12737 Charles Rufus Whitehead 6bn Northamptonshire Regiment

[zoe4]

I am trying to find what medals Charles Rufus WHITEHEAD got but his medal card is not on Ancestry.

He was Private No 12737, 6th Northamptonshire Regiment and was killed in action on 15th September 1915, age 21.

Is anybody near the National Archives to tell me what is on his card ? Thank you.

[elliot#1]

He was entitled to the 1914-15 Star trio. Medal card on ancestry under Charlis Whitehead. To France 26-7-15. Mothers address Mrs Florence Whitehead, 3 Bournewood Villas, Wickham Lane, Welling SE.

Hope this helps,

Elliot

[jbw541]

Hello,

A little bit more info, Father, William E.

Charles born Stepney / Mile End. East London, spring 1894.

Great digging by Elliot.

All the best. Joe.

[Stebie9173]

He would have enlisted on 1st September 1914 give or take a day. A number of Londoners ended up in the 6th Battalion (and the 5th Battalion) in the very early days of enlistment as they were posted to battalions with spare capacity rather than their local London based Regiments. He was killed during the battalion's first proper spell in trenches as they took over trenches near Fricourt on the Somme, which was then a relatively quiet sector of the line.

Steve.

[zoe4]

Many thanks to all who answered this query...

Special thank you to Elliot for finding his card on Ancestry. I had tried different spellings for the surname but did not think the Christian name could be wrong, and the Ancestry I use cannot search by regimental number only... How stupid of me.... especially as I am studying right now all the soldiers called Alexandra (not Alexander) in the different sources for WWI (26 on CWGC, 44 on SDGW, 104 on the Ancestry database of the Medal rolls index cards !!! How many in the GRO war deaths index for 1914-1921 ???

In many cases it is an indexer mistakes but not always. There are cards with Alexandra written neatly by hand... Must have been done in a rush.

CWGC asks for birth certificates to change the Christian name... Far too expensive! Perhaps I should start a new topic on that Alexandra/Alexander business and see if anybody has already birth certificate for some ...

Thanks to Steve for the military details. I am more of a genealogist and will insert your information in Charles Whitehead 's biography about to go online on the website of the East Wickham and Welling War Memorial Trust.

And, yes Joe, Charles Whitehead was born in Stepney in May 1894, but his entry on the CWGC gives his place of birth as Crofton Park where he did live but later in his short life.