andrewjcox Posted 23 November , 2008 Share Posted 23 November , 2008 Michael This work is great! and seems to have helped so many people. I am looking for any data you may have on my Grandfather: Sgt John (Jack) Kentish (from Margate) Buffs 1157 but also Royal Sussex Reg. 260169 Buffs 200072 I know he attested on 24-9-1910 aged 17 and was in India at some point. But was also injured at some point. I hope you can fill in some service data for me. Andrew Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Posted 26 November , 2008 Author Share Posted 26 November , 2008 Andrew For some reason he's not in the Buffs medal rolls. The only info I have is that he was a Territorial (probably 4th Battalion) and that the Regimental Journal of June 1916 notes his promotion to Corporal. Do you have a copy of his medal index card? The numbers might give me clue to finding his roll. Mick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andrewjcox Posted 27 November , 2008 Share Posted 27 November , 2008 Mick Even this little snippet is great! and interesting already. I have the Medal roll in Image reference 27992 and the service numbers match the demob card which I have from his belongings. I have both, in electronic form and can post here if you prefer. Clearly the 4th Battalion would fit with time in India We have a picture in the family clearly from his time in India and this raises the question. Would his uniform show particular insignia for the 4th? There was family talk about Aden and this fits the 4th as well. So maybe we are getting closer but if he signed up in 1910 would he been either 1st or 2nd Btn? Thank you for your help it's truly wonderful, and keeps me in touch with my Kent roots. Andrew Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andrewjcox Posted 27 November , 2008 Share Posted 27 November , 2008 Mick Thinking about the Buffs Medal Roll is it possible that he does not show up in the Buffs medal rolls if he was transferred into the Royal Sussex Regiment at some point? As the Buffs and the Royal Sussex are listed on the medal roll and the demob card. Andrew Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Posted 28 November , 2008 Author Share Posted 28 November , 2008 Andrew Yes, if he ended up in the Royal Sussex Regiment then his entry would be in their medal roll. Normally the order of units on their MICs is the order in which they served. As his last number was a Buffs number I would have thought that he would have been in their rolls. However I suspect that something is not right on the card because the number 200072 was a very early number allocated when the Territorials were renumbered in 1917. If you post the image of his MIC it will tell me more. He enlisted in 1910 as a Territorial not a regular soldier, hence is membership of the 4th Battalion rather than the 1st or 2nd. The 4th Battalion recruited from northern part of the county (ish). Margate formed G Company and in 1913 their drill hall was at 40 Hawley Square, Margate. Their commanding officer was Captain (later Lt Col) Frank Mainwaring Dunstan who lived at 20 Grosvenor Place in Margate. They left for India on 29 Oct 1914. They did serve in Aden from August 1915 until early 1916 which ties up with your information. Could you also post his picture. From a wet and thoroughly miserable East Kent Mick Mills Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andrewjcox Posted 29 November , 2008 Share Posted 29 November , 2008 Thank you Mick. I managed to scale the image down hopefully you will be able to read it ok. I will need to get the photo from my parents (in Margate) first so that may take a little longer, but thats the wonder of the web. Wet is not too bad when you consider we have snow and the ground has frozen solid. Andrew Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andrewjcox Posted 29 November , 2008 Share Posted 29 November , 2008 Mick I also attached the demob Certificate below which may help you. 40 Hawley Square, is that the white castellated building at corner near to the St Johns end of the square diagonally the Theatre Royal? I seem to remember that building was still used by the ATC and maybe the TA when I was at school. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Posted 1 December , 2008 Author Share Posted 1 December , 2008 The numbers on the MIC confirm that he isn't on the Buffs rolls so I suspect the order should be Buffs T1157 Buffs T200072 R Sussex T260169 I can't help with the geography of Margate I'm afraid but you're probably right if the cadets and TA used it. Mick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andrewjcox Posted 1 December , 2008 Share Posted 1 December , 2008 Thank you for your help Michael and your data has helped greatly and I now know that grandad enlisting in the territorials not the regular and the Regimental Journal of June 1916 lists his promotion to corporal all of which takes me further down the road and another path to travel, in Sussex. I have one other