Hooray I have finally found (I think, haha) my Gr Uncles army number 17311, don't think I will forget that now.

Anyway by the look of it he was in the 9th Glos Battalion.

Anyway know anything about where they were in France or any photos or records of other soldiers.

Anything would be appreciated.

I would like to get copies of his medals.

Thanks again for your help on this but IWM https://livesofthefirstworldwar.org/lifestory/2578880 came up with the goodies. Great site I love finding my soldiers in the family.

Cheers and hope you are enjoying the sunshine. We have sacrificed it just so you can warm the cockles of your heart.

Rita
NZ

Hi Rita,
thanks for sending us the sunshine, just had a very long day working outside making the best of it, pleased to catch your post before turning-in.
I'm really pleased you've confirmed which of the various William H James was your Howard - please admin could you tack this thread onto the original one, for continuity of reading, thanks ?.
http://forum.forest-of-dean.net/index.php?id=43007

I've not used the IWM site for research altho have visited the Museum some years ago. Please can you enlarge upon how they were able to help confirm which of the three William H James shown on the Glosters website was your William Howard James ?. Presumably they had additional records carrying his middle name &/or next of kin ?.

Not doubting your findings at all, but would love to know more if possible as may be usefull for other reseachers,
thanks again, Jeff.

Re the 9th Glosters, to enlarge a little on Harry Brook's authorative post in the above thread;

"9th (Service) Battalion
Formed at Bristol in September 1914 as part of K3 and came under command of 78th Brigade in 26th Division. Moved to Codford St Mary but by November 1914 was in billets in Cheltenham. Moved to Longbridge Deverill in April 1915.
Landed in France 21 September 1915.
Moved to Salonika in November 1915.
4 July 1918 : left Division and returned to France.
21 July 1918 : attached to 198th Brigade in 66th (2nd East Lancashire) Division.
22 September 1918 : became Pioneer Battalion to same Division."

From the ever-helpfull Long Trail site http://www.1914-1918.net/glos.htm

For much more detail & personal accounts abt Salonika campaign, goto this page on the Gloster's Museum website and track down to heading "1918 Salonika..."
http://www.glosters.org.uk/textonly_timeline/5

Also, to recap,
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soldiers_of_Gloucestershire_Museum
http://www.glosters.org/
http://www.glosters.org.uk/collections/

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"New" WW1 Records Database !;

Your post is timely as, according to an email I received just today, the FindMyPast website now claim to have found "over half a million men whose details were buried deep within other records, so you won’t have found them before."

"Whilst examining the 35 million images in these two series (ie WO Service and Pension Records), we identified lists of soldiers tucked away within individual service papers and indexed these as well, adding a further 584,000 names. Findmypast now offers the most complete and the most accurate index of these records."
http://100in100.findmypast.co.uk/?sisearchengine=1068&siproduct=Email&utm_sourc...

This could well be very helpfull news regarding some of the recent WW1 Soldiers this forums been trying to trace, I do hope so. That said, I've already stumbled upon some of these "hidden" files while searching Ancestry, and posted as much on here, so I've no doubt many other forum users were also aware that some lateral searching of images may yield rewards. Next time I visit my public library I'll be retrying the FMP site which is free as well as Ancestry, I think FMP already held more Military Records than Ancestry certainly for pre WW1 Campaigns. For those who don't have free library access, FMP also now offer one month subscriptions which seem good value.

Hi again Rita,
I've just found this site about The Glosters which is new to me, I thought it worth posting separately just in case you or any others haven't seen it. It's core is a detailed Roll of Honour of all the Regiment's Officers who died during the World Wars, plus other usefull information such as the organisational Order of Battle during WW1;
http://www.remembering.org.uk/glosregtofficers/glos_regt_offrs_home.htm
http://www.remembering.org.uk/glosregtofficers/glos_regt_offrs_orbat.htm

As expected the 9th Battalion entry gives you a little more info abt the Salonika Campaign.
http://www.remembering.org.uk/glosregtofficers/glos_regt_offrs_9_battalion.htm

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This different site gives even more detail as to the 9th Battalion's War Service, no doubt there is more detail out on the net if you wish to search the specific places and battles mentioned.
http://www.wartimememoriesproject.com/greatwar/allied/gloucestershirergt9-gw.php

Alternatively there are specialist Military forums who may well be able to help you more, for example this one, from the "Long Trail" site yet again
http://1914-1918.invisionzone.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=164775

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Here's another excellent site about Gloucestershire FH in general, and it seems the Stroud/North Glos area in particular, with a section abt the 8th Battalion Glosters.
http://www.glosgen.co.uk/records/archives.htm
Also an excellent section about the Royal Marines in the C19th.
http://www.glosgen.co.uk/records/romarine.htm

It should be noted that the above site's transcriptions of the county's War Memorials doesn't include any of the Forest's except for Alveston, Lydney and Newnham. However a few more Memorials including Cinderford, Littledean & Westbury on Severn are transcribed here;
http://www.memorialtranscripts.co.uk/Compressed/gloucestershire_ww1.html

I do hope this helps you.

Jeff

Thank you Jeff

Will read at my leisure

I just wanted to find out which theatres he fought in and what medals he had

No one in the family knows much.

Cheers
Rita

The medal index card for William H. James 17311 Gloucestershire Regt. shows that he landed in France on 20.9.1915 (so with the original landing of 9th Battalion) and was entitled to the 1915 Star, British War Medal, and Victory Medal.
It would be quite easy to get a replica set of copy medals on ebay. They would, of course, not be impressed with his name, number and Regt. as the originals
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Medals-WW1-1914-15-Star-British-War-Victory-Medals-AGED-Trio-...

Thank you so very much for that.

Great stuff.

I can sleep at nights now knowing more about him. I know he had a hard time and turned into an alcoholic.

Cheers
Rita

I have been searching several sites re my Grand Uncle, to no avail. There were several possibilities but could not relate to any of them.

Then I came across the IWM site and it just seemed logical. I vaguely remembered something about him enlisting in Cheltenham.

Unfortunately as most of you know there is not much detail on the soldiers of WW1, no next of kin etc unless I believe the soldier was killed in action.

Thanks for all your help everyone.