TOPIC:

My late mother was the only child of Private 5732 Earnest Edward Aldridge. She knew very little about him since he died on the 13 May 1915 when she was just 5 years old. She did not know who is relatives were and very little except he married her mother in York.
I had tried to find info for her but with little success before she died a few years ago at the age of 94. The only item i did find at that time was from the Imperial War Graves Commission who gave me the position on the Menin Gate
After my mothers death i did find that he was born in Lambeth London and in the 1901 census he was listed with I think it was 50 others in Chatham barracks.
The only other bit of info i could find was that the theatre of war where he died was Aldershot. (presume military hospital as my mother always said a shell landed where he was on sentry duty)
I have his 1902 Transvaal Medal along with the 3 WW2 medals .
Apart from wishing to know the value of the 4 , i would also like to know if there is any info of where he served in the Transvaal and also in France/ Belgium 1914 /1915
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Hello Pierre

I can confirm that your grandad served with the 18th Hussars in the Boer War and earned the medal you have with the clasps you mention. He went on to WWI with the 2nd Royal Fusiliers and was KIA on the date you mention.

What I can tell you that you don't appear to know is that he was in the Balkans (Eastern Europe) campaign and was only a month there before being killed. He enetered the theatre of war on 25 April 1915.

As to value - I don't think the Forum rules allow for this as it is speculative but I would estimate (if you have the Death Penny as well) at around 250 - 300 pounds.

Regards

Rory

There appear to have been two men with same name, CWGC and Soldiers Died in the Great War, confirm him as serving in the 18th Hussars as 5732 Private and give his birth place as Lambeth, his residence as York and killed in action at Ypres.
However, WO372 confirms that he actually died of wounds and shows the 2nd of November 1914 as the date of arrival into France and Flanders

Rory wrote: Hello Pierre

I can confirm that your grandad served with the 18th Hussars in the Boer War and earned the medal you have with the clasps you mention. He went on to WWI with the 2nd Royal Fusiliers and was KIA on the date you mention.

What I can tell you that you don't appear to know is that he was in the Balkans (Eastern Europe) campaign and was only a month there before being killed. He enetered the theatre of war on 25 April 1915.

As to value - I don't think the Forum rules allow for this as it is speculative but I would estimate (if you have the Death Penny as well) at around 250 - 300 pounds.

Regards

Rory

Many thanks for the two replies i have received which fills in some details which I have not been able to find previously.
Its interesting to note that i have googled 18th hussars many times in the past but last evening was the first time this site came up.
Regarding 2 with the same name , i did see some official document which named him as William and I queried this with a lady at the War Graves Commission who said thet Earnest Edward would have been gien by his nearest relative. I have always had him referred to as Earnest Edward.

Hello again, having checked the war graves site which does show 2 Earnest Edward Aldridges killed in May 2015 the 2nd one in the 18th Hussars (Queen Marys Own) is my grand father and not the other one

Hello,
Yes, the other is a completely differant man, he was killed at Gallipoli after the famous assault on Cape Helles, still, no matter.
The medals you mention are quite nice too, moreover, if you also have his memorial plaque, their value would certainly be increased, to be honest, I think, if I were you, I would take a look at their War Diary in WO95, I think it would be unlikely to find him mentioned by name, though, not impossible, but, nothing ventured, nothing gained.
I think I would perhaps speak to their museum at Cannon Hall too.
This regiments time in the Anglo Boer War is well documented, the war reached its most cruel phase in the last few months, the Transvaal was still a very dangerous place up to the end of 1902, even after the peace.
When he joined, he was, in effect, joining the Corps of Hussars, which was at that time still an elite shock arm of the British Army, he was still an early casualty, it would be worth your time to take him further, the Hussars did not have the thousand men battalions like the infantry, anyway, I wish you good luck.
Kind regards Frank Kelley

pierre3 wrote: Hello again, having checked the war graves site which does show 2 Earnest Edward Aldridges killed in May 2015 the 2nd one in the 18th Hussars (Queen Marys Own) is my grand father and not the other one