76321 Gunner Lewis James Guy RFA

[Alan24]

76321 Gunner Lewis 'Jim' James Guy RFA

 

Looking at this soldier on the Ringwood War Memorial as a possible non-com.

 

I can't find anything on CWGC or a Soldier's Effects record for him.

 

*Born 16 Sept 1896 Ringwood, Died Bournemouth 03 May 1920 

Son of Fred Guy and Elizabeth Anne Guy (nee Jennings)

 

*DOB from a family tree on Ancestry but FreeBMD suggests birth registered in Q4 1895 not 1896.

 

Three pension cards Here and Here and Here confirms his death.

 

There is a SDGW entry but can't find it this morning!

 

1901 Census at Hall Farm, Hightown Here

 

MIC and Medal Roll confirms overseas service Here and Here

 

Not to be confused with T Guy 76321 (same Number & Surname) 15 Bde. RHA. Here I think!

T Guy 1914 Star Here

 

If anyone from the IFCP would like to take this up, I would appreciate it. 

 

 

Edited 2 February , 2021 by Alan24

[BarbaraG]

Pension Records appear to confirm he is the same man.

The Pension was refused. 

His Death certificate would be required to show cause of death - Meningitis - was as a result of his service.

Edited 2 February , 2021 by BarbaraG

[Alan24]

2 hours ago, BarbaraG said:

His Death certificate would be required to show cause of death - Meningitis - was as a result of his service.

Barbara, thanks for the pension information, I didn't have access to read the card, only the transcript, so that's very useful.

 

My thinking is that IF he was still in uniform at the time of his death, whether it was due to war service or not, he should qualify for CWGC recognition. 

If he had already been discharged and the sickness was not due to war service, then probably not.

 

I'm still not sure that T Guy is the same man. An ancestry family tree shows his DOB as 16/09/1896 and I think that is too young to have qualified for a 1914 Star medal on 06/10/1914.

He would have been under 19, he would also have had to have enlisted pre-war and given a false age. 

 

Just checked FreeBMD and it suggests that he was born 1895 not 1896 so could have just been 19 in Oct 1914.

If he joined pre-war as a regular, that would explain why he appears to be still serving in 1920 when you would expect others to have been discharged by 1919. 

 

Perhaps @David Portermay be able to shed light on his numbering of transfer from RHA to RFA?

 

Regards

 

Alan.

 

 

Edited 2 February , 2021 by Alan24

[David Porter]

Alan,

 

There are two people on the Medal Roll with the number 76321, the other being Martin Wilfred Powell who went to France in August 1915.

That number was issued in early February 1914 and again in mid January 1915, before this it would have been issued in late 1889.

So, I would say that Lewis is indeed the same as T Guy of the 15th Brigade RHA. Possibly someone mistaking the J for a T on documentation.

He served with a RHA unit but came under the umbrella of RH and RFA as far as records at Woolwich were concerned.

[charlie962]

Absent Voters for Ringwood 1920 has:

 

Guy, Lewis James   50 Bagnum Rd,    76321  "I" Bty RHA.

 

edit- the Bty were in Newbridge, Ireland in 1919

 

Edited 2 February , 2021 by charlie962

[Alan24]

1 hour ago, David Porter said:

Possibly someone mistaking the J for a T on documentation.

Thanks David. I think he was known as JIM so very possible for the J to become T. 

 

Looks like a pre-war enlistment Feb 1914 aged 18 years and 5 months.

Overseas with the BEF Oct 1914 aged 19 years 1 month.

 

Probably signed up for 7 years with the colours, hence still in service in May 1920. 

 

1 hour ago, charlie962 said:

Absent Voters for Ringwood 1920 has:

Guy, Lewis James   50 Bagnum Rd,    76321  "I" Bty RHA.

edit- the Bty were in Newbridge, Ireland in 1919

Thanks Charlie. 

 

 

 

I've seen many men on this Forum commemorated by CWGC having died of Influenza or accident, therefore I believe this man should be listed on the CWGC site even though he is not a casualty of war. I believe therefore he is a non-com.