Charles Edwin Rayner 1892 - 1917

[FenClare]

Dear All

Can anyone tell me anything about thi soldier by his uniform? I am researching Charles Edwin Rayner for a friend. He joined the army before the Great War began and was apparently in the Hussars and at one stage joined the Warwickshires

Any other info much appreciated

FenClare

Charles Edwin Rayner 1892 - 1917.pdf

[MaxD]

Starting at the wrong end, here is his Commonwealth War Grave Commission entry from which you can see he was first in 4th (Queen's Own) Hussars and later in 15 Battalion Royal Warwickshires.

https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/830281/rayner,-charles-edwin/

 

On the Tyne Cot memorial which means he has no known grave.  

 

There are other records for him, some of which need a subscription to Findmypast or Ancestry - do you have either?

 

Max

 

[MaxD]

His medal card at the National Archives is here:

https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D5269462 which shows he started with 4th Hussars, then 1st Battalion Royal Irish Regiment before 15 Royal Warwicks.  He went to France on 15 August 1914 so right at the beginning of the war and presumably was serving in Ireland immediately prior to this.

 

His service record seems to be among those 60% or so lost in WW2 to bombing so finding out when he moved from one regiment to another may take a bit of detective work (the forum has a number of expert detectives!).  The war diary for the time he died  will be available.

 

His entry in the Soldiers Effects register is on Ancestry here:https://www.ancestry.co.uk/interactive/60506/42511_6129999_0120-00028?pid=227528&backurl=https://search.ancestry.co.uk/cgi-bin/sse.dll?_phsrc%3DMvA6187%26_phstart%3DsuccessSource%26usePUBJs%3Dtrue%26indiv%3D1%26_phtarg%3DMvA6186%26dbid%3D60506%26gsfn%3Dcharles%20edwin%26gsln%3Drayner%26cp%3D0%26new%3D1%26rank%3D1%26uidh%3D6x5%26redir%3Dfalse%26msT%3D1%26gss%3Dangs-d%26pcat%3D39%26fh%3D1%26h%3D227528%26recoff%3D%26ml_rpos%3D2&treeid=&personid=&hintid=&usePUB=true&_phsrc=MvA6187&_phstart=successSource&usePUBJs=true

(Sorry about the long link)

 

From this can be calculated when he joined the army - no time just now.  Someone will happen along!

 

Run out of time -  if someone would like to fill in the gaps!

 

Max

 

Edited 1 August , 2019 by MaxD
Error with R Irish amended- thank you Pat Atkins

[Pat Atkins]

The 4th Hussars 1914 Star medal roll on Ancestry here (misspelling his name as 'Raynor') gives a date of 23.9.17 for his transfer to the Royal Warwickshire Regt. with the new number 32812, though it doesn't mention the Royal Irish Regiment. This date is also on the medal index card, which as Max says, included R. Irish Regt., number 41191.

 

Paul Nixon's excellent blog on army service numbers dates Rayner's enlistment in the Hussars to the second half of 1910.

 

Pat

Edited 1 August , 2019 by Pat Atkins
mic says R.I. Regiment, not Fusiliers; post amended accordingly

[MaxD]

He sadly was one of five men killed in the last major attack the battalion made in the area to the south and east of Ypres before leaving France and going to Italy in November 1917.

 

Max