question. How acurate are the MICs? It shows SGT in the Buffs and the Royal Sussex whould that promotion have shown up in the Buffs regimental Regimental Journals? and would his transfer to the Royal Sussex be documented by the regiment? Thank you once again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Posted 1 December , 2008 Author Share Posted 1 December , 2008 I find MICs pretty accurate. Promotion would be have been documented but the records have long since disappeared. The only Battalion that has a decent set is the 2nd. The peacetime Dragons (journals) are pretty comprehensive regarding promotions but not so the War Dragon. Mick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest 1Referee Posted 7 December , 2008 Share Posted 7 December , 2008 Michael, I am trying to trace the location etc of my great grandfather Pte William White i have his medal card and service number G/5457. He joined the Buffs on 7/10/15. He is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial and was Pred Dead on 18 Aug 1916. I lead Staff Rides as i am a serving NCO in the RAF and would dearly love to know more about his service and the location of his unit on the day he died. Any help would be wonderful. Many thanks in advance. Brian Woodcock brian.cricket@tiscali.co.uk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim1915 Posted 8 December , 2008 Share Posted 8 December , 2008 I've now completed the transcription of the BWM and VM rolls for the Buffs. After a five year slog I now have the 1914 star, 1914/15 star and SWB rolls. Combined with the MIC index, SDGW/CWGC and various other tables there are now 1,032,880 cells populated on the database. I am confident it includes every man who served overseas with the Buffs. Now I need to decide what to do with the database. Do I publish it, put on the internet, etc? In the meantime, I have previously offered lookups for completed rolls and am now offering the same for the BWM / VM roll. There are obviously a lot of men who transferred into the Buffs from other Regiments / Corps so if you send me your email address I can supply a small spreadsheet with your area of interest. Do not send me a private message as the inbox gets filled up quickly. Look ups for individuals can be posted on this thread. Mick Mick, Many congratulations on completing this task. I am researching the men of the 28th Division. I shall therefore be most grateful if you will send me any relevant information regarding the 2nd Battalion. Regards, Tim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Posted 8 December , 2008 Author Share Posted 8 December , 2008 Brian White only served with the 8th Battalion. He actually joined the Buffs in January 1915 and went overseas to join his Battalion on 7/10/1915. He was born in Manchester and enlisted at Ramsgate where he was living. It looks like his medals were returned at some stage but I don't know the reason. Rather than spend time typing it up, I will send copies of the war diary to your email address. Mick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Posted 8 December , 2008 Author Share Posted 8 December , 2008 Tim I have lots of info on the 2nd Buffs but I will only be able to respond to specific queries. I have neglected the Battalion in the past because of its short term on the Western Front. However I have been paying a lot more attention to them lately in particular their actions at 2nd Ypres and Loos. I have Geddes' binoculars which have pride of place on my mantlepiece! Whilst at Tyne Cot with the Regimental Association in June I gave them a talk on the action at Berlin Wood Mick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim1915 Posted 9 December , 2008 Share Posted 9 December , 2008 Tim I have lots of info on the 2nd Buffs but I will only be able to respond to specific queries. I have neglected the Battalion in the past because of its short term on the Western Front. However I have been paying a lot more attention to them lately in particular their actions at 2nd Ypres and Loos. I have Geddes' binoculars which have pride of place on my mantlepiece! Whilst at Tyne Cot with the Regimental Association in June I gave them a talk on the action at Berlin Wood Mick Mick, No problem. Regards, Tim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jondebi Posted 12 December , 2008 Share Posted 12 December , 2008 Mick, I read that you like to receive photos and info on soldiers from the Buffs.This is a photo of my great uncle Oscar Cohen who was killed while serving in the 7th buffs.( you sent me some information on him ). Cheers Jon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Posted 12 December , 2008 Author Share Posted 12 December , 2008 Thanks Jon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doverrog Posted 14 December , 2008 Share Posted 14 December , 2008 Hello - A real achievement. Well done. I'm a newbie to this forum am still finding my way around. Can you please tell me if you have any Matson names in your data. I'm partcularly looking for Matsons who lived in the East Kent area? