TOPIC:

I am new to the Forum, so apologies if I get anything wrong.
I am trying to locate any records associated with my Grand-Father, Alfred Jones, from Crewe in Cheshire. I have located his Military Service Record, which shows he was part of the 4th Battalion, Cheshire Regiment, enlisting in October, 1895, with Service Number 3219. From records on Ancestry, it would appear he was in South Africa, having been eligible to be awarded the QSA medal with entitlement to the Cape Colony and Orange free State clasps (WO100/180), both the latter documents signed by C.H.Beck, Lt Colonel and Hon. Colonel of the 4th Battalion, Cheshire Regiment, with the document for the clasps being dated 15 July 1901, at Bethulie Bridges.

He does not appear to be in the site database and I was wondering the best way to find out what action he took part in during the period he was in South Africa.

Regards

Allan

Hi Allan and welcome to the site.

Your first post was absolutely fine with nothing to apologise for. Indeed, it was more detailed than most so thank you for that.

You will not yet find your grandfather listed on the site. This is because the men of his regiment are still in the 'to be done' list of names - which is quite long.

There is a page on this site for the Cheshire Regiment and this gives some information but only on the 2nd Battalion.

You will be pleased to hear that there are some service papers for him in the National Archives and also available on line via FindMyPast. Is this the document you already have?

Best wishes
David

Hi David

Many thanks for your message and welcome.

Yes I obtained the Attestation and Service Record from FindMyPast and the Medal/Clasp records from Ancestry.

Thanks for the link to the Cheshire Regiment, I notice that Lieutenant Colonel C H Beck, listed on the page, is the same that signed the medal/clasp entitlements.

I get confused by the Battalion/Regiment nomenclatures, but it seems that the 4th Battalion volunteered and travelled with the 2nd from England in January 1900 on the Brittanic.

I look forward to the when the names will no longer "to be done" but in the meantime have a another reference entitled "4th Battalion, The Cheshire Regiment, formerly 2nd Royal Cheshire (Militia) Historical Register of the Regiment 1853-1908" (WO 68/214) from TNA which I will follow up when I'm in the vicinity.

Regards

Allan