Genealogy Chat

I have a mystery . My great grandfather was a Harry Bentley. On the 1901 Census he had a brother called Colin Bentley born in 1882 birth registered at Wolstanton, Staffordshire Reference WOL/40/65. My grandmother was born in 1920 and had never known an Uncle Colin as her father never spoke of him. I've looked for his death but have come up with nothing on either FREEBMD or the Staffordshire BMD sites. My gran's family didn't seem to travel far from The Potteries because they all worked in the pottery industry. I had a look on the War Graves Commission site and came up with the following C Bentley details. Name: BENTLEY Initials: C Nationality: United Kingdom Rank: Corporal Regiment: North Staffordshire Regiment Unit Text: 6th Bn. Date of Death: 01/07/1916 Service No: 1893 Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead Grave/Memorial Reference: II. D. 14. Cemetery: GOMMECOURT WOOD NEW CEMETERY, FONCQUEVILLERS Name: BENTLEY Initials: C Nationality: United Kingdom Rank: Private Regiment: South Staffordshire Regiment Unit Text: 5th Bn. Date of Death: 02/10/1918 Service No: 45819 Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead Grave/Memorial Reference: IV. E. 3. Cemetery: BRIE BRITISH CEMETERY Name: BENTLEY Initials: C Nationality: United Kingdom Rank: Sapper Regiment: Royal Engineers Date of Death: 11/10/1947 Service No: 4347185 Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead Grave/Memorial Reference: Compt. 362. Grave 26. Cemetery: HULL NORTHERN CEMETERY I've not had much to do with military deaths in WW1, so i wondered whether there is a way to find out if one of them is definitely my Colin Bentley before I pay to view details. All help appreciated. Many thanks. Louise

I got very little info from the war graves site as my gg uncles parents didn't send the form back to have his information on the site, only gave C. L. for his first names and no address or parents names. I looked on 1837 online out of curiosity as I heard it wasn't much good and just wanted to see. Not much more info granted but it did give his full name Charles Leonard and it gave that he lived Longden Common. All info I already knew but if I hadn't it would have confirmed he was the right man. If you have an address where he might have lived it might help?

Louise If I remember right you can contact the War Graves Commision by email and they will do a search for you. All you have to do is give them the details of which one you think may be yours and they will write back with where they recruited, etc. You may find something that matches that way. Joy

Try the National archives for the 1916 and 1918 ones, I did just that for my great grandad and the info I got was great, it gave his date of birth, his height and even the colour of his eyes £3.50 to download the record Joanne

Joanne, were yours Navy? You dont get details like that on the army medal cards.

Yep mine was Navy Didn't ralise that the army was different

The Campaign Medal cards at the Nat archives have first names, so you can compare the army numbers with the ones on the death records you have already. these are the only Colin Bentleys. I think they are for the same person, as the end of the two numbers are the same, and neither match with anything on the CWGC site, suggesting he survived the war...... Medal card of Bentley, Colin Corps: Royal Fusiliers Regiment No: G/72501 Rank: Serjeant 1914-1920 WO 372/23 Medal card of Bentley, Colin Corps: Royal Fusiliers Regiment No: GS/42501 Rank: Serjeant 1914-1920 WO 372/2 Merry

Merry, I found that info too but discounted him because my gran had never heard of him. I would expect a mention about him if he had survived. That is why I am assuming that the Colin Bentley died before 1920. Louise

Don't discount anything We were told that my Grandfather was killed in the first world war even his son ssaid that When I sent for the naval record he was still alive in 1921 when he demobbed.