Genealogy Chat

Can anyone tell me has every soldier who fort in WW1 have a medal card. because i have been looking all afternoon for one and he doesn't seem to be there. Gill

I think every soldier got a medal - maybe the chap you are looking for died before they were issued. Who is it you are trying to find? nell

Gill- An excellent website about WWI is www(.)1914-1918(.)net - remove the brackets - I learnt more from this site in one afternoon, than I did in six months from all other war sites! Brenda

Only if they fought in a theatre of war. For reasons I haven't sussed out, my grandfather stayed in England throughout the war, so was not entitled to a medal.

Hi Helen i know he didn't die he had a son in 1923. His name is John Hamil Bailes. Born in Sunderland but in 1919 he was in norwich he married Isabel Downs discribed as an army sargent on the cert b abt 1891. Gill

Brenda Thanks for that website, it is brilliant. Maggie

Thank's brenda looks great. Gill

On the certificates - say the kiddies birt cert - does it not say his regiment? If he was in Norwich, that would be the Royal Anglians/Norfok I would have thought. They still have a museum in Norwich - why not google it and send them an email?

Are you sure he was born in Sunderland? John Hamil Bailes abt 1891 Newcastle on Tyne Son All Saints Northumberland From the 1901. If he was born in SUnderland, good chance he was in the DLI but I can't find him in te Durham Records office index. May have been Northumberland Fusiliers if he was born in Newcastle. Ian

Hi Heather, i have the marridge but the childs birth cert hasn't come yet ,all it says on the marridge is soldier and rank.

Royal Norfolk Regimental Museum, Norwich Royal Anglian Regiment Royal Norfolk Regiment Collection Royal Norfolk Regiment Norfolk Regiment 9th (or East Norfolk) Regiment of Foot 9th Regiment of Foot Colonel Henry Cornwall’s Regiment of Foot

Sorry Ian, i don't come from that part of the country iam from S-O-T so i really don't know what regiments there would be up there, but gratefull for any advice. Gill

I'm from up here, lol. They were pretty parochial when joining up - the DLI and N'thld fusiliers were certainly the biggest local recruiters. North of the Tyne and SOuth of the Tyne was a pretty strict demarcation line. (and still is!) Ian BTW there are a lot of Bailes listed in the DRO catalogue index

I assumed maybe wrongly that he was billited in Norwich but joined in Sunderland so it would be a regiment from up there.

Ian your quite right about place of birth, put it down to old age. Iv heard it's quite a common name up there, there's only about 6 in directory here. Gill

Hubby's grandfather was in the British Army in WW1 and he has a medal card, but in fact all his campaign medals (2) were withdrawn when they spotted that he had never left the country!! He spent most of the war camped around the Salisbury area! Merry

Hi Merry, i bet that's what's happened.Iv looked on National archive for hours and can't find him. Don't know much about him. His son was hubbys adoptive father if that's the right way of putting it. Gill

I had an uncle who died in France, in 1916, whilst serving with the Royal Marine Light Infantry. I have never been able to find a medal card for him. Mick

Hi Mick, I must have been lucky with my family, i found my grandfather who died and his two brothers who survived, i have all there medal cards., but can't find this one.

There is a JH Bale listed, labour Corps, Reg No 505105..... Brenda