Genealogy Chat

It will give you his service number and medals but when you have his number you can then use that to try and find his service record... I'm not that great at explaining but....you have to apply to historic disclosures for ww2 records and you need to have permission from the next of kin if that is not yourself....I don't have the address to hand but I'm sure someone here does...It also costs £30 and takes anything from 6 - 9 months..

Well I was suprised that i would be able to get any details on him from ww1 and to be able to do that is fantastic. Regards as next of kin, I know that my grandfather has died and am not sure of anyone else who would be his next of kin. However I do have an uncle that would be his eldest grandchild. Do you think that would count as next of kin? Thx again Nicola x

So it looks as if he fibbed - he wasnt a seargeant major, just a seargeant? OC

Yep it certainly looks that way lol However, it dosen't actually say when he got the medal at durham light infantry, so I suppose it is still possible that he was a sergeant major. Nicola

ah, sorry, I was looking at the dates 1914-1920. (But he said he was a SM in 1916???) Now, I shouldnt really say this and I shall deny it LOL, but, erm, couldnt YOU be his next of kin? I don't know what checks they do..... OC

I think likely scenario is that he either told a slight porky pie, or when he said sergeant at the registration they automatically assumed sergeant major. Nicola

Now this is puzzling lol Could someone put in details at national archives in the medal card section of ww1, Trussell as surname and durham light infantry pretty please. And see what they come up with as, I have just got the medal card for him and yes there is one card there that says James Owen Trussell, but there are 3 others 2 for joseph Trussell and 1 other for a John Trussell lol. How can that be? Thx Nicola

Hi Nicola, Just been re-reading the thread....do we know if he stayed on after the 1st world war? I would still try TNA and see if they have his service record...Then if you can't find it you could then try the MOD... Deb

When they scanned the cards they scanned them six to a page....they are in alphabetical order....so yours would be one of the six...and if you are lucky you could get another relation on the same page (I did!!) Deb

To be honest debs I have no idea, I could try and search the records online I suppose to see if there is a chance they are there. I might put up another thread just in case there is anyone on genes that are related to the other medical cards that have been sent to me, I have 5 others. As far as I can see, they don't belong to my great grandfather. Nicola

Nicola Have a look at this website...it will tell you all you need to know about Medal cards and researching soldiers. www.1914-1918.net/ Deb

Sorry I deserted you (a capital offence in WW1). First of all, the 1914-1920 dates refer to the category, not to the individual's war service. Most people refer to WW1 as 1914-1918, but fighting did continue after the armistice with Germany, most notably the intervention in the Russian Civil War. The medal cards cover almost all soldiers because even if you didn't get a medal for gallantry you got one anyway just for being in the forces. As for being young at 26 to have been a Segeant Major....boys of 15 were fighting in the trenches and the bulk of fighting men were teenagers. I'm glad to hear you've got hold of the medal card details but with millions of men in the services are you sure you've got the right man? I agree it looks good because several things match up. What does intrigue me is the fact that he was in the Labour Corps and then went on to make a mysterious fortune. That's exactly the same story as Sharon Fuller's grandfather - Sharon is also a GR member. I'll send her a pm and see what she has to say. Some men were transferred to the labour corps as a sort of punishment - they had literally some of the 'shittiest' jobs in the army.

On the other hand, Paul, the Labour Corps did offer wonderful opportunities for, erm, private enterprise! OC

Thank you for that Paul, this is getting interesting by the minute lol I am sure I have the right one, because he is the only James O Trussell listed in the archives. The only other James is James H Trussell. It makes me more determined now to get his army records, as will make a very interesting read. Thx for that debs will take a look tomorrow. Thanks again Nicola