Drafter Posted 12 February , 2005 Share Posted 12 February , 2005 Hi wanted to post this picture I have on the Alexander Family that's related to me. My grandmother told me the man in the uniform is Charlie who served in World War One. All she knew is that he got hit by mustard gas in the field and went missing somehow made it to his home just out of the blue. Doesn't know the date of enlistment date of discharge doesn't think he won any medals. What I was wondering if anyone here can you tell his unit from his uniform he's wearing what perticular branch of the army would he have served in judging by it looks he was a private but would like that verified. I went to the medal card index website and there is no Charlie Alexander listed there. His brother beside him in the photo is Sam went back to the website there is a Sam R. Alexander having served in the WW1 in the Army Service Corps as a Private Dm2/190249. Does anyone know what ASC does? I'm wondering the one in the uniform could have served in the artillery or as an infantry soldier. I'm also wondering if my grandmother has the names confused. For all I know it could be Sam in the uniform not Charlie. She did tell me that Sam served in World War Two in some kind of office setting but don't if it was a type or a stenographer. Have looked at what's on the medal card index without buying it so far. So I don't much more than that without seeing what it contains. Was wondering if anyone can tell me about this photograph and what would be involved in getting his name looked up at the PRO if anyone here can do that for me. Is the medal card index ran by the PRO? What I was wondering can you see those records at the PRO? Does the PRO have other service records? I would greatly appreciate any help if it can be verified there. Thanks very kindly. Sincerely, Drafter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drafter Posted 12 February , 2005 Author Share Posted 12 February , 2005 Here's a closeup shot of them not sure why the first one came out like that. Going to retake that again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KONDOA Posted 12 February , 2005 Share Posted 12 February , 2005 Lance Corporal with what appears to be wound stripe, Roop Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drafter Posted 12 February , 2005 Author Share Posted 12 February , 2005 Thanks for the reply I appreciate it. Wow I would have thought maybe it was a Private Stripe you think it's a Lance Corporal Stripe. Noticed that stripe on the end of his sleeve to didn't know that was a wound stripe. Can you explain more what a wound stripe is? If this is one that got hit by mustard gas such as my grandmother told me I wonder if that is what is was for. Do you think maybe that this wound stripe could be for getting hit by mustard gas? Or is a wound stripe for getting wounded by gun fire? So far from what you have said this is very helpful. If there's anything else you can think of one this I would greatly appreciate it or if anyone else knows that you may know of. Do you know how I can get his name searched at the PRO or through the medal card index? Do you know which members here that will do this. Have you ever searched on anything there. Many thanks again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris_Baker Posted 12 February , 2005 Share Posted 12 February , 2005 Drafter, have a read of "Grandad's War" section on The Long, Long Trail (link top left of this page). It will tell you all about how to track down Charlie, and find out more about his service. The site also has a decent section on the Army Service Corps: click the Army tab to find it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drafter Posted 12 February , 2005 Author Share Posted 12 February , 2005 Thanks very much I will look through there. Is there a roll of some kind of the Army Service Corps? If so would it be possible to get a search done on the names Charlie Alexander and Sam Alexander? Just seeing if I can narrow this down futher. To which of them served where and when and did what. I will repost if I find anything new on this. Was still wondering though which members here go to the PRO and was wondering what's involved in getting a search done. Thanks very kindly for the help so far. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KONDOA Posted 12 February , 2005 Share Posted 12 February , 2005 Drafter, As Chris says above , read the LLT thoroughly and then find all information you have, This may include family stories etc, where born, place of enlistment, anything you know at all.Then come back here with your questions. Looking through the MIC index it would seem that Charlie was not his name or the spelling is different from above. Roop Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drafter Posted 12 February , 2005 Author Share Posted 12 February , 2005 I fully understand just wanted to ask just incase im still looking through it. Thought may it was Charlie could be Charles. There's lots of Charles Alexander listing on MIC. Even if he is in one of those listings it will take a while to find it. But I'm not giving up. Was just seeing if there were other sources I could get some answers on this. Looking on the Long Trail Section so far finding what I need to know. Is there any explanation on the wound stripe haven't come across it yet. Also doing just a general search through google and found what they look like and have some what an idea how they were given. