service number 14920

[Bob Downes]

Mike

In your reply to my original posting you said that you hadn't been able to trace service number 14920, the one immediately preceding my grandfather's number.

If you go to a great site www.inmemories.com you will find a listing of cemeteries and you can search on various criteria including service number.

From this 14920 refers to Private G. W. Saxelby of the Lincolnshire Regiment who was killed on 10/12/1915. I have confirmed this on the CWGC's site.

I haven't looked into what part of the country he came from.

regards

Bob

[LarsA]

Bob,
I think the number 14920 might have been used by many units. I found 67 hits on the national archives site, one of them pte Saxelby.


ERROR://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/docu ... diaarray=*

The only way to be sure (he could be listed under another number, perhaps renumbered with labour corps, MGC or another unit, and his old number not being indexed on the digitalized version of the cards) is to check the medal roll to see if there is a name. If not, it can be very difficult to find who he was.

Kind regards,
Lars

[Mike Jones]

Evening Bob and Lars,
Bob, Lars is right there are 67 Soldiers recorded as having 14920. There are a few more who had the number but there is no longer a record of them. Unfortunately one of the missing ones is the soldier in the Worcestershire Regiment. Up until 1920 numbers were "Regimental Numbers", that is each different regiment gave out the same sequence of numbers. As you can imagine it led to some right old **** ups. After 1920 Army numbers came in, so each number was unique, throughout the Army.
I do have some more good information for you but will put it on the other thread, so as to continue the story. I sense your excitement at discovering so much so quickly. Well done !
Regards Mike

[Bob Downes]

Mike

Apologies for not replying sooner - I'm afraid I missed the notification e-mail.

Thanks to you and Lars for the gen about service numbers - I was afraid that that would be the case.

You said that you had some more information for me that you would put "on the other thread". Have you done this and if so which thread would that be?

I think that, subject to any information that you may have for me and the extensive facts provided by you, Louis and Lars, I have an astonishingly complete picture of J G's war service. To think that only a few days ago all our family knew was that he had been killed! I will try to make some more enquiries within the remoter parts of the family to see if I can locate a phot and his medals. I don't hold out much hope but if I do find anything out I'll let you know.

regards

Bob