Beverley Needham Posted 1 October , 2022 Share Posted 1 October , 2022 Im trying to find information on the above soldier he was my great uncle on mothers side. Died 9/6/1918 He is buried at Cinq Rues British Cemetery Hazebrouck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matlock1418 Posted 1 October , 2022 Share Posted 1 October , 2022 (edited) Find a Grave an entry and a photo https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/14730930/james-william-byles - As posted by our OP, Beverley Needham. 28735 Lance Corporal James William Byles (Biles on SDGW). 1st Btn. Border Regiment (Formerly M2/67327 R.A.S.C. Age: 24. Born: Yarnton, Oxfordshire. Enlisted: Oxford. Resided: Yarnton. Killed in action. Brother of Mr. F. G. Byles, of Woodstock Road, Yarnton, Oxon. M Edit: Seemingly a MIC as BILES [description from The National Archives https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D1325822 ] Reference:WO 372/2/139684 Description: Medal card of Biles, James W Corps Regiment No Rank Army Service Corps 076327 Cheshire Regiment 21405 Lancashire Fusiliers 37949 Border Regiment 28735 Private Plenty of other units and numbers to search upon! Edited 1 October , 2022 by Matlock1418 Edit Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beverley Needham Posted 1 October , 2022 Author Share Posted 1 October , 2022 Thank you I’ve uploaded photos on find a grave for William. James was his father. How do I find William’s service history and or war diaries? bev Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gunner 87 Posted 1 October , 2022 Share Posted 1 October , 2022 1 hour ago, Beverley Needham said: Thank you I’ve uploaded photos on find a grave for William. James was his father. How do I find William’s service history and or war diaries? bev Hi Bev. If you are looking for information about what the unit was doing the day L/Cpl 28735 James William Byles was killed the National Archives hold the War Diary for the 1st Battalion, Border Regiment, covering this date at https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C7353581 This is free to download once you register. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matlock1418 Posted 1 October , 2022 Share Posted 1 October , 2022 (edited) 1 hour ago, Beverley Needham said: I’ve uploaded photos on find a grave for William. James was his father. Your thread title is James William BYLES as is CWGC and his MIC [as BILES] - always helps if you can try to keep to a standardised and service version for his name. Note the slight differences between FAG and MIC for his ASC number. 1 hour ago, Beverley Needham said: How do I find William’s service history and or war diaries? Always the big question(s)! Often hard work. Service Record: If it can't be found on Ancestry or Find My Past perhaps extrapolating from others SR [of men with near numbers] for a potentially missing one. Could be quite hard given he had so many numbers. War Diaries: CWGC have James William BYLES, 28735, Border Regiment (1st Bn) - so that would be WD for around the time of his death - should be this one I feel https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C7353581 currently free to download from TNA [earlier https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C4557464 but I suspect he may not have reached the the BR in this period] The rest will likely be harder working back based on his transfers - potentially also based on WD entries indicating transfers of men inwards, or out. It may potentially help to see the Medal Roll his MIC was based on as it may perhaps have additional earlier Corp/Regimental sub-units to help you [unfortunately I don't have access but many other members do - so fingers crossed!] M Edit: I see @Gunner 87 simultaneously posted so confirms 1 BR is a good starter Edited 1 October , 2022 by Matlock1418 edit Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gunner 87 Posted 1 October , 2022 Share Posted 1 October , 2022 Bev, this is James' entry on the Medal Roll for the issue of his Victory Medal and British War Medal which lists his previous units as @Matlock1418 has suggested would be of assistance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matlock1418 Posted 1 October , 2022 Share Posted 1 October , 2022 (edited) 18 minutes ago, Gunner 87 said: James was his father Question for you Beverley [sorry G87 quoted from the wrong post] His CWGC entry cites his brother, Mr F G BYLES and there are no depentant's pension claim cards at WFA/Fold3 [well I've not found any yet(?)] - so were his parents already dead? And no wife or other immediate family? [Or else nobody was cared to/was considered dependant enough to make a claim] ?? M 10 minutes ago, Gunner 87 said: Bev, this is James' entry on the Medal Roll for the issue of his Victory Medal and British War Medal which lists his previous units According to LLT 17 CR http://www.longlongtrail.co.uk/army/regiments-and-corps/the-british-infantry-regiments-of-1914-1918/cheshire-regiment and 22 LF http://www.longlongtrail.co.uk/army/regiments-and-corps/the-british-infantry-regiments-of-1914-1918/lancashire-fusiliers appear to have essentially been UK training battalions so no WD. ASC always tricky and tended not to have WD M Edited 1 October , 2022 by Matlock1418 apology! And links Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beverley Needham Posted 1 October , 2022 Author Share Posted 1 October , 2022 Thanks for all this info. James parents both died in 1916. He wasn’t married His siblings were taken in by waif and strays with the exception of Frederick and Albert who were also serving in France. Bev Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gunner 87 Posted 1 October , 2022 Share Posted 1 October , 2022 Bev. I've had a good look and it doesn't appear that James' service record has survived. This is his Medal Index Card which corresponds with the Medal Roll. Gunner 87 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beverley Needham Posted 1 October , 2022 Author Share Posted 1 October , 2022 Thank you very much for this. I’ve been trying for years to find out about James. It’s a shame he doesn’t have service records. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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