Help needed in finding details of a soldier

[CharlieTB]

I have not been able to find any trace of my great-uncle's WW1 service. In two previous threads I have asked for help in identifying cap badges from unnamed photos of about the right era found in the family collection in case these have yielded further clues. 

Facts I do have are

 

Name  George Stewart White

Father Henry Kirke White 

Home : 2 Station Road, Northfleet, Kent.

DOB : 17th DEC 1900

Certainly survived the war 

 

Family info/rumours  :

1 - did not go into same regiment as his elder brothers (RGA)

2- served in Ireland possibly with the Black and Tans ( checked v kindly by Corisande and confirmed that no one of his name was registered as RIC - obv he may have used another name)

3- no family gossip that he tried to sign up under age

4- rest of family were iron moulders/worked in the cement industry

 

 

Photo clues - or not!

Unnamed photos which may/may not be of him have the following cap badges

Royal Engineer (chap in this one does have a strong family resemblance) and helpfully identified photo was at least late 1919

East Surrey 

 

I have tried Ancestry, FMP TNA and FWR with no success using a variety of search terms including the RE and E Surrey potential links as well. Can anyone help. I am relatively new to this. 

[Alan24]

2 minutes ago, CharlieTB said:

DOB : 17th DEC 1900

Certainly survived the war 

Are you sure he served before the armistice?

Could have served as a young soldier with BAOR in 1919.

Service after 11.11.18 did not qualify for Victory Medal or British War Medal.

[CharlieTB]

No I am not sure at all I just know that he did join the Army at the end of the war. Is there anyway I could check that?

 

[Matlock1418]

6 minutes ago, CharlieTB said:

No I am not sure at all I just know that he did join the Army at the end of the war. Is there anyway I could check that?

I understand that service files for service post-war may be still to be found at the Ministry of Defence

https://www.gov.uk/get-copy-military-service-records/apply-for-someone-elses-records 

:-) M

[CharlieTB]

Yes I have done so for one brother, but you need a regiment and a service number and I have neither in George's case so I am grateful for any help

 

Edited 18 November , 2020 by CharlieTB

[travers61]

The records held by the Mod are for British Army soldiers who served past January 1921. Unless the requirements have changed recently, as he was born over 116 years ago you will not need his death certificate to apply, just his service number and/or date of birth, although I would include the death cert if poss & also any other details, but only that which you are sure of.

http://www.researchingww2.co.uk/order-ww2-service-record/

 

 

[CharlieTB]

OK I have just rechecked on the site and you are correct, I do not need service number or regiment only date of birth.  I will not need a death cert anyway as my mother is his nearest surviving next of kin as his niece. I was concerned that as we had so little to go on they may not accept the request as we had no regiment or service number or any idea of dates he served. 

Thanks

Charlie

[Chris_Baker]

The MOD index of retained records does not have an exact fit, but there is a G. White with DOB 14 Dec 1900. Has army number 4688916, which traces to the King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry. Could be a complete red herring but he is the only near-fit.

 

 

Edited 18 November , 2020 by Chris_Baker

[CharlieTB]

OK thank you, so may be worth a try with MOD although it seems an unlikely match but who knows- I had hoped the photos we found would give us a pointer but obviously not.

[travers61]

Another source could be Absent Voters Lists.  Although the usual voting age was 21 then, in 1918 men who had turned 19 during service in connection with World War I could also vote even if they were under 21, although there was some confusion over whether they could do so after being discharged from service. The Representation of the People Act 1920 clarified this in the affirmative, albeit after the 1918 general election.  I am not sure if this applied to recruits after Nov 11th 1918, but if you are local to Northfleet may be worth checking with the local record office.

https://www.longlongtrail.co.uk/soldiers/how-to-research-a-soldier/finding-soldiers-through-the-1918-absent-voters-lists/

 

I have tried the 1939 Register to see if any candidates mention their previous military service there. In the ancestry index there only one George White with a dob of 17 Dec 1900, but no mention of other service.

14 Keynsham Road, Woolwich

 

[CharlieTB]

Yes I have the 1939 register entry and that is 99% likely to be him as we know he was in that area around that time and that he was single. Absent voters lists - he would not have been 19 until the very end of 1919. I am not local to Northfleet but can get there in a couple of hours-  something to do after Covid !