in service records that survive and then make assumptions from that.
Paul
Hi Paul,
Thanks for your answer re. Leonard Kenneth SCOTT. His Middlesex Regiment number was 43753 and he enlisted in August 1915. Are you able to determine which battalion he is likely to have served in please?
I'm sorry, Peter, no idea. I don't have anything helpful for numbers in this range.
Hi Paul
I hope you can help. I have found a great war medal amongst my grandfather's and great grandfather's medals. I think the medal should be with the gentleman's family. Unfortunately I have not been able to find the gentleman at the national archives. The details on the medal are PW.2543 A CPL M.A.WATERMAN MIDD'X R. Any information on where to look next would be greatfully received and I then can hopefully return the medal to the gentleman's family where it belongs.
Thank you for your time.
Jacky x
Hello Jacky, please note that I am only undertaking paid research projects now. Please see the Research tab at the top of this page for details on how this works.
Paul
Paul
Many thanks for putting together a really interesting and helpful blog.
Could I please ask where you found the listing of Prisoners from Christmas 1914 in respect of the Princess Mary tins?
Many thanks
Paul
Paul, they are from a correspondence file held at the Imperial War Museum. It was also published online as part of the Women at War series.
Many thanks Paul. That is very helpful and I will follow it up.
Thanks again
Paul
Hi Paul
Trying to find out any info on Sgt CE English DCM L7378 served in the Middlesex 4th from age 13 in Boer war and in WW1 - can you help please
Stephen, there is a lot of free information about his time as a PoW on the ICRC site here: http://grandeguerre.icrc.org/en/File/Details/1721428/3/2/
Strangely, there is no citation that I could see for his award of the DCM which was gazetted 30th Jan 1920 and which also appears on the 2nd Feb 1920. He served with the 3rd Battalion in South Africa.
If you'd like me to research this man fully, please drop me a line via the research tab.
Best wishes
Paul
Hi there I've got my great grandads number and he was part of the Middlesex reg if I give you the number could u help me with more details please it's g/26549
Could you please email me back on barrypaulwoodham@gmail.com
Hi Paul
Great site.
I have gathered a fair amount of info regarding my great grandfather George Pringle Lithgow G/92640 from his discharge certificate, medal rolls and admission to no 8 gen hospital in Rouen on 19th April 1918 and silver war badge. Like most his main service records were burnt.
He was from Edinburgh and enlisted into the Lothian and Border Horse 16 Nov 1915, then 4th Dragoons reserve. Iit appears he was transferred to infantry at some point with Middlesex Regiment recorded as his corps and the 'G/' suffix on his army number. However he served with the 7th London Regiment when wounded at Villers Brettoneux. He doesn't appear to have a London Regiment number and I was wondering if his Middlesex number might indicate the approximate date he moved into infantry.....and I was trying to find out the link between Middlesex and the 'shiny 7th. Was that some sort of staging post into other army regiments....he survived and was discharges 16 April 1919.
Any info re the approx date of the Middlesex number G/92640 would be really appreciated
Thanks
Stephen Lithgow
I'd need to research that, Stephen, but it would be possible to pin that date down and also possibly come up with an answer for how the 7th Londons fit into the picture. Drop me a line via the research tab if you want this investigating further.
Paul
Hi,
I'm looking for information on my Great-Grandfather who enlisted to the middlesex regiment 1897. 5171 Sergt William Howlett King. Are there any records? Thanks.
Re William Howlett King, yes there are some papers that survive, as well as the normal campaign medal entitlement documents.
Paul, I am researching Pte G/11343 George Rogers (my uncle)for the 100th anniversary of his death in April 1917.
He was a member of 21st Battalion Middlesex Regiment and I have the hand written War Diary (Army Form C2118) for the first 18 days of April 1917. His death was notified to my father (his declared next of kin) as having died on 10th April. The War Diary mentions an action on 8th April in which 26 OR killed 38 OR wounded and 1 OR wounded and missing.
A note refers to an entry dates 30th April with the words "One body since discovered and buried unidentified assumed to be that of missing man". The War Diary gives no name or even service number of Other Ranks killed, wounded or missing. They were just counted. Even a minor injury resulted in the officer's name being recorded.
George Rogers has his name inscribed on the Thiepval Memorial as having no known grave.
The Action was at GOUZEAUCOURT WOOD. I can find the town but not a "bois" of that name. The action seems to have been successful by the standards of WW I . They took a cross road and were congratulated by the Corps, Division and Brigade commanders.
Would the note imply that he was buried in an unmarked grave on the battlefield or in a "Known only to God" grave?
Do you know anything recorded of the part of the Western Front at this time involving 21st Middlesex?
Can you tell me if this action was part of a large operation?
Alan, thanks for your post. My suggestion would be to re-publish this query on the Great War Forum. I don't know the answers offhand and would need to research it. My guess would be that the body was found unidentified and would have been buried as "kbown unto God" and probably exhumed and re-buried after the war. Unfortunatlety it is not uncommon for other ranks not to be recorded by name in war diaries.
Hi Paul,
Great site!
