Military Chat

Hi
I have some details of my grandfathers discharge from the 4th Dragoons in Canterbury can anybody help with or where I can find out more
thank you

When was he discharged?

The more accurate the info you give the better the info you will recieve

Name, year of Birth and location

And any other details that may be relevant such as regimental number if known



Roy

Hi ROY
Thanks for your reply His name was George Woods, d o b 5th feb 1888.His No was 29779? Pte 4th Dragoons ,Discharge 14th May 1919 Canterbury?
thanking you anticipation
Mick

Not seeing any thing with thoses details, Do you have a birth place for him or even a birth county?

Roy

Edit I just realised the Dragoons are a Guards regiment and so their records are kept at their regimental HQ you will need to apply for them but you should find a medal card for him on the national archives web site and also ancestry and findmypast

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/records/medal-index-cards-ww1.htm

http://www.findmypast.co.uk/

http://home.ancestry.co.uk/

also see http://www.rdgmuseum.org.uk/

and http://www.nam.ac.uk/research/famous-units/4th-royal-irish-dragoon-guards

They aren't a Guards Regiment - any records for him for WW1, if they have survived will be on Ancestry

as i said in my post 21 Feb 2014 22:45

(The more accurate the info you give the better the info you will recieve)


If Michaels grandad was not in 4th Royal Irish Dragoon Guards then he may have been in the 4th (The Queen's Own) Regiment of Light Dragoons AKA 4th Queen's Own Hussars

George Woods is far to common a name to search without a birth location.

Did he have a middle name and can you have another look at his regimental number ?

Ancestry have free access this weekend if you would like to search yourself www.ancestry.co.uk/

nothing for him on the national archives medal card index based on the info recieved

When annielaurie says if they survive, abt 60/70% of army service records for WW1 were distroyed in WW2 bombing

Medal cards were stored in a separate location so most survived but they have very limited info


Roy

This is him, his reg number on the first page confirms it,

All British Army WWI Pension Records 1914-1920 Results
British Army WWI Pension Records 1914-1920 about George Woods
Name: George Woods
Estimated birth year: abt 1888
Age at enlistment: 29
Residence: 179 Station Rd, Bamber Bridge
Document Year: 1917
Regimental Number: 39723
Regiment Name: Royal North Lancashire Regiment
Number of Images: 22

View original image

Started in the Royal N Lancs, transferred to Corps of a Hussars, transferred to the Corps of Dragoons.

Discharged 14th March 1919.

Married Margaret Bannister in 1917.

An address given, 179 Station Road, Bamber Bridge.

Lots more info, including a transfer from Warwickshire Yeomary.

Mick, the records are from Ancestry, might I suggest you print them off, it makes it so much easier to read them and they are very in depth packed full of information. They do blend towards the end into another George Woods records though.

You're so lucky to have these and be able to see what your poor Grandfather endured, like Roy stated earlier the majority off these records were burnt in the bombings in WW2.

Happy reading :-D

Mick, you may have this, however the middle intial P isn't on his birth when registered,

All Census & Electoral Rolls Results
1911 England Census about George P Woods
Name: George P Woods
Age in 1911: 23
Estimated birth year: abt 1888
Relation to Head: Nephew
Gender: Male
Birth Place: Salford, Lancashire, England
Civil Parish: Walton le Dale
County/Island: Lancashire
Country: England
Street address: 179 Station Road Bamber Bridge
Marital Status: Single
Occupation: Weaver
Registration district: Preston
Registration District Number: 476
Sub-registration district: Walton le Dale
ED, institution, or vessel: 6
Piece: 25331
Household Members:
Name Age
William Parkinson 62
Matilda Parkinson 62
George P Woods 23
John Parkinson 18
View image

1901,

Name: George Woods
Age: 13
Estimated birth year: abt 1888
Relation to Head: Nephew
Gender: Male
Birth Place: Manchester, Lancashire, England
Civil Parish: Walton le Dale
Ecclesiastical parish: St Aidan
Town: Bamber Bridge
County/Island: Lancashire
Country: England
Street address:

Occupation:

Condition as to marriage:

Education:

Employment status:

View image
Registration district: Preston
Sub-registration district: Walton-le-Dale
ED, institution, or vessel: 7
Neighbors: View others on page
Piece: 3957
Folio: 18
Page Number: 27
Household schedule number: 166
Household Members:
Name Age
William Parkinson 52
Matilda Parkinson 54
Elizabeth Parkinson 21
George Woods 13

1891,

Name: Geo Woods
Age: 2
Estimated birth year: abt 1889
Relation: Adopted
Gender: Male
Where born: Manchester
Civil Parish: Walton le Dale
Ecclesiastical parish: St Leonard
Town: School Lane
County/Island: Lancashire
Country: England
Street address:

Occupation:

Condition as to marriage:

Education:

Employment status:

View image
Registration district: Preston
Sub-registration district: Walton le Dale
ED, institution, or vessel: 5
Neighbors: View others on page
Piece: 3444
Folio: 96
Page Number: 15
Household Members:
Name Age
Wm Parkinson 42
Matilda Parkinson 43
M J Parkinson 17
E Parkinson 12
Mary Woodcock 79
Geo Woods 2


The reason I carried on looking for your Grandfather was because in 1911 I had a gut feeling with that extra intial that all wasn't what it seemed.