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drafter Posted 12 February , 2005 Author Share Posted 12 February , 2005 Do any of you or the other members have a medal roll index that I could get those names looked up? Saw that on the LLT section that a trace can be done through the medal rolls index does that have to be looked up at their office if so is there any member from here that does that or does someone have a copy of the roll? Just thought I would start with this first and see where it might lead me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drafter Posted 24 February , 2005 Author Share Posted 24 February , 2005 I still need some more help on this please. I have read thoroughly through the LTT and was wondering about medal rolls it talks about the silver war badge. I was wondering does anyone have that I could get charles alexander looked up although I was told charlie? Or at least how I could get a copy of the roll? I was wondering if anyone is going to the PRO would it be possible to look up his name to see what they have on him if anything? Does the PRO have service records? I think I was told that the MIC was just a way to cross referance the MIC index with the PRO records is this true? Any help on this would be greatly appreciated. Drafter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackblue Posted 24 February , 2005 Share Posted 24 February , 2005 There is very little to go on with this photo that would narrow down your search. All it tells you is that he was a Lance Corporal and was wounded and he possesses a good conduct chevron. To narrow it down, as suggested by Roop, you will need to find out a lot more about the man you are looking for including family stories, documents, letters etc. that may suggest a unit. Do you know any more about him at all? A good start would be tying down dates of birth etc. of him and his brother so you can confirm which this man is. If a man was married during the war a marriage certificate sometimes records his unit. You can only consult the Medal Rolls and SWB Rolls after you have identified your man from his Medal Index Card. As is outlined on The Long Long Trail the PRO does hold service papers although about 60% were destroyed by WW2 bombing. Because Charles Alexander is a fairly common name for someone to have a look for service papers you will need a lot more information including where he was born, his next of kin, where he enlisted etc. The MIC's are merely a means of recording a mans award entitlement. Not cross referenced to service papers. Rgds Tim D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
per ardua per mare per terram Posted 24 February , 2005 Share Posted 24 February , 2005 I could get charles alexander looked up although I was told charlie? ... I was wondering if anyone is going to the PRO would it be possible to look up his name to see what they have on him if anything? Does the PRO have service records? Drafter He could have been known as Charlie, that is a name derived from Charles, but it could have been his first name, a middle name or Charlie could have been just a nick name. So your list is longer than you think. With the information that you have provided, this is several hours work at the Archives with no guarentees of results. Fred Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woody Posted 24 February , 2005 Share Posted 24 February , 2005 Drafter I have had a quick scan round the 1901 census and have a few possible families that could help us to give an age to your man. Do you have any further family details e.g. where they were living in 1901 the name of any brothers of sisters to sam and charlie, or the name of their parents... Getting a grasp on this man's age in 1901 will help in trying to identify his war service. Woody Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drafter Posted 25 February , 2005 Author Share Posted 25 February , 2005 Thanks for the replies I really do apprecitate it. I know it is and is going to be a difficult search. Do you any of you have a copy of the SWB roll or the medal rolls? Or is that something you have to look up at the PRO. My grandmother doesn't know much on him and I realize that Charlie is derived from Charles could have been a nickname or a middle name. Don't know where he would have enlisted or when don't know his birthdate of him his brothers artie and sam and his sisters Belle, Molly, Elsie, Jean and Ina. The approximate order of who was born first to the youngest is as follows: Artie, Ina, Molly, Sam, Jean, Belle, Charlie and Elsie. They were all born in Aberdeen, Scotland I think it's in the county of Grampian. The only exact birthdate I have is for Elsie born January 2, 1899 in Aberdeen. I know that Elsie immigrated to Canada January 1921 at the age of 22. Married Alexander Edward Barclay in Montreal, Quebec January 10, 1921. Elsie did work in a local bakery in Aberdeen met Alexander there but they didn't marry. I don't know where the nearest place would have been for Charlie to enlist I would assume around Aberdeen but could be wrong. I know that charlie did come to canada as well as sam was in vancouver, b.c. after the war Charlie remained in b.c. and eventually passed there. Sam went back with Jean for her wedding in Scotland. Does this help out further for the search? I know now from looking at the photo he was a lance-corporal and has a two year chevron of service and a wound stripe etiher he was serving in the middle of the war or more towards the end I think. He would have most likely as well as his family would have been living in Aberdeen in 1901. Would you be able to browse through 1901 census to see if there were any alexanders such as these ones living in or around Aberdeen at the time? