Re: Help needed to find someones WW1 military service
- From: Hugh Watkins <hugh.watkins@xxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Sun, 28 Dec 2008 15:49:12 +0100
Petert wrote:
I wonder if anyone can suggest a course of research that may help me
locate information about the possible WW1 service history of two of my
great uncles.
The first one is Herbert Morgan HARRIS, born circa 1878 in Gloucester,
married 25 April 1907 at St Peters Church, Llanelly (Carms). The
marriage produced 2 children, the second child's birth being
registered in the December quarter of 1915 (Merthyr Tydfil 11a 1468).
I assume that after leaving school Herbert worked with his father as a
photographer at the Triumph Studios in Aberdare as the is shown as
such in a post WW1 Kelly's Directory.
The evidence I have for Herbert having been a member of the forces
during WW1 is the 1919 Register of Electors for Aberdare & Merthyr
Tydfil. In this his home address is shown as 6, Fothergill Street,
Aberdare, his wife, Mary Elizabeth, is also shown there. Herbert's
name is annotated to show him as an absent voter and qualifying to
vote in both parliamentary and local elections as a Naval or Military
Voter, while Mary is shown as being qualified to vote in both classes
of election by virtue of her husband's occupation.
That he was away from home also tends to be confirmed by the
registration of his father's death in Aberdare on 18 March 1917 being
done by Herbert's wife Mary, indicating Herbert was not at home.
My rough calculations indicate that Herbert would likely have been at
home sometime between January & March 1915 in order to produce the
child registered in the December quarter of that year.
Herbert would have been around 37 yrs of age then - would he have been
accepted at that age as a volunteer, or would he have not joined up
until conscription was introduced in 1916?
I know that Herbert survived WW1 as he later migrated to the USA, but
I am unable to easily locate a medal card for him - there are two
Herbert M Harris's shown in the Medal cards and over 30 Herbert
Harris's. What confuses the situation is a family story that I
remember first hearing around 50 yrs ago from my grandmother (Herbert
niece) that he served as a photographer for the Admiralty, possibly in
Bath, so may not have been in the army. I am prepared to take my
gran's story with a pinch of salt as she never once mentioned his
leaving Aberdare for the US.
The second person is Noel Owen HARRIS or possibly Noah Owen HARRIS -
there is some confusion about his name. All the documents I have show
him as Noel, but his likely birth, Cheltenham 6a 458 June qtr 1882,
shows him as Noah. His next youngest and older sibling's births were
registered in Cheltenham, so I have assumed he was also. I intend to
order his birth cert this week to confirm (hopefully) his name.
Noel is found living at 5 Fothergill Street, Aberdare in the 1919
register of electors with his wife Mabel Mary and as is the case with
his brother and sister-in-law, he is shown as an absent voter,
qualified to vote as a Naval or Military Voter, while Mary is shown as
being qualified to vote of her husband's occupation.
Again, I am unable to easily locate Noel in the Medal Cards or in the
CWGC site - I am currently unsure if he survived the war.
I've set myself the task of locating the brothers' military service in
WW1 and would much appreciate any suggestions how I may best do this -
any help/suggestions would be much appreciated.
this is an old thread throughly answered elsewhere
Hugh W
.
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