Richard Francis Bridges

[Kit]

I have a person named above in my tree. I'm wondering if he might be this person mentioned below of the same name who died in the war. I can't find any details except where he was buried.

Died July 18, 1916.
Buried France
Military Service Service number: 18120 Rank: Lance Corporal Regiment: Royal Fusiliers Unit/ship/squadron: 11th Bn.

[Kit]

He received war medals :

Richard Francis Bridges (http://interactive.ancestry.co.uk/5119/41629_626640_11557-00239/1502531?backurl=http%3a%2f%2fsearch.ancestry.co.uk %2fcgi-bin%2fsse.dll%3fdb%3diwoservicemedalawardrolls%26s o%3d2%26pcat%3d39%26gss%3dangs-c%26new%3d1%26rank%3d1%26MS_AdvCB%3d1%26gsfn%3dric hard%26gsfn_x%3d1%26gsln%3dbridges%26gsln_x%3d1%26 msbpn__ftp_x%3d1%26msrpn__ftp_x%3d1%26msgpn__ftp_x %3d1%26msypn__ftp_x%3d1%26MSAV%3d2%26uidh%3de35&ssrc=&backlabel=ReturnSearchResults)

[Kit]

Medal Roll Index Card


Richard Francis Bridges (http://interactive.ancestry.co.uk/1262/30850_A000207-00557/1218726?backurl=http%3a%2f%2fsearch.ancestry.co.uk %2fcgi-bin%2fsse.dll%3fdb%3dmedalrolls%26so%3d2%26pcat%3d 39%26gss%3dangs-c%26new%3d1%26rank%3d1%26MS_AdvCB%3d1%26gsfn%3dric hard%26gsfn_x%3d1%26gsln%3dbridges%26gsln_x%3d1%26 msbpn__ftp_x%3d1%26msrpn__ftp_x%3d1%26msgpn__ftp_x %3d1%26msypn__ftp_x%3d1%26MSAV%3d2%26uidh%3de35&ssrc=&backlabel=ReturnSearchResults)

[Kit]

UK, Soldiers Died in the Great War, 1914-1919 Record (from ancestry)
Name: Richard Francis Bridges
Birth Place: Bow
Residence: Bow
Death Date: 18 Jul 1916
Death Place: France and Flanders
Enlistment Place: St. Paul's Churchyard, London
Rank: L Corporal
Regiment: London Regiment
Battalion: 11th Battalion
Regimental Number: 18120
Type of Casualty: Killed in action
Theatre of War: Western European Theatre


My Richard was born in that area, so looking positive.

[Kit]

This is possibly good, if someone can read the who authorised part. I can only read Eliza, which is his mother, but if it says wife then I'd need to find a wife.

UK, Army Registers of Soldiers' Effects, 1901-1929

Richard Bridges (http://interactive.ancestry.co.uk/60506/42511_6117462_0074-00008/342028?backurl=http%3a%2f%2fsearch.ancestry.co.uk% 2fcgi-bin%2fsse.dll%3fdb%3dukarmyregisterseffects%26so%3 d2%26pcat%3d39%26gss%3dangs-c%26new%3d1%26rank%3d1%26MS_AdvCB%3d1%26gsfn%3dric hard%26gsfn_x%3d1%26gsln%3dbridges%26gsln_x%3d1%26 msbpn__ftp_x%3d1%26msrpn__ftp_x%3d1%26msgpn__ftp_x %3d1%26msypn__ftp_x%3d1%26MSAV%3d2%26uidh%3de35&ssrc=&backlabel=ReturnSearchResults)

[KiwiChris]

I think I says Mo which I assume is mother, other on the pages have Sis, Bro wid and Fa

Sister, brother, widow and father? The names attached to the abbreviations suggest the sexes of the people match my assumed relationships

[Kit]

Thanks Christine, looks like he is probably mine then.

[Shona]

Agree with Chris. Mo looks as if it is an abbreviation of mother, given the other abbreviations on the same page. His mother, Eliza, was also the 'Sole Leg' which means 'sole legatee', so she was the only person to receive the financial gratuity following his death.

The link below should take you to an account of the Royal Fusiliers in the Great War. I haven't read through it in detail, but you may be able to pinpoint where he was fighting when he was killed in action. I noticed that he is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial to the Missing of the Somme.

https://archive.org/stream/royalfusiliersin00onei/royalfusiliersin00onei_djvu.txt

The war diary is at the National Archives.

[Kit]

Thanks Shona, will have a look.