oly2b Posted 25 March , 2006 Share Posted 25 March , 2006 My Great-Grandfather Ralph Ward was reported missing in April 191? and later sent card from Germany. He survived the war unlike his brother Edgar Ward who died 02/10/1918. All I know is he was a private, born Keighley, West Yorkshire 1893. I have a couple of photo's of him in his uniform. I have found nine Ralph Ward's from the medal cards and few Wards from the POW database. Any suggestion on what to try next to find the correct Ralph Ward. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
delta Posted 25 March , 2006 Share Posted 25 March , 2006 Welcome to the Forum The first steps are often the most difficult but we will help you on your way. Can you post us the pictures of him in uniform, it may give us a clue as to his unit and thereby thin out the wrong "Wards" from the list of MIC ? Stephen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doug Johnson Posted 25 March , 2006 Share Posted 25 March , 2006 You mention a card. Do you still have it? Can you get a scan of it for us as it will probably have clues on it. I presume you do not have his medals. Doug Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Swally Posted 26 March , 2006 Share Posted 26 March , 2006 Hi there, how do you get access to the POW lists I had a great uncle James Allan who was captured early in the war and was released in Switzerland early 1916 as part of a prisoner exchange. He was with E coy 10th Cyclist of the Royal Scots Can you provide any assistance? Best Regards, Swally Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doug Johnson Posted 26 March , 2006 Share Posted 26 March , 2006 Swally, On the home page of the Long Long Trail there is a panel for genealogists under which there is a section for PoW's. I have checked it for James or J Allan and there are two there but not from that unit. That does not mean he was not interviewed, just that he is not in the index. The original contemporary index on which the index Behind the Wire was based was flawed. There are list of prisoner reports in the printed document which were not used. Some of these appear in the index (with wrong page numbers) whilst the majority do not. I have a copy of the interview with J P Rush which I found at the IWM but he does not figure in the index. If you know the date when he was repatriated then a check through the on line document will identify the section he is likely to be listed in. 1916 itself will produce a big spread of pages. I have some downloaded so I can assist in narrowing it down (downloading cost £3.50 for 50 pages and there are over 4000 pages of OR reports). The original reports on which WO161 was based are reputed to still exist and I have seen some listed as being in FO 383. Doug Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oly2b Posted 26 March , 2006 Author Share Posted 26 March , 2006 I do not have the card or medals but only a newspaper clippling. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oly2b Posted 26 March , 2006 Author Share Posted 26 March , 2006 Second photograph with attached paperclipping Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oly2b Posted 26 March , 2006 Author Share Posted 26 March , 2006 PS the baby in the photograph, my Grandmother was born 14th March 1917. My Great-Grandmother went home to West Hartlepool when Ralph Ward was reported missing and she was pregant if that helps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Owen D Posted 26 March , 2006 Share Posted 26 March , 2006 NF on shoulder........... Northumberland Fusiliers .So this Ralph Ward. http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documen...&resultcount=16 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graham Stewart Posted 26 March , 2006 Share Posted 26 March , 2006 Oly2b, Many thanks for posting the photo's especially the one with the bairn, as I took a closer look at his uniform. If you look to the left of this reply you will see that he is wearing the same cloth N.F. badge sewn to his upper right arm. They were supposed to be worn on the shoulder strap, but I also noted that he is still wearing his metal shoulder title which is exactly the same as the cloth badge but in gilding metal. If you look below the cloth badge on the upper arm, you will notice a dark circle below it, this is the battalion battle patch and it may be the patch of the 2nd Bn,N.F., as by the time he was taken POW in 1918, and off the top of my head, the only other two battalions(10th & 11th) to wear similar patches were serving in Italy. Graham. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Owen D Posted 26 March , 2006 Share Posted 26 March , 2006 Graham, Glad you found this thread. I was going to PM you to make you aware of it but no need now. Oly2b Is this his brother? Name: WARD, EDGAR Initials: E Nationality: United Kingdom Rank: Private Regiment: Hampshire Regiment Unit Text: 15th (Hampshire Yeomanry) Bn. Age: 28 Date of Death: 02/10/1918 Service No: 55052 Additional information: Son of William and Alice J. Ward, of 45, Manville Grove, Keighley, Yorks. Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead Grave/Memorial Reference: III. D. 14. Cemetery: PERTH CEMETERY (CHINA WALL) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stephen Nulty Posted 27 March , 2006 Share Posted 27 March , 2006 Owen Looks likely. The family are living at 30 Kennsington Street, Keighley, at the time of the 1901 census. They are shown as William (35), a Joiner, Alice Jane (36) and children Emily (11), Edgar (9), Ralph (8) and Ethel (2 months). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oly2b Posted 27 March , 2006 Author Share Posted 27 March , 2006 This Ralph & Edgar Ward of the Hampshire's were brothers. I have found alot of information about his grave including a photo of the actual head stone. I am struggling with his medals cards, downloaded the file from the NA but it included six card images, which may be other Edgar Wards. Also what happen to him, I guess that 2nd October 1918 must have been the last day of battle 142 (The 4th Battle of Ypres). Many thanks for working out the unit of Ralph Ward from the photographs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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