266238 H.W.Finch, R.S.Fus

[trajan]

A pair for this chappie has just turned up for sale over here in Turkey, with the box, which is where I got his names and initials from - number only on the available photographs. No, I not thinking of buying, I just wanted to post them in case anyone is looking for them, or if anything known about him  - yes, he survived (well, he is not on the CWGC!). He is not on any internet list I have accessed, and so I can add nothing more - I don't have ancestry, etc., as I only need to use those sources once a year at the very most! 

 

Julian

[little bob]

Have found 266238  Royal Scots Fusilier Herbert William Finch, entitled to a pair, and so far nothing else. Not a lot of help I'm afraid.

 

Bob

[PRC]

Julian,

 

I don't know if the version of Ancestry available to you has the option, but certainly here in the UK you can get a free account. It has very little of use in my experience but it does allow you to see the images of the Medal Index Cards - in this case telling you that Private 266238 Herbert W. Finch, Royal Scots Fusiliers, only qualified for the British War Medal and the Victory Medal.

 

If Ancestry is not an option, then the Discovery Catalogue of the (UK) National Archive has the option to search for Medal Index Cards for free. Once you find the relevant individual you can preview a watermarked version of the card. What you see is normally a sheet of six MiCs front faces only - which usually doesn't matter as other than officers there is usually nothing written on the back anyway. Unless the watermark falls in the wrong place you can normally see the information required.

Search facility here: http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/help-with-your-research/research-guides/british-army-medal-index-cards-1914-1920/

MiC for Herbert W Finch here: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D2226221

 

I also did a wild card search on the Commonwealth War Graves Commission website - "Royal Scots Fusiliers" and "266* "

Looking at that, nearly all the men who died and had a six digit serial number starting 2663xx died after July 1918 either in France or Flanders or in the UK, with the F&F deaths being preponderantly 11th Battalion. It seems likely he went overseas quite late in the war.

 

Hope that helps,

Peter, (researcher on a very tight budget :-)

[Medaler]

He served with 11th Royal Scots Fusiliers according to the Medal Roll.

 

Mike

[trajan]

Very many thanks one and all! And excellent links, Peter, and a piece of good research there, neatly confirmed by Medaler.

 

Peter, like you, I am on a tight budget, espcially so being paid a Turkish salary in Turkish lira, and with inflation averaging 15%! Normally I would think of buying this pair to 'save' them and show respect for the chappie, which I have done before when these things crop up in Turkey of all places... And I certainly would if somebody needed them, but with the economic situation here as it is I'll just let them go by...

 

But thanks one and all for your contributions