Platoon - Pte Silvester 307190

[Silverob]

Is it possible to find out more information in relation to units e.g which company and platoon a relative served with. I have the battalion but cannot find information on company and platoons?

[Ron Clifton]

Hello Silverob, and welcome to the Forum!

Unless you have the names of any officers the man served with, such as in letters home, I'm afraid that the answer is no. Men were switched between platoons and companies as the need arose.

Ron

[Silverob]

Thanks Ron

That’s a shame I have no letters. Do you think it possible to cross reference the dates of deaths for soldiers and officers to ascertain the likelihood of the men being in the same company/platoon. Then search with those officers names? Or is it the case that there are just no records of who was with which platoon/ company on a given day of battle?

[Silverob]

Just found an extract from a war diary 2/8 battalion 27 Sep 1917, lists two officers dead at the bottom, but does mention other battalions in the paragraphs prior so not sure  -

2/lieut J G Roe

2/lieut H A Hadden

Edited 28 July , 2021 by Silverob

[Skipman]

It's unusual but I have found information on two 1/Gordon Highlanders soldier's platoon number from the British Newspaper Archive. Also occasionally on info from the ICRC POW records.

 

Mike

Edited 28 July , 2021 by Skipman

[Silverob]

Thanks you, I will keep on digging.

[TEW]

The medical records on FMP & FWR (MH106) usually give company details for the date they were admitted.

Very slim chance of an entry though.

TEW

[Skipman]

If you were able to share name and number we could try help fair enough if you don't want to that.

 

Mike

[Silverob]

Private Sidney Silvester

2/8 Sherwood Foresters 

307190

26/09/1917

Just been reading through this page 160 loads of info. Any help appreciated though, thanks.

https://derbyshireterritorials.files.wordpress.com/2013/09/28th-sherwood-foresters.pdf

 

 

[Skipman]

Had a quick look but nothing obvious I'm afraid. Something might turn up, you never know.

 

Mike

[AndrewSid]

Had a quick look as well.  No joy.  As stated above platoon is almost impossible without a personal item ie letter/photo.   If taken POW ICRC records are good or if wounded and records survive then Coy often mentioned.  The war diary may give you a clue ie C Coy in reserve whilst B coy took 50% casualties.  You can search on CWGC by date of death and battalion to give you a deeper picture for the action as well in terms of how many  killed and  when (note many will have DoW in the days after).  Sometimes men on the CWGC website have their Coy mentioned.

 

 

[Matlock1418]

13 hours ago, Silverob said:

Private Sidney Silvester

2/8 Sherwood Foresters 

307190

FYI - A pension records at WFA/Fold3 has an additional Regimental No. of 5851

Sadly won't help with your main question on platoon, but may help with his earlier service.

Mother: Mrs Hannah Silvester, 11 Regency St, Westminster SW1 - she got 6/- pw for life from 14-5-18 [that will have been a Royal Warrant,  Article 21, dependant's pension]

:-) M

Edit: Just noted one card has DEAD 10.5.26 on it - this will be the claim going dead [but quite possible his mother had died some time before that - will need further investigation on date of her death or perhaps another life event - sadly no main pension file will exist as long lost/likely destroyed after its use ended]

 

Edited 29 July , 2021 by Matlock1418
Edit

[Dai Bach y Sowldiwr]

17 minutes ago, Matlock1418 said:

Edit: Just noted one card has DEAD 10.5.26 on it - this will be the claim going dead [but quite possible his mother had died some time before that - will need further investigation on date of her death

This is the only HS death north of the river 1918-1992 there are only 3 others on the south bank:

Deaths Mar 1926   (>99%)
Silvester	Hannah	71	St.Geo.H.Sq.	1a	562

[Silverob]

Thanks guys I’ll have a look at the family tree for Hannah’s date of death. Starting to feel that I won’t be able to find his platoon details.

[Silverob]

Thank you for all your input but after extensive internet trawling I don’t think I’ll be able to ascertain the company/platoon my relative was in, and after reading the battle diary I am not convinced that it would answer my question to any degree of certainty anyway. Hopefully one day a forgotten diary might surface to shed more light on a story that has passed down the family.