Frank Gifford RE 56207

[Agincourtmike]

would anybody be able to help with where my wife Grandfather would have served during the war. We know he ended up in Italy at the wars end but have little to go on before then. we think he might have been employed on the cable laying section but would love to know where else in the theatre of war his unit served

 

many thanks

 

Mike

[brianmorris547]

Mike

Welcome. You are in luck, his service record survives. It is available on Ancestry or Find My past, which you can view at your local library if you do not subscribe. He enlisted at Grimsby on 12/10/1914. He was a Post Office Telegraphist. He was posted to 18 Division Signals Company. He was admitted to hospital in 1917 and in 1918 he was posted to Lines of Communication Signals in Italy. He was injured in December 1918 and extended his service in Italy until August 1919.

There is a misc document about him on Find My Past and also a hospital admission which I will have a look at tomorrow at the Library.

Brian

EDIT: The Hospital Admission is for October 1917. Adm No 4 Sty Hosp, Arques. (MH 106/1480). It reads RE 18 Div Sig Co - 56207 - Spr Gifford, F - Age 34 - Service 2 years 9 months - Completed months with Field Force 2 years 1 month - Pyorrhea (gum disease I believe) - Discharge to Duty 04/10/1917.

The misc document is a Casualty List HA 33037 dated December 1918 Italy.

My notes tell me that some o'rs are named in 18 Div Sigs War Diaries and in the Commander RE 18 Div WDs for 1916 but I do not have him in my index. I will check 1915. His date of entry into France is compatible with 18 Sigs Co but I could not see him named in 1915 or 1917. 

 

Edited 3 October , 2018 by brianmorris547

[Agincourtmike]

Brian, Thank you so much for this, apologies for the late reply but I’ve been having terrible trouble with my phone line and internet which is hopefully now resolved. Some really interesting stuff to go through so hopefully put a few more pieces of the jigsaw together.

 

many thanks

 

Mike