I'm trying to find out more about a relative named George Wrentmore. I know his grave is in Cambrin and that he died 25th September 1915. His number was 398 from which I understand means he must've joined in 1882. Are you able to shed any light on him or point me in a direction of how I may find more information?
Many Thanks
Rich
Thanks, Rich. Be careful about the 1882 date as his regimental number almost certainly belongs to another series. Nevertheless, I would almost certainly be able to add additional inofrmation about this man. Drop me a line to paulcanixon@yahoo.co.uk and we can take it from there.
Just found this blog about Middlesex Regiment Service Numbers. It's very interesting. Trying to find out info about which battalion my grandfather served with. His number according to his medal card is G5545. The info at the top of the page suggests he was in 11th to 15th, 20th to 22nd or 28th to 32nd. Is there any way I can narrow this down to the actual battalion as I'd like to visit the battlefield he was wound on 100 years ago his year.
Regards
John Wonnacott
The answer to that question may be found on the medal roll, John, which you can view on Ancestry.
Dear Paul
My great uncle Private Anthony Maloney (22008) was killed May 6th 1917 fighting with the Suffolk regiment. He lived around Marylebone and Mill Hill - is it likely he would have transferred from the Middlesex regiment?
Many thanks for any help
Richard Silman
Richard - re Anthony Maloney. No, not necessarily the case. Just becuase he lived in Middlesex does not mean that he would have initially served with the Middlesex Regt. He could be researched, even if there is no surviving service record. Drop me a line via the RESEARCH tab if you might be interested in pursuing this.
Dear Paul
I'm researching 2 brothers in the Middlesex Regiment who were Gt-Gt-Uncles in my wife's family. Would you have any indication of when they joined up? - Robert Albert Kreeger G/74146, and William Emanuel Kreeger G/84035. Their parents were Germany-Prussia immigrants, so an interesting situation there.
Hi My grt-grandfather Pte Percy Moulding 6924 died Oct 15th 1914. He had been a regular in the 4th Bttn Middlesex before the war. I'm trying to find any photographs of the battalion as we have none of him. Can you help?
Hi.... my son is going menin gate on a trip.... our ww1 relative is private Albert bennett 2nd battalion Middlesex regiment. Service g/10684... location panel 49 & 51... died 8th jan 1917... im trying to work out what battle this was.
Angie, he may not have been killed in a battle, as such. Download the 2nd Middx war diary (£3.50) to find out what the battalion was doing on the day he died: http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C7352481
Hi Paul, I lost 4 great grandfathers in WW1 and have some confusion about 3 of them. If I could ask you a question about Percy Moulding of the 4th Battn Middlesex maybe I can enlist your help with the others also. I would like to know where Percy L/6924 was 15th Oct 1914 when he died. He's buried at Vielle Chappelle. The other three one was called Ernest Hancock and there are so many it's difficult to know which one he is! One was Frederick Arthur Brookes died 1915 Arras I think but there are 2 Frederick Brookes!
Thank you
Louise, The National Archives has digitised many diaries from the First World World War, including that of the 4th Middx. It can be downloaded for £3.50: http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C7352078 The diary is unlikley to mention your great grandfather by name but it will give the detail you seek.
Hi
My grandad was told his father died at war when he was 1 he also had the surname baxley which was also my mother maiden name and it should have been Baxby we also found out his dad a him at died 1940s in a work house with was he told he died did he have mental problems or hurt in the war the only info I have is his reg number .
Regiment No G/11606.
William Baxby
Thanks
Hi Paul, I have the medal role card of my grandfather Robert Henry Sheppard Reg no 6036 3rd Hussars Middlesex Regiment, but am trying to find out which battalion he was with. How can I do that? Thanks in advance for your help.
He was 3rd Hussars, later commissioned in the Middx Regt on 26th June 1917. No battalion info on MIC or medal roll and apparently no surviving service record. Try searching the London Gazette as he was later MiD and so there should be reference for him.
Tx for your response, Paul. What is MiD? Cheers
MiD = Mentioned in Dispatches; A gallantry award. It's the EM or EMB reference seen on medal index cards which refers to the oak leaf emblem worn on the Victory Medal ribbon to signify that the wearer had been MiD.
Hi
I thought you would be interested with the following research I have undertaken on behalf of my wife's Great Uncle: Robert Henry Edwin Bellchambers PTE G/2521 Middlesex Regt died 03/06/1918. We have his enlistment papers and short service attestation dated 3rd July 1915 as part of the Public Schools Battalion. He served with the BEF in France 23/01/1916 - 26/10/1917 and 21/04/1918 - 03/06/1918. He was posted to the 2nd Battalion A COY Middlesex Regt on 12th May 1918 and went missing on 27th May 1918. His body was found (a quote from Agence Internationale Des Prisonniers De Guerre dated August 23rd 1918 stated official extract) On 03/06/2018 on a field 1500 metres before the entrance of Pontavert left side of road Gignacourt Pontavert, under a newly built wooden bridge (believed to be La Pecherie Bridge) on the bank of the river Aisne.
Nice work, Beamers, thanks for sharing it.
