Kiwifrog Posted 28 April , 2012 Share Posted 28 April , 2012 Although I am of British decent I live in France and Last week with My children I visited my mother-in-law in the North of France. While we were there I visited Arras and Vimy as my maternal Grandfather his brothers and also my Great Uncles all fought on the western Front during the first world war and I thought I would like to know a little more. I did not expect to be so moved or shocked by my visit and I now wish to research my famly a liitle more. I have had this copy of a copy of a photo of my grandfather for a few years. I though it would be fairly easy to trace his service in the great war, however as he was under age when he inlisted he may have used a false name or address which is not helping. I have found one reference to a private in the northampton regiment with the same name as my grandfather but I don't think that was his regiment as he was from Wiltshire. Can anyone help me with the regiment from the cap badge in the fairly poor photo I have ? It does not have the shape of a northampton badge as far as I can tell from my researches on the net Thanks in advance for any help Alan Alan Wynn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigjohn Posted 28 April , 2012 Share Posted 28 April , 2012 He is Royal Artillery do not know if he is RFA or RGA John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sandie Hayes Posted 28 April , 2012 Share Posted 28 April , 2012 Hello Alan, What was his name? Someone might be able to locate his medal index card for you. Regards, Sandie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kiwifrog Posted 28 April , 2012 Author Share Posted 28 April , 2012 Wow what a fast reply thanks His name was Francis Henry Spratt. I found a Francis M Spratt on the medal index cards but nothing else close. My mum who is in her 70's thinks he may have used his fathers name of Oliver spratt, but I could not find that on the National Archives website. As he was underage, mum thinks he was 15 or 16 when he enlisted. The family legend has it that he was a groom or driver as he was a farm hand in civilian life and used to working with Dray and plow horses Thanks Alan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stebie9173 Posted 28 April , 2012 Share Posted 28 April , 2012 The Francis M Spratt in the Northamptonshire Regiment is Francis Marshall Spratt from Chatham who served with the 6th Northamptons in 1918. On the subject of the picture, the wearing of collar "dogs" and the white lanyard on the right shoulder rather than the left would suggest that this photo was taken after the 1st World War. Francis is only 4 years old on the 1911 Census, so he almost certainly didn't serve during WW1. His brother Percy William Spratt would have been of the right age (just). Steve. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stebie9173 Posted 28 April , 2012 Share Posted 28 April , 2012 The Birth and death registers show Francis Henry Spratt as being born in 1906 in the Swindon registration area. His death in 1982 in the Oxford Reg. District shows his date of birth as 13 June 1906. Steve. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sandie Hayes Posted 28 April , 2012 Share Posted 28 April , 2012 I can only find 1 Francis Henry Spratt on Ancestry. He was born on 13th June 1906, registered in Swindon, Wiltshire. He was 4 years of age in the 1911 census, the son of Oliver Spratt, a cowman on farm. The family were living in Liddington, Wiltshire. If this is the correct person Francis was 8 when the war started and 12 when it ended. The photograph is of a young man much older than 12. Did he enlist after the war? Maybe that's why you can't find an index card for him. If he enlisted at 15 or 16 then it must have been around 1921/22. I've found a Francis Spratt in the Royal Field Artillery but he made Major during the war and first went to France on 21.02.1915. His medals were sent to an address in India. I can't find any military records for Percy William Spratt or George Oliver Spratt. There records are for a Percy Spratt but he lived in Canterbury and his mother's name was Florence May. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sandie Hayes Posted 28 April , 2012 Share Posted 28 April , 2012 Francis Henry Spratt, born 13 06 1906, was the son of Oliver Spratt & Mary Ann Carter. He married Olga Thorpe in Chesterfield in July 1935. His death was registered in Oxford in January 1982. Olga died in May 1984, aged 73. The couple had 2 children. If he did serve after 1922 you can obtain his service records. Have a look here: http://www.veterans-uk.info/service_records/army.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kiwifrog Posted 28 April , 2012 Author Share Posted 28 April , 2012 Thanks again for the replies. I will contact my mother in New Zealand when she wakes up and see if she knows anything else. I know my sister has been working on a family tree on Ancestry.com and my mother disputed the date of birth of her father. It may just be a case of confused historys within the family. I have to admit when I saw his birth date as 1906 I questioned his war service with my mother who was adament that he did serve, but a 12 year old would be pushing it a bit. I do renember meeting my uncle Aurther when I was 7 and told me the reason he wheezed was becaused he was gassed in the trenches. I will have to trace his story as well and see where I get. Thanks for your help. I will post anything I can find on any of my family if they served in the great war. Alan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kiwifrog Posted 28 April , 2012 Author Share Posted 28 April , 2012 Sandie Thanks for the website, I have asked my mother to fill it out and sign it as next of kin. In the mean time I purchased the pdf medal index downloads for Francis Spratt and Arthur Thorpe from the UK national archives. Would they be of any interest to anyone ? Can I post them here ? Alan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sandie Hayes Posted 28 April , 2012 Share Posted 28 April , 2012 I've sent you a private message. Sandie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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