Searching for records

[gsimeone98]

Hi I am looking for WW1 records for my great grandfather Henry Green born in 1895. He was born in Bristol and he also went by the name of Harry Green. We know that he went into the war in 1914 and was wounded in 1915, he was then discharged from the army as he had lost his arm.

We are struggling to find any records of him & as his name is quite common it is very difficult. We do not know what regiment he was in but he lived in Mangotsfield, Bristol if that is any help.

Would anyone be able to give us some advice on how to find him?

Many thanks,
Kirsty

[christanel]

Welcome to the British-Genealogy forums Kirsty.
If you came to us from Forces War records reading this will tell you a little about us and why you came to our forums.
The bad news is that 60% plus of WW1 service records were destroyed by bombing/fire/water in WW11 so you search is even more difficult than you anticipated.
Medal Roll Index Cards and Medal and Award records do survive but these rarely include any personal information. Just name. rank. regiment, medals awarded and maybe a date of entry in to a war zone.
Using two versions of his first name and both surname and first name being common ones you really do have a difficult job. WW1 service records are licensed to Findmypast and ancestry.com which are both pay per view sites. However both do have free library versions so your local library may have one of them.
I will take a look to see what is to be found.
Christina

[christanel]

This 1911 census may help eliminate some of the records that do survive for numerous Henry Greens in the military records. Many of them do have middle names which eliminates them as your Henry's birth regiatration has him with the first name henry only.
1911
No 16 Oaklands Estate Bdgs, Mangotsfield
Victor Green 46 coal miner hewer
Maria Green 43
William Green 21 coal miner labourer
John Thomas Green 17 General Labourer
Henry Green 16 General Labourer
Victor Green 14 Gardener
Edward Green 12 school
George Green 7 school

All born Mangotsfield

Christina

[macwil]

Hi Kirsty,

Welcome to Brit-Gen.

As Christina has indicated you have a very tough search ahead. To help, can you give more detailed information about your G'g'dad.
Any of the following may help eliminate/confirm a record for him.
Exact date of Birth, details of where he was living 1911 Census, more precise info about his whereabouts when he enlisted/was discharged, his parents names. Anything you have about him during that period.

Regards,
Malcolm

Ah! I see Christina has already found the 1911 data.

[christanel]

I am going through the service records of men Henry green - no middle names.
Can eliminate Henry Green, Kings Royal Rifle Corps regiment number 12258 as his mother is Phoebe.
Christina

[christanel]

Eliminate Henry Green Cowbridge? The papers are damaged so no regiment and number but he had a child Trevor Wilfred Green in 1915 Bridgend Glamorganshire. Henry married Margaret Ann Vaugan.

Eliminate Henry Green Regimental number 24243. His father is John.

Eliminate henry Green Regimental number 496 Regiment - Labour Corps. He was born Middlesex.

[christanel]

Eliminate Henry King Royal Army Medical Corps Regimental number 2841. His home address was 11 King St Kettering, Nuthurst Northamptonshire and his occupation Tailor.
Eliminate Henry Green The Royal Scots (Lothian Regiment) Regimental Number 137594 as he lived at Post Office, Muckley Corney Lichfield Staffordshire and his father was William Green.
That is it for the surviving service and pension records for a henry Green but when searching for a medal Roll Index card we can eliminate these from the search .
Christina

[christanel]

From the so called pension records on ancestry
Eliminate Henry Green Regimental number 30816 Army Reserve (Special Reservists) Attestation - he was born
Stoke On Trent, Staffordshire
Eliminate Henry Green London Regiment Regimental Number 1993 He was born St Pancras Middlesex

These are the only two of the 14 pension records that don't have middle names.

Christina

[christanel]

There are somewhere around 185 Medal Roll Index cards in the name of Henry Green!! well over 400 if you include those with middle names. This demonstrates just how many service records were destroyed in WW11.
Christina

[grisel]

Hello Kirsty

Find My Past's newspaper collections 26 May 1915 Western Daily Press, have an article entitled Patriotic Concert at Mangotsfield - for the benefit of Harry Green who had recently returned home having lost an arm. .....
I don't subscribe so can only see a snippet but perhaps the full article will have more details.