Moston Posted 9 October , 2008 Share Posted 9 October , 2008 I'm under terrible domestic pressure to find out what I can about the Mrs's Gt Granddad. Ernest Cole. This is what's on the back of his Mons Star... 5187 Pte E.Cole 5/D.GDS (apparently the '5' maybe a '6') (he survived the war) Can anyone help identify this chap and thus ensure I get some tea...etc.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amelialongcroft Posted 9 October , 2008 Share Posted 9 October , 2008 Any info on where/when he was born? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moston Posted 9 October , 2008 Author Share Posted 9 October , 2008 Sussex, Crowborough?...in that kind of area Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mhifle Posted 9 October , 2008 Share Posted 9 October , 2008 Hi, This looks like his Medal Card Regards Mark Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amelialongcroft Posted 9 October , 2008 Share Posted 9 October , 2008 Well found Mark! How did you track that MIC down so quickly? Methinks I need to develop better ancestry search skills ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moston Posted 9 October , 2008 Author Share Posted 9 October , 2008 That's impressively quick ! Can you decipher it !?!? - no mention of promotion to Sgt? (if the photo is anything to go by) Guards? - If it is my Mrs will never let me live it down that her side of the family had a Guardsman. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mhifle Posted 9 October , 2008 Share Posted 9 October , 2008 Well found Mark! How did you track that MIC down so quickly? Methinks I need to develop better ancestry search skills ... Hi, The Regimental Number was slightly different. Causes of Discharge - Paragraph 392 of King's Regulations (xxi) The termination of his ____ period of engagement Regards Mark Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mhifle Posted 9 October , 2008 Share Posted 9 October , 2008 Hi, The stripes could be Good Conduct Stripes for 12 years service. Mark Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moston Posted 9 October , 2008 Author Share Posted 9 October , 2008 Aha ! - brilliant....is he a Guard? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mhifle Posted 9 October , 2008 Share Posted 9 October , 2008 Aha ! - brilliant....is he a Guard? Hi, Private in the 5th Dragoon Guards Mark Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moston Posted 9 October , 2008 Author Share Posted 9 October , 2008 Hi, Private in the 5th Dragoon Guards Mark This is excellent ! - thank you all for your help. I have only just received the details off the back of his medal today - until now we've only had the photo which was interepted as him maybe being in the ASC (shoulder flash looked like it) - family tradition was he was always good with horses which fitted the ASC story ! Couldn't have been further from the truth could we ! Dam spit & bother...my wife really does have a Guardsman in the family. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CT-Guards Posted 9 October , 2008 Share Posted 9 October , 2008 I'll go for that 5th Dragoons (very short shoulder title just visible) Conduct stripes for sure. Regards CT-Guards Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mhifle Posted 9 October , 2008 Share Posted 9 October , 2008 Hi, Dragoon Guards, 5th (Princess Charlote of Wales), Aldershot in August 1914. Depot Dunbar. Picture from 'The British Army of August 1914, An Illustrated Directory' by Ray Westlake Regards Mark Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
apwright Posted 9 October , 2008 Share Posted 9 October , 2008 He has a "pension record" on Ancestry. It's indexed under no. 6213 but on the papers this is crossed out and 5197/5DG written over. Ernest Cole, Cabman, born Rotherfield, age 18yrs 3mo on attestation on 27 Aug 1902 (he was originally in 7th DG with no. 6213). I've only read the first page (Ancestry says there are 25), but can download the rest for you later tonight if you like. PM me an email address. Adrian EDIT: Reading on a bit (sorry, couldn't resist!) he was actually discharged in Aug 1915 having served his term of engagement (13 years). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moston Posted 9 October , 2008 Author Share Posted 9 October , 2008 Very many thanks Adrian - I have PM'd you my e-mail address. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moston Posted 13 October , 2008 Author Share Posted 13 October , 2008 Thanks to Adrian I have digested the 25 pages of his records and passed them onto his family. Just one question..... He was discharged to Army Reserve in 1905 until he re-engaged in 1914. What did this actually mean ? - did he go back to civilian life but keep up to date with training? Any help or advice would be much appreciated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stebie9173 Posted 13 October , 2008 Share Posted 13 October , 2008 Here's wot www.1914-18.net says: http://www.1914-1918.net/reserve.htm He would have probably been under Section B Reserve, with his Reserve due to expire, 12 years after enlistment, in August 1914 (presumably JUST after the outbreak of war...), which was then extended by one year to thirteen years due to being at War. It looks like he was serving 3 years Active, 9 on Reserve, which seems to have been quite common just after the Boer War, presumably due to the fact that they had an excess of soldiers after the war, and didn't need that many more men joining up on the usual 7 year active service terms? With a discharge for time served that early in the war, it is possible that he re-enlisted. ASC perhaps? This should have shown up on his medal card, but you never know... Steve. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moston Posted 13 October , 2008 Author Share Posted 13 October , 2008 Hmmm - plot thickens. He joined up in Aug 1902, served until 1905, Army Reserve due to expire Aug 1914 - but did one more year (discharged Aug 1915). He re-engaged as under Section 'D'...but not for the 4 years? As for ASC...now that would be funny ! Is it possible that he did re-join? - would it not have been on these papers if he had ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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