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WW1 Service Records.

WW1 Service Records.

Posted: 19 Jun 2015 11:19PM GMT
Classification: Query
Hello, does anyone know where I could find the service records for my family members, Sidney George Miles 1878-1918, Charles Miles 1889-1916, Horace Miles 1893-1918 and John Miles 1894-1916.

Kind regards,

Janet

Re: WW1 Service Records.

Posted: 20 Jun 2015 1:19AM GMT
Classification: Query
Hi Janet,
I don't know if you have their death info, so if not - Here is a link to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission - you can enter the name of a soldier and find their info. http://www.cwgc.org/

I tried looking for your MILES men with death years as you have and found

Horace Miles, age 26, corporal, Royal Engineers, 179th Tunnelling Coy. Q. 111. F. 8
died May 20, 1918 - buried St. Sever cemetery, Extension, Rouen - son of Alfred and Akniria Miles of Mop End, Amersham, Bucks.

Does that seem to be right fellow?

There are several John Miles men who died in 1916 and about right age, so you would need to look at them all. Not many show parent's names

Same for Charles

and note spelling of his name in the record -

Sydney George Miles age 41, private, Oxford and Bucks Light infantry, 1st/1st Bucks.Bn.
died June 15, 1918, buried Boscon British Cemetery, son of Annie and William Miles, Venn Street, Amersham, Bucks.

OK since Horace and Sydney seem to be right ages and since both were from Amersham, Buckinghamshire, England I looked to see if any John or Charles are shown as from there as well - also I took a look at the 1911 census and see and Charles born about 1889 and a John about 1894, both with parents John and Georgina
is that right? But I see in the census for 1911 that John and Georgina were married for 2 years, so she would not be the mother to these boys.

There is a John Miles, age 22, private, Coldstream Guards 1st Bn., died Sept. 15, 1916, buried Thiepval Memorial, son of John Miles of Shinfield Beach Rd. Holmer Green, High Wycombe Buckinghamshire
1911 census I mention above has them living at Holmer Green

Charles Miles, age 28, private, Royal Warwickshire Regiment, 1st/8th Bn. died July 27, 1916 , buried Thiepval Memorial, son of John Miles of Spinfield Beach Rd.. Holmer Green, High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire

so these all seem to match with names and ages and dates you have, so hope they are the right ones.

also, you can download a certificate for each of them. I downloaded one so I could see what it includes and it is really nice, has all the info as well as an image of the cemetery. Also includes their soldier id #

as to their service records I took a look at ancestry to see what they have - there are several databases including on that is pretty interesting. It is UK army registers of soldier’s effects 1901-1929
Sidney George Miles 1/1 Bucks. Bn. Oxf. & Buxks. – private Reg. # 33679 – date and place of death June 15, 1918 – Italy, in action
It them lists widow Sarah E. daughter Ruby L. son Sidney C.

Horace Miles, Royal engineers, died May 20, 1918 Gen. hospital, Tavistock Square and lists father Alfred – but all of the entry has lines through it so hard to read and a stamp at bottom with writing saying transferred to and some numbers.
I found the second entry and it says Horace Miles Reg. # 157701, dies May 20, 1918, then shows transfer of info and again lists Father Alfred
John Miles, Cold Gds. , Reg. # 16566, died Sept. 15, 1916 France, Machton, Fa. & res. Leg. John . I’m guessing that means father John
Charles Miles, 8th Bn. R. Warwick. Pte. Reg. # 306545 – late 4736, died July 27, 1916 France, death presumed, Fa. John
In the WW1 medal rolls cards 1914-1920
Sidney G. Miles Reg.# 33679,41297 received both the Victory medal and the British medal
John Reg. 16566 received both the Victory medal and the British medal
Horace, Reg. 157701, received both the Victory and the British medal
Charles Reg. 306545, received both the Victory medal and the British medal
So all of them earned both those medals
Its very odd but for some reason I cannot find any of them listed in the British Army service records 1914-1920 – they should all be there????


Let me know if these are the right fellows and I'll look a bit more for service records.

Carolyn

Re: WW1 Service Records.

Posted: 20 Jun 2015 1:45AM GMT
Classification: Query
Hello, Carolyn,
That was fast! I have everything you mentioned from the CWGC. HOWEVER, I do not have any of the info from the UK Army registers of soldier's effects 1901-1929. Never thought to look there. I'll retrieve and print everything they have for my guys.

I have also looked in the British Army service records several times and I cannot find them mentioned there either.

This afternoon I very nearly bought a subscription to the Forces War Records site, then I checked them out and people were complaining that FWR were charging their c/c without permission, so that put me off.

I had gone on the site and searched for Sidney George, hoping I could get more info for him, and his record came up, or at least his name. I'm still tempted to get a subscription.

But you are spot on, these are my men. My cousin Eric, in Mop End, said he had gotten info from Army Service records for his grandfather, my great uncle. He found out that he had been reported missing, then had been a POW.

