Researching two Soldiers | Alfred Henry Wright (South Staffordshire) &

[ashleighwright]

Hello all,

This is my first post on the Great War Forum so I would like to say hello to everyone and to ask if anybody might be able to assist me with researching two British Army soldiers who fought in the First World War. The first is a relative of mine, and the second is a relative of my partners.

My Great Grandfathers name was Alfred Henry Wright and I believe I have his enlistment form with the South Staffordshire Regiment and a medal card which I believe shows his discharge on medical grounds in 1914. My Grandmother seems to recall that he gassed at Flanders and I would love be able to discover the truth about this story. It would be fantastic if anyone could tell me a little more about him or what the South Staffordshire Regiment was up to around the time he was injured (if that does turn out to be the case). I can't find out what Battalion he was with, although I presume it was the 1st Battalion based on their whereabouts at the time.

The second soldier that I am researching is Sergeant Robert Tyler, 1st Worcestershire Regiment. This is my girlfriends relative and I believe that he was killed on 22nd February 1918. The CWGC confirms this and also that he is buried in Nine Elms Cemetery in Belgium. I haven't been able to find an enlistment form for him but I did discover a medal card but I can't gather much information from it, perhaps someone here would be kind enough to take a look. Once again, any information that might help to uncover his story would be very much appreciated.

Thanks in advance for anyone who might take the time to look into this and help! I will post the relevant documents seperately after this post.

Ash

[ashleighwright]

Alfred Henry Wright - Enlistment form.

Alfred Henry Wright - Medal Card

Robert Tyler - Medal Card

[CGM]

Are you aware that there are several more sheets for Alfred Henry Wright? Use the forward arrow at the bottom of the page. Sometimes it's worth using the back arrow too, but not in this case.

If his wife was Rose? Gertrude Lee and he had a daughter Ada then you have the correct records.

[ashleighwright]

Are you aware that there are several more sheets for Alfred Henry Wright? Use the forward arrow at the bottom of the page. Sometimes it's worth using the back arrow too, but not in this case.

If his wife was Rose? Gertrude Lee and he had a daughter Ada then you have the correct records.

Thank you CGM. Yes that's correct, Rose Gertrude Lee was my Great Grandmother. I'm aware of numerous other documents relating to his civilian life but the two I have uploaded are the only military related documents that I've come across.

[CGM]

Go back to his Short Service Attestation Form, which is the first of several sheets. Step forwards using the forward arrow.

CGM

[ashleighwright]

Which site are you referring to? I've only used ancestry.co.uk and searched the military section.

Thanks again.

[ralphjd]

According to my Ancestry he has 12 pages in total. Ralph.

[ralphjd]

He was entitled to a SILVER WAR BADGE number 183144 discharged through illness, never served abroad. Ralph.

[CGM]

Which site are you referring to? I've only used ancestry.co.uk and searched the military section.

Thanks again.

I'm referring to Ancestry.co.uk.

Go back to HERE (page 67829) and look for the forward arrow which will take you to 67830 .

Keep clicking onwards until you reach the beginning of the next set of records.

I hope that makes sense. Do come back if you still can't see the rest of his records sheets.

CGM

[ashleighwright]

Thanks everyone for helping get to the bottom of that story!

CGM - I hadn't seen those arrow buttons on Ancestry! It certainly revealed the my Great Grandfathers story in full.

So it would appear he served with the South Staffordshire Regiment 3rd (Reserve) Battalion and didn't see service abroad. It looks as though he was discharged due to a heart problem. Fantastic to find a copy of a letter written by him requesting his service medal amongst those documents.

Hopefully I can find out more about Robert Tyler who appears to have been killed in action.

[ralphjd]

It is his Silver War Badge he is requesting in his letter not a medal. Ralph.

[ralphjd]

Robert Tyler born and resided B/Ham enlisted Worcester. His medal card shows he went to France on the 5th Nov 1915, it appears that the infantry records office Warwicks returned 18 star medals and they were all "taken on charge" ie put in store for distribution to the recipients, seems his duplicate star was scrapped after these other stars were received. Ralph.

[ashleighwright]

It is his Silver War Badge he is requesting in his letter not a medal. Ralph.

Yes sorry, I was aware of that. Thanks Ralph.

[ashleighwright]

Robert Tyler born and resided B/Ham enlisted Worcester. His medal card shows he went to France on the 5th Nov 1915, it appears that the infantry records office Warwicks returned 18 star medals and they were all "taken on charge" ie put in store for distribution to the recipients, seems his duplicate star was scrapped after these other stars were received. Ralph.

Thanks again Ralph! Thats interesting.

I can't find his service record or enlistment form online or any official documents regarding his death in active service. I'm hoping that the war diaries for the 1st Worcester Regiment are available at Kew.

Ash

[KevinBattle]

Regrettably, Robert was the only 1st Battalion death in at least a week.

If someone has access to a War Diary transcript it might mention the event

TYLER, ROBERT E NOEL. Rank: Serjeant. Service No: 11189. Date of Death: 22/02/1918. Age: 28.

Regiment/Service: Worcestershire Regiment. 1st Bn.

Grave Reference: XIII. D. 4. Cemetery: NINE ELMS BRITISH CEMETERY

Additional Information: Son of Robert and Fanny Tyler, of Birmingham.

The cemetery was begun and used by the 3rd Australian and 44th Casualty Clearing Stations when they moved to Poperinghe (now Poperinge), from Brandhoek and Lijssenthoek respectively, in September 1917. Nearly all the burials in Plots I to IX came from these Casualty Clearing Stations, whilst they operated in this area during the 1917 Battle of Ypres, up until December 1917.

Plots X, XI, XIII, XIV and XV cover the dates between the beginning of March, 1918 and the 12th October, 1918, the period of the German offensive in Flanders, the British counter attacks and the final advance of August-September. The burials in these cases were carried out almost entirely by fighting units.

1911 Census: Robert Alfred Tyler, 46; Fanny Tyler, 48; Married 22 years, 9 children, 6 still alive in 1911.

Robert E Noel Tyler, 21; clerk at Stock brokers; Hilda Jane Tyler, 18; Frank Gordon Tyler, 17; Maggie Grace Tyler, 16; Thomas Roland Tyler, 9. Where's the 6th?

Name: Robert Ernest Tyler. Date of Registration: Jul-Aug-Sep 1890. Registration District: Fulham, London. Volume: 1a. Page: 301

The inference is that Robert could have been fatally wounded, which is why I looked for casualties in the week leading up to his death, but he was the only one they sustained then.

[Guest Tylerniece]

Robert Tyler was my great uncle.