Military Chat

I am trying to find details of the above serving in the First World War. He may have been in the South Staffordshire Reg. as he came from Bloxwich near Walsall. I'm not sure if he joined under the surname Weston or Richards he was born in May 1900 but probably would have lied about his age according to family so that he could join. I know he served in India with the Army.

Any help would be gratefully received.

Regards Lynn

His birth registration has him as James Kimberley R Weston

Roy

Thank you for your reply yes he was registered James Kimberley Richard Weston. I'm not sure which name he used to join the Army/TA. In the 1901 census family listed as Weston by 1911 census family listed as Richards. He married in India as a Richards died in this country as Richards. I don't know where the Weston name came from help.

Lynn

There are two medal cards on the national archives web site that could be him?

1,
Medal card of Weston, James K. Corps Regiment No Rank Northamptonshire Regiment 34189 Private. Labour Corps 84440 Private.

2,
Medal card of Weston, James R. Corps Regiment No Rank Royal Fusiliers 1956 Private. Middlesex Regiment G/40037 Private. Royal Engineers 358225 Private.

Nothing obvious under the name Richards

Roy

Lynn, No need to use the PM system all info should be posted on this thread,

If he served in india and married their did he continue to serve in the army after the war? If so then if he was still serving after 1920 then his records will NOT be online,

Records for soldiers who's service ended after 1920 are still held by the MOD,

You can apply for his service records

See https://www.gov.uk/requests-for-personal-data-and-service-records

Roy

Edit,....I forgot to say, It cost £30 and can take upto 9 months for them to arrive

Roy

Thanks for all the information do you need to be next of kin to send for his service records. His daughter is alive but has asked me to see what I can find out for her.

Lynn

You can apply for them with the permission of next of kin - his daughter would need to sign the forms giving her permission

Thanks for all your help the website that you mentioned is good I will print out relevant forms and hopefully his daughter will sign them. He died whilst serving with the Army in an accident outside the Newcastle Barracks in 1938. So that's probably why I can't find him online anywhere I still have a problem with his name Weston/ Richards.

Lynn

You don't need NOK consent but without there consent you will only recieve the basic details until the deceased Service personnel has been dead for 25 years but it's is better if his daughter applies

No death cert required where death was in service

If you go to the link i provided all you need to know is all on that one page

Roy

Edit If he died in 1938 it should not matter who applies

The marriage in India that you already know about

The actual image of the register says he was a Private [in the] ARMY ROYAL MEDICAL CORPS..

EDIT: I think that should be Royal Army Medical Corps - it was squeezed in , so on the left Army was written under Private, and on the right hand side was Royal Medical Corps.

Don't know if that helps narrow things down a bit:


Bride's Forename:Lucy
Bride's Surname:Couzens
Bride's Age:23
Groom's Forename:James Kimberley
Groom's Surname:Richards
Groom's Age:24
Year Of Marriage:1923
Date Of Marriage:28 Jan 1923
Place:Moradabad
Presidency:Bengal
Bride's Father's Forename:Josiah
Bride's Father's Surname:Couzens
Groom's Father's Forename:John Thomas
Groom's Father's Surname:Richards
Archive Reference:N/1/467
Folio No.:51
Catalogue Description:Parish register transcripts from the Presidency of Bengal, : 1713-1948
Entry No.:-
Record set:British India Office marriages

Is this a child born in India?

First Name:James Josiah Kizaberly
Last Name:Richards
Date Of Baptism:-
Date Of Birth:1929
Father's First Name:-
Mother's First Name:-
Place:-
Presidency:Bengal
Father's Last Name:Richards
Mother's Last Name:-
Archive Reference:N/1/520
Folio:210
Page:-
Catalogue Description:Parish register transcripts from the Presidency of Bengal
Record set:British India Office births & baptisms

No image to look at.

Name: RICHARDS, James J K
Mother's maiden name: Not available before 1966
Station: Sheikhupura
Country: Unknown
Year: 1929
Page: 387
Record source: GRO Army Birth Indices (1881 to 1965)

There is a medal card for a James Richards of the Royal Army Medical Corps

Medal card of Richards, James. Corps Regiment No Rank Royal Army Medical Corps 38092 Private.

http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/SearchUI/Details?uri=D4844199

Roy

Thanks for all the information yes James Richards married Lucy Couzens they had 5 children the boy James (probably the one mentioned) died aged 3 or 4. I will look into the Army records for his medal card. Do you know if the national archives gets back to you with information straight away or does it take months.

Lynn

The NA directs you to Ancestry

British Army WWI Medal Rolls Index Cards, 1914-1920 about James Richards
Name: James Richards
Regiment or Corps: Royal Army Medical Corps
Regimental Number: 38092

From the image
Richards, James
Corps – RAMC
Rank – Pte
Regtl No 38092

Medals
Victory – roll RAMC/101 B34
British – ditto
15 Star – RAMC 19A

Theatre of War first served in (1) France
Date of entry therein 24.2.15

As i said before, If he was still serving after 1920 then his service records will still be with the MOD, You can download the medal card from the national archives it costs £3.36 use the link i provided

Medal cards were not stored in the same location durin WW2 as WW1 service records and that is why the medal cards have survived but most WW1 service records were lost/burnt so did not survive

Roy

Unfortunately James Richards is a common name. This James Richards with a different service number also served in the Royal Army Medical Corps, but appears in the WWI pensions records , so isn't likely to be your man.

British Army WWI Pension Records 1914-1920

Name: James Richards
Document Year: 1919
Regimental Number: 115826
Regiment Name: Royal Army Medical Corps
Number of Images: 19

You probably have this already:

Name: James Kimberley Richards
Probate Date: 2 May 1938
Death Date: 28 Jan 1938
Death Place: Newcastle upon Tyne, England
Registry: Newcastle-Upon-Tyne

Richards James Kimberley of the Medical Reception Station Fenham Barracks Newcastle Upon Tyne died 28 Jan 1938 at the Royal Victoria Infirmary Newcastle Upon Tyne. Administration Newcastle upon Tyne 2 may to widow Lucy Richards. Effects £50 2s 5d.