Genealogy Chat

In the absence of an Army number (I'm working on it), can anyone tell me of likely regiments for someone born in/around Cookham/Marlow, Bucks. My Gt Grandfather (JAMES LEE) joined the Army around 1888 (aged 15), serving in at least the 2nd Boer War and WWI (he was wounded in 1917 when he left the army, so presumably medically discharged) Any help appreciated (at least I now know why he doesn't appear on the 1901 census!!) Keith

Not easy............. my grandfather was born in Hughenden, Bucks, in 1880, and joined the Dorset Regiment in London in 1896!! :-) Joy

Have to agree with Joy, it could be anything. My grandad was from Staffordshire but was in the Royal Tank Regiment, no connection with Staffordshire at all. I found his Army number when I finally got round to purchasing his marriage certificate - I hadn't bothered before as I knew where and when he married. His rank, regiment and army number were recorded in the occupation column, along with this 'usual' occupation when not a soldier. Sam x

I think I'll just have to hold out for the Army number. Having said that, if the details are on the marriage certificate, that's another avenue to explore..............

My father's army number is on my birth cert!! Peter

If he definitely served in WW 1, have you tried looking for his medal card? Usually has regiment AND number - though these might have changed at the start of the war if he's been in the reserves then got called up again?. Gives you somewhere to start though.

Can't find a James Lee from Cookham in WW1 Medals, but there is a Will of James Lee from Cookham dated 1815. Grandfather maybe? Ian

The James I'm looking for initially definitely survived the first WW - he was apparently discharged in 1917 - but maybe there was a brother called James too - I know the surname is quite common, but I assume Cookham was a very small village back when he (they?) were born. Can someone please list the addresses from where all this info can be viewed/downloaded, as maybe I can get someone in the family to make sense of it.......... Thanks again for all the replies!! Keith

Have you tried the Kevin Asplin Military Resources website? The list of Boer War Soldiers has 3 called James Lee in the Imperial Yeomanry and gives their military numbers.

another useful site for WW1 http://www.1914-1918.net/ Also read somewhere (may have been the info on the national archives site?) that if a soldier was discharged to pension (through illness) there would be a separate record for this. Regiments aren't always what you expect - my grandfather was in the Durham Light Infantry during WW1 & transferred into the Life Guards after the war. He was from Northumberland and his father was in the Northumberland Fusiliers.

Have you tried the 'Great War Forum' 1914-1918.invisionzone you can get plenty of help Marie

Thanks for all the info people - really is much appreciated. I'll hopefully track down the Army number before too long, which I think I'm going to need to get any further with this. Thanks again for all the replies............... Keith