Royal Field Artillery

[pdl655]

Wonder if any one can help. I am trying to find my info on my grandfather James George Winstanley who was a Driver/Groom in the Royal Field Artillery. I believe he served in France and was possibly invalided out, I have a service number which was on his marriage certificate but cannot trace it.
Would be grateful for any help.

[Peter Goodey]

I have a service number

Well what was it?

Have you looked at the medal index cards? There is a James Winstanley in the Royal Field Artillery who was awarded a Silver Medal Badge implying he was invalided out). There is a service number shown

The corresponding entry in the Silver War Badge roll shows he was in the 119th Brigade and was discharged because of sickness (not wounds).

[pdl655]

Hi, sorry the number I have is 745517. Discharged due to sickness rather than wounded does sound right as I believe like so many others he was affected by the gas.
Thank you for replying so quickly

[Peter Goodey]

Not the same man, then.

The one in the Silver War badge list is 70260 Gunner james Winstanley, enlisted 8-1-15, discharged 31-1-19. It wasn't gas poisoning - this particular list shows "gas poisoning" as a separate category but this man is shown just as "sickness".

No results for 745517 in the Medal Roll Index lists

https://discovery.nationalarchives.go...=&_st=adv&_rv=

[pdl655]

No unfortunately. I cant seem to find any military record at all for him so thought I might see if there is an address for the RFA to write to. I found a record for my grandmothers first husband who served in a similar position by justbsearching his name so am puzzled about James.
Thanks for replying again.

[Peter Goodey]

You haven't provided much in the way of identifying details sucj as when and where born which limits what we can do to help.

The nearest thing to a James George WINSTANLEY I can see in the 1911 census is James George Scarisbrick WINSTANLEY, a Church of England clergyman!

Make sure you're familiar with the National Archives Research Guide. See also the references to further information.

The most important military records are held by the National Archives. I doubt you'll get much out of the regimental archives.

Where did you get the regimental number from?

[Lesley Robertson]

Peter, would the 6 digit number indicate that he joined up later? Most of the RFA numbers I've come across today were only 5 digits.

[pdl655]

Hi Peter,
My grandfather was born on 24/03/1885 in Everton to James George and Mary/Marion depending on the census form you look at and seems to have spent most of his early years in the Lancashire area. I got the number from his marriage certificate to my grandmother on 18/11/1918 where it states he was a Driver in the Royal Field Artillery (Groom) and was living in Letcombe Regis, Berkshire. My grandmother was previously married to an Arthur Walters who died about a year previously to her second marriage
Unfortunately I am the only surviving relation and have very little information to go on.

[Peter Goodey]

Peter, would the 6 digit number indicate that he joined up later?

A good point. The number provided is consistent with the range of numbers introduced from 1920. However, the questioner says it comes from a 1918 marriage certificate. If the RFA had already allocated his "new" number, this may not be much help in identifying him in the surviving records which would presumably use the old number.

I'm wondering whether he might have continued in the army as a regular after the war but nothing the questioner has said seems to support that.

[pdl655]

Hi Peter,

No my grandfather didn't stay on in the army as a regular but not sure when he was officially demobbed. I was only 4 when he died but can remember other family members, now all deceased, saying that he suffered with breathing problems that were possibly due to the gas attacks. He carried on working with horses after the war until an accident forced him to stop so I was wondering if he could have joined another regiment possibly in Lancashire before ending up in the RFA. I will go through my research so far and see if anything jumps out at me.