We have recently come into possession of a trunk that we were told belonged to a solder from WW1. The plaque and stencils contain the following details:
6336895 C.COY Pte R Pearson IRW Kent Rgt Madras India
We are trying to find out more about Pte Pearson, but are not having much luck. I think the Kent Regiment is a Canadian one.
If anyone can help, I'd really appreciate it. Many thanks.
MARLEY Here is a little detective work that might help you on your way.
A) First off I believe you are mistaken in the assumption that the regiment is Canadian for the following reasons. 1) Although there was the 24th Kent Regiment of Canadian Militia at the outbreak of war, the Militia units did not go overseas, instead the Canadian Expeditionary Force (CEF) was made up of freshly recruited and sequentialy numbered battalions. 2) A search of the Canadian Archives on line site for 6336895 Pearson R. drew a negative response.
Thats the necative news now for the positive info.
B) Using the information stenciled on the trunk provides us with the following. 1) First of all the unit. I suggest that the stencil IWR should be read as 1WR. That then leads to the 1st Battalion Royal West Kent Regiment. 2) The Service/Regimental No 6336895 is according to a Military Historian part of the post war numbering system. 3) The Royal West Kents were certainly in India in the 1920's, hence the Madras India stencil.
C) However all that said there is nothing to say that Private Pearson did not serve in WW1. If he did,and if it was with the Royal West Kents then a search of the Medal Index Cards (MIC's) of WW1 Campaign Medals on line at The National Archives show there is only one man it could be. Here are the Image Details
CORPS REGIMENTAL NO RANK
The Queens 63385 Private Regiment
London G/36857 Private Regiment
Royal West G/36857 Private Kent Regiment
Dont be missled by the different Regimental/Service Nos. Soldiers were often renumberd when transfered to a different regiment. For furthur information on Pte Pearson you could try contacting the Royal West Kents Regimental Museum to see if they have any records of him in their archives and you could visit the National Archives ot Kew and search for his service record; although be warned only about 40% of WW1 Service Records survived the Blitz in WW2.