Thank you, Carolyn.

Kind regards,

janet



Re: WW1 Service Records.

Posted: 20 Jun 2015 11:23AM GMT
Classification: Query
60 per cent of all WW1 service records were destroyed during the Blitz (WW2).

Re: WW1 Service Records.

Posted: 1 Jul 2015 7:52PM GMT
Classification: Query
Dear Carolyn,
I was checking my profiles for my Miles men against the info you so kindly forwarded to me.

I also have Horace Miles buried in France in 1918. Could you tell me where you got the Gen. Hospital, Tavistock Square information from.

If he was buried in France in 1918, maybe he was in the hospital from a wound, then transferred back to France when deemed well enough, and it was there he died and not in the hospital.

Kind regards,

Janet

Re: WW1 Service Records.

Posted: 2 Jul 2015 2:17AM GMT
Classification: Query
Edited: 2 Jul 2015 5:12AM GMT
Surnames: Miles
http://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/519573/MILES,%20H...

Corporal Horace Miles 157701 Royal Engineers in St. Sever Cemetery Extension in Rouen in France

Additional Information Son of Alfred and Akniria Miles, of Mop End, Amersham, Bucks.

That's wrong, his mother's correct forename was Almiria.

The CWGC made a transcription error when they added her name to their online database.

The original cemetery register document shows her correct forename.

They also wrongly transcribed his rank on the online database as Corporal.

He was an Acting Corporal as correctly stated on the Graves Registration Report Form.

His correct rank of Acting Corporal is listed on his UK General register Office GRO army deaths registration index ledger page.

He is also commemorated twice in the villages of Penn and Penn Street near Mop End in Buckinghamshire.

By name on the War Memorial Plaque in Holy Trinity Church in Penn.

By name on the War Memorial on the village green in Penn Street.

Sidney George Miles is also commemorated on those memorials.

http://buckinghamshireremembers.org.uk/memorials/p202.htm

He also has a findagrave listing, to which additional information can be submitted via the edit facility. http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=56...

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http://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/638509/MILES,%20S...

On the CWGC database listing for Private Sidney George Miles 33679 it looks as though there are two spelling errors.

The place name Penn Street is spelled wrongly as Venn Street, and the forename Sidney, is spelled wrongly as Sydney.

In his case though the Cemetery Register form also includes those errors, but the correct information can be documented and the CWGC will correct the database entries for both men.

His forename is correctly spelled as Sidney on his UK General register Office GRO army deaths registration index ledger page.

Sidney also has a findagrave listing, but his listing includes a picture of his headstone.

His forename on findagrave is also wrongly spelled as Sydney and his second forename of George has been omitted. http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=21...

*********************************************************************************
Their death certificates can be obtained from the GRO for about £10 each.

They are in a set of records called GRO war deaths 1914 - 1921 Army other ranks.
http://www.gro.gov.uk/gro/content/
Attachments:

Re: WW1 Service Records.

Posted: 2 Jul 2015 2:53AM GMT
Classification: Query
Dear Infosending1,

Yes, my Great Grandma's name was Almeria. When I first found the record, last year, I realized their mistake, but they did get Great Granddad's name, Alfred and Mop End correct.

Thank you for sending a copy of the original cemetery register document.

Kind regards,

Janet

Re: WW1 Service Records.

Posted: 2 Jul 2015 6:05AM GMT
Classification: Query
Edited: 2 Jul 2015 6:25AM GMT
Janet, I added some additional information to my previous post about Horace and Sidney.

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The hospital reference is from Army Registers of Soldiers' Effects, 1901-1929

Whatever else the British Army did in WW1 they certainly didn't send the remains of deceased soldiers who had died in England to be interred in France, and he obviously did die in France.

There might be something in your theory about him having previously been a patient in the hospital in London, or perhaps when they made the first ledger entry they got his records confused with the records of another soldier and then when they later realised their error and made a second correct entry.

What happened was that they made the first entry which mentioned the hospital as record number 673195.

Then they later made a second correct entry as record number 733000 and cross referenced both entries, and cancelled the first entry by drawing lines through it.

Check all the details and see if there are other differences apart from the hospital.

Presumably the error was only noticed after the second entry was made and so they had to cancel one of the 2 entries, otherwise presumably if the error was noticed before the second entry was made they could have just left the first entry in place and amended any errors in it.

The error might have been noticed when a second payment was made to Horace's father, and perhaps he brought that to their attention.
Attachments:

Re: WW1 Service Records.

Posted: 2 Jul 2015 6:27AM GMT
Classification: Query
This is Sidney's ledger page.
Attachments:

Re: WW1 Service Records.

Posted: 2 Jul 2015 6:42AM GMT
Classification: Query
If you report the errors on the CWGC database to them, they will correct the errors.
http://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty-details/amending-...
per page

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