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Enlisting or recriuting age for WW1

fergie

master brummie
Would anyone be able to tell me the recruitment age for enlisting during the 1st World War My great grandfather Henry Underhill would have been 41 in 1914 whereas his son Henry would have been 19.  There is only one set of medals and only one record of a Henry Underhill returning from flanders and dying from his wounds in 1916.  When I ask living relatives obviously too young to remember they say  it is all very hazy. Both were born in Aston Birmingham.  I would apprciate any help, I know I've been here before but it would make it complete.  I have even checked BMD with out any luck.  I  can't find any record that corresponds to Henry born 1873 death only a Henry J in Warwick 1950 aged 77 but then when checkingI found a Henry John from Stone? born 1873 Heeeeelp! Please. :(
 
Fergie, Who would possible know the answer to such a difficult question like that ?
Boys as young as 14-15 joined up and were killed so take it for there
The offical answer was 18 but everyone knows that was not the case as they just took your word for how old you was
I have 50 Underhills listed Died in the Great War
the ones from Brum are
Alfred, Claude Vincent, Ernest J., Henry Thomas, Joseph, Walter, George, Harold, and Henry
But what you have to figure out Fergie is this........ he could have joined up under another name
 
Fergie.  I beleive that there may be a different deaths index for military deaths abroad, you could try
            1837online.com for which you will need a card (from any large library)  They do various cards, the cheapest costs £5 for 50 units , is valid for 3 months and each view of a record costs 3 units from the card.
The advantage is that they search for you and list all known results, you just pay for viewing each result.
On 1837online.com look for armed forces deaths 1761 - 1994, check military records - Look for "WITHIN THIS SECTION" then click "Soldiers Died In The Great War" then fill in the details for the search.
I will add that there are books on the 6th floor of Birmingham Cenyral Library that go under the title which may be the same but you would need to know which regiment they were in.
Another point to make would be that this website can be used along with the card for other Family Research other than military.
 
Ger22van That would be a waste of time,Fergie has two Henry Underhills both went to war,one came back wounded and died we know who he was as he was in the 11th batt RWR 6764 now the only other Henry is a Henry Thomas so the only way forward is to know who you are hunting so a birth certificate is needed to get the correct name, you can plough through all the Underhills on the CWWG site free or I could do it FREE from SDGW but you dont know who you are looking for, If you do you can apply for service records from Kew. All this info I have allready put up
 
Just to complicate matters when checking the BMD I found 2 Henry Underhill born in Aston the same quarter 1895, so to determine which one is my gg great uncle I will have to obtain both birth certificates though I think the GRO will recognise the problem because hopefully they go by the parents names. Ive checked the CWGC for Henry Underhill 11th Batallion RWR 6764 he is remembered with Honour and maybe buried at Netley Military Cemetery in Hampshire on the site of the former Military Hospital where I presume he went to, to recover from his injuries. I was able to print off a certificate for my records.   According to the national Roll of the Great War his family may have lived at 7/30 Colville Road Sparkbrook Birmingham when he died in 1916, it also mentioned that he had died from his injuries a few days following his admission 21/08/1916.  Thank you so much for your interest I am now in the process of sorting out the birth certificate for the younger Henry.   Its just trying to determine if it was one or the other as no age is given and no one appears to know which I think is very sad.  Cromwell did you see the photo of the Kranjii War Memorial in Singapore that I posted on Message for Cromwell my son has started his World trip and Singapore was his first stop.  He made sure he got to see the Memorial  in Memory of George Henry Underhill Gunner 782342 12 Bth.G.H.A.A.Regt., Royal Artillery who dies on the 1st March 1942.
 
Fergie Yes I did see the Kranjii War Memorial nice to see he is remembered
 
I know its been a while but the deeper I go the more names I find I am looking up. I just thought I would update you on the Henry Underhill scenario, having checked out with my Mom again who was adamant that the Henry killed was that of her grandfather and not her uncle.  Having obtained information of where he was when he died which was Southampton re: the Netley Military Cemetary I checked the BMD for 1916 discovrered the death registration details and sent off for the certificate, which I received today. It was Henry my ggranfather and not my ggreat uncle (have hit a brick wall).  He had gun shot wounds to L. elbow, R forearm and R. lower jaw.  In the signature description and residence of informant it states W.G. Shuker obiviously a member of staff perhaps a nurse but it also says Causing the body to be buried for the description, does that mean he was so badly wounded or ill he had to be buried?  How sad. :'(
 
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