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackblue Posted 25 February , 2005 Share Posted 25 February , 2005 Drafter, The SWB Rolls and Medal Rolls are held at the PRO and are compiled by regiment or corps. Millions served in the British Army in WW1 and it would be near impossible to troll through and look for a Charles Alexander. As I advised in the previous post you can only really consult the Medal Rolls and SWB Rolls after you have identified your man from his Medal Index Card and obtained the relevant roll numbers from this card. The other option is to see if his service papers have survived. The information you have provided might now be enough to conduct such a search. It is a lengthy process to do this. I do not live in the UK but of you post a query in the 'Going to the PRO' section someone may be able to assist further. Did Charlie marry during the war? If so his occupation may be recorded which may assist in identifying his unit. You can access Scottish records for a fee here: http://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/ Rgds Tim D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackblue Posted 25 February , 2005 Share Posted 25 February , 2005 Drafter, So there was six girls and two boys and Sam was older than Charlie? Perhaps the soldier in the photo is Sam and Charlie the younger boy? Seems strange to have another 'ring in' doesn't it? Rgds Tim D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drafter Posted 25 February , 2005 Author Share Posted 25 February , 2005 Yeshe was married my grandmother thought her name was Rosemary they had two daughters one passed on maybe as a still born perhaps. I don't know if he was married or even involved before or after the war. Thanks for pointing me in the right direction I will post in the going to the PRO forum. Whats involved in getting one of them to go to the PRO on my behalf? Do I need to make a contribution to website or do they want a favour in return? Is it the PALS group that goes to the PRO? I hope I wasn't coming accross as being helpless on this. I know this is like looking for a needle in a haystack and a time consuming effort at the PRO. I showed the photo to my grandmother and the clues she was unaware of. All she was that he got gased in field and went missing then came home out of the blue. That was a start and with getting these interpretation by all of was also very helpful to me to keep going. I read very carefully and thourghly the LTT and as you guys said once that's done then come back and ask more questions. That's what I have done and now I am fully aware now than before how to use the LTT and how to conduct the reasearch. Thanks very kindly for all the help it is very greatly appreciated. Also thanks for the census link will look at that to. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drafter Posted 25 February , 2005 Author Share Posted 25 February , 2005 Yeshe was married my grandmother thought her name was Rosemary they had two daughters one passed on maybe as a still born perhaps. I don't know if he was married or even involved before or after the war. Thanks for pointing me in the right direction I will post in the going to the PRO forum. Whats involved in getting one of them to go to the PRO on my behalf? Do I need to make a contribution to website or do they want a favour in return? Is it the PALS group that goes to the PRO? I hope I wasn't coming accross as being helpless on this. I know this is like looking for a needle in a haystack and a time consuming effort at the PRO. I showed the photo to my grandmother and the clues she was unaware of. All she was that he got gased in field and went missing then came home out of the blue. That was a start and with getting these interpretation by all of was also very helpful to me to keep going. I read very carefully and thourghly the LTT and as you guys said once that's done then come back and ask more questions. That's what I have done and now I am fully aware now than before how to use the LTT and how to conduct the reasearch. Thanks very kindly for all the help it is very greatly appreciated. Also thanks for the census link will look at that to. P.S. Saw the medal index card of a Charles Alexander who was a lance-corporal there was only one listing of this rank. I wonder if this might help but also realizing that it could be anyone of them. Sounds like the all the rolls can be seen in person. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drafter Posted 25 February , 2005 Author Share Posted 25 February , 2005 In regards to the photo there is another son and daughter not shown there Ina and Artie. As you were saying I thought it was Sam that had served not Charlie. My grandmother pointed everyone out to me. She says it is Charlie the one in the uniform and sam the little one. She says that sam served in WW2 and perhaps in WW1 he had an office job of some kind she thinks it might be unlikely that he was in an armed forces office of some kind or another. He rode his bike always between the office and his home. Said that he had suffered a heart attack one day and died. I think it was a result of riding bike that often. I did also look up sam alexander on the MIC index and there is only one listed a SAM R. Alexander says he is a private and was in the Army Service Corps. So I don't know if there would be any way of narrowing it down. I know that some of the records were lost during the battle of britain in WW2. