Jump to content
News Ticker
  • I am now accepting the following payment methods: Card Payments, Apple Pay, Google Pay and PayPal
  • Latest News

    Recommended Posts

    Posted

    Hope you don't mind my sharing these with you ,but i am very proud to have them.They are the medals of my gandfather J.H.Westley 66258,RFA/RA.
    My father handed them down to me.I have had them framed and they now hang on the living room wall.I,m posting a few more items below.
    Thanks for looking.

    Regards,Martin.

    Posted

    :jumping: That's a GREAT tribute to your Grandfather's Service!!! :jumping: You have every reason to be proud of him. I'm glad that you framed them. That's what I did for my Dad's Medals.

    :beer: Doc

    Posted (edited)

    He's wearing a rough riders badge & also a the crossed swords of a Gymnastics Instructor above the gun & chevrons on his right sleeve in the photo as a sergeant.

    Edited by leigh kitchen
    He's got an e in it.
    Posted

    A very creditable ensemble indeed. He's a WO1 in the pre-war photo, not a WO2 - big difference. A Battery Serjeant Major (WOII) would not have worn a Sam Browne if I recall, whereas 'god' would have.

    Posted

    I would be damned proud to have them to... in fact, make me damned proud and send them to me :-))))))

    14 star with bar..... so you jut need the Mons-la cateau histories and you will probably find his unit...

    Great research potential there if you are "into " research.... :rolleyes:

    Posted

    Thank you all for your comments.Tony you are correct he did finish his career in the RA as a W.O.1.My mistake,i was going from the information engraved on the medal(MSM).He retired from the regulars in 1937-38.Dad told me in the years leading up to WWll they lived in Worcester as grandad was a gunnery instructor for the QOWH.

    According to dad when WWll broke out grandad joined the home guard and was battery commander of a AA unit in the area of Woolwich.So i was wondering why the WWll Defence Medal is not added to the Bar?

    Chris ,if you could point me in a direction to the "Mons-la Cateau"histories i would be more than happy to research.

    Best regards,Martin.

    Posted

    Chris,

    i do not have his medal card or battery number,but i will ask dad later in the week.He is at a Royal Tank Regiment reunion all week in Lowestoft.

    The reverse of the 1914 Star is marked as follows:

    66258

    TPTR.J.H.Westley.

    R.F.A.

    Thanks,Martin.

    Posted

    Give Tony here on the forum a big smoochy kiss and he may be able to help with the medal card... he found one for me as if by magic !

    It can be done online somehow...

    Once you have that you are laughing....

    Posted (edited)

    Chris,i did.Here's the card.

    Dave,thanks so much for the link to the archive.Appreciate it.

    Martin.

    Edited by mwestley
    • 2 years later...
    Posted

    Here's a better quality image of the MIC, there's nothing written on the back of the card.

    I have a 1914 Star trio (minus it's companion Slver War Badge) to a RFA Trumpeter in my collection - 69495 Trumpeter Henry Charles Poulter

    27th Brigade, Royal Field Artillery, who landed in France on 19/8/1914, three days after your grandfather.

    Posted

    Leigh,

    thank you so much for the improved image.I really appreciate that you took the time to do this.

    I will send a copy to dad.I will try to find out exactly how old my grandfather was in August 1914.

    Probably just a kid,maybe 15-16?

    Thanks and regards,Martin.

    Posted

    Leigh,

    thank you so much for the improved image.I really appreciate that you took the time to do this.

    I will send a copy to dad.I will try to find out exactly how old my grandfather was in August 1914.

    Probably just a kid,maybe 15-16?

    Thanks and regards,Martin.

    Martin,

    If you have trouble finding his age, let us know where in England he may have lived in 1901. If I can't find him on ancestry I'm sure Leigh can.

    Tony

    Posted

    Thanks Tony,

    just had a quick word with dad who recalled that grandad was born in Aldershot,probably 1898?

    He went to the "Duke of York School"

    He did say that grandad was 16 years and two days old when he arrived in France in 1914.

    Regards,Martin.

    Posted (edited)

    These may be completely the wrong people - 1901 Census - is this him?

    Name: James Westley

    Age: 4

    Estimated birth year: abt 1897

    Relation: Son

    Mother's Name: Martha M

    Gender: Male

    Where born: Aldershot, Hampshire, England

    Civil parish: Aldershot

    Ecclesiastical parish: St Michael

    Town: Aldershot

    County/Island: Hampshire

    Country: England

    Registration district: Farnham

    Sub-registration district: Aldershot

    Address No. 2 Redan(?) Gardens

    Household Members: Name Age

    Martha M Westley 34 (Widow)

    Frederick T Westley 14

    Stephen Westley 11

    Arthur Westley 9

    James Westley 4

    No trades listed for the children.

    Martha M Westley Head aged 34 born abt 1867 Female born Staffordshire England

    Frederick T Westley Son 14 abt 1887 Male Aldershot Hampshire England

    Add Update 5 Stephen Westley Son 11 abt 1890 Male Aldershot Hampshire England

    Add Update 5 Arthur Westley Son 9 abt 1892 Male Aldershot Hampshire England

    Add Update 5 James Westley Son 4 abt 1897 Male Aldershot Hampshire

    Edited by leigh kitchen
    Posted (edited)

    Again, these may be completely the wrong people - 1891 Census:

    Name: Martha M Westley

    Age: 29

    Estimated birth year: abt 1862

    Relation: Wife

    Spouse's name: Frederick S

    Gender: Female

    Where born: Kings Winford, Staffordshire, England

    Civil parish: Aldershot

    Ecclesiastical parish: St Michael

    Town: Aldershot

    County/Island: Hampshire

    Country: England

    Registration district: Farnham

    Sub-registration district: Frimley

    Address Aldershot Stubbs(?) Holly Bush Cottage

    Household Members: Name Age

    Frederick S Westley 30, MIltary Mounted Police

    Martha M Westley 29

    William Westley 5, Scholar

    Frederick T Westley, 4 Scholar

    Frederick S Westley Head Male aged 30 born abt 1861 Windsor Berkshire England

    Martha M Westley Wife Female 29 abt 1862 Kings Winford Staffordshire England

    William Westley Son Male 5 abt 1886 Aldershot Hampshire England

    Frederick T Westley Son Male 4 abt 1887 Aldershot Hampshire England

    Edited by leigh kitchen

    Create an account or sign in to comment

    You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

    Create an account

    Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

    Register a new account

    Sign in

    Already have an account? Sign in here.

    Sign In Now
    ×
    ×
    • Create New...

    Important Information

    We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue.