James Smith No 7599

[Em]

I just found my grandfather's Attestation papers.  He says he was already in the 5th Bn - from reading here this was volunteer.  Then he joined up properly.

His record reads as follows:

Home 27.3.02 - 7.1.03
South Africa 8.1.03 - 3.2.04
Singapore 4.2.04 - 19.12.04
India 20.12.04 - 1.2.10
Home ?.2.10 - 26.3.14

What does 'Home' mean?  Would he have been based in Ashton?
Does anyone know where he would have been in India?   Very interesting to us since my brother has an Anglo-Indian wife.

We had no idea he'd travelled so much or was in the army so long.  The papers say he trained as (it looks like) 'mounted infantry'.  The papers are damaged and a lot is missing. 

Does anyone know where I can get full records?  We were told he came out of the army after a bout of Typhoid. 

Sadly he later got TB and died when he was 29.  He lived in poverty in Salford after being released from the army and left a wife and two children.

I have a photo of him in uninform which I could post if anyone is interested.

Thank you for any help offered.  Quite happy to do the research myself but need pointing in the right direction.

This is a great site - will no doubt spend some hours reading it!

[sphinx]

EM,

Reading between the lines he was already a militiaman in the 5th Militia Battalion The Manchester Regiment (not strictly a volunteer - google Militia), when he enlisted in the Regular Army in 1902. 

From the stations you have listed he started off in the UK training probably at the Barracks, Ashton under Lyne.

On 8.1.1903 he joined the 3rd Bn. in S. Africa who arrived there from St. Helana, although he would have travelled direct from the UK to meet them in S. Africa.  They served in Capetown.

He then appears to have transferred to the 1st Bn. arriving in Singapore to join them on 4.2.1904 and then later in the year with the 1st Bn to India , namely Sitapur then Sucunderabad and then Kamptee.

In 1910 He had done his 8 years and returned home, serving 4 years in the Reserve.  This meat he was a civilian, not in the army, but liable to recall in time of war.

His Reserve Time expired prior to WW1 so he wouldnt have been called up, but was able to volunteer if he wished.

I would imagine he did have WW1 service.

regards

Home means the UK including Ireland.

[charlie]

Welcome to the forum.
Are you sure than he was only 29 when he died? Unless he had lied about his age he would have had to have been 19 when he went to South Africa and would have died before completing his reserve commitment.

There are plenty of photos of the 3rd Bn in SA and the 1st Bn in Singapore and India here:
http://www.manchester-regiment.org.uk/index.php

Please post your photo of him in uniform, photos are always interesting.

Charlie

[Em]

Thank you to Sphinx and Charlie!

I hope I'm replying in the right place.  Bit of an idiot when it comes to forums etc.

Really interesting information.

I was wrong about him being 29 - he died in 1929!  I know that my father was almost ten at the time and he was born in 1920.

It's wonderful to be able to find all this out.

Would I get more information if I went to Kew?

I find it fascinating that this information wasn't passed down and in fact he rarely talked about his time in the army.  Even my father was under the impression that James had done a few years and that was all. 

Thank you again!

[charlie]

I don't think there is anything to be gained by going to Kew if you are just looking for service records as they are on line at either Ancestry or FMP. Have a look through the research guides from the NA then you can decide for yourself.

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/help-with-your-research/research-guides/?research-category=first-world-war

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/help-with-your-research/research-guides/british-army-soldiers-up-to-1913/#3-beyond-online-records-searching-for-records-at-the-national-archives-in-kew

Charlie

[Em]

Thank you Charlie.