Identity of Uniform

[Emmsy81]

We don’t know anything about Albert other than what I stated above, my Nana never spoke about him, and we never thought to ask as children.
I’m still awaiting his Marriage Certificate.

[Emmsy81]

Hi Woodchal,

This now looks most likely to be him:
Is this the most likely 1911 census

Name: Albert Edward Morse, Age in 1911: 16
Birth Place: Swindon, Wiltshire, England
Street address: 19 Edmund Street, Swindon
Marital status: Single, Occupation: Messenger Boy

William John Morse 40
Annie Elizabeth Morse 46
Albert Edward Morse 16
Mabel Maud Mary Morse 14
Francis Alexander Morse 11

I have received his marriage certificate back today and it states Father as: William John Morse

[Emmsy81]

Hi Adrian

Regarding your find:
It's possible to do a bit of preliminary guesswork - for instance, there are several Morse / Hunt marriages in FreeBMD but this looks interesting:
Surname First name(s) District Vol Page
Marriages Dec 1893 (>99%)
Hunt Annie Highworth 5a 27
Morse William John B Highworth 5a 27

William John (furnaceman in Brass Foundry) and Annie Morse are in Swindon for the 1911 census - they have a son Albert Edward (GPO messenger boy) - but is it your Albert Edward? Only your Albert Edward's marriage certificate will help there.

I was hoping that the electoral registers for Swindon might help but I can't find any in FMP.

this definitely looks likely as on his Marriage certificate to Lilian which arrived today states the Fathers occupation as Foreman - Railway Brass Foundry)

[Emmsy81]

I hope you can all help!
I know for definite now that this is my Albert -
Births Jun 1895 (>99%)
MORSE Albert Edward Highworth 5a 24
(MMN - Hunt)
How would I be able to prove which Military Doc is his?

Thanks Emma

[Mick Loney]

As Highworth is in Wiltshire, my ‘guess’ would the one in the Wiltshire Regiment, rather than Wales ( it may be Wilts R - hard to decipher). Use his service number from either Card, and see if you can find his service record or attestation papers, this may show his parents or wife, depending when he enrolled.

[AdrianBruce]

Yes, unfortunately, as I feared, this is where I get stuck as neither appear to have surviving service papers....

201413 (originally 3234) served in the 2/4th Wiltshires, was demobbed 27 Nov 1919, and was issued with the British War Medal (BWM) but not the Victory Medal (VM). This figures because (according to the Long Long Trail website) the 2/4th was in India from January 1915 through the entire war (hence they were never in a theatre of war, so never got the VM).

22809 served in the 5th Wiltshires, was demobbed 28 Jan 1920 and was issued with the BWM and VM. The 5th was at Gallipoli (though 22809 wasn't, as he doesn't have a 1914-15 Star) then Egypt and Mesopotamia.

Both guys therefore served in the British Army in "hot" areas where the sort of uniform seen in the photo was worn. So the photo could be EITHER of them.

If the actual photo says anything about the studio and it's in India, then it's clear which it is (201413 of the 2/4th). If the studio is in Basra (say), then that's also clear - Mesopotamia (22809 of the 5th). But if the studio is in Swindon (i.e. the photo is taken on return) then that says nothing!

My only suggestion is to find the electoral registers for Swindon in the period 1918-1920-ish. Unfortunately, as I said previously, they don't appear to be on FindMyPast and the Wiltshire & Swindon History Centre catalogue seems tricky to negotiate.

Eventually I found
Reference A1/355/202
Level Item
Title Electors’ Register Swindon Division
Date 1918

Reference A1/355/207
Level Item
Title Spring Electors’ Register Swindon Division
Date 1919

Reference A1/355/212
Level Item
Title Autumn Electors’ Register Swindon Division
Date 1919

There may be others. The point is that any of those three may (or may NOT) contain the Absent Voters List for the Swindon constituency in that "year". If your Albert actually registered for his vote then he's presumably in the AVL at his home address and the AVL should give his military details.

That's about the only way I know of finding his service number and location. You may need the assistance of the Archives to find the AVL - the ones that I have seen are separate from the ordinary register but that doesn't mean that they all are - those references may be to the ordinary register only, in which case you definitely need the Archives' help to find the AVL - if they survive.

[Emmsy81]

Hi All

I have just been on the Absent Voters register and possibly My Albert is on there! This one shows he's from the 1/5th Notts & Derbys, Service No. 102705, now this has thrown a spanner into the works!!!. I can't find anything under his service number, but I did under 102706! Do we think they made a mistake in the Absent Voters Register?

Em

[VALLMO9]

Are you sure you've got the right Albert Morse in that AVL? Some of the other chaps residing at Torrindon Road, Lewisham had been living there since at least 1911. Some are still living in Lewisham in the 1939 Register.

FMP have two First World War Soldiers' Medical Records for an "A. Morse" with the Notts & Derby regiment. Service number 102705. Admission date: 19 Dec 1918. He had influenza. Then there's a 20 Nov 1917 Medical Record for him, under 241706. Regiment: RWR. He had PUO, which I think means Pyrexia of unknown origin.

FMP also have a Medals record for him under both 102706 and 241706, so the AVL record could be wrong.

Britain, Campaign, Gallantry & Long Service Medals & Awards
First name(s) Albert
Last name Morse
Service number 241706, 102706
Second service number 102706
Rank Private
Regiment Royal West Kent Regiment, Nottinghamshire And Derbyshire Regiment
Second corps Nottinghamshire And Derbyshire Regiment

[Emmsy81]

Hi VALLMO9

I now don't believe it is again! Ancestry is playing tricks on me!
As you can possibly tell I am new to all this.
I know on the 1911 Census he lived at 19 Edmund Street, Swindon, however I can't work out how to locate his records.

Emma

[VALLMO9]

Emma - I believe your Albert is the soldier with service numbers 201413 (originally 3234) serving in the 2/4th Wiltshires. There's a local Swindon lad named Horace Bayliss (born 1897 Highworth) who lived at 20 Dixon Street, Swindon (1911 census) which is literally two streets away from Edmund Street, if that!

Horace served with the 2/4th Wiltshires, too. His service numbers 3235 and 201414 are the immediate numbers after the soldier above. His Medal card indicates he was issued the British War Medal (BWM).

Both Albert and Horace were demob'd on 27 Nov 1919 (as per the UK, WWI Service Medal and Award Rolls, 1914-1920 on Ancestry).
Albert is on page 167 of the Rolls log.

By the way, in case you're interested, FMP have a school admissions record for Albert's brother Francis. The image confirms the family's 19 Edmund Street address. I don't see a school record for Albert, though.

National School Admission Registers & Log-Books 1870-1914
First name(s) Francis
Last name Morse
Birth date 29 Dec 1899
Event year 1903
School name Swindon, Gilberts Hill School
Town Swindon
County Wiltshire
Parent name(s) William Morse
Book type Admissions