Albert Edgar Ford Royal Engineers

[Guest BRIDGET4EUROPE]

My Grandfather was born on 6th Nov 1884 and between 1st January 1904 and 31st May 1908 he was in 2nd V.B. Royal Fusiliers (City of London Reg) and re-enlisted on 08/08/1914 into the Royal Engineers, his Regimental number was 1855386.

At the end of the 1914/18 War he re enlisted again on 24th February 1919 at Frohen-le-Soken.

I also know that he was in India as a Lance Corporal in 1921,

I am trying to discover exactly where he was during the First World War and also if anyone else has any information relating to his military career.

I am his grandaughter by his youngest daughter who herself is now 85yrs old.

Can Anyone help please?

I am very new to research so simple language directions etc would be appreciated.

Thanks

Bridget

[Stebie9173]

Hello, Bridget.

Welcome to the Forum.

The Royal Engineers can be a tricky set of folks to research.

Firstly, the documents available to us to research very rarely have any detailed unit information on them. Secondly, and generally, most of the men's detailed records were destroyed in WW2. It makes the process a bit of a guessing game.

The number of the Royal Engineers you have given us is a late/post war number, which may be the one allocated to him when he re-enlisted.

It does not show up on the list of men who served overseas.

Can you answer us some more questions to help us, please?

Did he have any other number you are aware of?

Do you or your family have any of his medals or papers? The medals have the soldiers name and number on the rims (or back in the case of the 1914 and 1914-15 Stars)

Do you know for certain that he served abroad?

Did he win any gallantry medals to your knowledge?

Steve.