WW1 soldier research

[Saffron]

The 1939 Electorial register showed.

Name: John Warwick Sheriff
Electoral Date: 1939
Street Address: 22 MERSHAM DRIVE
Ward or Division/Constituency: Wembley North East
County or Borough: Hendon, England


Registered at the same address were Deborah Elizabeth Sheriff (his mother) and Hylda Louisa Sheriff.
Also Betty Joan Farmer (another relation or lodger??). But no sign of Cecil Hoffman Barrett.

Is Hylda John's wife or another relation?.

Evan

[Saffron]

Got his marriage
Even if some disagreement about how to spell Hilda / Hylda (The Hilda version is likely to be correct as that is show for birth, marriage and death, Hylda is only on the electorial register)

Name: John W Sheriff
Registration Date: Jul 1932
[Aug 1932]
[Sep 1932]
Registration Quarter: Jul-Aug-Sep
Registration District: Willesden
Inferred County: Middlesex
Spouse: Hilda L Rowe
Volume Number: 3a


She died in 1986
Name: Hilda Louise Sheriff
Death Age: 83
Birth Date: 2 Nov 1902
Registration Date: Jan 1986 (Jan-Mar quarter)
Registration District: Bournemouth
Inferred County: Dorset

So there is a chance of children.

Evan

[Saffron]

They had at least one child

Name: Ann L Sheriff
Registration Date: Oct 1933
[Nov 1933]
[Dec 1933]
Registration Quarter: Oct-Nov-Dec
Registration District: Hampstead
Inferred County: Greater London
Mother's Maiden Name: Rowe
Volume Number: 1a
Page Number: 613


I am hungry and need my tea, bye folks.

Evanh

[Blackadder43]

Evan, you deserve a slap up meal my friend
Great research there

[Emily]

They had at least one child

Name: Ann L Sheriff
Registration Date: Oct 1933
[Nov 1933]
[Dec 1933]
Registration Quarter: Oct-Nov-Dec
Registration District: Hampstead
Inferred County: Greater London
Mother's Maiden Name: Rowe
Volume Number: 1a
Page Number: 613


I am hungry and need my tea, bye folks.

Evanh

I’m sorry, but you can’t possibly stop for food right now!! I’m too engrossed in the story you’re unfolding. Get back here at once.

[Saffron]

<cut>

I’m sorry, but you can’t possibly stop for food right now!! I’m too engrossed in the story you’re unfolding. Get back here at once.

Just to keep you happy Emily.

It looks as if his service record is missing.
BUT his service number is 394593.
Looking at the service numbers for the 9th Btn County of London Regiment 394516 joined on 8th March 1917 and 394676 joined on 18th April 1917, so he would have signed up late March / early April 1917 very soon after his 18th birthday. He would then have had slightly under a year training before going to France on 9th March 1918

Its interesting that he was in France for a fairly short time as his medal card shows he was only in theatre until 15 July 1918, yet the 9th Btn were in action right up to the war. Might he have been wounded???

Evan

[Kenleyboy]

Just to keep you happy Emily.

It looks as if his service record is missing.
BUT his service number is 394593.
Looking at the service numbers for the 9th Btn County of London Regiment 394516 joined on 8th March 1917 and 394676 joined on 18th April 1917, so he would have signed up late March / early April 1917 very soon after his 18th birthday. He would then have had slightly under a year training before going to France on 9th March 1918

Its interesting that he was in France for a fairly short time as his medal card shows he was only in theatre until 15 July 1918, yet the 9th Btn were in action right up to the war. Might he have been wounded???

Evan

Steak and Chips Evan , washed down with a favourite Beer . Remarkable research , got to take my hat off to you
So now we have a Daughter .

[Saffron]

<cut>

Its interesting that he was in France for a fairly short time as his medal card shows he was only in theatre until 15 July 1918, yet the 9th Btn were in action right up to the war. Might he have been wounded???

Evan

Yes!.

That last photo that Kenleyboy put up is the important one .... 'on S/S "Aberdonian", J.W.Sheriff'


HMHS Aberdonian was a hospital ship which served with the Royal Navy during the First World War and Second World War.

Originally the SS Aberdonian, she was built in 1909 by D&W Henderson in Glasgow, for the Aberdeen Steam Navigation Company. The ship was launched on 23 March; she was completed that May. In 1915 she was acquired by the Royal Navy and converted into a hospital ship, with the pennant number E80. After serving in both World Wars, the ship was sold to the Shaihin Steam Ship Company in 1946, and renamed Taishan Peak, then renamed again to Parviz two years later. The ship was sold for scrap on 1 December 1949 and broken up in Bombay in 1950.

