Steve Bodie Posted 22 June , 2010 Share Posted 22 June , 2010 Dear all If anyone could help me I would be most grateful. I'm sure that there are a lot of people on this Forum who are after information about their relatives etc. Unfortunately I am no different except I have done an awful lot of digging already. My Great Uncle Lewis Lewis is the man that I have researched to try and document his short life. I have his medal card and entry in CWGC - he died on 8th August 1918 and is buried in Heath Cemetery Harbonnieres. I've been to his grave and I've even uncovered war time photos of him at a camp in England (perhaps Burgess Hill???). But to this day I have no idea: 1. When he physically joined up, 2. What Company he was in (A,B,C or D....would love to find this out as have C. Digby Planck's book, History of the Shiny 7th etc) ) 3. When he arrived in France If anybody could help me with this information I would be most grateful. Thanking you in advance SB66 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Bodie Posted 7 July , 2010 Author Share Posted 7 July , 2010 .... or if anybody can point me in the right direction as to who I contact re war diaries for this London regiment, I would be most greatful. Many thanks Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sotonmate Posted 7 July , 2010 Share Posted 7 July , 2010 S Two War Diaries for 7 Londons at the National Archives,Kew: WO95/2730 runs from Mar 1915 to Jan 1918 when they were with 140 Brigade of 47 Division. It is not yet digital so you would need either someone here with a copy to share it,or to get pages from Kew,but for a price ! WO95/3005 runs from Feb to Nov 1918 when they were with 174 Brigade of 58 Division. This Diary is digital and you can pay 3.50 for a download from the NA Catalogue. There is also a book written (and drawn) by a Private Len Smith of the "Shiny 7th" covering his experiences both as a front line soldier for this unit and his later work as an artist,which gives a good picture of activities- it's called "Drawing Fire" ISBN-978000731384-6. Sotonmate Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rksimpson Posted 8 July , 2010 Share Posted 8 July , 2010 Hi Here is the reference to the dairy online - http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documen...;resultcount=20 regards Robert Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Bodie Posted 8 July , 2010 Author Share Posted 8 July , 2010 Many thanks Sotonmate and Robert, This has been very helpful and I'm looking forward to adding another peice to my collection of information. As he was a private and his service papers were destroyed I doubt I'll ever find out what company he was in (unless by some miracle he is mentioned) or when he arrived in France, but it will be hugely interesting and useful to read the regiments movements in greater detail. Again thank you very much for you help. Regards Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevew Posted 8 July , 2010 Share Posted 8 July , 2010 Steve, As you say you'll be really lucky to find out which company he was in but you maybe able to read between the lines in the diaries, or again it maybe worth looking at SDGW and seeing who else died that day, it may throw some extra light on it. You never know your luck Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hywyn Posted 8 July , 2010 Share Posted 8 July , 2010 If you have Ancestry. In Service Records put London in Regiment Field and 376* in number field. Returns 102 hits. Many of them are going to be n/a (4, 5 Digits etc) but some will be 6 digits. Not looked at many but nearest I've seen on 1st page is James Gilbert Cook 376095 enlisted 25/9/1917. Just in case I've misunderstood about medal cards maybe one of the others can confirm that the first number on it is the one they had when first went overseas but even if not you can repeat the excercise with 368* Hywyn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevew Posted 8 July , 2010 Share Posted 8 July , 2010 If you have Ancestry. In Service Records put London in Regiment Field and 376* in number field. Returns 102 hits. Many of them are going to be n/a (4, 5 Digits etc) but some will be 6 digits. Hywyn Hywyn, That's a good tip, one I haven't used before, I'm sure that will come in useful for some of the men I am researching Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Bodie Posted 8 July , 2010 Author Share Posted 8 July , 2010 Thank you Hywyn and Steve, really useful advice. I'll give it a shot.... Had a quick look at the diaries from NA, now I know he moved forward along the line of BEGA Trench, COOTAMUNDRA Street and Crump lane to his assembly position...and then met his end attacking Mallard Wood looking forward to getting a chance to read it through in more depth. Thank you again. All the best Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest sh654 Posted 8 July , 2010 Share Posted 8 July , 2010 My granddad was also in 7th London. You can go back to the actual Medal Rolls, using the page no. on the index card. The entry for my granddad, along with all the other entries on his page, has the date he entered the theatre of war in France, which while it is not the date he enlisted, it's as close as I can get without the service records. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Bodie Posted 12 July , 2010 Author Share Posted 12 July , 2010 Thanks SH654 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john gregory Posted 12 July , 2010 Share Posted 12 July , 2010 I do'nt know if it is any interest to you but the 7th Londons wore a yellow diamond battle patch and the 8th a yellow club. JG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Bodie Posted 12 July , 2010 Author Share Posted 12 July , 2010 I do'nt know if it is any interest to you but the 7th Londons wore a yellow diamond battle patch and the 8th a yellow club. JG Hi John All information about the Shiny 7th is of interest to me. Thank you for this post. Cheers Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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