South Wales Borderers RFA

[Tegan]

My G Grandfather served with the RFA South Wales Borders, his name was William James Thomas from Llanelly Carmarthenshire.  I know that on the 3.2.1917 he had been in France for Two years maybe a bit longer.  Can anyone help me or guide me as to where i can find more information?  It has taken me 10 years just to find out that he was in the RFA in the end I realised the information had been in front of me all the time in regads to his photograph/Uniform!!  However I don't have his army number and i am aware that many records were burnt.

 

Any help would be great thanks in advance

[BFBSM]

Tegan,

 

His Medal Index Card, which details the medals he is entitled to, is available on Ancestry as are the entries in the relevant Medal Rolls. His service number was 8538.

 

MIC: http://interactive.ancestry.com/1262/30850_A001543-02497?pid=4677688&backurl=http://search.ancestry.com//cgi-bin/sse.dll?_phsrc%3Dyzb5588%26_phstart%3DsuccessSource%26usePUBJs%3Dtrue%26indiv%3D1%26db%3Dmedalrolls%26gss%3Dangs-d%26new%3D1%26rank%3D1%26gsfn%3DWilliam%20James%26gsfn_x%3D0%26gsln%3DThomas%26gsln_x%3D1%26gskw%3D8538%26gskw_x%3D1%26cpxt%3D1%26cp%3D11%26MSAV%3D0%26uidh%3Del4%26pcat%3D39%26fh%3D0%26h%3D4677688%26recoff%3D9%2010%2011%2022%2023%2024%26ml_rpos%3D1&treeid=&personid=&hintid=&usePUB=true&_phsrc=yzb5588&_phstart=successSource&usePUBJs=true

 

1915 Stare Roll: http://interactive.ancestry.com/5119/41804_611411_5894-00112?pid=4985003&backurl=http://search.ancestry.com//cgi-bin/sse.dll?_phsrc%3Dyzb5584%26_phstart%3DsuccessSource%26usePUBJs%3Dtrue%26indiv%3D1%26db%3Diwoservicemedalawardrolls%26gss%3Dangs-d%26new%3D1%26rank%3D1%26msT%3D1%26MS_AdvCB%3D1%26gsfn%3DWilliam%20James%26gsfn_x%3D1%26gsln%3DThomas%26gsln_x%3D1%26gskw%3DRoyal%20Field%20Artillery%26gskw_x%3D1%26cpxt%3D1%26cp%3D11%26MSAV%3D-1%26uidh%3Del4%26pcat%3D39%26fh%3D3%26h%3D4985003%26recoff%3D5%206%207%26ml_rpos%3D4&treeid=&personid=&hintid=&usePUB=true&_phsrc=yzb5584&_phstart=successSource&usePUBJs=true

 

BWM & VM Roll: http://interactive.ancestry.com/5119/41629_611411_5365-00190?pid=3354179&backurl=http://search.ancestry.com//cgi-bin/sse.dll?_phsrc%3Dyzb5584%26_phstart%3DsuccessSource%26usePUBJs%3Dtrue%26indiv%3D1%26db%3Diwoservicemedalawardrolls%26gss%3Dangs-d%26new%3D1%26rank%3D1%26msT%3D1%26MS_AdvCB%3D1%26gsfn%3DWilliam%20James%26gsfn_x%3D1%26gsln%3DThomas%26gsln_x%3D1%26gskw%3DRoyal%20Field%20Artillery%26gskw_x%3D1%26cpxt%3D1%26cp%3D11%26MSAV%3D-1%26uidh%3Del4%26pcat%3D39%26fh%3D0%26h%3D3354179%26recoff%3D5%206%207%26ml_rpos%3D1&treeid=&personid=&hintid=&usePUB=true&_phsrc=yzb5584&_phstart=successSource&usePUBJs=true

 

Mark

[David Porter]

2 hours ago, BFBSM said:

His Medal Index Card, which details the medals he is entitled to, is available on Ancestry as are the entries in the relevant Medal Rolls. His service number was 8538.

 

Sorry Mark, he does not appear to be 8538 as the MIC has the Llanellly address crossed out saying "not identical to 14582".

The MIC for 14582 retains the Llanelly address. That man was also in the Royal Engineers 207115, WR/206211.

Not sure where the South Wales Borderers comes from unless there is another William James Thomas in the RFA from Llanelly who got the Silver War Badge (i.e. SWB)

 

Correction: 14582 is actually William John Thomas, so no nearer a positive ID 

There is also another William John Thomas numbered 14485, and all three men have been mistaken for each other.

The service record for 14582 has some revealing documentation.  

 

Tegan,

 

With such a common name we need more information as to date of birth, occupation, next of kin etc.

How do you know he had been in France for 2 years in early 1917?

[BFBSM]

19 hours ago, David Porter said:

 

Sorry Mark, he does not appear to be 8538 as the MIC has the Llanellly address crossed out saying "not identical to 14582".

The MIC for 14582 retains the Llanelly address. That man was also in the Royal Engineers 207115, WR/206211.

Not sure where the South Wales Borderers comes from unless there is another William James Thomas in the RFA from Llanelly who got the Silver War Badge (i.e. SWB)

 

Correction: 14582 is actually William John Thomas, so no nearer a positive ID 

There is also another William John Thomas numbered 14485, and all three men have been mistaken for each other.

The service record for 14582 has some revealing documentation.  

 

Tegan,

 

With such a common name we need more information as to date of birth, occupation, next of kin etc.

How do you know he had been in France for 2 years in early 1917?

 

Oops, no worries David, I can't have looked at things properly. I shall look at some other potentials once more info comes in.

 

Mark

[Dai Bach y Sowldiwr]

Tegan, 

Just to reiterate what all the posters have written above, what evidence do you have that he was in the RFA, or that he was in the South Wales Borderers. And how do you know which William James Thomas he is?

 

A quick search of Ancestry reveals at least19 William J Thomases, 4 W Thomases, 8 W J Thomases, and 68 William Thomases in the RFA. He could be any of these.

 

I guess,from the way that you spell Llanelly, that you don't live in Wales.

 

William James Thomas is  a very very common name and until you can find more definite information about him, I don't think you can come to any firm conclusions. 

 

It might help if you put his photo on Photobucket, and post the link to it here.

Edited 16 July , 2016 by Dai Bach y Sowldiwr

[Tegan]

I actually do live in Llanelli, S Wales.  During WW1 Llanelli was spelt Llanelly, since my post I have found out that William James Thomas was at one stage a mounted driver SWB Pioneers Transport, he served on the western front from 1914 through to the end of the war, His wife was called Elizabeth