Genealogy Chat

Hi i was wondering if there is a website you can go to to check and see if a person is in the army. Speaking to my gran she said her dad had brothers called Jack, Steve and Bill (?william?) Launchbury. I can't find them on the census's and my gran knows that Bill was in the Army is there anyway i can check the records online. They were born in 1880/90. Many thanks Jen

You need to establish when these people were born......a ten year span makes a huge difference with regard to whether or not a person was in the army. Find their births...then you can make an informed search. What was the name of the person about whom you have info? Reg

Hi Reg. I have found a birth record for William he was born in 1880 in Witney Oxfordshire. My gran said he was based quite close to home as she can remember seeing him quite a few times. Is this any help? Sorry it's a little vivid the information that i know. I know his other brother my great grandad is called henry and was born 1889. Thanks Jen

Jen, if they served in the army in WW1 then their medal index cards will be online at the National Archives Documents Online at http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documentsonline/ Kate.

Is this any help from the CWGC site? Name: LAUNCHBURY Initials: A J W Nationality: United Kingdom Rank: Private Regiment/Service: Oxford and Bucks Light Infantry Unit Text: 1st/4th Bn. Age: 20 Date of Death: 15/06/1918 Service No: 203217 Additional information: Son of John and Selina Launchbury, of Witney, Oxfordshire. Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead Grave/Memorial Reference: Plot 2. Row A. Grave 11. Cemetery: BOSCON BRITISH CEMETERY Cemetery: BOSCON BRITISH CEMETERY Country: Italy Locality: unspecified Visiting Information: The cemetery is permanently open, though from November to May it is rarely accessible due to deep snow falls. Wheelchair access possible via main entrance. For further information regarding wheelchair access, please contact our Enquiries Section on telephone number 01628 507200. Location Information: One of the 5 cemeteries situated on the Asiago Plateau, in the province of Vicenza. The cemetery lies about 6.5 kilometres south-east of Asiago. It is equidistantly west of Cesuna and south of Canove. Historical Information: The Italians entered the war on the Allied side, declaring war on Austria, in May 1915. Commonwealth forces were at the Italian front between November 1917 and November 1918. In March 1918, XIV Corps (the 7th, 23rd and 48th Divisions) relieved Italian troops on the front line between Asiago and Canove, the front being held by two divisions with one division in reserve on the plain. The French held the line to the left, with the Italians to the right. The front was comparatively quiet until the Austrians attacked in force from Grappa to Canove in the Battle of Asiago (15-16 June 1918). The Allied line was penetrated to a depth of about 1,000 metres on 15 June but the lost ground was retaken the next day and the line re-established. Between June and September, frequent successful raids were made on the Austrian trenches. In October, the 7th and 23rd Divisions were sent to the Treviso area of the River Piave front. The 48th Division, which remained in the mountains as part of the Italian Sixth Army, played an important part in the Battle of Vittorio Veneto (24 October-4 November 1918) in which the Austrians were finally defeated. Boscon British Cemetery is one of five Commonwealth cemeteries on the Asiago Plateau containing burials relating to this period. 166 First World War servicemen are buried or commemorated here by special memorial. A number of the graves were brought in from other cemeteries after the war. No. of Identified Casualties: 154

Also... Name: LAUNCHBURY, CHARLES EDWIN Initials: C E Nationality: United Kingdom Rank: Private Regiment/Service: Oxford and Bucks Light Infantry Unit Text: 6th Bn. Date of Death: 27/02/1917 Service No: 9984 Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead Grave/Memorial Reference: Pier and Face 10 A and 10 D. Memorial: THIEPVAL MEMORIAL

This is the info on the medal index card for that one, but there is something weird going on with the medal index card search, because when I had a look for Launchbury on there before, it found none! I found this one using his service number from the CWGC entry: Description Medal card of Launchbury, Alfred J W Corps Regiment No Rank Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry 203217 Private Date 1914-1920 Catalogue reference WO 372/12 Kate.

Make sure you check out this website... http://www.rootsweb(.)com/~oxsil/surl.htm include other spellings like Lainchbury and Lanchbury.

Thankyou very much will check all these out Thanks again Jen

Found them.... their names were spelt Lainchbury. If you go on to the National Archives site you can download any one of these tonight for £3.50 Medal card of Lainchbury, W B Corps: Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry attached Trench Mortar Battery Regiment No: 2390 Rank: Lance Serjeant 1914-1920 WO 372/23 Medal card of Lainchbury, William B Corps: Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry Regiment No: 2390 Rank: Serjeant... 1914-1920 WO 372/11 Medal card of Lainchbury, Herbert J (Probably Jack) Corps: Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry Regiment No: 2388 Rank: Private 1914-1920 WO 372/11 Their regiment numbers suggest they signed up together.