Help tracing Albert Leighton 17058 S.staffs

[paul leighton]

PRIVATE ALBERT LEIGHTON 17058 SOUTH STAFFORDSHIRE REGIMENT

Can anyone help me trace Albert Leighton, I've tryed the usual routes, but theirs no trace of him, I've got his medal index card it's been added to him on my website, but thats not giving any clues to him. It looks like he stayed in the UK during the war.The census for 1911 show several Albert leightons even one from Staffordshire, he seems to fit the right critera.but that could not even the same man

Any help for adding this man on my website http://paulcj71979.wix.com/leighton-war-medals will be greatfully received

thanks paul leighton

[kenf48]

The mic for the above soldier shows he was awarded the BWM and Victory Medal which means he served overseas in a theatre of war after 31/12/1915 so he did not stay in the Uk during the war.

Quick look through surviving records suggest enlistment January 1915

16930 enlisted 9/1/1915

17290 enlisted 30/1/1915

The Medal Roll at Kew should tell you which Battalion he first went overseas with.

Ken

[paul leighton]

thanks for putting me straight with your info, I think I need to start rereading up on researching soldiers, I feel a bit stupid now

best wishes paul

[ralphjd]

We all have to learn Paul, don't beat yourself up Ralph.

[archangel9]

thanks for putting me straight with your info, I think I need to start rereading up on researching soldiers, I feel a bit stupid now

best wishes paul

Don't feel stupid Paul. We all made these mistakes as we got started. The members here are great at steering us all in the right direction.

The Long Long Trail is the place to go -

http://www.1914-1918.net/

Enjoy the journey and good luck with your research.

John

[kenf48]

I'm sorry if my post was abrupt, I was trying to help not make you feel bad so I can only echo the comments above.

As you probably know we like a challenge here and I think you're right to consider the Albert Leighton in Staffordshire at Hightown, Hednesford, which is only a few miles from Lichfield where the South Staffs were raising Battalions for Kitchener's New Army.

Looking at the Casualties doesn't really help to place him, for example 17089 was in the 2nd Bn and 17090 was in the 7th; 17063 was in the 9th which was a Pioneer Battalion so given the the pre war occupation of the above Albert in the mines it's a possibility but as I said we could eliminate the guesswork by looking at the Rolls.

17063 did come from Brierley Hill, Staffordshire and looking through the CWGC for soldiers with 170** in the South Staffs where additional information is given they were all living in the Midlands e.g. Wolverhampton, West Bromwich, Walsall etc and even one who was born in Hightown, Hednesford, 17009 W. Wright who is interred in Cannock Cemetery. So it does appear in January 1915 recruits to the South Staffs were still coming in from the local community.

Ken

[paul leighton]

Hi thanks for all your kind words, sometimes just remembering the basic's seems hard at times, I think a momentry laps of reason was to blame, but never mind I'm back and firing on all guns again.

Im spending so much time on adding to my site that everything seems to take second place at the moment. I think that im a bit out of my depth with so much research to do

I'm constantly searching for more medals, info, sites, battalions, troop movements, archives, photos, perhaps I should take a step back and just Concentrate on one at a time. the problem I'm finding when you search for one man with the same surname as the rest, suddenly you find infomation on another man, which is also in my collection and then you start drifting off the original man so infomation just seems to snowball and then filed away and then lost.

there are so many men with the same first names (normally kings names) I've got 3 harrys, 2 williams, 2 johns.3 Alberts some with the same fathers names, and I'm still finding that some are related to each other.

thanks Ken for you help with Albert, it seems that maybe it is the right man

thanks to everyone who's helped and provided me with info without you folk my collection would still be sat in draws collecting dust

cheers everyone