FROGSMILE Posted 27 November , 2020 Share Posted 27 November , 2020 (edited) 1 hour ago, Nick Cansfield said: Thanks Guys! Can I just test some logic? If the Graduated Battalion was for people between 18 years and 5 months and 19 years, presumably this would have been somewhere around September 1917 when the notebook first starts. Assuming this is the case, then this would be somewhere around September 1898 and March 1899. So - picking up all the R Frith's that were born in 1898 and 1899 (according to Ancestry.co.uk) would narrow the options down to 20. Presumably I can automatically take any females out of the list of options which would further reduce it down to 13. Can I make any assumptions about geography? Is it as obvious to assume that he would have been more likely to have been born in the top half of England? In which case, I might be able to knock out the ones born in Croydon, Hampshire, Colchester and Lincoln. This could further reduce the search to 9 men, born in Wigan, Prescot, Bakewell, Leeds, Sheffield, Huddersfield, Chorley, Wigan and West Derby (in Lancs). No idea what to do next, but it feels like progress!! If you determine which Infantry Base Depot (IBD) in France serviced the KOYLI (there’s a list in the forum I think posted by Craig) then it will show the other regiments that shared it. That would then give you a narrowed down list as to the most likely (although not guaranteed) regiments that he might have been sent to. Edited 27 November , 2020 by FROGSMILE Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Cansfield Posted 27 November , 2020 Author Share Posted 27 November , 2020 3 hours ago, ss002d6252 said: Where in the country did your dad work ? Do you know roughly when he was given it ? Craig He started working near Southampton in the late 1950's. I'm not sure of all his jobs, but I suspect most if not all were within Hampshire, although north Hampshire later in his career Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Cansfield Posted 27 November , 2020 Author Share Posted 27 November , 2020 4 hours ago, kenf48 said: Your logic seems impeccable, and you have to start somewhere. We know where he was, we know his rank (Pt) and we know he was a conscript. We also know men who were called up retained a degree of geographic affiliation, though the unit they were called up to may have been located elsewhere. If we assume he was at least aged eighteen and five months when he began training with the Battalion, in April 1918 he would have been well in the frame for being posted to the BEF following the German Spring Offensive. In April the Government approved sending young men aged eighteen and a half with six months training in the UK to France, we can assume he was rising nineteen in April 1918. In a draft he could have been posted to almost any Regiment from the Base and would have received a different number and this would be the number associated with any medals for overseas service, not that of his training battalion. As the notebook was given to your father by his son he clearly survived so it might be worthwhile looking at the 1939 Register to find an R. Frith with a son local to where your father worked. I'm guessing your father remained local, or is that too simple? the 1939 birth register? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin DavidOwen Posted 27 November , 2020 Admin Share Posted 27 November , 2020 Just now, Nick Cansfield said: the 1939 birth register? No, the 1939 register (like a census) available on FindMy Past and possibly elsewhere too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin DavidOwen Posted 27 November , 2020 Admin Share Posted 27 November , 2020 There is only 1 R Frith listed in the 1939 register in Hampshire with a suitable birth date. Address is Woodside Farm, Eastleigh. Image courtesy of FMP Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Cansfield Posted 27 November , 2020 Author Share Posted 27 November , 2020 8 minutes ago, DavidOwen said: There is only 1 R Frith listed in the 1939 register in Hampshire with a suitable birth date. Address is Woodside Farm, Eastleigh. Image courtesy of FMP Sometimes coincidences are interesting .... My Dad lived and worked in Eastleigh! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin DavidOwen Posted 27 November , 2020 Admin Share Posted 27 November , 2020 Reginald would be the right age for your soldier but I cannot find any entries on FMP for him being in the military in ww1 - that doesn't mean he wasn't just that he didn't serve overseas Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Cansfield Posted 22 January Author Share Posted 22 January Huge thanks for all your help. I thought I'd give an update. I believe that the R Frith mentioned a couple of times above is the right one, and I managed to find an address for his son (the chap who worked with my Dad) from about 15 years ago. Unfortunately he has subsequently died, but the lady who bought his house had a forwarding address and excitingly, I was able to talk to his daughter. Disappointingly, she wasn't remotely interested in the book and seemed to mis-trust my motives for getting in touch! So - my next question is for suggestions on what to do with the exercise book. I guess I could a) try and sell it at auction, so that someone who wants it can enjoy it; b) give it to the Imperial War Museum or c) give to Hampshire County Records Office. Any suggestions? Thanks, Nick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin Michelle Young Posted 23 January Admin Share Posted 23 January From what I’ve read on the forum over the years, it appears that donated items to museums rarely see the light of day again, or are even sold off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Cansfield Posted 23 January Author Share Posted 23 January Which would potentially make it more accessible if it was in the County Records Office... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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