Possible young recruit to Royal Sussex

[MrG]

I'm trying to work out if Pte L/13397 Walter Leonard Bradford of the RSR is a man from my village that I am looking for.

He was only 11 in the 1911 census and so would have to have been a late sign up (or lied about his age) but his medal roll has two other numbers - 25284 for the 12th Kings Royal Rifles and the the same number for the 11th Bn.

Would these numbers work with his age? or have I got the wrong man?

There is a Walter L Bradford but he seems less likely - 3100 1^st City of London Yeomanry and Spr 947930 Royal Engineers

[tharkin56]

which village, if you drop it in title may help

[Phil Evans]

It certainly looks like a later number. Just scanning the L/1339x numbers on the National Archives MIC search, a couple of men have 1917 six digit TF numbers and another has an Autumn 1917 Labour Corps number, prior to the L/ number. I don't have access to the rolls, so can't dig deeper. I don't know about the KRRC number either.

Phil

[kenf48]

The KRRC number shown on the Rolls is 45284.

The service record of Pte Buxton 45291 KRRC has survived, b.15/11/99 from Foxley, Norfolk; deemed to have enlisted 15/12/1917 aged 18 years 1 month posted 53rd YS Bn; then posted 51st Grad Bn April 1918 and posted to France 27 May 1918 to 12th Bn 28 May then on 30 Mat tfd to London Regiment wounded September.

SDGW has a couple of close numbers who seem to have followed a similar course in France.

e.g.45292;45293 both shown as KRRC '12th Battalion, the County of London Regiment, Aff'.

It could fit in that men aged 18 and a half were sent on active service overseas following the German Offensive in March. As he is on the Royal Sussex Rolls that was his last unit.

Ken

[MrG]

Thanks for the help gentlemen (and sorry about the typo in the KRR number) Although circumstantial it looks as if it could be my man. He could be a bit older than I first thought though as his birth is registered Horsham Sussex Q4 1899. In 1911 he was living with his parents in Broadbridge Heath on the outskirts of the town.