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Posted 15 December , 2008 Author Share Posted 15 December , 2008 There's only one Matson; William Matson T4479 and T241854 of the 5th Buffs. There was also a Lieutenant William Matson Hill of the 4th Buffs (attached 7th Buffs) who was commissioned in December 1916. There was a Special Reservist serving before the war called Charles Matson from Charlton near Dover. Mick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flatfoot Posted 17 December , 2008 Share Posted 17 December , 2008 Mick I am looking for any info on a distant relative of mine John Crosswell , i think his service number was G/5455. I think he was in the 10th Buffs , he was from Sittingbourne and signed up in 1915. If you could help that would be great. Also what format is the database in ? Thats what i do for a living Database driven websites and software. If you need any help with it at all let me know. :) Cheers Simon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Posted 21 December , 2008 Author Share Posted 21 December , 2008 Simon Crosswell joined The Buffs in January 1915. He was 29 and living in Upton Lane, Sittingbourne. He was working as a stoker at Sittingbourne Paper Mill. He had married Kate Lott at Faversham Parish Church in October 1906. He originally served with the 7th Battalion and went overseas with them on 17/9/1915. He was home in October 1916 with impertigo in both legs. After his recovery he joined the 10th Battalion in February 1917. He was renumbered with a TF number of T271026. His history with the 10th is as follows Embarked Devonport 13/2/1917 Disemb Alexandria 1/3/1917 Joined unit 16/3/1917 Admitted 230 Bde field amb with urethritis and orchitis 14/5/1917 Admitted Citadel Mil Hosp Cairo with NYD (not yet diagnosed) 18/5/1917 Returned to unit 16/6/1917 Adm 24 Stationary Hosp with NYD 18/6/197 Adm 17 Gen Hosp with NYD venereal 20/6/1917 Returned to unit 29/9/1917 Emb Alexandria 29/4/1918 Disemb France 7/5/1918 Wound to the right big toe on 17 September 1918. Leave to UK 11/12/1918 Discharged 31/1/1919 and returned to the mill in Sittingbourne Nb the spelling of his name on his medal index card, BWM/VM roll and 1914/15 Star roll in Croswell The database is in Access. I'd not used databases before I started this project so I've muddled my way through and although it's probably got some weaknesses I'm pleased with way its tuned out. Mick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doverrog Posted 21 December , 2008 Share Posted 21 December , 2008 There's only one Matson; William Matson T4479 and T241854 of the 5th Buffs. There was also a Lieutenant William Matson Hill of the 4th Buffs (attached 7th Buffs) who was commissioned in December 1916. There was a Special Reservist serving before the war called Charles Matson from Charlton near Dover. Mick Many thanks for looking, I can't specifically identify these as both William and Charles were common Matson names. However I will look out for likely candidates. Roger Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ilbury Welsh Posted 21 December , 2008 Share Posted 21 December , 2008 Mick I am helping a friend with some research who has a 1914 Star Trio to No. L/8671 Pte William Neale 1st Bn The Buffs. MIC states entered France 7th September 1914. Are you able to add anything to this please... Regards John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim_Grundy Posted 21 December , 2008 Share Posted 21 December , 2008 Mick I research men from my local area who served during the Great War. One of them, 26637 Pte Cyril Ward Lowe, is shown as a member of the 7th Battalion, East Kent Regiment in the Absent Voters List; in local newspaper articles published in 1918 and again in 1966 as one of a party of 300 veterans returning to the Somme battlefields for the 50th anniversary commemorations. Reference to the medal index cards produces nothing, though. Any help in resolving this little mystery would be much appreciated! Cheers, Jim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ilbury Welsh Posted 25 December , 2008 Share Posted 25 December , 2008 Mick I research men from my local area who served during the Great War. One of them, 26637 Pte Cyril Ward Lowe, is shown as a member of the 7th Battalion, Cheers, Jim Jim if it helps is this his birth registration entry...John Name: Cyril Ward Lowe Year of Registration: 1898 Quarter of Registration: Jul-Aug-Sep District: Basford County: Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire Volume: 7b Page: 260 Whilst I cannot find his MIC on Ancestry here is the reference for TNA... Description Medal card of Lowe, C W Corps Regiment No Rank East Kent Regiment G/26637 Private Date 1914-1920 Catalogue reference WO 372/12 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 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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