Ken Lees Posted 15 January , 2006 Share Posted 15 January , 2006 I have a relative who we believe served in the Great War. All we know is that he was from South Wales and a family photograph (now long gone) showed him as a Sgt. The MIC online gives only one with an obvious Welsh connection: Charles Cairns, WOII 33621 Royal Welsh Fusiliers He is the only one with the right rank, too. It appears that Cairns is a Scottish surname, judging by the number of men of that name in Scottish regiments. Can anyone help with any information on this Charles Cairns? Thanks, Ken Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stephen Nulty Posted 16 January , 2006 Share Posted 16 January , 2006 Ken I found a Charles Ridley Cairns born in 2nd quarter of 1891 in Penarth. The 1901 census shows him aged 9 and the son of William Cairns (43), a native of Ireland and his wife Annie (41), who was born in Wilstshire. They have 4 sons and a daughter, all born in Penarth. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muerrisch Posted 16 January , 2006 Share Posted 16 January , 2006 Not on my RWF data base which is not conclusive. His number suggested he joined Aug/Sep 1915. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ken Lees Posted 16 January , 2006 Author Share Posted 16 January , 2006 Thanks gents. LB, does his number suggest a particular battlaion or is it simply a Regimental Service Battalion number? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muerrisch Posted 17 January , 2006 Share Posted 17 January , 2006 No particular battalion, except NOT 3rd, and not a TF one, but that leaves 1,2,8,9,10 etc etc. Sorry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
welshdoc Posted 17 January , 2006 Share Posted 17 January , 2006 There are still a handful of Cairns's is the Cardiff area but none in Penarth (in the phone book that is). Its not a common name here. If he was a Warrent officer that suggests a long service soldier and if so its would be strange (not imposible) if your relative was from Penarth /S Wales and in the RWF as this was a mainly north Walian regt. If he was in a Welsh regiment it would be more likely to be the Welsh, S. Wales Borders, or even the Monmouthshire territorials. Prehaps you need to broaden your search for units without a (direct) Welsh connection. remember he may have been in a Corps based down here. Good luck hunting Gareth Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ken Lees Posted 17 January , 2006 Author Share Posted 17 January , 2006 Thanks Gareth. My father-in-law mentioned only the other day that his maternal grandfather, Charles Cairns served in the Great War. All he knows is that the family were from South Wales and that the photo he remembers from his youth showed Cairns with Sergeant's stripes. He also recalls handling grandad's medals (probably three) With just that little information I checked MIC online and the most Cairns were listed as Private in Scottish regiments. The RWF man stood out as being the most likely candidate. Nowhere near conclusive, of course, but it was a start. I am open to suggestions for further avenues of enquiry. Regards, Ken Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muerrisch Posted 17 January , 2006 Share Posted 17 January , 2006 His number says he was not a long service soldier, but an able one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
welshdoc Posted 17 January , 2006 Share Posted 17 January , 2006 A possible contender if the RWF one is wrong Medal card of Cairns, C F Royal Field Artillery 4878 Battery Serjeant Major Royal Field Artillery 4878 Acting Warrant Officer Class 1 Date 1914-1920 Catalogue reference WO 372/3 Dept Records created or inherited by the War Office, Armed Forces, Judge Advocate General, and related bodies Series War Office: Service Medal and Award Rolls Index, First World War Piece Boundy D H - Campbell H Image contains 1 medal card of many for this collection GAreth Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martyn Gibson Posted 17 January , 2006 Share Posted 17 January , 2006 I have checked my database on 3rd Monmouth's and I don't find any surname of Cairns. Regards Martyn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Myrtle Posted 17 January , 2006 Share Posted 17 January , 2006 Ken As you are talking about your father in law's grandfather does this indicate that Charles was born in the late 1800s ? If so there is a Charles Cairns at Aldershot Military during the 1901 census aged 25. He was with the Sapper Balloon Section of The Royal Engineers. Possible that he moved to South Wales after 1901 ? There were also the following at Aldershot military at the time: Agnes Cairns Born Scotland 67 years old Beatrice Born York 22 years old - Dressmaker Elizabeth Born Southgate Middlesex 32 years old - Dressmaker Myrtle Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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