Ian Next of kin is sometimes given on the CWGC Roll of Honour when it has been specified, so you are unfortunate in that respect. It is the first world war medal index which is available on-line, rather than the service records, but they do not give much information beyond the information you already have and don't give next of kin. As Fiona says, the service records are at Kew but are far from being complete, thanks to German incendiary bombs falling on the War Office record store where they were kept in 1940. The records are in two series - one for the burnt documents and one for pensions files which were kept to help supplement the lost files - on microfilm and not indexed but arranged in a rough alpha order. Looking through them can be a real pain, especially as you are never sure that the records are going to be there or have just been misfiled. Sorry to pour cold water on the idea but I think the idea of someone doing the search for you is a bit unlikely, especially with a common name like Bates and only an initial for a first name. I think you might be better looking for obituary notices for him in the local paper; they can sometimes be a mine of useful genealogical information. Best wishes Graham ----- Original Message ----- From: <FCASKEY@aol.com> To: <ENG-BLACK-COUNTRY-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Sunday, April 09, 2006 9:59 AM Subject: [B.C.] James Bridge Cemetery, Darlaston query > Ian, > If you can get anyone to look in Kew - sorry National Archives on London > you > may be lucky and James's records may be there. Remember that a lost were > lost in the 2nd WW. > _http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/_ > (http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/) > I'm not sure if the service records are online or just campaign medals, > but > I'm sure that for a charge they would do a search for you. > I cannot remember what you get on the English records as most of WW1 > records I have are for people in Canadian regiments and they provide > Addresses and > next of Kin etc. > Sorry I cannot help any more > Fiona Caskey > > X-Message: #1 > Date: Sat, 08 Apr 2006 16:26:00 +0800 > From: Ian Beach <ian@sedgleymanor.com> > To: ENG-BLACK-COUNTRY-L@rootsweb.com > Message-ID: <44377398.5090401@sedgleymanor.com> > Subject: James Bridge Cemetery, Darlaston query > Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed > Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit > > Hi folks > > Does some kind soul out there have access to the James Bridge Cemetery in > Darlaston or details of the War Dead buried there? > > I'm trying to find more details of a T.BATES who is buried there. > According > to > the Commonwealth War Graves site he was a Private of the 26th Battalion > King's > Liverpool Regiment. Service number 406664 and he was buried there on the > 6 > Feb > 1921. The Grave reference is D134. > > Due the fact that he was buried well after the War finished I presume he > died of > injuries suffered in the conflict. His link on the CWGC site is > http://www.cwgc.org/search/casualty_details.aspx?casualty=395008 > > What I'm trying to find is if there are any more details such as next of > kin > etc. > > Any help would be most appreciated > > Ian > > > > > ==== ENG-BLACK-COUNTRY Mailing List ==== > The Assistant List Admins are Jean Morgan and Jan Ross > (Couldn't do it without those two great ladies) > >