TOPIC:

My Great grandfathers brother 7361 Pte Thomas Charles Aldridge served with the 3rd Bn Grenadier Guards, his WO 97 service papers show his service as:

Home 2.4.98 - 22.9.99
Gibraltar 23.9.99 - 25.10.99
Home 26.10.99 - 17.3.00
South Africa 18.3.00 - 21.7.02

The section on the 3rd Grenadiers Guards on this web site says "The 3rd Battalion sailed from Gibraltar in the Ghoorkha on 25th October 1899, and arrived at the Cape about 15th November." Clearly Aldridge returned to the UK when the rest of the battalion left Gibraltar for the Cape before going out the following year. Can anyone think of the possible reason why?

Thanks
Mark

Mark,

That is intriguing. Do his service papers mention what he was doing between October 1899 and March 1900? From the dates, it appears he arrived back from Gibraltar on the very day the rest of the battalion departed for South Africa. So perhaps the question should be why he was late returning from Gibraltar? He was only there for one month.

Regards
David

David

Unfortunately his papers give no clue as to why he returned to the UK, next dated info is getting Good Conduct pay 2.4.00 two years after joining. I did wonder if he was sick which might explain why he was only at Gib 33 days.

Mark,

I was thinking sickness might be a possibility. What is also odd is that the rest of the 3rd Battalion were already at home at this time (if that is correct?). Do you know if he came back and switched to the 3rd Btn?

Regards
David

Thanks David, the only battalion I can see mentioned in his papers is the 3rd. I had assumed as the 3rd GG had sailed from Gib on 25 Oct that he had been with them there and for some reason couldn't sail with them to South Africa therefore had instead returned to the UK before joining the 3rd Bn the following year in SA.

Mark,

An interesting one! Let's see if we can find out where the 3rd Btn were in 1899.

Best wishes
David