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Hi my name is Keith Bates and researching family history particularly my great uncle Private William Pointon, Machine Gun Platoon 1 North Staffs. No records of his service numbers match (understand many records bombed out in the war) from military bibles I have military addresses in India and Ireland and a photo which although obviously not colour appears to show Africa campaign medals to me, but not totally clear. Not identified on this site unless I am barking up the wrong tree. In need of help!

Hello Keith
Welcome to the forum. I can understand your frustration regarding your Great Uncle. I have had a look on Ancestry and found a few Pointon’s reference WW1 Machine Gun Corp with different regimental numbers. The Machine Gun Corps was formed in October 1915. Couldn’t find any Pointon regarding North Staffs, there was a L/corporal Poynton in the 4th South Staffs only. There are a few W Pointon’s mentioned regarding the Cheshire regiment also. Alas, nothing for North Staffs. As for the medals, I have enlarged the image but the detail is not good, the ribbon configuration on the left one doesn’t seem to match a QSA, the middle band is a wider lighter orange. I may be wrong but I don’t think they are Boer War; I hope the Forum can help out on those medals? Also any expert on the Pith Helmet and badge would also be very useful. The enlarged image of the badge does look like crossed machine guns.
(Crossed Staffs Knot with Plume) Cheers Frank.
If you could share as much detail as you have regarding your Great Uncle it may help to delve further into his history. But sometime the trail can run cold. You could drop a line to the Staffs museum. They are closed at the moment but an e-mail to them might be able to unlock some detail on William. Details attached; - The Staffordshire Regiment Museum DMS Whittington, Lichfield, Staffordshire, WS14 9PY.
www.staffordshireregimentmuseum.com
Best regards
Dave

Super photograph which would have been taken prior to AO292 of 1914 which laid aside that particular uniform being worn for the future, the scarlet tunic, with coloured collar complete with regimental badges, the shoulder straps embroidered with the regiments title, interestingly, the Foreign Service helmet has the cap badge of his regiment, the knot with the plumes above and the scroll below, which was normally worn upon the Field Service cap, the Forage cap and the Service Dress cap.
Both Queens and Kings South Africa medals being worn, I did not see entitlement in WO100 for a soldier in that particular regiment with that particular name, which does tend to lead to several possibilities, so it would be a case of eliminating each of them to get an answer, do you know what his service number was?
The regiments MG section, depending upon date, would have been two Maxim, or Vickers Maxim, or Vickers MK1 guns, one officer and normally seventeen other ranks, including two drivers, both guns and their rangefinder along with the ammunition were usually carried in General Service limbered wagons by 1914.

Keith.Bates wrote: Hi my name is Keith Bates and researching family history particularly my great uncle Private William Pointon, Machine Gun Platoon 1 North Staffs. No records of his service numbers match (understand many records bombed out in the war) from military bibles I have military addresses in India and Ireland and a photo which although obviously not colour appears to show Africa campaign medals to me, but not totally clear. Not identified on this site unless I am barking up the wrong tree. In need of help!

Could not find any details of QSA or KSA medal entitlement to William Pointon North Staffs. The soldiers listed below are all from WW1.

William Henry Pointon Private 9463 Machine Gun Corps.
William Henry Pointon Lance / Sergeant 241087 North Staffordshire Regiment.
Edwin William Pointon Private 147027 Machine Gun Corps.
H. W. Pointon Lance Corporal 8370 North Staffordshire Regiment.
regards
Dave

Hi Thanks all for the comments, I have 2 service numbers? - 68426 for B Coy, 1 N Staffs, Keane Barracks, Curragh Camp, Ireland and 5040377 when in India (Machine Gun Platoon, 1st North Staffordshire Regiment, Gough Barracks, Trimulgerry, Secunderabad, Deccan, India. My mother mentioned many years ago he was at the Khyber Pass Afghanistan. I will certainly follow up on the Staffs Museum link.

In hindsight I think the medal on the left may well be the India General Service medal so I may have him in the wrong place and time, it was the medal on the right leading me to SA.