Alison1212 Posted 30 September , 2006 Share Posted 30 September , 2006 Hello, Could somebody please help me find a soldier? I was hoping somebody could look on the cd 'Soldiers who died in the great war' I got a marriage cert on friday, and fot the groom it says Henry smith, for his occupation is just says Soldier. I have tried to look for him on CWGC but it says there are too many records to view! i have tried everything to try and shorten my search down! but it just is not happening! All i know about him is Henry Smith, born in 1888 in Swinton lancs. but may be down as clifton/pendlebury. He also lived in the swinton/pendlebury area. He married in 1915 and occupation was 'Soldier' so he may have been in WW1. Was also known as Harry! This is the only info i have on him! Can anyone please help me find him!?? Thanks Alison. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
auchonvillerssomme Posted 30 September , 2006 Share Posted 30 September , 2006 why do you think he was a casualty Mick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris_Baker Posted 30 September , 2006 Share Posted 30 September , 2006 Alison - it would help if we knew the name of his wife, his age and when he married. These things could all help reduce the number of "possibles". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alison1212 Posted 30 September , 2006 Author Share Posted 30 September , 2006 Hello Mick, I don't know if he was killed or not to be honest! I just thought somebody could just check to see if he was or not! As he is just down as Soldier, i haven't got a clue what regiment he was with! so i really don't know where to start in trying to find out any infomation on him My grandad is no longer alive to give me any info, and my nan said she knows nothing about this side of the family! Alison. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alison1212 Posted 30 September , 2006 Author Share Posted 30 September , 2006 Hello Chris, Sorry i didn't realise i had forgot to put his age in my thread! he married in May 1915 to Ethel Fulford, he was aged 28, so was born in 1888. in Swinton, Manchester Lancs. In 1915 he was living in Pendlebury, Lancs. Alison. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
auchonvillerssomme Posted 1 October , 2006 Share Posted 1 October , 2006 Theres a Henry Worthington Smith 11th Bn Lancashire Fusiliers L/Cpl 31163 b. Swinton, Lancs e.Eccles Lancs r.Swinton K.I.A 24/03/18 F&F SMITH, HENRY WORTHINGTON Lance Corporal 31163 Lancashire Fusiliers "D" Coy. 11th Bn. Age: 28 Date of Death: 24/03/1918 Son of Luke and Immin Smith, of 42, Monton Rd., Eccles, Manchester. Grave/Memorial Reference: Bay 5. Memorial: ARRAS MEMORIAL Sorry, wasn't able to match any others. Mick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joseph Posted 1 October , 2006 Share Posted 1 October , 2006 Allison, Do you know what dates his children where born, their birth certificates may give more details if it was during the war years. Regards Charles Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest geoff501 Posted 1 October , 2006 Share Posted 1 October , 2006 This one is closer to his age, and born in Swinton, according to SDGW Name: SMITH Initials: W H Nationality: United Kingdom Rank: Lance Corporal Regiment: Manchester Regiment Unit Text: "D" Coy. 1st/7th Bn Age: 27 Date of Death: 31/05/1915 Service No: 2245 Additional Information: Son of John William and Amy Jane Smith, of 135, Cornbrook St., Brook's Bar, Manchester. Of Swinton, Manchester. Casuality Type: Commonwealth War Dead Grave/Memorial Reference: Sp. Mem. B. 146. Cemetery: REDOUBT CEMETERY, HELLES Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete L Posted 1 October , 2006 Share Posted 1 October , 2006 Alison If you are sure of his age, it cannot be Henry Worthington Smith, as his birth was registered in the Dec qtr of 1889. If you have his marriage certificate, what does it say about his age, father and does it give any address? According to SDGW there were 237 ORs named Henry Smith killed/died in WW1. Pete Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alison1212 Posted 2 October , 2006 Author Share Posted 2 October , 2006 Hello, Thank you all for your reply's! Ok...i have more info! i no know he wasn't killed in ww1, as he had 2 children, first one born in 1924, the other born in 1928. So from him getting married in 1915 he does not have his 1st child till 1924, so that is a 9 year gap so he must have been in the first war as people didn't wait so long after getting married before having children!! His parents are called Thomas and Hannah Smith, both of Swinton, Lancs. Do you think he would have been in ww2? or would he have been too old? I suppose i will have to order the childrens birth cert's to see if there is any more infomation on there! Alison. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alliekiwi Posted 2 October , 2006 Share Posted 2 October , 2006 I'd just like to say that you don't always have control over when the children might or might not arrive. My parents were married nearly 10 years before I was born - and they'd been trying for babies all that time. Allie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete L Posted 2 October , 2006 Share Posted 2 October , 2006 Hi Alison All you have left is the one in four chance that his service papers survive in Kew. See either http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/militaryhistory/army/ or http://www.1914-1918.net/. There were 2182 Henry Smiths awarded medals in WW1, so 500 plus sets of papers for Henry Smiths should still survive. So it will be a big task going through WO363 and WO364 looking for your Henry Smith. Another potential problem will be if he stayed in the army after 1921. His records are still held by the MOD, and they will want regiment/corps and his regimental number. He probably was too old for WW2, but even if he was in the services, there are no records you can access, other than those in the MOD. It may pay to get the birth certificate of his eldest child, in case it says he was still a soldier in 1924. If so, at least you will know that his papers are not in Kew. If all you have is the information on the marriage certificate your prospects are not good Regards Pete Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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