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  1. #1

    Default British Soldiers in Canadian Regiments?

    Hi.
    I've been getting back into researching my family tree again, in particular the war time histories of my relations.

    I am currently researching a great uncle on my (maternal) grandfathers side who died in battle in 1916.
    I've got information from his headstone in a local churchyard and know his birth and death dates.

    However, the only name and details that I can find matching in the forces war records state that he was canadian and fought in a Canadian regiment!
    Im pretty sure i've got the right person, but in no way, shape or form was he Canadian. Indeed his (& my family) all appear to have resided in Sussex for generations.

    So my thinking is, as a British solider, would he have been incorporated into a Canadian regiment? was this done? and have the records of his death then mis-recorded him as Canadian?

    I'm quite new to all this, so any advice to help me solve this gratefully received.

    Thanks

  2. #2
    Famous for offering help & advice simmo1's Avatar
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    HI

    Name would help, and service number.
    What does the gravestone have on it. It should be done by CWGC, so looking on that site would be a guide.
    I never like sites that just go on transcriptions, seeing original documents is always the best way.

    regards

    Robert
    Remembering

    My Father 1819170 Lance Bombardier Robert Simpson 39/14 L.A.A. R.A.

  3. #3

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    Hi there.
    The Commonwealth War Graves commission has him listed as -

    Private
    ALLEN, PERCIVAL
    Service Number 71347
    Died 07/06/1916
    Aged 27
    27th Bn.
    Canadian Infantry
    Husband of Margaret H. Allen, of 7, Mount Carmel Chambers, Kensington, London, England.
    MENIN ROAD SOUTH MILITARY CEMETERY
    I. P. 6.

    The age and date of death match his headstone in St Georges Church Brede, East Sussex, and indeed this is the only match I can find with the same details with the Forces War Records, so i'm pretty sure I have the right person. Its just the fact that the records show him as being in the Canadian Infantry that has me confused.

    There appears to be no indication that it has CWCG on his gravestone so I do wonder if he was seconded to the Canadian regiment. The date of death would coincide with the Battle of Mont Sorrell where Canadian and British troops fought to gain high ground near Ypres.

  4. #4

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    What do you mean “has CWGC on his gravestone”? As Robert has suggested, have a look at the CWGC (Commonwealth War Graves Comisssion) site for additional information.

    During WW1, soldiers were often transferred from one regiment to another, depending on the need. When this happened, their number changed. Ancestry’s Medal Rolls Index for WW1 shows 16 Percival Allens who might be worth taking a look at.

    However, Google took me to the Library and Archives of Canada site with the records of the Canadian soldiers of WW1 which includes 71347 Percival Allen, born 14.10.1887. His attestation form For the Canadian Expeditionary Force gives his NOK as Annie Allen of Rye, Sussex. Page 2 just gives a description of him. He joined up in Winnipeg in 1914.

    A lot of young men went off to try their luck in the New World, and came back with the army.

  5. #5

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    Hello Lesley,
    Sorry for the confusion on “has CWGC on his gravestone”, a mistake on my part, i'm still learning the an acronyms.
    Thanks for the information, 'Annie Allen of Rye' would have been his mother (my 2nd great grandmother) so that would point to him being the correct one. I had no idea that he went to Canada, but that seems to explain it.

    Thank you for the pointers!

  6. #6

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    The same Canadian site has a collection of passenger lists, but it requires page by page checking, rather than a search engine, so I didn’t try.

  7. #7

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    Deleted
    "dyfal donc a dyr y garreg"

  8. #8

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    What was his father's name? A Charles and Annie Allen with son Percy, age 14, and 2 other children travelled Aug 1901 to Canada. Before checking manifest of arrival in Canada, which might add more detail to the limited details on FMP, want to be sure I'm possibly on the right track.
    "dyfal donc a dyr y garreg"

  9. #9
    Famous for offering help & advice simmo1's Avatar
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    Hi

    These are his Canadian records, unlike UK they are online and free and intact!
    https://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discov...?IdNumber=6153
    On the RHS are his 2 pages of attestation papers, so he joined a Canadian regiment, he was not seconded.
    In the middle of the page is the link to his service records which shows he signed up there.
    Why, well who knows?

    regards

    Robert
    Remembering

    My Father 1819170 Lance Bombardier Robert Simpson 39/14 L.A.A. R.A.

  10. #10

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    Hi, his fathers name was William T Allen.
    Thanks!

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