TOPIC:

Thank you for the extra information. I was a little mixed up with the medal ribbon. But I think Frank is right, they are QSA and KSA medals. I have enclosed a North Staffs officer image, the chaps medal on the right seems to be very much like your original photograph. Although your original image is very good the sepia colour doesn’t help the colour of the medal ribbons. I have uploaded sepia version images for comparison..
The India general service medal had an ornate arched ribbon suspender as opposed to a straight bar and the clasp is wider. (See image)
I will have a look for the new numbers you have supplied, see if I can find some more detail. The main issue is to understand why your uncle William is wearing Anglo Boer War medals in the image? and was he in South Africa? Do you have any more information on how long he may have served in the North Staffordshire regiment.?
Regards
Dave

Hi Dave, no I only have the photo and 2 army issue bibles with the service numbers and addresses in (attached), I do know he was born in 1879 and wonder if he served/called up more than once. I have just noticed another note "HQ Bty 20 Platoon", if of any help, the photo appears to match. His father was named William but born in 1850. both from Stoke on Trent

Keith

Okay, both numbers actually post date the Anglo Boer War, the first from his regiment, the second number is certainly post AO 388 of 1920 and is within the block, subsequently issued to the North Staffordshire Regiment by the War Office.

Keith.Bates wrote: 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.

Hello Keith,

I have searched on Ancestry for your Great Uncle with the regimental numbers you posted. Unfortunately, no joy. I have checked all the Pointon’s, Panton’s, Pointer’s & Poynton’s. No matches found.

You mentioned he was born in 1879, so he would be aged 20 at the start of the ABW. So, no problem there. Your mother mentioned Afghanistan & Khyber Pass. The 2nd Battalion North Stafford’s had been in India since 1903 (His age 24) and were there for the 3rd Afghan war which lasted from May 1919 to August 1919 (His age 40). The 1st and 2nd Afghan wars were too early for William.
I have searched the medal rolls for Boer War and WW1 medal records for all of the above names. Nothing for North Staffs / Machine Gun Corps. I guess I have to ask the question, are you 100% sure that the image you uploaded is your Great Uncle William? I hope you get more luck with the regimental museum when time allows. I would be grateful if you could share any information you may find. It maybe that there are no details to be found. Ironically, during the bombing of South London in 1940, Arnside Street in Walworth was hit by an Incendiary bomb and many WW1 archives were destroyed. Sad to say among those records were millions of soldier’s documents. The enigma of all of this detective work is the wonderful sepia image you posted. Sorry I couldn't help solve your request Keith.

Good luck with the museum.

Best regards

Dave

Frank Kelley wrote
Okay, both numbers actually post date the Anglo Boer War, the first from his regiment, the second number is certainly post AO 388 of 1920 and is within the block, subsequently issued to the North Staffordshire Regiment by the War Office.

To add a little to this, a Joseph Woolley, born Fenton, Staffs, in 1901 was allocated the number 68424 in 1st N.Staff.R. in August 1919
search.findmypast.co.uk/record?id=gbm%2f...7273725%2f103%2f1095
This suggests to me that 68426 Pointon was enumerated in August 1919.
It further suggests that he was not at that time 40 years of age, and more likely to be ages with Joseph Woolley, perhaps even friends who enlisted together.
How strong is the attribution of the photograph ?

Pete

Volunteer wrote: Frank Kelley wrote
Okay, both numbers actually post date the Anglo Boer War, the first from his regiment, the second number is certainly post AO 388 of 1920 and is within the block, subsequently issued to the North Staffordshire Regiment by the War Office.

To add a little to this, a Joseph Woolley, born Fenton, Staffs, in 1901 was allocated the number 68424 in 1st N.Staff.R. in August 1919
search.findmypast.co.uk/record?id=gbm%2f...7273725%2f103%2f1095
This suggests to me that 68426 Pointon was enumerated in August 1919.
It further suggests that he was not at that time 40 years of age, and more likely to be ages with Joseph Woolley, perhaps even friends who enlisted together.
How strong is the attribution of the photograph ?

Pete

That is the key question Pete, your number is very close and makes perfect sense regarding the regimental number and soldiers age. However the main crux of the post was the picture of Private Pointon who was supposedly born in 1879. All good fun and interesting.