Gunner A.H.R Collins - Looking for more info on my great grandfather

[Guest jaymhow]

Hi everyone,

after my father passed recently i was going through some old letters and pictures and came across a letter from my great grandfather dated April 7/18 from France. i also have 3 medals and a photo of him in uniform. He has three chevrons on his sleeve so i assume he was an officer of some sort. his number was 30405 and he was a gunner in the RFA. Any info or help that anyone can provide would be fantastic.

Thanks,

Jason.

[HeatherC]

Jason

You have all the right information (name, Unit and Regimental number) to do some of this yourself which is far more satisfying. Start here http://www.1914-1918.net/soldiers/research.html and shout when you get stuck!

Can you post the photo?

[David Porter]

Jason,

I suggest you subscribe to Ancestry or Findmypast as his service record has survived and can be downloaded.

What I will say is that Arthur Harvey Rayner Collins enlisted in February 1903 but had been in the 5th Battalion Middlesex Regiment.

The record ends in March 1916 which gave him just over 13 years (3 years with colours, 9 years reserve - call up, 1 year added in wartime).

If he was in France in 1918 then he either re-enlisted shortly afterwards or was conscripted.