how do I find details on my grandfather

[hyvfam]

Hi, I am not sure where else on here to post.....

I have recently found out my grandfather Charles Alfred Percy served in the WWI royal garrison artillery as a gunner.

His reg# is 183972. I went and got his medal card which gave very little info. and I am wondering if there is another

avenue of getting more info. that tells me where he served, whether he was injured, when he joined etc.

The details I have got from his Medal card is as follows.

Under the Medals section, and the victory section, then roll, the numbers/letters are RGA/210B, then page 11079

The under British SWB list ?ga/1698....

Can anyone help with this and guide me through the maze.

My understanding is that he came to Australia, to Northcliffe West Australia under the returned soldiers scheme

of recieving land in return for working it. The scheme did not work of course.

Any information would be great.

[Michelle Young]

If you repost this in Soldiers more people will have a look and hopefully you will get some answers.

Regards, Michelle

[the gunners dream]

He was invalided out as he was entitled to a Silver War Badge, see this link:

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documen...line/medals.asp

The reference numbers you've quoted are a key to his medal rolls, including the SWB. They might provide you with his unit, however, units such as the RGA do not tend to list this. But with that said you have to try this option as sometimes they do.

You have about a 30% chance of finding his service record as most were destroyed in the Blitz in WWII. A quick search on Ancestry doesn't come up with anything, but that's not to say it's not there as their lists are not complete.

Your best bet in all of this is to visit Kew and to look for his record and look at his medal rolls. That's unless anyone in your family holds any letters etc?

Steve

[hyvfam]

Thank you for the information. I went to your site address given and downloaded the records for him, but it is the same as what I already had from Ancestry ie the details in the original question i had.

My question to you is this:

If this is all I could get, is that the only option I had. Does this mean the records were probably destroyed in WWII??

And,

As I am in Australia, and I can't get to Kew..... if you think their may be some more information I could gather, can I do it over the web???

To my knowledge, no one within the family is able to help with letters etc.

Thank you for your assistance thus far.

He was invalided out as he was entitled to a Silver War Badge, see this link:

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documen...line/medals.asp

The reference numbers you've quoted are a key to his medal rolls, including the SWB. They might provide you with his unit, however, units such as the RGA do not tend to list this. But with that said you have to try this option as sometimes they do.

You have about a 30% chance of finding his service record as most were destroyed in the Blitz in WWII. A quick search on Ancestry doesn't come up with anything, but that's not to say it's not there as their lists are not complete.

Your best bet in all of this is to visit Kew and to look for his record and look at his medal rolls. That's unless anyone in your family holds any letters etc?

Steve

[willy]

i am sure that a polite request to any members going to kew, would look your man up for you.

willy

[ororkep]

Hi Hyvfam,

Gnr Charles Albert PERCY 183972, enlisted in 25-01-1916, and saw service with 13 Hvy Bty in the Salonika/ Macedonia theatre of war. This was a 4 x 60 Pdr battery. He was discharged 16-07-1919, and was a recipient of the B&V medals, and the Silver War Badge number B257636.

Regards

Paul

Note: His middle name is shown as Albert, not Alfred on both his SWB and medal rolls.

[hyvfam]

Thank you very much for this information. Is this from the Kew place discussed earlier by another post?????

If it is......did it say what his injury was, and can you tell me what the B & V medals are please???

I believe his middle name was probably changed as he enlisted under age like a lot of others, in fact he would have been the ripe old age of 14 or 15 years at the time of enlistment. His birthday being Aug 1901.

thank you for your assitance. I very much appreciate it.

Hi Hyvfam,

Gnr Charles Albert PERCY 183972, enlisted in 25-01-1916, and saw service with 13 Hvy Bty in the Salonika/ Macedonia theatre of war. This was a 4 x 60 Pdr battery. He was discharged 16-07-1919, and was a recipient of the B&V medals, and the Silver War Badge number B257636.

Regards

Paul

Note: His middle name is shown as Albert, not Alfred on both his SWB and medal rolls.

[dfaulder]

Hyvfam,

Thank you very much for this information. Is this from the Kew place discussed earlier by another post?????

the "Kew place" is the UK National Archives.

If it is......did it say what his injury was, and can you tell me what the B & V medals are please???

>><<

The B&V medals are the British War Medal and the Victory Medal (often referred to together as a duo - the Trio also including the 1914 or 1914-1915 Star for those who saw early service - see earlier post's link).

From reading other posts on this forum it seems that if a relative:

- survived (i.e. not on CWGC website or SDGW)

- was an "Other Rank" (so records may have been destroyed in WW2 Blitz)

- was not in a battalion but in a group like RFA or ®ASC (so discovering where/when and hence finding battalion war diaries is difficult)

your chances of finding stuff is much reduced.

Outside war records you may find looking for pre-war census records gives useful background. However if he was born Aug 1901, he will not be in the 1901 census, but you might find his parents (if you know their names).

If this is your man (on FreeBMD):

Births Q3 1901

Percy, Charles Alfred

District: Fulham

Volume: 1a Page: 308

You could always apply to the GRO for his birth certificate.

HTH

David

[hyvfam]

Hi there

Thank you for your input. I have in fact already recieved his birth certificate. It is the one you referred to.

Thank you again

Hyvfam,

the "Kew place" is the UK National Archives.

The B&V medals are the British War Medal and the Victory Medal (often referred to together as a duo - the Trio also including the 1914 or 1914-1915 Star for those who saw early service - see earlier post's link).

From reading other posts on this forum it seems that if a relative:

- survived (i.e. not on CWGC website or SDGW)

- was an "Other Rank" (so records may have been destroyed in WW2 Blitz)

- was not in a battalion but in a group like RFA or ®ASC (so discovering where/when and hence finding battalion war diaries is difficult)

your chances of finding stuff is much reduced.

Outside war records you may find looking for pre-war census records gives useful background. However if he was born Aug 1901, he will not be in the 1901 census, but you might find his parents (if you know their names).

If this is your man (on FreeBMD):

Births Q3 1901

Percy, Charles Alfred

District: Fulham

Volume: 1a Page: 308

You could always apply to the GRO for his birth certificate.

HTH

David