Hi All Just joined as I have ancestors from Port Glasgow but I wondered if anyone could give me a clue as to what regiment a man from Port Glasgow is likely to have joined in World War I? Thanks Michael Harris

Hi Michael There was very limited choice as such and only in the early years of the War, who is it you seek? Could he have served overseas and have earned medals? He may be included in the medal cards, it can be difficult to work out which is his if its a common name but worth a try Let us know his name, place of birth and year and perhaps something might be found on him Best wishes Nivard Ovington, in Cornwall (UK) > Hi All > > Just joined as I have ancestors from Port Glasgow but I wondered if > anyone could give me a clue as to what regiment a man from Port Glasgow is > likely to have joined in World War I? > > Thanks > > Michael Harris

Hi Nivard It isn't a very common name and I've managed to narrow it down to about 3 possibilities - hence my question about the regiments (in an attempt to find the right one). The person in question was my Great Uncle and it seems that he was probably the last male in the line (unless he was married and had a son of course). All I knew from my grandmother is that she had a brother who died in the Great War. His name was William Ness b. 1891 in Port Glasgow. Regards Michael Nivard Ovington <ovington1@sky.com> wrote: Hi Michael There was very limited choice as such and only in the early years of the War, who is it you seek? Could he have served overseas and have earned medals? He may be included in the medal cards, it can be difficult to work out which is his if its a common name but worth a try Let us know his name, place of birth and year and perhaps something might be found on him Best wishes Nivard Ovington, in Cornwall (UK)

Hi Thanks to everyone especially Nivard, Jim, Don, Keith and Katie for all your help on my question - it's given me plenty of information and advice about how to carry on my search. Cheers Michael Harris

Michael Common name or not, there are graves for at least ten William or W NESS on the Commonwealth War Graves site (non-pay) some of which are clearly not yours but maybe one of whom could be. Most of those from Scotland. There is no clear link to anyone with parents William F and Christina Livingston, but the records do give a service number for each deceased soldier even if the parents are unknown. With the number you might at least be able to find more records and eliminate some of these men. Scotland's People has two William NESS deaths in the Minor Records and War Returns between 1913 and 1919, one of whom would be the right age, but those records don't provide any information at all except to say killed in action rather than later from injuries sustained. Looking for WW1 service records for NESS on Ancestry only seems to turn up NASH, unless I'm doing something wrong. There was one War Medal card for a William NESS, but inconclusive as to whether it might be your great uncle. Again, checking the service numbers and their regiments could be another avenue to try. It's a poignant trail, going in search of elusive family who succumbed in the Wars without our ever knowing them and we can only begin to imagine what it must have meant to our family left behind. Good luck. Katie de Haan The Netherlands ----- Original Message ----- From: "Michael Harris" <isamickey@yahoo.co.uk> To: <sct-renfrew@rootsweb.com> Sent: Tuesday, September 16, 2008 1:11 AM Subject: Re: [SCT-RENFREW] WWI Regiments > Hi Nivard > It isn't a very common name and I've managed to narrow it down to about 3 > possibilities - hence my question about the regiments (in an attempt to > find the right one). The person in question was my Great Uncle and it > seems that he was probably the last male in the line (unless he was > married and had a son of course). All I knew from my grandmother is that > she had a brother who died in the Great War. His name was William Ness b. > 1891 in Port Glasgow. > Regards > Michael > > Nivard Ovington <ovington1@sky.com> wrote: > Hi Michael > > There was very limited choice as such and only in the early years of the > War, who is it you seek? > > Could he have served overseas and have earned medals? He may be included > in > the medal cards, it can be difficult to work out which is his if its a > common name but worth a try > > Let us know his name, place of birth and year and perhaps something might > be > found on him > > Best wishes Nivard Ovington, in Cornwall (UK) > > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > SCT-RENFREW-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the > quotes in the subject and the body of the message

Michael, Forgot to mention the War Graves Commission website, but googling will get you there too. www.cwgc.org Katie ----- Original Message ----- From: "Michael Harris" <isamickey@yahoo.co.uk> To: <sct-renfrew@rootsweb.com> Sent: Tuesday, September 16, 2008 1:11 AM Subject: Re: [SCT-RENFREW] WWI Regiments > Hi Nivard > It isn't a very common name and I've managed to narrow it down to about 3 > possibilities - hence my question about the regiments (in an attempt to > find the right one). The person in question was my Great Uncle and it > seems that he was probably the last male in the line (unless he was > married and had a son of course). All I knew from my grandmother is that > she had a brother who died in the Great War. His name was William Ness b. > 1891 in Port Glasgow. > Regards > Michael > > Nivard Ovington <ovington1@sky.com> wrote: > Hi Michael > > There was very limited choice as such and only in the early years of the > War, who is it you seek? > > Could he have served overseas and have earned medals? He may be included > in > the medal cards, it can be difficult to work out which is his if its a > common name but worth a try > > Let us know his name, place of birth and year and perhaps something might > be > found on him > > Best wishes Nivard Ovington, in Cornwall (UK) > > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > SCT-RENFREW-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the > quotes in the subject and the body of the message

Hello MichaelH If he enlisted prior to the introduction of conscription in January 1916 he could have signed up with any regiment that was recruiting in the area in which he was living unless he travelled to Glasgow to enlist in which case he could probably have signed up with any of the Scottish infantry regiments, or with other regiments or corps such as the Royal Artillery, Engineers,or Ordnance or even with the cavalry if he knew one end of a horse from the other.. Once conscription was in place he could have been drafted to an English county regiment, or to a Welsh or Irish Regiment or indeed to whatever unit the war office were anxious to recruit for on the day. There were no barriers and precious little in the way of choices until the idea spread that it would be "good for morale" to keep;local lads together,so that when they went "over the top" they could all be mown down together. My father enlisted in 1914 in the Royal Warwickshire Regiment because they happened to be recruiting in Maidstone when war broke out. He had grown up in Kent and never been to Warwickshire nor had any family links to that county. Most sane people would have said he would have joined either of the Kent regiments,but it often just did not work like that! .He then spent 23 years with the Warwicks ! Jim Halsey

Michael: a Port Glasgow man might have joined the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, which regiment had a very active T.A. unit in neighboring Greenock, although there was possibly a Field Artillery unit in Port Glasgow. There used to be a T.A. hall in Higholm Street in Port Glasgow, so if you can get hold of an old local, he may be able to remember something. Genial Jack ----- Original Message ----- From: "Michael Harris" <isamickey@yahoo.co.uk> To: <SCT-RENFREW@rootsweb.com> Sent: Monday, September 15, 2008 4:54 PM Subject: [SCT-RENFREW] WWI Regiments > Hi All > > Just joined as I have ancestors from Port Glasgow but I wondered if > anyone could give me a clue as to what regiment a man from Port Glasgow is > likely to have joined in World War I? > > Thanks > > Michael Harris > > > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > SCT-RENFREW-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the > quotes in the subject and the body of the message >