Finding a WW1 Soldier

[ahaenga]

Hi please could someone offer ideas where I can look for my great uncle William Malcolm in the UK. He was born in 1881 in Dunedin NZ to James Malcolm and Isabella Hadden who came to NZ in 1874 from Scotland.

William was a bridge builder in NZ he married Edith Annie Oliver about 1900 and they travelled between Wellington and Napier working and making their home. They had 6 children when they separated about 1912/13.

William is said to have joined the army around 1914 as his last child was born in 1912.

I have checked all NZ records and their is no WW1 records for him.

I have come across local Levin newspapers where his parents lived stating that they had 2 sons James and William in the war. I have found James enlisting in NZ in 1914, but no records for William.

At the time of William's father's death in 1921 his orbiturary states his son William was demobilised in England.

His Children said he had joined the Black and Tans and was blown up in Ireland by a bomb. I can not find any information on this. I do have a photo of him in a uniform - see identifying uniforms. This was said to be taken when he was stationed in Randalstown.

Could he have gone straight from NZ to join an army in Ireland to go fighting in Europe? or was he in the RIC?

However in 1931 when William's mother died his family have not listed William as being a live on the grounds no body had heard from him again.

His children never heard from him. He never returned to NZ.

Question? Can a person join up with the army in one country and be demobilsed in another? example join NZ and finish in England

I have been searching for answer on what happend to him for his family for over 10 years, so would appreciate any help in finding any information on him

Kind Regards

Anne

[sotonmate]

Anne,

The Black and Tans were not formed until 1919. These soldiers were mainly drawn from those who fought WW1. So your relative may have joined the army before that. So if you look in the National Archives under WO372/12 you will see that there are 75 records of WW1 soldiers with the name William Malcolm, 48 of those have him with the single christian name. I he has a second name, can you please post it, that might help to narrow it down.

Quite a few were with Scottish regiments so it might have been that he joined one of those as his family came from that part of the country.

Sotonmate's grandson (celebrating his promotion!)

[ahaenga]

Anne,

The Black and Tans were not formed until 1919. These soldiers were mainly drawn from those who fought WW1. So your relative may have joined the army before that. So if you look in the National Archives under WO372/12 you will see that there are 75 records of WW1 soldiers with the name William Malcolm, 48 of those have him with the single christian name. I he has a second name, can you please post it, that might help to narrow it down.

Quite a few were with Scottish regiments so it might have been that he joined one of those as his family came from that part of the country.

Sotonmate's grandson (celebrating his promotion!)

Thank you for your help on this. William never had a second name- so he would be one of the 48. Which I will now have to narrow down.

His elder brother James returned to Scotland in the late 1800's and joined the West Riding Reg. I think he returned to NZ around 1910 after 12 years of army service in the British Army. His records show him joining in Perthshire.

Well I think William must have joined the British Army and then after his discharge must have gone to Ireland.

Regards

Anne

[sotonmate]

Anne

Looks likely that your man has been whittled down to three possibles from the RE if he had only one Christian name !

I would have to go along with the contributor in Uniforms who said that if he was a bridge builder in Civvy life he would be one in the Army,too good a trade to waste at that time !

I will PM you on an aspect of this.

Sotonmate