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Our military expert Paul Nixon, pictured below, answers your queries.
From Christina Harris in Essex:
‘My grandfather Albert Frederick Spicer, regiment no. 21519 was killed in France on 18 February 1917 when he was serving in the 13th Battalion of the Essex Regiment. I have been unable to find any records of him serving in the Essex regiment.
He originally enlisted at Stratford (now Greater London) Essex on 26 August 1914 in the Middlesex Regiment, service no. 2091, but after 38 days was discharged with Neurasthenia with persistent headaches, not likely to be an efficient soldier. I found nine pages of records for his time served in the Middlesex Regiment online but none for his service and death in the Essex Regiment.
I have been to The National Archives at Kew but they had no records of him serving in the Essex Regiment. I have three medals awarded to him, one of which is the military medal for bravery in the field. All are engraved with his Essex regiment number 21519. I checked the war diaries at Kew for 18 February 1917 but only the officers were named. According to the diaries they were situated at a place named Courcelette, near the village of Albert.
I also found him on the War Graves commission website. He has no known grave but was listed on the Thiepvel Memorial in France. I sent for his death certificate but it just states his army number 21519, Lance Corporal, Albert Spicer, aged 35 years, born in England, date of death 18 February 1917, place of death British Expeditionary Force, cause of death killed in action.
Where can I find further information of his time and eventual death in the Essex Regiment?’
Paul says:
Try the Great War Forum - there are Essex Regiment experts there.
You could also try local newspapers. The 13th Battalion had West Ham connections. Was he from West Ham area? Find out where he was living at the time and then go through newspapers for that area. He may also get a mention during the time he won his military medal, or certainly when it was announced. The London Gazette should have details of the date on which his military medal was gazetted but it can be a devil’s own job to search on the gazettes on-line site.’
If you’d like to send your question to our experts, please register or opt to receive newsletters in My Account. Unfortunately our experts only have time to answer a few queries each month. If yours wasn’t answered this time, you could be lucky next month!
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From Christina Harris in Essex:
‘My grandfather Albert Frederick Spicer, regiment no. 21519 was killed in France on 18 February 1917 when he was serving in the 13th Battalion of the Essex Regiment. I have been unable to find any records of him serving in the Essex regiment.
He originally enlisted at Stratford (now Greater London) Essex on 26 August 1914 in the Middlesex Regiment, service no. 2091, but after 38 days was discharged with Neurasthenia with persistent headaches, not likely to be an efficient soldier. I found nine pages of records for his time served in the Middlesex Regiment online but none for his service and death in the Essex Regiment.
I have been to The National Archives at Kew but they had no records of him serving in the Essex Regiment. I have three medals awarded to him, one of which is the military medal for bravery in the field. All are engraved with his Essex regiment number 21519. I checked the war diaries at Kew for 18 February 1917 but only the officers were named. According to the diaries they were situated at a place named Courcelette, near the village of Albert.
I also found him on the War Graves commission website. He has no known grave but was listed on the Thiepvel Memorial in France. I sent for his death certificate but it just states his army number 21519, Lance Corporal, Albert Spicer, aged 35 years, born in England, date of death 18 February 1917, place of death British Expeditionary Force, cause of death killed in action.
Where can I find further information of his time and eventual death in the Essex Regiment?’
Paul says:
Try the Great War Forum - there are Essex Regiment experts there.
You could also try local newspapers. The 13th Battalion had West Ham connections. Was he from West Ham area? Find out where he was living at the time and then go through newspapers for that area. He may also get a mention during the time he won his military medal, or certainly when it was announced. The London Gazette should have details of the date on which his military medal was gazetted but it can be a devil’s own job to search on the gazettes on-line site.’
If you’d like to send your question to our experts, please register or opt to receive newsletters in My Account. Unfortunately our experts only have time to answer a few queries each month. If yours wasn’t answered this time, you could be lucky next month!
More...