1,648 tons, length 264 feet

In WWI she served from 16 Oct 1915 to 16 Jun 1919. She had 5 officers and 4 sisters / nurses supported by 27 RAMC (or other nursing staff), she had cots for 25 seriously injured and berths for 214 less injured.

Originally she served in Gallipoli operating from Helles, supporting the Australian Forces. Then operated in the English Channel, evacuating the wounded from France and Flanders back to the UK.

photo copied from Worthpoint.com

Evan

[Saffron]

<cut>

Steak and Chips Evan , washed down with a favourite Beer . Remarkable research , got to take my hat off to you
So now we have a Daughter .

If only regarding the Steak and Chips.


I could only find the one daughter. Considering the age of John and Hilda when she was born I suspect she was an only child rather than having miseed siblings.

Evan

[Kenleyboy]

Saffron , is that you on the back of that horse in your avatar ? You are certainly jumping some hurdles with a staggering amount of information .

Brilliant stuff . Great to see an image of the SS Aberdonian .

[Emily]

Just to keep you happy Emily.

It looks as if his service record is missing.
BUT his service number is 394593.
Looking at the service numbers for the 9th Btn County of London Regiment 394516 joined on 8th March 1917 and 394676 joined on 18th April 1917, so he would have signed up late March / early April 1917 very soon after his 18th birthday. He would then have had slightly under a year training before going to France on 9th March 1918

Its interesting that he was in France for a fairly short time as his medal card shows he was only in theatre until 15 July 1918, yet the 9th Btn were in action right up to the war. Might he have been wounded???

Evan

Thank you!! I was dying from anticipation of the continued story. I very much hope you had a nice dinner. I must say that your research capabilities are second to none.

[Saffron]

Saffron , is that you on the back of that horse in your avatar ? You are certainly jumping some hurdles with a staggering amount of information .

Brilliant stuff . Great to see an image of the SS Aberdonian .

I am only the mug that pays the bills for the horses, rather than ride them. The one in the avatar is one I very sadly lost just over a year ago (we suspect a tumour on the brain), a shame as he had showed potential and we know the best was still to come.

Here is another photo of the Aberdonian, this time in her normal civilian colours unlike the other where she is in her Hospital Ship colours.
Note her home port

photo taken from anzac-22nd-battalion.com

Evan

[Kenleyboy]

I am guessing then that the further forward it goes then it becomes much harder to find a direct descendant . I would imagine the Daughter may have now passed but there is always a feint possibility she could be alive . Then of course did she marry and have children , the possibilities are endless . It has however been a very interesting little journey , so thanks again .

Was the port Aberdeen ?

[Saffron]

I am guessing then that the further forward it goes then it becomes much harder to find a direct descendant . I would imagine the Daughter may have now passed but there is always a feint possibility she could be alive . Then of course did she marry and have children , the possibilities are endless . It has however been a very interesting little journey , so thanks again .

Was the port Aberdeen ?

Yes its always a lot easier to work backwards. Especially in the 1851-1911 range as you have census information to work from, we should get all the 1921 details released in January 2022 (bring it on!).

Working forward is more difficult, more so once you get to the stage where people are likely to be alive. eg sometimes you can find a family tree on Ancestry (or other sites) and the person that created it will give all the old information but to protect individuals private details will not give information about people that are still alive, and often official records are rendated to remove people that are likely to be still alive due to the "100 year rule".

But I will see if I can work foward any further.

If you click on the second photo of the Aberdonian it expands it and you can see the port name as well, and as you say its Aberdeen.

Evan

[Saffron]

Looking at the last diary entries it gives the following.

27th (May) In front line in front of Albert (which was totally destroyed in WWI - see attached photo of the city and cathedral).
31st (May) Out (of front line, this was standard procedure a unit would only spend a few days in the front line, then withdraw to second lines or a rear area and be replaced by another unit).
Bivvies (tents, behind the lines) near Baizean, in bivvies until 10 June.
Then motor bus to Pissy in billetts (this was further back from the front and more substantial shelter).
Hospital on the 14th. (as 14 days after leaving the front line might he have been shelled / bombed or was it due to something like trenchfoot and not a "battlefield" injury??).
Edit: Kenleyboy said in his initial post that "he had experienced heavy shelling and shrapnel wounds".... "until his return home through wounds" but I missed this, its possible that heavy artillery could have reached this rear area.
C.S.S. (casualty clearing station, these were the next step in the evacuation chain situated several miles behind the front line usually near railway lines and waterways so that the wounded could be evacuated easily to base hospitals).
18th to Trefort No16 Gn Ho (this was one of the large General Hospitals well away from the fronts that took casualties from the CSS prior to evacuating them to England, nr 16 was at Le Trefort and at this time being run by the US army).
15th July evac (evacuated) to Blighty (England), via Le Harve on S/S Aberdonian.

Evan