alantaylor2004@hotmail.com Posted 28 June , 2016 Share Posted 28 June , 2016 Hi there, I seem to have run into trouble with Ancestry again. I have picked up a WW1 War Medal to " 5388 PTE G T Ray BEDF R" but am unable to find anything on Ancestry. However I have found him on the National Archives and attach the front search page (unable to go further as I only sub to Ancestry). There are no initials or first name though. I would appreciate some help if you can. Medal card of Ray. Corps: Bedfordshire Regiment. Regiment No: 5388. Rank: Driver. War Office: Service Medal and Award Rolls Index, First World War. Pickering S R - Ridley C. Medal card of Ray. Corps Regiment No Rank Bedfordshire Regiment 5388 Driver. Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Regiment 5944254 Private. Held by: The National Archives - War Office, Armed Forces, Judge Advocate General, and related bodies Date: 1914 - 1920 Reference: WO 372/16/159488 Subjects: Armed Forces (General Administration) | Army | Conflict | Medals | Operations, battles and campaigns Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GraemeClarke Posted 28 June , 2016 Share Posted 28 June , 2016 Hi can only help with MiC as not a member http://search.ancestry.co.uk/cgi-bin/sse.dll?_phsrc=oTp8&_phstart=successSource&usePUBJs=true&indiv=1&db=MedalRolls&gss=angs-d&new=1&rank=1&_F00061C3=bedfordshire&_F8007A65=5944254&_F8007A65_x=1&MSAV=1&uidh=ya4&pcat=39&fh=1&h=983258&recoff=65 66&ml_rpos=2 Regards, Graeme Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clk Posted 28 June , 2016 Share Posted 28 June , 2016 Hi, His service file appears to be with the MoD. Regards Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clk Posted 28 June , 2016 Share Posted 28 June , 2016 ...and from the medal roll, he's George Thomas Ray. Regards Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HarryBrook Posted 28 June , 2016 Share Posted 28 June , 2016 Also entitled to a Silver War Badge, if you have access to ancestry http://interactive.ancestry.co.uk/2456/wo329_3111-00142/467468?backurl=http%3a%2f%2fsearch.ancestry.co.uk%2fcgi-bin%2fsse.dll%3fdb%3dSilverWarBadgeMedals%26gss%3dsfs28_ms_db%26new%3d1%26rank%3d1%26msT%3d1%26gsfn%3dGeorge%2bThomas%26gsfn_x%3d0%26gsln%3dRay%26gsln_x%3d0%26_F8007A65%3d5388%26_F00061C3%3dBedfordshire%26MSAV%3d0%26uidh%3duci&ssrc=&backlabel=ReturnSearchResults Later service number 200953, enlisted 17.8.1915, discharged under King's Regulations para 392 (xvia) on 17.8.1919, age at discharge 23 years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alantaylor2004@hotmail.com Posted 28 June , 2016 Author Share Posted 28 June , 2016 Hi there, I would like to thank everyone for your kind help. There are times when you are hitting a brick wall and this seems to have been one of those times. Once again thanks. Can I ask the question about the MOD Service File for him. Is this readily available for each soldier and would I be able to get this on line. As a medal collector it would give me a lot of good information i.e. the date of birth of the soldier. Cheers, Alan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tootrock Posted 28 June , 2016 Share Posted 28 June , 2016 Date of birth seems to be 12 June 1898, according to MOD information in post #3 above. Martin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tullybrone Posted 28 June , 2016 Share Posted 28 June , 2016 41 minutes ago, alantaylor2004@hotmail.com said: Hi there, I would like to thank everyone for your kind help. There are times when you are hitting a brick wall and this seems to have been one of those times. Once again thanks. Can I ask the question about the MOD Service File for him. Is this readily available for each soldier and would I be able to get this on line. As a medal collector it would give me a lot of good information i.e. the date of birth of the soldier. Cheers, Alan Hi, The database extract means that his papers are not available online but you can apply to MOD in Glasgow for a copy - cost £30 - as you can also do for WW2 service personnel. Regards Steve Y Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alantaylor2004@hotmail.com Posted 28 June , 2016 Author Share Posted 28 June , 2016 Hi again, No I was very surprised to see that clk had a printed service file front page giving the date of birth of G T Ray and a few others. My question was can I get this front page to any soldier so I would find their date of birth. From that of course I could then find many other records birth, death, marriage and such. I would not have to go to such lengths as applying and paying for their record. Just as on the National Archives you can get a copy of the front page of the MIC giving their Christian name for free also the date of birth to sailors also free. Cheers, Alan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clk Posted 28 June , 2016 Share Posted 28 June , 2016 Hi Alan, Unfortunately not. What I posted is extracted from an index of service files which the MoD published for soldiers (officers and 'other ranks') that served post war, with a pre 1901 DoB. Those files were stored separately from those men who didn't serve past their WW1 engagements, and weren't effected by the fire in WW2 that destroyed a vast number of the service records (of 'other ranks') who didn't have post war service. Those that did survive the fire are available (by subscription) on both the Ancestry and Findmypast websites. Guards records (all ranks) are slightly different in that they weren't held with the main body of records, and are still held by the respective regimental archives. Officer records for men that didn't serve post war are generally held by the National Archives, but aren't currently available to download. The Archive can be searched free of charge, but the results don't show a DoB. For your particular man the clue to look at the index was the 7 digit service number that is shown on his medal index card. Those were allocated as a result of post war renumbering. N.B. - If a man did serve post war, his MiC won't always reflect that fact. The MoD index can be downloaded in several parts from here. Regards Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alantaylor2004@hotmail.com Posted 28 June , 2016 Author Share Posted 28 June , 2016 Hi again, That's for that. I subscribe to Ancestry and I have the normal subscription plus the Irish records as an extra. So can I access these records on Ancestry. Cheers, Alan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alantaylor2004@hotmail.com Posted 28 June , 2016 Author Share Posted 28 June , 2016 I'm sorry to be a pain. I have downloaded the files from the MOD and I do thank you for that, I had no clue that these existed. But how did you search the name or the number to pick out the man you want? I did not see an logic in the listing of the names or numbers? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clk Posted 28 June , 2016 Share Posted 28 June , 2016 Hi Alan, No problem. What I did was having downloaded the various indices of individual records, I merged (copied/pasted) them into a single spreadsheet, which then using standard Excel functions allows me to use a combination of the "sort & filter" and/or "find & select" functions to search by either surname or service number. In your particular case, I just used the search facility to "find & select" using his 5944254 service number. Regards Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alantaylor2004@hotmail.com Posted 29 June , 2016 Author Share Posted 29 June , 2016 Hi, It seems I am in your debt again. Thanks very much for that I will do what you have suggested and will be able to do the same. Once again thank you all for the great help. Cheers, Alan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve fuller Posted 7 November , 2016 Share Posted 7 November , 2016 BLARS (formerly Bedford County Record Office) have the indices / books from the formation of the Bedfs & Hertfs in July 1919 so he may well be in their files. Although summarised the details their entries carry are usually helpful and worth asking about. The service number 5388 looks like a Territorial Force number (5th Battalion if so). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
corisande Posted 7 November , 2016 Share Posted 7 November , 2016 (edited) Hints on Ancestry - click The DOB takes you to his death entry and hints on census, etc ...and I see you have started an Ancestry tree on him Edited 7 November , 2016 by corisande Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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