Hi Paul,
My great great father died in April 1917 according to details I have found out so far; Herbert Butt G/41547, 1st battalion, Middlesex Regiment.
I joined "Forces War Records" but that didn't provide much detail and managed to get a copy of his medal card from the National Archives but am finding it difficult to ascertain any more detail than that.
Do you have any advice on trying to find anything further out please.
Thanks
Steven
Hi I am trying to research my great grandad his name was Albert james shepherd middlesex regiment 6211854
Hi I am trying to research my great grandad his name was Albert james shepherd middlesex regiment 6211854
By the Look of his number he joined post 1920 so you will need to contact the MoD. Google VETERANS UK to get to the website which will tell you what you need to do next.
Steven B
Sorry that you wasted your money with the charlatans at Forces Poor Records. The less said about them the better. Ancestry will have the medal roll details as well as a better copy of the medal index card than the one you have downloaded. It would be possible to work out, form his number, when he joined the regiment and - if that detail is not on the card - possibly when he proceeded overseas.
Paul
"Hi I am trying to research my great grandad his name was Albert james shepherd middlesex regiment 6211854"
You need to contact the MoD: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/requests-for-personal-data-and-service-records
Hello Paul,
I have found two lots of records for my grandfather Fernley Stanley Browse. The first lot include Silver War Badge records,Brit.army WW1 medal rolls Index cards, Brit army WW1 pension records (under Leraley stanley browse)and pension records under his wifes name, Elizabeth Denyer....they all list him as regimental no. 18354 inDuke of cambridge own middx reg 20th battalion. Enlisted 10.8.15, discharged 12.6.16 on kr392 sick.
However I also have him as WR311990 reg 272359 royal engineers IW&D transport div from 20.4.17 and discharged 7.8.18 on kr2(b)(I). This is on silver war badge records, medal rolls index cards and a Proceedings on discharge paper.
Its definitely the same person as his age, description, family and addresses are all correct and recognisable.
Could he have reenlisted with two different war numbers with the eight months gap.
Any info or clarificatio you can give will be brilliant. Thanks. Cat
It sounds quite plausible, Cat, but I can't provide any further insights. However, from what you say, there is a paper trail in service records to prove this.
Hello,
We are investigating any information relating to my Great Uncle, Captain Sherlock Amyas Willis, 4th Battalion Middlesex Regiment. Born 1892/3 and died in 15th May 1917 aged 24. Buried at Etaples. Died after wounds to his head. Mentioned in dispatches but we don't know what for.
Grave reference XVII. C. 18.
Cemetery or memorial Etaples Military Cemetery
Any further information would be very gratefully received. Many Thanks.
Re Captain Willis. This man has papers at The National Archives which can be photographed. There will also be other references in various publications. If you would like me to pursue this, please see the Research page and drop me a line.
Hi Paul,
My family have recently found some photographs of my great grandfather as a young teen wearing a WW1 style uniform with the Middlesex Regiment badge cap in a group of four boys of similar age and also a photo of him as an older teen also as a member of the Middlesex Regiment. He lived in Edmonton at this time. When he enlisted early during WW1 he joined the East Surrey Regiment. Do you know if there was a cadet program for boys for the Middlesex Regiment prior to WW1? I have tried searching for this information but can find nothing about young cadets. I have found records for his WW1 service with the East Surrey Regiment on Ancestry and in Forces War Records.
Hello Pauline. Boys could join the army - including the Territorial Force - from the age of 14, and so I suppose that would be a possibility. Boys typically enlisted for 12 years with line infantry but shorter terms with the Territorial Force. I don't believe there were cadet programmes as such.
Hello Paul, What a fascinating article! I have details of a Charles RAMPTON from the CWGC which says his service number was G/9645 and he was in the Middlesex Regiment 1st battalion, but I could not find him listed under that battalon and from what you said in our article, it doesn't sound like the details are accurate. He is commemorated on Thiepval, died 14th August 1916. Can you throw a little light over Charles? Many thanks for your detailed research.best wishes, Sue
Betty Sue, thank you. "Thank you for visiting this blog. I welcome insights about regimental numbering but I do not have time to respond to individual research queries here. If you want me to undertake paid research, please follow the instructions on the RESEARCH tab."
Hi there, this is very interesting and useful blog. My sister-in-law's grandfather was an Ernest Gumble who, according to a record with Forces War Records, was in the Middlesex Regiment and continued serving after 1921. His service number is D/36593 - does the D signify that he wasn't demobbed until later then? If that's the case I'll have to look into what the Regisment got up to after the war. Thanks in advance for taking a look at the query, Tim
@Timq No the D/ prefixhas nothing to do with demob. If he served after 1921 his records will still be with the MoD and you can request these. Google VETERANS UK for more information - and be prepared for an 12-month+ wait.
Hi,
My father in laws dad served in the first World War in the Middlesex regiment. We have no service number though to see where he was and served. His name is Ben Brookhouse. Is there anyway to discover anything about him?
Thank you
Sam
Re Brookhouse. There are no medal records or service/pension records that I could find for Ben Brookhouse/Middx Regt.
Might have been down as Benjamin Brookhouse, he lied about his age as well
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