Royal Garrison Artillery 18th Heavy Battery

[Diddy1944]

My grandfather, William Richards, served in and survived the Boer War and World War I - born in approx. 1870, I believe he joined the Army in the 1880's. His marriage certificate in 1905 shows that he was a Bombardier with the RGA and was probably stationed in Weymouth, he left the Army within the next two years and joined up again in, I think, 1915. I know he served in Salonika and was awarded the Military Medal, along with the 1914-15 Star, Campaign Medal and Victory Medal. I have a copy of his Medal Card, London Gazette entry and very brief typed record details from Forces War Records, but I was hoping to get fuller service details, enlistment, etc., but can find nothing. When he enlisted for World War I he was a Bombardier Regiment No. 6132 and when he left in 1919 he was a Serjeant Regiment No. 281132. Does anyone have any suggestions how I can find more details of his service record? I have tried National archives, Find My Past and Ancestry, to no avail. Thanks.

[Lesley Robertson]

Sadly, about 60% of WW1 service records were destroyed in WW2. It sounds as though his were among them. The best thing you can do is probably to look for the War Diaries of his unit, which will at least tell you where they were, and what they were doing.
Try the National Archives or, sometimes, people can be lucky with a regimental site.

[helachau]

Diddy,
A warm welcome to Brit-gen.
When you checked Find My Past "to no avail" did that include the record for William Thomas Richards, born 1871, place Taunton? This record includes at least 2 docs with "No. 6132" that relate to a William Richards, attested 1915 at Newport, trade Engine Driver.

The main record would appear to apply to William Thomas Richards No. 8455.