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Myrtle Posted 25 February , 2005 Share Posted 25 February , 2005 Drafter There is only one man named Alexander who was buried in Aberdeen during WW2 listed on CWGC. Samuel Johnson Alexander Aircraftman 1st Class Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve 39 years old Died: 29/09/1943 1563630 Son of Samuel Farquhar Alexander and Mary Alexander, husband of Marjory Alexander of Aberdeen Cemetery: Aberdeen (Nellfield) Cemetery Myrtle Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drafter Posted 25 February , 2005 Author Share Posted 25 February , 2005 Wow thanks very much that's the one that's his parent Samuel and Mary. Her maiden name was mitchell and she was reffered to as lady Mary Mitchell before she married Samuel. Don't know if she kept the title when she married but as my grandmother told she didn't come from wealth was just title from what I was told. I didn't wasnt sure if sam would have served in WW2 my grandmother though it might have been Sam. Will go to the CWGC to check it out. He was born in Aberdeen like this rest of the family. So from what you are saying sounds like he served in WW2 after managing to survive world war one. That is his parents for sure. my grandmother thought it he was in ww2 will be quite surprised by this. I will also try and look for MIC again but I guess that's not going to be easy. Thanks again for this info I will add this to my info it is very much, greatly appreciated. Very helpful. Thanks very kindly again, Drafter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
linge Posted 27 February , 2005 Share Posted 27 February , 2005 Drafter The 1901 Census of Huntly, Aberdeenshire has the following: Located at 2, Chapel Street, Huntly, West Aberdeenshire Samuel Alexander (Head), aged 32 years, Bootmaker, Born Kincardineshire Mary Alexander (Wife), aged 36 years, Born Aberdeenshire Tough Arthur Alexander (Son), aged 12 years, Scholar, Born Aberdeenshire Aberdeen Mary Alexander (Daur), aged 10 years, Scholar, Born Aberdeenshire Aberdeen Williamina Alexander (Daur), aged 6 years, Scholar, Born Aberdeenshire Aberdeen Charles Alexander (Son), aged 3 years, Born Aberdeenshire Aberdeen Elsie Alexander (Daur), aged 2 years, Born Aberdeenshire Aberdeen In 1902 an Isabella Alexander was born in Huntly, Aberdeenshire Pam Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
christine liava'a Posted 27 February , 2005 Share Posted 27 February , 2005 If Pam's and Myrtle's information is the right family, then I don't think Sam would have been in WW1, he was too young. Samuel Alexander married Mary Mitchell children; Mary/Molly b 1891, Arthur b 1893, Williamina/Ina b 1895, Charles b 1898 therefore 16 when WW1 began, Samuel Johnson b 1904 therefore 10 when WW1 began, 14 when it ended, served and died in WW2. Isabella b.1902, Jean Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
christine liava'a Posted 27 February , 2005 Share Posted 27 February , 2005 Did Arthur/Artie serve in WW1? He was the right age. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drafter Posted 28 February , 2005 Author Share Posted 28 February , 2005 Thanks so very much for the help I really do appreciate it. This opens up so much more on the Alexander tree in my family. The latest info that was posted what I was just unaware of was just with the birth years. Also with is Isabella she a daughter of Samuel and Mary. My grandmother never mentioned her. She told me about the other names other than Isabella I'm going to have ask her about that this wednesday. Don't know if Artie would have served in WW1 or not. The 1904 birthdate for Sam is an exact guess my grandmother and I made. What I knew was that Samuel Farquhar Alexander was a well known bootmaker a familiar figure in the boot manufacturing trade in Aberdeen had worked for Spey Boot Works had occupied an important position. Also had his very own boot making business don't know where. Went to Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada after Spey Boot Works to see his family there. I think Charlie was in Vancouver for awhile. Mary came out for a while to Jean came to Toronto, Ontario when Jean went back to Scotland to get married the family went back to. Samuel's last job when returned to Aberdeen was with Messrs Lewis Morrison worked as a foreman in the closing department until they ceased manufacturing in 1925. He died at 68 I just don't know what day and year. I think Mary lived until about 84 I think she was born in 1867 I think I just don't have the exact date of birth for her. Mary Mitchell had the title Lady according to my grandmother she said she didn't come from wealth was just a title. I think her middle initial is S. Was wondering if anyone can shed some light on this. Samuel had two other brother were long passed that are known George who was the crack Stonehaven Bowler and Archibald a shoemaker in Huntly. I have two different copies of the obituary of Samuel. I also have the birth certificate of Elsie Alexander who was born January 2, 1899 shows on there that Samuel and Mary were married September 29, 1887 in St. Nicholas I think that's in Wales when I looked at the atlas. That's interesting that some of them were scholars what they were into. Maybe my grandmother might know that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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