Good morning list, I wonder if someone can help with a little puzzle. I am researching names on the WW1 memorial in Stoke Climsland and have a H.Griffin. By a process of deduction, elimination and luck I think I've identified him as Horace Johns Griffin. I have his death certificate and he died locally in 1918, aged 19, of pleurisy and TB. On the certificate he is described as ex-Private, Army Service, COEDs (just about legible. Can anyone translate this for me?). No 318066 (Engineer). I cannot find his name mentioned on the WW1 Medal Rolls, CWGC or any records I can access via the internet. Given that he was only 19 when he died, I presume that he might not have spent any time abroad. Has anyone any suggestions for where I go next to get some more details of him? Any idea what COEDs stands for? Many thanks in advance. Derrick Parsons

Being an ex-Private he was probably discharged from the army before his death. Go to the local Record Office or library where they have the old newspapers on microfilm and there will almost certainly be a report of his death which should help. Regards Peter

Hello Derrick, As Lou had pointed out the papers for Horace John Griffin are amongst the papers in WO 364 now published on Ancestry. They give some indication as to his background and circumstances. He attested on 07/01/1917 was assigned to the Army Reserve the following day and mobilised on 26/04/1917. A member of the Army Service Corps (Its probably Corps not COEDS) he joined the depot at Grove Park on 04/05/1917 and moved to Camberwell on 03/06/1917. Much of the rest of the papers are given up to medical reports on the Bronchitis with which he was suffering. This led eventually to his being discharged as physically unfit for service on 11/10/1918. He was discharged on that date from Battersea Motor Transport Depot. There is no indication that he ever served overseas and if so that would explain his absence from the medal index cards. His next of kin is given as his mother Laura D Griffin (I can't make out the middle name) and her address is given as Downgate Post Office, Stoke Climsland, Cornwall. He appears, aged 2, with his mother and father on the 1901 census for Milton Abbot in Devon. His father's name is given there as Frederick and in 1901 he was a grocer and draper aged 32. There is a death registered in the first quarter of 1908 for a Frederick Griffin (aged 39) in Launceston Registration District (Vol 5c p21). This would appear to be his father. I've only highlighted some of the information from the service record and would suggest you look over the complete document yourself. I too am happy to e-mail you a copy. Kind regards Mike Shingleton Saturday, August 4, 2007, 9:43:17 AM, you wrote: > Good morning list, > I wonder if someone can help with a little puzzle. > I am researching names on the WW1 memorial in Stoke Climsland and have a > H.Griffin. By a process of deduction, elimination and luck I think I've > identified him as Horace Johns Griffin. I have his death certificate and he > died locally in 1918, aged 19, of pleurisy and TB. On the certificate he is > described as ex-Private, Army Service, COEDs (just about legible. Can > anyone translate this for me?). No 318066 (Engineer). I cannot find his > name mentioned on the WW1 Medal Rolls, CWGC or any records I can access via > the internet. Given that he was only 19 when he died, I presume that he > might not have spent any time abroad. > Has anyone any suggestions for where I go next to get some more details of > him? Any idea what COEDs stands for? > Many thanks in advance. > Derrick Parsons > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > GREATWAR-request@rootsweb.com with the > word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message -- Best regards, Mike mailto:shinglma_64@btopenworld.com