Genealogy Chat

My grandad served in Africa during WW1. Does anyone know what regiments served in Africa? He came from Halifax, West Yorkshire. I don't know what regiment he belonged to, but he was a cook.

I will see what I can find out for you, It,s a new one to me but willdo what I can.

Would be great if you could find anything out. I know he had a couple of campaign medals, but my grandma gave them away. I remember him saying he travelled across Africa and ended up in Cairo - his abiding memory being that he could smell it long before he got to it! He also contracted malaria and spent time in 'hospital blue'. That affected him for the rest of his life. Shelagh.

Shelagh If he had a campaign medal have you tried searching for his records on the National Archive - documents on line service they might through up something www(.)nationalarchives(.)gov(.)uk - remove brackets

I have a similar problem. My grandfather served in Mesopotamia in WW1. I have no idea what regiment he was in ........ aunt-by-marriage burnt everything after her husband died in 1991 'because no-one would be interested'! Never asked me!! I have no records, no photos of him in uniform. He never talked about it ... what I know is from what my mother told me (she was born in 1903, so was of an age to remember her father going away) He should have received 2 medals ................ but Harry Schofield is a common name!! All I know is that he must have been around 35, and was married with 3 children by December 1915. Sylvia (in Canada)

There are some very authoritive people on 1914-1918 war forums on the net - Im sure they would know. have a google - but I think this is the no. 1 forum: (swop asterisks for full stops) http://1914-1918*invisionzone*com/forums/

This is interesting because although there was British military involvement in Africa, under the generalship of Jan Smuts, it didn't involve Cairo or even North Africa. You really should see if his name comes up on the National Archives Documents On Line site - if so you will possibly be able to download his details immediately for £3.50. Incidentally, if anybody wonders, 'Hospital Blue' was not a place, it was a uniform worn by recovering soldiers.

Hi folks, many thanks for all the helpful suggestions, will follow them up.

Cairo, Alexandria and other locations in North Africa were heavily involved in WW1 and there are many burials/memorials. My grandfather was a cook and was based in that area before he went on to France. Like most cooks he was in the Army Service Corps (ASC). Interesting to note that most ASC were skilled in one way or another and were paid much more than the troops in the front line. Denis