Beau Geste Posted 26 January , 2007 Share Posted 26 January , 2007 These dogtags were unearthed a year or two ago in Aveluy Wood on The Somme. Sorry about their condition.They belonged to G.H. Marshall, CofE,Service Number 2511, Royal Field Artillery, Ist Lowland Brigade. I've done the usual checks but have been unable to find anything on him. Any ideas? HarryDog_tags_2.RTF Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John_Hartley Posted 26 January , 2007 Share Posted 26 January , 2007 If you, let us know which of the "usual checks" you've done, someone might have an idea of next steps John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chaz Posted 26 January , 2007 Share Posted 26 January , 2007 SDGW lists two G H Marshall both with the the RFA one from Wales died 1918 and one from Nottingham died 1917. As you probably have found allready, my suggestion is , as both died late in the war , would it have been possible your man was wearing his early issue tags , had number change but not issued with new tags? Welsh one 2944 is prefixed W/ on MIC, Notts one 223457 no MIC card! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CROONAERT Posted 26 January , 2007 Share Posted 26 January , 2007 would it have been possible your man was wearing his early issue tags , had number change but not issued with new tags? The greatest chance is that this man survived the war anyway as tags were often lost or discarded. Harry - I suppose you've checked the MIC's for him? The tag doesn't look like the issue tag and seems to be of the private purchase variety -is it made of aluminium by any chance? If so, I think it is a French mle 1881 tag that has been aquired and stamped up to this soldier (a common and cheap (free even) way of getting a private purchase tag in the British Army). Then again, if it's steel or silver then a little more has been spent. There could be many reasons for it's loss other than the soldier having become a casualty (if the soldier was a casualty - wounded or dead, then this tag would most likely have been sent back either with him or with his personal effects). One of the likliest is that, as it's a wrist tag, that the strap/chain broke during everyday wear and it simply fell off and was lost. Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
apwright Posted 26 January , 2007 Share Posted 26 January , 2007 Could it be 2311? http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documen...Edoc_Id=4126736 Medal card of Marshall, George H Corps Regiment No Rank Royal Field Artillery 2311 Gunner Royal Field Artillery 645873 Gunner Can't find him on CWGC though. Regards, Adrian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beau Geste Posted 29 January , 2007 Author Share Posted 29 January , 2007 Could it be 2311? http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documen...Edoc_Id=4126736 Medal card of Marshall, George H Corps Regiment No Rank Royal Field Artillery 2311 Gunner Royal Field Artillery 645873 Gunner Can't find him on CWGC though. Regards, Adrian I've had four very helpful responses to my msg re Pte GH Marshall RFA whose dog tags I offered as an attachment. I apologise for the delay in responding but I "lost it" and if it hadn't been for the help given by Ali the administrator I would still be looking for it. Somewhere there's another msg on Blood Allet Trench that I've also mislaid !!!!! I'm new to the Forum, hopefully I'll get better with time. Anyway I really am grateful for your suggestions. I have been on the National Archives website and couldn't find an MIC for this soldier. I've had a search done , with others, at Kew and I've been on to the CWGC. I drew a blank on all of these. I'll give your suggestions some thought and no doubt follow some of them up. I didn't realise they were wrist tags incidentally. Thanks again Harry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markacable Posted 29 January , 2007 Share Posted 29 January , 2007 I've had four very helpful responses to my msg re Pte GH Marshall RFA whose dog tags I offered as an attachment. I apologise for the delay in responding but I "lost it" and if it hadn't been for the help given by Ali the administrator I would still be looking for it. Somewhere there's another msg on Blood Allet Trench that I've also mislaid !!!!! I'm new to the Forum, hopefully I'll get better with time. Anyway I really am grateful for your suggestions. I have been on the National Archives website and couldn't find an MIC for this soldier. I've had a search done , with others, at Kew and I've been on to the CWGC. I drew a blank on all of these. I'll give your suggestions some thought and no doubt follow some of them up. I didn't realise they were wrist tags incidentally. Thanks again Harry What's Blood Alley Trench? I tried Googling it but no luck Cheers Mark Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beau Geste Posted 2 February , 2007 Author Share Posted 2 February , 2007 SDGW lists two G H Marshall both with the the RFA one from Wales died 1918 and one from Nottingham died 1917. As you probably have found allready, my suggestion is , as both died late in the war , would it have been possible your man was wearing his early issue tags , had number change but not issued with new tags? Welsh one 2944 is prefixed W/ on MIC, Notts one 223457 no MIC card! Yes, highly possible. Incidentally, I didn't realise until I had reason to purchase an MIC that a change of number was so common during WW1. Harry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beau Geste Posted 2 February , 2007 Author Share Posted 2 February , 2007 If you, let us know which of the "usual checks" you've done, someone might have an idea of next steps John Hello John, I had someone search the NA for me and I also searched for our man on the NA website, hoping he would exist on a medal card. People with the same name, initials and unit but different numbers. Harry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Max Posted 2 February , 2007 Share Posted 2 February , 2007 Hello Harry Very interesting...how did you come by them? Andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beau Geste Posted 2 February , 2007 Author Share Posted 2 February , 2007 Could it be 2311? http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documen...Edoc_Id=4126736 Medal card of Marshall, George H Corps Regiment No Rank Royal Field Artillery 2311 Gunner Royal Field Artillery 645873 Gunner Can't find him on CWGC though. Regards, Adrian Yes, it could. I don't actually have the dog tags. They were found by the French gentleman who owns the gite we stay in on our trips to The Somme. All I have is a "rubbing" that is pretty difficult to read but, until now, I thought was clear enough. I'm not so confident any more. It really could be 2311. He was with the 1st Lowland Brigade and, as I have said, the dogtags were found in Aveluy Wood. Assuming you're right, where do I go from here? Harry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beau Geste Posted 3 February , 2007 Author Share Posted 3 February , 2007 What's Blood Alley Trench? I tried Googling it but no luck Cheers Mark The 2nd Border Regt were in Blood Alley Trench on 1st July 1916. It's somewhere in the vicinity of Mansel Copse I believe but I'm trying to locate it before a planned visit in April. Harry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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