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I am looking for information on my grandfather's WW1 war record. I do not know any information on his service record other than being told he did have medals and he may have been suffering from being gassed in WW1. His name was James Coombes but could have been Coombe back then. He was born 1886 and I have his marriage cert saying he married Florence White in 1921 Devon. I have no idea where to search as there seems to be so many with the same name. How do I find the right one ? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Are you sure he married Florence White? This is the only marriage I can see in 1921 to a Florence but it is to Florence Webber:-

First name(s) JAMES
Last name COOMBES
Marriage quarter 4
Marriage year 1921
Registration month -
MarriageFinder™ JAMES COOMBES married
FLORENCE WEBBER
Spouse's last name WEBBER
District NEWTON ABBOT
District number -
County Devon
Country England
Volume 5B
Page 350

Do you know if he was in the army or Navy? There is this record for a James Coombes from Devon who was in the Navy:-

First name(s) James
Last name Coombes
Service number SS102267
Birth year 1887
Birth date 18 Feb 1887
Birth place Exeter
Birth county Devon
Birth country England
Archive The National Archives
Archive reference ADM 188/1108/102267
Record set British Royal Navy Seamen 1899-1924

Kath. x

Hi Katrina- who did he list as his Father on his marriage certificate?

It was Florence White Webber, my mistake I left off Webber. Their marriage cert states his father as Joseph Coombes, farm labourer.

For ref:

1911 England, Wales & Scotland Census Transcription
Wisedom Drewsteignton, Drewsteignton, Devon, England

Joseph Coombe Head Married Male Farm Labourer Farm 69 1842 Sampford Courtenay
Sarah Coombe Wife Married Female - 64 1847 Drewsteignton Devon
James Coombe Son Single Male Farm Labourer 24 1887 Charlton Bishop Devon

Katrina - you may not be aware that over 70% of the full WW1 military records were destroyed during a bombing related fire during WW2.

It is possible that the Naval record does relate to him as the image says that he enlisted in 8 Jan 1906 to 14 Jan 1911. That would make it possible for him to appear on the 1911 census with his family.
The naval record then states that he was serving 30 Sep 1914-7 Apr 1915 when he was invalided due to sickness.

Alternatively a Silver War Badge was issued to this fellow who served 5 Mar 1906-6 Jul 1917. The SWB was worn by men discharged due to ill health, injuries etc so that they weren’t accused of being Deserters or Cowards.

James Coombes
Discharge Unit: Wilts Regt.
Regiment: Duke of Edinburgh's (Wiltshire) Regiment
Regimental Number: 7512
Rank: Sergt.
Badge Number: 213614
Piece: 3018
List Number: C 0601-0918
Record Group: WO
Record Class: 329

Is this him in 1939:

Coombes Household Okehampton R.D., Devon, England
James Coombes 1886
1 more person who is officially closed

I don't have access- I was hoping someone may put the details up as the seamen's records have DOB listed- perhaps we can match him with one.

The Record that Kathleen put up looks promising- he was listed as farm labourer which matches the 1911 census.

Austin Q, the date of birth on that record is Sept 10th 1886, it appears that the redacted person went on to marry someone with the surname Lee, as you can just see that above the black line.

edit, that would be the daughter Audrey M mothers maiden name Webber...so that looks pretty certain. I have not put the marriage info as could still be living, but it can be found on freebmd.

Coombes Household (1 Person)
Broadmoor Cottage , Okehampton R.D., Devon, England

FIRST NAME(S) LAST NAME(S) DOB SEX OCCUPATION MARITAL STATUS SCHEDULE SCHEDULE SUB NUMBER
James Coombes 10 Sep 1886 Male General Farm Worker Widowed 102 1

he is down as widowed

1939 as requested

Coombes Household (1 Person) Broadmoor Cottage , Okehampton R.D., Devon,

James Coombes 10 Sep 1886 Male General Farm Worker Widowed
There's a possiblility there are other redacted people in the house hold, one of whom was probably a female. You can see a LEE above the thick black line.

The whole page is at an angle which means the Closed thick line is partially obscuring some records which should be opened. Although not in the same household, its possible to see a partial entry for a widow born Jan 1871. Goodness only knows what the rest of the entry might says!

