A conundrum

[redrob]

Wow! Thank you everyone so far for your help with this. My only logic for discounting the date of death of 1929 is the single photograph. However I am meeting the local family history people tomorrow and will revisit my original statement.

I could be chasing my own tail here.

 

Thanks for your patience

[MBrockway]

4 hours ago, ralphjd said:

That number from August 1918 - Feb 1919

And his KRRC number would point to a Military Service Act conscript enlistment 1916 or later.

[Dai Bach y Sowldiwr]

Right.

What do you know so far?

His place and date of birth, and his parents.
 

If I was you, I would get hold of the death certificate of the John W Gregory who died in Thorne in 1929.

That would give you his address, and the name and address of the "informant"- the person (usually a relative) who notifies the registrar of the death.

If there was no wife, it could be a parent or a sibling, the names of whom you know.

 

If you look up Free BMD, you will find that a William Gregory died in Thorne in 1939 aged 80.

And an Ann Gregory died in Thorne in 1930 aged 77.

Both of those would fit with their age in the 1901 census and might be John W.'s parents.

So if that's them, they would have been alive in 1929, and either might be named as the informant.

 

Establishing the death in 1929 obviously excludes the possibility of him being a Great War  casualty, so rules out his name appearing (or not) in the CWGC database, in Soldiers' Effects and so on. You could then concentrate your efforts on excluding those known to have died from the John Gregorys in the Medal Rolls.

 

Even though you say you think he wasn't married, just to let you know that there were 7 marriages of a John W. Gregory in Yorkshire between 1911 and 1930

Surname	First name(s)	Spouse	District	Vol	Page
Marriages Jun 1912   (>99%)
Gregory	John W	Bishop	Ecclesall B.	9c	805
Marriages Dec 1913   (>99%)
Gregory	John W	Rastrisk	Ecclesall B.	9c	619
Marriages Jun 1915   (>99%)
Gregory	John W	Lewis	Darlington	10a	57
Marriages Jun 1918   (>99%)
Gregory	John W	Fitzpatrick	Sheffield	9c	1087
Marriages Sep 1920   (>99%)
Gregory	John W	Sanders	Darlington	10a	72
Gregory	John W	Hindle	Burnley	8e	835
Marriages Sep 1923   (>99%)
GREGORY	John W	Greenwood	Burnley	8e	625

[redrob]

Dai that's fantastic! I definitely owe you a pint!. I am quite embarrassed to have missed some of this!

I will order the death cert today.

The William that died in 1939 was my great grandfather I expect the Ann you mention was my (step) great grandmother.

 

I am shocked and disappointed at how bad I am being at this. I seem to have missed so much and assumed so much.

This is very 'un-historical', and Ironic as I am preparing to write a book on the Korean War and my research for that is on fire!

 

I hope that normal research capabilities will be resumed soon!

 

Thanks so much, I appreciate it!

[MBrockway]

Rob,

I echo Dai's recommendation to use FreeBMD.

 

Here's a link to their Search Page