WWI Soldiers

[Anstey Nomad]

OK chaps – can anyone advise me on this?

I am looking for a WWI soldier.

He didn’t die in the War – he died in the 1960s, so he’s not in any of the rolls of honour or anything like that. He also managed to come through unscathed (physically), so there are no wounds/hospital records.

I have looked on Ancestry in the military records and he does not feature at all.

I have searched on the National Archives site and not turned him up there either.

Any suggestions what else I could try?

This has come up again because a friend has asked me about his Grandad, but it could equally apply to mine.

Edwin Phillips b 1890 Leicester, d 1969 Poole, served in the Cameronians in WWI. I have photos of him in uniform and his badges are still in the family, but I can find no trace of him anywhere.

AN

[Jackie H]

A lot of the WW1 soldier service records were destroyed in a fire in WW2. However, if he served abroad there should be a medal card for him. I can't see anything obvious although there is an Edward Phillips in the Queens Own Cameron Highlanders. If his medals are in the family, have you looked for a number around the edge of them? That would help to find the correct index card

[Merry]

Do you know that he was in the Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) throughout his service in WW1? Many men changed regiments during the course of the war.

[Anstey Nomad]

Jackie - he was in the Cameronians (as Merry says, the Scottish Rifles) rather than the Cameron Highlanders - a subtle yet important distinction - and yes Merry, I am alive to the possibility that he might have changed regiments, but I don't think I could find an Edwin Phillips at all, last time I looked.

AN

[Anstey Nomad]

Anyway, my Grandad isn’t really the issue, although he is almost on all fours with this.

The original question came about because one of the ‘regulars’ in our local has become very interested in his Grandad, so the man we are really looking for is:

LEONARD ERNEST EARDLEY
B Coventry 1891
M Coventry 1912 (Ellen Hyde)
D Nuneaton 1961

This has been bumbling along on FB since about last Tuesday and all sorts of enthusiastic amateurs are getting involved, with predictably chaotic results.

We have a picture of Leonard in uniform, but the quality is so poor that we cannot identify the flashes on his shoulders.

I have gone through Ancestry and have not found him. He is not the Leonard Eardley in the medal cards – he came from Stoke on Trent and was killed in 1918. That has caused some confusion already.

Our Leonard is supposed to have served with the Imperial Camel Corps in North Africa, which suggests he transferred to this from another regiment, possibly after Gallipoli.

If he’s not in the Ancestry records and we don’t really know what regiment he was with, where can we go to look for him?

AN

[Rachel]

We have a picture of Leonard in uniform, but the quality is so poor that we cannot identify the flashes on his shoulders.


AN

Are you sure it wouldn't enlarge sufficiently if scanned properly ?

If he appears as a dot on the horizon, or is one of a large group then there's really no chance but if it's him on his own then ? maybe ?

[Anstey Nomad]

It's head and shoulders Rachel. I've not tried, but I had assumed that the owner of the image would have done so as he's an artist/designer and uses Photoshop.

Hmmm - I might go and have a play.

Next question is of course, how would I post it on here? Do I have to use Photobucket?

AN

[Margaret in Burton]

It's head and shoulders Rachel. I've not tried, but I had assumed that the owner of the image would have done so as he's an artist/designer and uses Photoshop.

Hmmm - I might go and have a play.

Next question is of course, how would I post it on here? Do I have to use Photobucket?

AN

I believe it is best to as it comes out larger. The bigger the better Rachel has said many times. :):)

[Rachel]

It's head and shoulders Rachel. I've not tried, but I had assumed that the owner of the image would have done so as he's an artist/designer and uses Photoshop.

Hmmm - I might go and have a play.

Next question is of course, how would I post it on here? Do I have to use Photobucket?

AN

Does this mean you don't actually have the original photograph ?

You need to scan the original photo, not a copy.


Head and shoulders sounds OK but if it's a full on 'mug shot' then maybe his badges are not visible.

[Anstey Nomad]

I don't, but I know a man who does and he has been instructed to scan again in accordance wuith your requirements.

head and shoulders - not square on to the camera - badges visible.

AN

[Merry]

I have gone through Ancestry and have not found him. He is not the Leonard Eardley in the medal cards – he came from Stoke on Trent and was killed in 1918. That has caused some confusion already.


The RFA chap, number 805980 died in 1918, as you say.

Have you eliminated the other medal card person, York and Lancaster Regiment 242164?

[Merry]

There are loads of medal cards (around 30) for Edwin Phillips with no middle name! Not in the right regiment though, which was why I asked if you knew if he remained in the same one or not.

[Mary from Italy]

Middle names weren't always given on the medal cards - my great-uncle had a fairly common name, and his middle name was omitted, which made him quite hard to find.

[Mary from Italy]

There's already a thread on the Great War forum about Edwin:

http://1914-1918.invisionzone.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=77041

(They didn't find hiim, though)

[Anstey Nomad]

Re Leonard Eardley I asked our Local History Centre if they had the Absent Voters List for 1918. They don't.

Lady who responded to my e mail referred me back to Ancestry!

AN

[Rachel]

I don't, but I know a man who does and he has been instructed to scan again in accordance wuith your requirements.
head and shoulders - not square on to the camera - badges visible.
AN

Sorry if I confused you.
As you say, he's probably done a decent scan.

I'll PM you in case you want my e-mail address