Just me being nosey, I think this is George's parents marriage,

Surname First name(s) District Vol Page
Marriages Mar 1876 (>99%)
COCKER Edward Preston 8e 685
Parkinson Elizabeth Ann Preston 8e 685 <<<<<<
RATCLIFFE Alice Ann Preston 8e 685
Woods William Henry Preston 8e 685 <<<<<<<


George's baptism,

All England, Select Births and Christenings, 1538-1975 Results
England, Select Births and Christenings, 1538-1975 about George Woods
Name: George Woods
Gender: Male
Baptism Date: 28 Mar 1888
Baptism Place: Chapelry of St. Clement, Ordsall-in-Salford, Lancashire, England
Father: William Henry Woods
Mother: Elizabeth Ann
FHL Film Number: 1786422
Reference ID: item 5

George's parents in 1881,

Name: Elizth Anne Woods
Age: 30
Estimated birth year: abt 1851
Relationship to Head: Wife
Spouse: William H. Woods
Gender: Female
Where born: Quendon Green, Lancashire, England
Civil Parish: Salford
County/Island: Lancashire
Country: England
Street address: 15 Taylorson St
Marital Status: Married
Education:

Employment status:

View image
Occupation: Labourers Wife
Registration district: Salford
Sub-registration district: Regent Road
ED, institution, or vessel: 77
Neighbors: View others on page
Piece: 3975
Folio: 107
Page Number: 2
Household Members:
Name Age
William H. Woods 33
Elizth Anne Woods 30
Elizth Anne Woods 8
Esther Woods 3
Mary Woods 1
William Henry Woods

His mothers death,

Surname First name(s) Age District Vol Page

Deaths Dec 1890 (>99%)
Woods Elizabeth Ann 39 Salford 8d 118


His father in 1891,

Name: Wm H Woods
Age: 42
Estimated birth year: abt 1849
Relation: Head
Gender: Male
Where born: Walton, Lancashire, England
Civil Parish: Worsley
Ecclesiastical parish: St Peter
Town: Swinton
County/Island: Lancashire
Country: England
Street address:

Occupation:

Condition as to marriage:

Education:

Employment status:

View image
Registration district: Barton Upon Irwell
Sub-registration district: Worsley
ED, institution, or vessel: 13
Neighbors: View others on page
Piece: 3150
Folio: 94
Page Number: 62
Household Members:
Name Age
Wm H Woods 42
Eliza Ann Woods 13
[18]
Esther Woods 14
Wm Henry Woods 10
Ellen Woods 8
Edward Woods 6


Can now see why George was adopted by his Uncle and Aunt, looks like the odds were set against him from the start yet your a Grandfather seemed to give it all he had, even with his live threatening disability on his WW1 records. I take my hat off to you Mr George Woods and thank you for all you gave to us.

:-)

BatMansDaughter, Regimental numbers for that time were NOT unique to an individuel soldier

Each regiment had their own and so numbers were reproduced in different regiments thats why when a soldier appears on the medal card index to have served in more than one regiment they appear with more than one regimental number

example;


Medal card of Bergson, Abraham
Corps Regiment No Rank
Northumberland Fusiliers >>>>>>29779<<<<<Private



Medal card of Dove, Peter
Corps Regiment No Rank
Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire Regiment >>>29779 <<<<Private


2 Totaly different men in completely different regiments

George Woods is a very common name and Mick even added a question mark to the regimental number 29779? so even the number being searched for could be wrong

Be interesting to see what Mick says to the records you have found,

Roy

Hi Roy,

I understand what you say, and the info was very brief. Luckily we had his DOB to work from, only 5 births in that quarter with no middle name, Mick fell lucky that I found them and even luckier that the records were still available.

Wish I had been so lucky with one of my husbands uncle, sadly I believe his records were destroyed, and unfortunately he never came home. I've managed to work out that he only survived 1 month on the front line and was killed in the 3rd battle of the Somme (?)

My own was killed by an instructor whilst he was under instruction for the Lewis gun, he was sat infront and the machine went off basically killing him outright, very very sad and I suppose for his mother even harder for her to get her head around than if he had died in battle. I have his records, letters from him to his mother, his bible, his leather dog tag and lastly a photo of him and also his white wooden named cross. His records are an interesting read with a field court hearing regarding his death. :-(

Well you both certainly have been busy. I'm very grateful for all the information. You have the right George Woods because we knew he was adopted, the 'P' being Parkinson his Auntie & Uncle's name, and the home address is correct and wife's name also.
Will be interesting to read the info about his life threatening disability as wasn't aware of any in his old age. Also the reason why he was adopted as that has never been known to us.
His son George Woods Jnr is still alive at the age of 92 and its him that has prompted me to find out more, having himself served in the RAF 76 Squadron Bomber Command in the WW2.
As I'm not very conversant on the internet research sites, I'd be very grateful for any more information or contact sites you can give.
Once again thanks very much
Mick

:-)

Mick, Ancestry is free this weekend, if your quick you can get the record yourself and then save it to your PC to study later

Roy

Must also be loosing my touch, I cannot fing a medal card for him yet according to the pension record he was awarded medals :-S

I haven't been able to find his medal card either, I'll keep looking.

When his uncle died he did certainly consider him, and he is mentioned in his probate record,

Name: William Parkinson
Probate Date: 7 Apr 1926
Death Date: 16 Sep 1915
Death Place: Lancashire, England
Registry: London, England


Again this is on ancestry.