Genealogy Chat

Paul I am going to get the medal card suggested from NA after my Mum has had a look at the photo you found. So far everyone I've shown it to has picked out the same person as my Gt Grandfather:-) So a very BIG thank you to you from me :-) Bacardi XXXX

Hmmmm. My G-Grandfather was a driver with the Middlesex regiment and was based at Gorleston. He never served abroad, yet I have his medal card details from the NA.

May I bring this back to the top and just say that unless he served overseas in WW1 he will not be listed for a Medal Card on NA. My understanding is that most that served only in the UK did not receive medals. Carol

Oh Oh Guys This is brilliant - sorry I couldn't get back to you all last night but I got turfed off the PC so son could have his turn:-( Unfortunately, he didn't have any children during the war and he always put his profession as butcher on the certificates for all his children. Sheila and Paul I'm going to try that William A Ashton that you suggest, as he does seem to be the closest - now you've explained:-) Paul I'm really excited by that photo you found - I think he is the one in the middle, but as I only ever remember him being in his nineties, I'm going to get my mum to confirm:-) Will let you know if I get a confirmed ID. Many thanks to all Best Wishes Bacardi X

I can only see one person on the NA site that seems to fit: Description Medal card of Ashton, William A Royal Army Service Corps M2/151005 Private Catalogue reference WO 372/1 'Cook' is not a rank, so he would have held a rank such as 'Private'. There was a military base at Park Hall, Oswestry in WW1. With the advent of the First World War, Major Wynne Corrie handed over the Hall, one of the finest Tudor mansions in England, to the military as their local headquarters. The first Oswestry knew of this was a small paragraph in the Border Counties Advertiser in November 1914, when it was announced that 14,000 troops would soon be arriving. Within a fortnight, the estimate had risen to 21,000 troops with 4-500 officers. By Spring of 1915, over 900 labourers were busy constructing the camp in the grounds of the old Hall. In July 1915, the first 4,000 troops of the Royal Welsh Fusiliers and the Cheshire regiment arrived at the Hall. They disembarked at Whittington Station and marched to the camp with the Fusilier's mascot, the goat, talking the lead. The camp was in constant use throughout the war, training and dispatching troops to the Front. See: http://www3.shropshire-cc.gov.uk/roots/packages/war/war_h01.htm Although the main emphasis was on training troops for war, there were those soldiers who never went to the front, but were of vital importance to the men - the cookhouse staff! You'll find a picture of the cookhouse staff in 1917 on http://www3.shropshire-cc.gov.uk/roots/images/war_j05a.jpg The caption reads: 'I have Private Ted Parker was proud to send a photograph to his mother, of himself and the other staff in 1917. Pte. Parker is sat on the left of the front row.'

If he was married or had Children during his Service the Regiment may be on the Marriage Certificate or Birth Certificate of the Child. Regards Jill

Try the National Archives war medals www.nationalarchives.gov,uk Sheila

Thanx Darksecretz - off to have a look now:-)

try this http://www*whocarez*nl/forum/ replace * with dots is a free site

My Gt Grandfather was William Albert Ashton and I'm trying to find his war record. Mum has just rung me with a bit of a clue (I hope) she seems to think that in World War 1, he was a cook and based in Oswestry. Does anyone have any idea as to which regiment this would be? There are too many William Ashton's on the NA and as none are cooks, I'm finding it hard to narrow it down a bit. TIA ..........Bacardi X