Tony B Posted January 14, 2012 Share Posted January 14, 2012 Phil Webb has just found an unkown relative who died on *th August 1918 and is buried near Amiens. For those who don't know, this was the opening day of the Battle of Amiens and the start of the 100 days that led to Allied victory. Question is, does anyone know what the G on his service number represents? [TABLE=class: datatable, align: center] [TR] [TD]JONES, HARRY J.[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TH=width: 30%]Initials:[/TH] [TD]H J[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TH=width: 30%]Nationality:[/TH] [TD]United Kingdom[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TH=width: 30%]Rank:[/TH] [TD]Private[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TH=width: 30%]Regiment/Service:[/TH] [TD]The Queen's (Royal West Surrey Regiment)[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TH=width: 30%]Secondary Regiment:[/TH] [TD]London Regiment[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TH=width: 30%]Secondary Unit Text:[/TH] [TD]posted to 1st/22nd Bn.[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TH=width: 30%]Date of Death:[/TH] [TD]08/08/1918[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TH=width: 30%]Service No:[/TH] [TD]G/66580[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TH=width: 30%]Casualty Type:[/TH] [TD]Commonwealth War Dead[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TH=width: 30%]Grave/Memorial Reference:[/TH] [TD]VI. H. 10.[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TH=width: 30%]Cemetery:[/TH] [TD]WARLOY-BAILLON COMMUNAL CEMETERY EXTENSION[/TD] [/TR] [/TABLE] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fv1609 Posted January 14, 2012 Share Posted January 14, 2012 Tony I don't pretend to understand the various ways in which soldiers were identified by Regimental & Service Numbers, I am more at home identifying books by their reference numbers! But with a short 5-digit Service Number it would not be unique, so a prefix was used. L then later G was used for Home Counties Regiments, which would seem to fit in here. Other examples T for ASC, S for Territorial Force, but I have never seen a complete listing or a comprehensive explanation of the various system in use. Nor an explanation of how, when a new system was introduced, was soldier already serving accommodated into the system. There must be an article somewhere I would have thought? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony B Posted January 14, 2012 Author Share Posted January 14, 2012 Thanks Clive. I've sent the question off into the WW1 ether as well. The next thing is a trip to the cemetery, to let Harry know he isn't completly forgoten. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rick W Posted January 14, 2012 Share Posted January 14, 2012 Its always worth a quick mail to the regmental museum, I ve found them very helpful in the past, they give you all sorts of info. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony B Posted January 14, 2012 Author Share Posted January 14, 2012 Phil's of fto the national archive next week. The musem is next stop. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rick W Posted January 14, 2012 Share Posted January 14, 2012 If it were me I would do the museum first. NA can be a real struggle, RM has all the info plus more to hand. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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