Ww1 Soldier Information

[Tolsty]

My great-great uncle was killed in the trenches in France in June 1915. I have found his army number, date of death and have visited his grave near the French/Belgium border.
I want to find his date of birth to know how old he was when he died but can strangely not find this information.
Does anyone have an idea of how I can find this?

[carolegif]

Is it not on his Attestation papers? You can look them up. Also the Commonwealth War Graves site should have the information and that site is free.

[heathfield]

Have you tried the Commonwealth War Graves Commission website? They can sometimes give the age of a person...

http://www.greatwar.co.uk/organizations/commonwealth-war-graves-commission.htm

[shoota]

WW1 army records are now housed in Kew. You may find the info on here:
http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/

[Tolsty]

I've paid to register with Ancestory.com et al but they don't give me his date of birth, only information I already found for free. Would it be possible to contact the Army do you think or do they not hold this information?

[shoota]

If you try the link I put above you will be able to see if the record is at Kew. If they have it you will need to pay a few pounds to see it.
I don't believe that the MoD now holds 1st war records.

[craft1948]

If you give what details you have I'll have a look for you............

[shoota]

If you open the link you will find a search box in the top right hand corner,
in there type his number and name (12345 Tolsty) and then click on 'search our records' and you should find him.

[shoota]

Or get Crafty to do it for you.....

[Tolsty]

His details are: John Sindle, reg no 2635. Date of death 20th June 1915. I've found his medals and such, just need his DOB!

[shoota]

Was he in the Cambridgeshire Regiment?
Any idea where he was born?

[carolegif]

Can you find him on the 1911 census? Or local baptisms if you know where he was born?

[craft1948]

According to his death record he was born in Ely, Cambridgeshire. The problem is the name variations Sindle, Sindell etc.
I can find a John Sindle born c1881 Ely in the 1891 census, a John W Sindle born c1880 Ely in the 1901 census and a John Sindall born c1879 Ely in the 1911 census.
Births show a John William Sindall registered Q1 1881 Ely 3b 573.

[shoota]

There is an entry on a roll of honour which gives him a middle name beginning with 'H' if that helps narrow him down.
http://www.roll-of-honour.com/Cambridgeshire/ElyWorldWar1.html

[shoota]

The Cambridgeshire Reg'ts archives are at the County Records Office, Shire Hall, Cambridge - telephone the Archivist 01223 717281.

The email address for questions about that regiment for 1909 - 1918 is: [email protected] (Cliff Brown)

[Tolsty]

Many thanks for all your answers. I've never seen that Roll of Honour site, so many names :(
I'll email that address, see what happens.

[saxy_jag]

I've found several of my relatives' WW1 service records via Ancestry.co.uk. With the information you have, you should be able to locate your GG Uncle's. It should give, somewhere on the document, his date of birth and/or home address and next of kin. From there you can search census records from 1910 and earlier, and also birth indexes.

[carrot99]

John Sindle, the ten year old, on the 1891 is your great great uncle.

He has brothers Henry, Thomas and Herbert who all fought in WW1. I have looked through the WW1 service records of Thomas which confirms he is the son of Henry and Matilda.

For some reason the army needed a copy of Matilda's death cert (it is in the records - the death was reported by daughter Louisa - sister of John also on 1891 census). The registrar sent a bill for the certificate and on the note it says Matilda is mother of Privates Thomas 20413, Henry 325284 and Herbert 2580 and the late Private John number 2635.

So I haven't found his date of birth but he was 10 in 1891, so I hope that narrows it down a bit. I shall see if there is anything else I can find.

[shoota]

Well done carrot!

[carrot99]

On the 1881 census John W Sindell is 1 month old (matching parents Henry and Matilda and older siblings Sarah and Henry). The date of the 1881 was Sunday 3rd April so presumably John was born at the beginning of March 1881.

[carrot99]

Name: John William Sindall
Date of Registration: Jan-Feb-Mar 1881
Registration District: Ely
Inferred County: Cambridgeshire
Volume: 3b
Page: 573

With the above information you could buy a copy of his birth cert from the GRO for £9.25.

https://www.gro.gov.uk/gro/content/certificates/Login.asp

If he was born in March 1881 he would have been 34 when he died in June 1915.