Lost his legs, but where?

anner · Post by **anner** » Tue Nov 07, 2006 12:05 am

My Grand Father William Smith Ross served with the Blackwatch, in the late 1800's into the early 1900's. At some point either during the Boer War or very soon after he lost both his legs. William died in 1947, so I didnt know him. One of my cousins seem to think that his legs were lost due to a train accident during the war. Is there any way to find out about soldiers that got injured but lived.
I have been to the National Archives in the hope to find his papers but with no luck.
Any ideas?
Thanking everyone in advance.
Regards
Anne.

Post by **marilyn morning** » Wed Nov 22, 2006 4:13 am

Hello Anne,

I can't answer your question, but perhaps someone else might be able to assist you in the right direction. Good luck with your quest.

Regards
Marilyn

anner · Post by **anner** » Wed Nov 22, 2006 11:07 am

Hi Marilyn and thank you for your reply.
I have since worked out that he wouldnt have lost his legs in the Boer War, and it would have been from 1911 onwards to 1918. I had another look at all his certs and pick him up as a railway porter in Dundee 1911, he had lost them by 1918 when he married my nan. So getting closer.

Regards
Anne.

rivergazer · Post by **rivergazer** » Sat Jan 13, 2007 4:40 pm

Hi Anne

There are many men under the name of William Ross on the WW1 medal rolls. However, after doing a search, there is a William S Ross, Royal Highlanders - which is the Black Watch.

Here's the link:

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/docu ... score+desc

DavidWW · Post by **DavidWW** » Sat Jan 13, 2007 5:13 pm

I didn't realise that TNA had got so far in terms of the on-line index.

My immediate reaction here is that a railway porter wouldn't be disabled, so that it sounds to be as if he could have served with the army in the late 1890's/early 1900s, and then went into the Reserve, as was the standard procedure, for the balance of his engagement, most often a total of 12 years; and he was then called up as a reservist in WWI.

His WWI records may or may not survived, - a high proportion were damaged, some, but not all, irretrievably, by bombing by the German Luftwaffe in WWII; but, if he did serve in the army prior to WWI, those service records most probably survive.

The key is to search the TNA index for a match on the date and place of his birth.

David

anner · Post by **anner** » Sat Jan 13, 2007 6:25 pm

Hello and Thankyou Rivergazer. This could certainly be my man.
David, I didnt realise that he would have been in the reserve. I am not that up on the army at the best of times. Next question is how do I check for the place and date of his birth on TNA.
regards
Anne.

DavidWW · Post by **DavidWW** » Sat Jan 13, 2007 10:48 pm

Hi Anne

I'm misleading you, - I didn't realise that the link was to the medal cards instead of the WO series of records. The latter show the place and year of birth, - the former, unfortunately, don't.

David

anner · Post by **anner** » Sat Jan 13, 2007 11:57 pm

Hi David,
Thank you for that. I took a trip to the NA in November last year and couldnt find his papers so I think they are among the missing ones. If I download the medal card will it be able to confirm to me if it is the right person. To me it looks, but, there are a lot of William S Ross's but this seems to be one of the better matches due to him being in the Highlander/ BlackWatch.
God, both my sides of the recent family are proving to be elusive. Never mind will keep digging.
Many Thanks
regards
Anne.

DavidWW · Post by **DavidWW** » Sun Jan 14, 2007 7:25 am

anner wrote:Hi David,
Thank you for that. I took a trip to the NA in November last year and couldnt find his papers so I think they are among the missing ones. If I download the medal card will it be able to confirm to me if it is the right person. To me it looks, but, there are a lot of William S Ross's but this seems to be one of the better matches due to him being in the Highlander/ BlackWatch.
God, both my sides of the recent family are proving to be elusive. Never mind will keep digging.
Many Thanks
regards
Anne.

The medal card on its own could be problematic, but that middle intial could help, i.e. it all depends on how many sojers in the Black Watch had the name William S Ross.

While his WWI papers could be missing, it's still worth searching on the basis of pre-WWI service.

David

anner · Post by **anner** » Sun Jan 14, 2007 12:51 pm

David, once again thank you. When I went to the NA I searched for him on micro fiche and in the attestation papers, couldnt find him or his father.
The only one I found was his grandfather, James, which was amazing.
Maybe another trip is to be done to the NA, just to relook.
Incidently I got a copy of The Royal Highland Regiment, by Capt. John Stewart, It has the medal roll 1801-1911. and I havent found him in there as at that time he was at the Castle, Edinburgh. Will have to keep looking.
Again thankyou.
Regards
Anne.