The Pianoman 1,535 Posted March 26, 2016 Report Share Posted March 26, 2016 Free access on Ancestry this weekend so I thought I would have a look for some relevant military records. My G Grandfather William Jeyes Cumberpatch is the culprit I am looking for first. No luck. There are William Cumberpatches but not this one. His occupation before and after WW1 was as a Railway Platelayer. I am just wondering if the reason he doesn't appear to have a military record is because a platelayer would have been a reserved occupation. Any ideas? I am also looking for my Grandfathers, 1. Edward Harvey Royal Engineers, and 2. George Arthur Cropley, who I have always believed was Royal Horse Artillery, but I can only find who I think is him as Royal Garrison Artillery. Are the two one and the same? RGA is a new one on me. Information in the military records is not much but then I am not sure what records survive or what records there were actually kept. I was hoping to find out where they served. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
annswabey 599 Posted March 26, 2016 Report Share Posted March 26, 2016 LOTS of WW1 Service records were destroyed in WW2 so it's very possible that his records haven't survived, assuming he served. Should be medal records for him, though, provided that he served overseas. Difficult, though, to establish which is the right man as Medal cards don't have personal info, apart from a very small number which have addresses RHA and RGA aren't the same, but both are elements of Royal Artillery. Medal Rolls, which are on Ancestry, give Battalions or Units, (but not usually for RA) which would enable you to find out, via War Diaries, what they were involved in Quote Link to post Share on other sites
The Pianoman 1,535 Posted March 26, 2016 Author Report Share Posted March 26, 2016 Thanks. I will look further. A lot of the records I have looked at are stated as having been on fire and are obviously burned away around the edges. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
annswabey 599 Posted March 26, 2016 Report Share Posted March 26, 2016 Yes, a lot are damaged, but you're lucky to find even a damaged record! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
annswabey 599 Posted March 26, 2016 Report Share Posted March 26, 2016 If any of them were married or had children during WW1, certs might give regiments and/or numbers Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Bri 24 Posted March 29, 2016 Report Share Posted March 29, 2016 Reserved occupation was a bit elastic in WW1. My grandfather was a farmer, but he had to go in the army, they said the reason was he spoke perfect German, and they needed translators, but in exchange the army sent 4 German pow's, so his wife could run the farm with them. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Bubblewrap 3,815 Posted March 29, 2016 Report Share Posted March 29, 2016 Prime Minister Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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Bubblewrap 3,815 Posted March 29, 2016 Report Share Posted March 29, 2016 Member of Parliament Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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