Genealogy Chat

Trying to help a friend find info about her grandfather they have his army dog tag with his army number number, religion and regiment on it but when I put it in on ancestry anther mans details have come up, this is what we have.

John Cowhen born c 1890 place unknown died 15/5/1921 result of being gassed he is buried in Christchurch cemetery Newport Gwent (military grave) . He married Isabella Maud Larvin in Newport in 1913 , they had 4 children.

On the dog tag it says

John Cowhen, RC 7th SWB ( South Wales Borderers) and the army number 15426.
On the War Graves site the army number is the same.

The name that comes up on Ancestry with this number is Andrew Percy Baird who is about 10 years older and already married with children.

Would anyone be able to give me an idea where to look or what to look for .

Thanks
Pam

Pam.

Up until 1920 Army personnel had Regimental numbers, so , many people could have the same number but be in a different regiment.

1920 - 1942 Regiments were given batches of numbers, so this could not occur. It all changed again in later years.(1942)

Little sample:

Army Order 338 (1920)

ARMY NUMBERS ALLOTTED TO Regiments, CORPS ETC.*


Royal Army Service Corps ..
1 to 294,000

The Life Guards
294,001 to 304,000

Royal Horse Guards
304,001 to 309,000

Cavalry of the Line
309,001 to 721,000

Royal Artillery - (Field Branch, Coast Defence and Anti-Aircraft Branch)
721,001 to 1,842,000

Royal Engineers
1,842,001 to 2,303,000

Royal Corps of Signals 2,303,001 to 2,604,000




Matelot!

nudge.

Good info Tiddly.

Duncan

The National Archives have his medal card. According to them, his first name was Jonathan.

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documentsonline/medals.asp