Albert John Goldsmith Private 5168 East Kent Reg't

[KevinBattle]

Can anyone provide more information regarding this chap, for a neighbour?

This is what I have so far (apart from Family Tree info) so it's anything to throw light on his military service we're hoping for.

Medal Index Card: Name: Albert Goldsmith. Regiment or Corps: East Kent Regiment. Regimental Number: 5168, Labour Corps. Regimental Number: 603056.

Card shows entitlement to 1914-15 Star, entering Theatre of War 15 October 1915 as well as British War and Victory medals. It looks as though he was sent to France in an early draft of replacements for casualties sustained at the Battle of Loos in September 1915.

At some stage he became unfit for front line service, wounds, illness or health problems and was transferred to the Labour Corps. There is no reference to a Silver War Badge so he doesn't appear to have been severely wounded enough to have an entitlement. Discharged to Class Z Reserves in April 1919, by which time he was married.

Men killed with similar Regimental Numbers:-

NICHOLAS, A. G/5162. 2ND BN. 28/09/1915. THE BUFFS (EAST KENT REGIMENT)

PHILLPOTT, A C. 5166. 7TH BN. 18/11/1916. THE BUFFS (EAST KENT REGIMENT)

PILCHER, A. 5169. 8TH BN. 24/08/1916. THE BUFFS (EAST KENT REGIMENT)

SETTERFIELD, F. G/5163. 2ND BN. 11/04/1915. THE BUFFS (EAST KENT REGIMENT)

Can anything be deduced from his Regimental Number about when or where he enlisted, Battalion etc?

Can't find anything in Service or Pension records, but he must have suffered some physical impairment (gas suspected by the family) as he died in Dec 1930 aged 41, with only the one child born early 1920.

Anything more would be appreciated. Thanks in advance

[roughdiamond]

You say "Discharged to Class Z Reserves in April 1919, by which time he was married" have you checked his Marriage cert to see if it gives a Bn?

Sam

[KevinBattle]

Cheers, Sam. By that time he had been transferred to the Labour Corps, presumably after being medically downgraded and may have been back in the UK, marrying in 1st Qtr 1919....

It's any information during his war service I'm hoping to expand.

Thanks, though and I'll ask him if he has the Cert just in case he used his Regimental, rather than Labour Corps, details.

His BWM and Victory medals seem to have been marked as Labour Corps on his MIC, and his 14-15 Star as The Buffs, if that's any further clue.