I am attempting to piece together the war service of my Grandfather Walter Talbot in the Great War.
Walter married my Grandmother Annie Giles from Oldbury after the war in 1919 at Carters Green in West Bromwich
and they moved to Australia in 1922. Most of their personal information and documents carried over with them has now disappeared, making my families sudden interest in their early English life during the war difficult to research.
We have all personal Births and Census records from our research, however it is the War Service records of Walter that has proved most difficult. Reasearching Military records on Ancestry.uk has drawn a blank, however we did read that 70% of records were destroyed during WW2 bombing. We queried whether he did serve at all, however my father, despite being told very little of his fathers war history, remembers he was very good with horses and talked often about his involvement with horses during WW1. His father told him later in life that he left his war records and medals with his mother Maria (nee Smith) at 17 Coppice Street West Bromwich on their departure for their new life in Australia.
A search through photos has produced one of my Grandfather in uniform mounted on a horse and inscribed Walter in France WW1. Other photos show he and his mates in full uniform, with the cap badge showing that of the rope and crown of the South Staffordshire Regiment. Another document we found is a damaged copy of Walters attestation papers showing the date of 12 December 1915, informing him that he will be sent a Notice Paper informing him of a date, time and place at which to report. As I feel it my duty to my Grandfather that this part of his life should be recorded and not forgotten, I will continue to dig away until I find these records.
Attempts to contact hundreds of close relatives in the West Bromwich and Birmingham areas has proved negative through lack of interest in someone who moved to the other side of the world.
Walter married my Grandmother Annie Giles from Oldbury after the war in 1919 at Carters Green in West Bromwich
and they moved to Australia in 1922. Most of their personal information and documents carried over with them has now disappeared, making my families sudden interest in their early English life during the war difficult to research.
We have all personal Births and Census records from our research, however it is the War Service records of Walter that has proved most difficult. Reasearching Military records on Ancestry.uk has drawn a blank, however we did read that 70% of records were destroyed during WW2 bombing. We queried whether he did serve at all, however my father, despite being told very little of his fathers war history, remembers he was very good with horses and talked often about his involvement with horses during WW1. His father told him later in life that he left his war records and medals with his mother Maria (nee Smith) at 17 Coppice Street West Bromwich on their departure for their new life in Australia.
A search through photos has produced one of my Grandfather in uniform mounted on a horse and inscribed Walter in France WW1. Other photos show he and his mates in full uniform, with the cap badge showing that of the rope and crown of the South Staffordshire Regiment. Another document we found is a damaged copy of Walters attestation papers showing the date of 12 December 1915, informing him that he will be sent a Notice Paper informing him of a date, time and place at which to report. As I feel it my duty to my Grandfather that this part of his life should be recorded and not forgotten, I will continue to dig away until I find these records.
Attempts to contact hundreds of close relatives in the West Bromwich and Birmingham areas has proved negative through lack of interest in someone who moved to the other side of the world.
