help to idendify please

[richenry]

help please, we have just made contact with a distant relative through the ancestry site and have a common ancestor namel henry charles banks b.02/02/1883 d.1954. the relative has a photo of henry charles banks in uniform, with 4th royal irish dragoon guards written on the back, in the photo he is holding what appears to be a horse whip, he is also wearing jodhpur type trousers and has spurs on his boots, he is also wearing a bandolier with pouches attached, i have tried to find him on the militray searches on ancestry but cannot find him, any suggestions would be welcome.

[roughdiamond]

Is there a Cap with badge visible or shoulder titles on his epaulettes in the photo?

[roughdiamond]

Having a quick look, there is an Albert E Banks of the 4th DG (below), is he maybe a Brother and the photo is miss identified or labelled?

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documentsonline/details-result.asp?Edoc_Id=1275606&queryType=1&resultcount=6

It will make things easier if you attach the photo.

[richenry]

[roughdiamond]

Can't be 100% but it could be the same as the one below, is Henry's name also on the back? does he have a brother called Albert?

[richenry]

not sure about the last will make some enqs, thanks for your help so far.

[richenry]

have spoken to the relative, they are not aware of a brother and they are convinced that the person in the photo is henry charles banks and he was a member of the 4th royal irish dragoon guards, but if this is correct, why cant i find him ??

[CT-Guards]

Not Irish Guards

[headgardener]

have spoken to the relative, they are not aware of a brother and they are convinced that the person in the photo is henry charles banks and he was a member of the 4th royal irish dragoon guards, but if this is correct, why cant i find him ??

There is a very simple explanation; he didn't serve overseas.

You've tried searching for his service papers - maybe they haven't survived (about 60ish% were destroyed in the blitz). Make sure that you've checked both sets of papers carefully.

You've searched the MIC database on TNA website - they only record the campaign medals which were issued to men (and women) who served abroad during WW1 (there are some gallantry awards, but that's not really important in this instance).

Unless you have very clear evidence that he served abroad I'd suggest that he only served at 'home' (i.e. the UK), in which case he won't have an MIC (unless he was discharged due to sickness or injury). There is a slim possibility that he did serve abroad but his MIC has been lost or was not copied at the time that TNA's database was completed. If you want to be absolutely certain about this, then try checking the MIC database on Ancestry. Just search by name rather than name and regiment, and be aware that he may be recorded as H.C., Henry C., Henry Charles, Henry, or just H., and that his surname may be spelt Banks, but might be mis-spelt Bancks, Bankes, Bank, etc. Also bear in mind that he might appear under a different unit to that in the photo (the MIC's generally only list the units that a man served overseas with)

[roughdiamond]

There are 2 other explanations:

He did not serve under the name Banks, but as he would have been in his early to mid 30's there would be no reason.

He was 4DG but was transferred prior to service abroad, in that case 4DG would not appear on his MIC, there are 2 Henry C Banks on the MIC's:

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documentsonline/search-results.asp?searchtype=browserefine&query=first_name%3dhenry%20c%7clast_name%3dbanks&catid=10&pagenumber=1&querytype=1&mediaarray=*

The Argyll, later 2Lt 4th Royal Scots is listed on the CWGC as Harry Crawford Banks:

http://www.cwgc.org/search/SearchResults.aspx?surname=banks&initials=h+c&war=0&yearfrom=1914&yearto=1921&force=Army&nationality=6&send.x=25&send.y=13

Leaving the gunner, but again no service or pension records for him.

Options left to you are:

Looking at the absent voters list in the local reference Library to where he lived.

Looking at the birth certs of any children he had during the War years for his profession.

Looking at the surviving Service/Pension records of every Henry Banks on Ancestry.

[richenry]

thanks for your help guys, will look into your suggestions.