sabine72 Posted 16 July , 2006 Share Posted 16 July , 2006 hello, I could use some help to find more details about Gardiner Alexander M. second lt. 4th battalion sherwood foresters, became a lt on 25.04.1918 Employed ministry of labour, Dissappears army list 10/1921 Company sergant major, reg nr. 290 nottinghamshire and derbyshire reg. He was in london august 1917 convalescent after entric fever contracted in the trenches. That is all I know about him; I wonder If anyone knows how I can find if there are still relatives alive. Maybe I looked at the wrong websites, i don't know it anymore for the moment what to do. sabine Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coldstreamer Posted 16 July , 2006 Share Posted 16 July , 2006 hello have you tried to see if the papers are at the National Archives ? Ian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sabine72 Posted 16 July , 2006 Author Share Posted 16 July , 2006 [ ian, no I didn't, So it means that I have to find some one who wants to go to kew. Because I live in belgium in a smal village near ieper . thank you for the advice sabine Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew Hesketh Posted 16 July , 2006 Share Posted 16 July , 2006 Sabine, Welcome to the forum. I hope that I can help you. Alexander was born in Sawley, near Derby, and was aged 14 at the time of the 1901 Census. At this time he was living in Shirland, a village near Alfreton (and Tibshelf! - see signature below) in North-Eastern Derbyshire. Firstly, 4th Battalion was not a front line battalion. It was one of the regimental training battalions. Having been commissioned as an Officer he would have been placed in the 4th battalion until a vacancy appeared in a combat battalion. I have no idea which battalion this may have been, though it wasn't the 10th. Do you know when he was commissioned? It must have been before march 1917 because he was not issued with one of the new six-figure territorial numbers. Before being commissioned he was a Company Sergeant Major. His number, 290, is extremely low and I am fairly certain that he would have been a CSM with one of the Sherwood Forester territorial battalions. This is because if he had been a regular he would need to have enlisted in the 1890's (and he was born around 1887) So, he must have been in one of the 1/5th, 2/5th, 1/6th, 2/6th, 1/7th, 2/7th, 1/8th or 2/8th battalions. I can tell you that he was not in the battalions underlined and 1/7th and 2/7th are very unlikely. Given his place of birth, and that Shirland is not too far away, I would expect him to have been 1/5th or 2/5th. I don't have the history of the 5th, but at least two forum pals (Neil M and Mike Briggs) do and I am sure that they would be happy to check if Gardiner is named. His MIC is here, which may help: http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documen...p;resultcount=7 May I ask why this man interests you? Good luck, Andrew Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sabine72 Posted 17 July , 2006 Author Share Posted 17 July , 2006 Andrew, Thank you for helping me. I actually wanted info for his brother Frederick Thomas gardiner, he got killed on 31/07/1917 and since there was not much to find about him, I started to look for his brother because he survived the war. And I got lucky, you really helped me out. and I got a great email this evening from wfr nottingham . they found out that there are still gardiner's living at the place where there parents used to live( William and isabel gardiner the farm baghtorpe underwood jacksdale) All this started with an old postcard taken in 1919 of the grave of Frederick Thomas Gardiner, I grew up next to that graveyard, but the grave isn't there anymore, they somehow lost it. And cwgc hasn't given me an answer yet of what happend. They have been in my mind everyday now for the past 3 month's. Maybe I'll find answess on all my questions now. sabine Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stebie9173 Posted 17 July , 2006 Share Posted 17 July , 2006 Here's his initial commission: LG The undermentioned, from an Officers Cadet Unit, to be 2nd Lts. (on prob.). 25th Oct. 1916:- INFANTRY. Notts. & Derby. R.—Alexander Moir Gardiner. http://www.gazettes-online.co.uk/archiveVi...;selHonourType= Steve. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew Hesketh Posted 19 July , 2006 Share Posted 19 July , 2006 I actually wanted info for his brother Frederick Thomas gardiner, OK. You should have said so!! Click here: http://www.jacksdale.org.uk/ Click on 'Other Local War Memorials ' Click on 'Underwood'. Click on 'WWI Fallen' Click on CAPT. F. GARDINER. Enjoy...... The people behind this site are brilliant. Can you explain the story of his grave? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tcm878 Posted 21 July , 2006 Share Posted 21 July , 2006 Sabine, I have checked the 5th Btn Sherwood Foresters war history for both name but I cannot find any mention. It was only when I started the reply that I saw Andrews link. Neil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sabine72 Posted 22 July , 2006 Author Share Posted 22 July , 2006 Neil and Andrew, Thank you, I wish I could explain the story of his grave, Andrew. Maybe cwgc can, but they haven't writen back, so all I can do is waite. sabine Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew Hesketh Posted 22 July , 2006 Share Posted 22 July , 2006 Sabine, On the site linked to above is a letter which says: "He was killed near Ypres on the 31st July, by heavy shell fire whilst in a trench with his company. His death was almost immediate. His company was badly scattered by the shelling, and later moved forward, so I have not yet any details of his burial." Would it be possible to post a copy of the 1919 postcard? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew Hesketh Posted 23 July , 2006 Share Posted 23 July , 2006 Postcard received. I can read two other names as well as Gardiner's. Checking them on CWGC shows 2 to be on the Menin Gate memorial and one in Poelcapelle! An intriguing problem. I'll e-mail you with some questions and further details before I post the image. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew Hesketh Posted 24 July , 2006 Share Posted 24 July , 2006 Sabine's postcard. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew Hesketh Posted 24 July , 2006 Share Posted 24 July , 2006 Close up of the nearest 3 graves. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew Hesketh Posted 24 July , 2006 Share Posted 24 July , 2006 The above photo shows a close up of the nearest 3 graves which can be identified as these three men (left to right); [note the grave/memorial comments!] Name: GARDINER, FREDERICK THOMAS Rank: Captain Regiment/Service: Highland Light Infantry Unit Text: 12th Bn. Age: 25 Date of Death: 31/07/1917 Grave/Memorial Reference: Panel 38. Memorial: YPRES (MENIN GATE) MEMORIAL Name: TORROME Initials: R L Rank: Private Regiment/Service: Scots Guards Unit Text: 2nd Bn. Date of Death: 19/04/1916 Service No: 14106 Grave/Memorial Reference: LIV. A. 5. Cemetery: POELCAPELLE BRITISH CEMETERY Name: COBBOLD, NORMAN Initials: N Rank: Private Regiment/Service: Scots Guards Unit Text: 1st Bn. Age: 20 Date of Death: 19/04/1916 Service No: 13882 Grave/Memorial Reference: Panel 11. Memorial: YPRES (MENIN GATE) MEMORIAL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew Hesketh Posted 26 July , 2006 Share Posted 26 July , 2006 For anyone trying to follow this, it has moved to: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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