Clifford Rose Berkshire regiment WWi - service history of my grandfather

I would like any information on the places that this regiment fought in during WW1, especially in France.

 

Hi Myrtle,

Do you know which Battalion he served with. Some of the Berkshire Battalions didn't go to France but served in either Egypt or India.

Sniper

 

Sorry, I do not know his Battalion but my mother told me he suffered from gas used against our troops in the trenches. He returned from the war but did not live long after that due to the gas exposure. I understand that it was used in France but may have been used elsewhere.
Thank you for your response.

 

His DOB is 18th December 1852. His home Address when he joined the army was 6 Broad Lane Bracknell, Berks.

 

Hi Myrtle,

Do you know his date of death? I have checked the CWGC website but i don't think he is on there which suggests he died after 1921. Gas was first used against our troops in 1915 in France/Belguim during the battle for Frezenburg. Gas was used throughout the war by the Germans though it became less effective towards the end of the war. Without knowing his Battalion it would be really hard to pin down which battle he was gassed in. I think the only way to find that out now is to check on ancestry.com and see if his army record survived the bombing of WW2. It may also be possible to ask the Berkshire Regiment if they know which units of the Regiment were gassed during WW1.
http://www.thewardrobe.org.uk
This is the web address for the regimental museum. If the link doesn't work just copy and paste it into your browser.
Hope this helps you
Sniper

 

Thank you Sniper for your reply, my grandfather died in 1919, i don't have the exact date. I will follow up with the URL you have sent. Myrtle

 

Hi, Do you know where he is buried?

 

Would be in Bracknell, I don't know exactly where though.
Myrtle

 

I should explain that I am in Perth, Western Australia

 

H Myrtle
Just looked up the military burials in Bracknell and your grandfather is not listed on there. I'm wondering why he wasn't registered with the CWGC as your grandmother would of got a war widows pension.
I know your in Oz by your IP address
Mike

 

Thanks Sniper. My mother told me that grandma, Alice Rose, did not get the pension as Grandfather did not die in action. He died I think 2 years after arriving home. Although he suffered from the gas perhaps that was not enough to qualify him. He left her with 11 children, the youngest, my mother was 3. Grandma then took over his painting and decorating business which included climbing up to paint the clock in Bracknell High Street.
Myrtle

 

Hello Myrtle,

Are you sure he was born in 1852? That would put him in his sixties.
I can't see any medal index cards for a Clifford Rose in the Berkshires.
There is a death registered in Easthampstead RD (which covers Bracknell) for a Clifford Rose, age 50, in the June Quarter 1920. Could this be him?

Phil

 

Just because he did not die in action doesn't mean she was was not entitled to a war widows pension. These were given out for soldiers returning from the theatre of war up till June 1921 and he should of been recorded by the CWGC as a war casualty if he died before that date. It would of meant that the goverment would of taken care of funeral expenses and the CWGC would of given him a CWGC headstone, if his wife had wanted one. I don't live that far from Bracknell and if i get the chance i will pop into the cemetery and get you a photo of his headstone if i can find it. If you can prove that he was in the forces and died before that date you maybe able to get the CWGC to list him as a casualty but its going to take a little hard work to get them to recognise the facts before they will do this. If we can track down his grave and his stone is in dis-repair or he doesn't have one then if you can contact who would now be his next of kin and get them to agree then the CWGC will put up a headstone providing we can prove he served.
Hope this helps
Mike

 

Thank you Mike, that is a very kind offer. If you are going to Bracknell you could perhaps contact my cousin, Bill (William) Rose. He served in WWII with the Berkshire regiment. He will know much more than I do about our grandfather.
I don't know how open this post is so if you will email me on myrtle88@iinet.net.au I can give you my cousin's contact details.
Myrtle

 

Hello Mike, I have just found my Family tree Database, was on an external HD that I'd mislaid, as one does.
My Grandfather's correct DOB is 29/11/1872 and his DOD is 21/4/1920 I'm sorry for the previous errors in dates.
Myrtle

 

Myrtle,

If you think that it is the man I posted above, I suggest that you get his Death Cert. I believe that this man was born in Sept Quarter 1869 in Chelsea (Chelsea 1a 252). In 1881 he was living at 32 Fernhead Road, Paddington. His father was John E Rose. (RG11; Piece 9; Folio 73; Page 6). I don't have Ancestry etc so can't track him for you, but believe he was in Berkshire by 1891 and I'm assuming that he is the Clifford Rose on the 1911 Census Index in Easthampstead RD that matches your previous details. Married Alice Mary Miller in Easthampstead RD in June Qu. 1893.

Phil

 

Well done Phil, could do with you as our resident family historian

Sniper

 

Hi,

You can PM me the details if you want to, that would be easier. I am always willing to talk to veterans and it would be an honour to be able to talk to him. If you could make sure he knows i will be contacting him that would be appreciated as i don't want to land on him and him not knowing that i'll be contacting him. I'm not sure when i'll be getting there but i hope to do so in the next month or so. The new dates make sense now so well done Phil on tracking back.

Mike

 

Sorry, I'm trying to get away from that side of it.

CWGC recognition is not too easy for post-discharge deaths. I've been lucky so far in that I have had a surviving service or pension record in the cases I have submitted. In essence the cause of death has to be directly connected to the cause of discharge, which in turn has to have been caused, or aggravated by active service. Obviously you also have to be able to prove that the records and the DC relate to the same man. If the DC states that he died of a condition specifically related to gas poisoning and gives a strong link to his service (regiment and/or service number), then there may be enough to get through the initial MoD approval.

Phil

 

Dear Phil, you are a treasure! You have found information that I did not know but Alice Mary Miller was indeed my grandmother.
Thank you for this.
Myrtle