??
First name(s) FLORENCE
Last name COOMBES
Gender Female
Birth day -
Birth month -
Birth year 1883
Age 51
Death quarter 3
Death year 1934
District NEWTON ABBOT
County Devon
Volume 5B
Page 117
Country England
Record set England & Wales deaths 1837-2007
Category Birth, Marriage, Death & Parish Records
Subcategory Deaths & burials
Collections from Great Britain


edit wrong lady as this is her birth
First name(s) FLORENCE WHITE
Last name WEBBER
Birth year 1891
Birth quarter 3
Registration month -
Mother's last name -
District OKEHAMPTON
County Devon
Country England
Volume 5B
Page 376
Record set England & Wales births 1837-2006
Category Birth, Marriage, Death & Parish Records
Subcategory Births & baptisms
Collections from Great Britain

Or this one?
Death
Name: Florence W Coombes
Birth Date: abt 1891
Date of Registration: Dec 1930
Age at Death: 39
Registration district: Okehampton
Inferred County: Devon
Volume: 5b
Page: 458

3 children or possibly 4

Births Jun 1922 (>99%)
Coombes Audrey M Webber Okehampton 5b 585
Births Jun 1925 (>99%)
Coombes Dorothy E Webber Okehampton 5b 553
Births Jun 1927 (>99%)
Coombes Kathleen E Webber Okehampton 5b 539
Births Sep 1930 (>99%)
Coombes Myrtle Webber Exeter 5b 92

1939 register
Stanbury Household (10 People)
Netherton House , Okehampton R.D., Devon, England
Start free family tree View original imagePrint
FIRST NAME(S) LAST NAME(S) DOB SEX OCCUPATION MARITAL STATUS SCHEDULE SCHEDULE SUB NUMBER
Dorothy E Coombes 18 Feb 1925 Female Domestic Servant Single 61 7 >>>>>>>>

Alice Stanbury 10 Aug 1873 Female Lodging House Keeper Small Holder - 61 1
Edith M Hutchings (Aggett) 23 Jul 1906 Female Household Duties Unpaid - 61 3
George Aggett 29 Apr 1903 Male Garage Proprietor Automobile & Mechanical Engineer Married 61 4
George H Drew 10 Jun 1901 Male General Farm Labourer Single 61 6
Ellen Morgan 21 Jun 1885 Female Unpaid Domestic Duties Married 61 8
Ethel M Dennison-Smith (Smith) 10 Oct 1882 Female Private Means Widowed 61 10
Monica D Phelps (Smith) 25 Sep 1913 Female - Single 61 11
Edith T Clark 14 Nov 1888 Female Unpaid Domestic Duties Single 61 13
Mary E McCarthy 22 Nov 1868 Female Fruit Merchant Widowed 61 14

Marriages Dec 1941
Coombes Audrey M Lee Okehampton 5b 1152
Lee Francis J C Coombes Okehampton 5b 1152

Name: Audrey Mary Lee
Birth Date: 29 Feb 1920
Date of Registration: Oct 1988
Age at Death: 68
Registration district: Exeter
Inferred County: Devon
Volume: 21
Page: 974

age out by two years !

Name: Dorothy Eileen Coombes
Birth Date: 18 Feb 1925
Date of Registration: Sep 1991
Age at Death: 66
Registration district: Newton Abbott
Inferred County: Devon
Volume: 21
Page: 1397

Exeter and Plymouth Gazette - Friday 17 October 1930

Drewsteignton
The funeral of Mrs Florence White Coombes of Broadmoor Cottage, who died suddenly, aged 39, took place on Tuesday in the parsih churchyard in the presnece of a large number of sympathisers - The mourners were the husband, Olive and Ernie (children), Mr & Mrs G Webber (father and mother), Mr S Webber (brother), Mesdames Major and Mortimore and Miss R Webber (sisters), Messrs. A Major and F Mortimore (brothers-in-law), Mesdames Blatchford and J Coombes (sisters-in-law), Mrs E Gidley (cousin).....
------------------------------------------------------

So who were Olive and Ernie ? :-S

?

Births Dec 1913 (>99%)
Webber Olive M Webber Okehampton 5b 645

Births Sep 1915 (>99%)
Webber Ernest J Webber Okehampton 5b 536

Spot on Rose:

Baptism
First name(s) Ernest John
Last name Webber
Birth year 1915
Birth date 24 May 1915
Baptism year 1916
Baptism date 19 Jan 1916
Denomination Anglican
Baptism place Drewsteignton
Father's first name(s) -
Mother's first name(s) Florence White
County Devon
Archive South West Heritage Trust
Archive reference 2165A/PR/1/7
Record set Devon Baptisms

Florence White Webber was my grandmother, her daughter Kathleen Emma was my mum, Audrey Mary and Dorothy Eillen were mums sisters, mum passed away 1984. Olive and Ernest were their half sister and brother , no idea who their father was as it does not state. All of them have passed now. James Coombes registry in 1939 stated him as a widower this would be correct as Florence passed away in 1930 aged 39. I did previously find the war record for James Coombes Wiltshire regiment but had no idea if this was my grandfather as it does not state parents. I did not know so many war records were lost but given the devastaion during the war this is should not be that surprising. I do rember my mother telling me she once saw a picture of my grandfather James Coombes in his war uniform but she thought it was army ???. In the death notice post for Florence Coombes at the bottom of the list of mourners it has a name of Mrs E Gidley (cousin) again no idea who this is or whose side of the family she was. My mother was 3 when her mum Florence died and 14 when her father James died so she did not know a lot of family history. She told me that James died in what she called the poor house hospital Broadmoor but I had not found out anything on this so far.