Mr Grinch Posted 25 June , 2008 Share Posted 25 June , 2008 Hi all, Im trying to pad out a medal i have by trying to decipher his service papers. Now its looks like he was posted to the Northants Regiment 4th something but i cant read it ?? Cany anyone help ?? Here it is: Its also states that he received a GSW on the 5th April 1917, can anyone tell me what this company was doing over that period ?? Hope someone can help. Kind regards James Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stebie9173 Posted 25 June , 2008 Share Posted 25 June , 2008 It's the 4th Infantry Labour Company of the Northamptonshire Regiment (I think that there were 7 or 8 of them). They were very short lived units raised in March 1917 (Frank Findlay being one of the men assembled to form the original company) and rolled up into the Labour Corps two months later in May 1917. Military training was not necessary for men going to these companies as they were employed as labourers (though Frank Findlay had obviously been through his training already). Some of these men were in France within a week of being called up.... When I get home I should be able to tell you what Labour Corps Company it became. From there Ivor Lee can take over (if not before ) Steve. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sotonmate Posted 25 June , 2008 Share Posted 25 June , 2008 James This a new game ? You can't read it so you make it even smaller for us to decipher !! This guy will have 34764 Northants R on the rim of the medal ? His MIC only gives this Regt.and has no ref to the following units. It looks to me like he was transferred to Labour Corps/Company of the Royal Fusiliers Depot and then to another Labour Coy,maybe to do with the Northants Regt. This to me might mean that he had GSW before April 1917 with the result that he had to downgrade from A1 fitness. Sotonmate Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Grinch Posted 25 June , 2008 Author Share Posted 25 June , 2008 Hi all, Im trying to pad out a medal i have by trying to decipher his service papers. Now its looks like he was posted to the Northants Regiment 4th something but i cant read it ?? Cany anyone help ?? Here it is: Its also states that he received a GSW on the 5th April 1917, can anyone tell me what this company was doing over that period ?? Hope someone can help. Kind regards James Thanks for that. It would be interesting to find out what and where the 4th Labour Corps company was going when he got his injury. PTE Findley was in the Middx reg before had and was sent home with Shell Shock in 1916 after being buried in a shell hole at Trones Wood. He was still suffering after the war, they must have been pretty tough to send him back again !! James Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Grinch Posted 25 June , 2008 Author Share Posted 25 June , 2008 James This a new game ? You can't read it so you make it even smaller for us to decipher !! This guy will have 34764 Northants R on the rim of the medal ? His MIC only gives this Regt.and has no ref to the following units. It looks to me like he was transferred to Labour Corps/Company of the Royal Fusiliers Depot and then to another Labour Coy,maybe to do with the Northants Regt. This to me might mean that he had GSW before April 1917 with the result that he had to downgrade from A1 fitness. Sotonmate Hi Sotomate, He was in the Middx Reg (states this at the top of him MIC) and was sent home with shell shock in 1916. His medals have his Middx Reg number. His injury in April 1917 was a GSW to the buttock which was the final straw to finish him off. He was discharged in 1918. It would be interesting to find out what the 4th Labour Company was going around the time of his injury. Regards James Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stebie9173 Posted 25 June , 2008 Share Posted 25 June , 2008 I don't know what they got up to in France, but I have the 4th Labour Company as being formed at Milton Regis on 15th March 1917 and embarking to France via Folkestone & Boulogne on 25th March 1917. They later became the 142nd Company of the Labour Corps under A.C.I. 611 of 1917, on 24th May 1917. Steve. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ivor Lee Posted 25 June , 2008 Share Posted 25 June , 2008 James This poor old fellas eyesight is stopping me from reading the details posted. So will look at his record on Ancestry and then respond in detail. Ivor Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Grinch Posted 25 June , 2008 Author Share Posted 25 June , 2008 James This poor old fellas eyesight is stopping me from reading the details posted. So will look at his record on Ancestry and then respond in detail. Ivor Thanks Guys, Im a technophobe, so havnt a clue when it come to enlarging The poor chap was only in the company for 2 weeks before being sent back home again. Regards james Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ivor Lee Posted 25 June , 2008 Share Posted 25 June , 2008 James Steve, obviously better eyesight than me!, is quite correct he was in the 4th Infantry Labour Company, Northants Regiment. The bad news is that there are no Diary entries for 1 May 1917 when he was wounded. What we have are the following: 25 March 1917 arrived in France - 3 Officers and 494 Other Ranks 26 March 1917 left Bolougne for Bouqemaison - no indication of their work there 17 April 1917 moved from Haute Vise to Courcelles - to be employed on railway work. The next reference to them is not until 8 May when they were in the "Arras area". I appreciate he had returned to the UK by 8 May but the following reference during May, June and July all indicate they were involved in railhead work so I think it safe to assume that this was what they were doing in March and April - probably unloading wagons. Frank was not transferred to the Labour Corps as the change from 4th ILC Northants to 142 Company, Labour Corps only took place in May after he was returned to the UK. I see on his return he was sent to the Northants Depot where he appears to have remained until his discharge on 16 February 1918. Sorry I cannot give you exact information for the day he was injured. Ivor Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Grinch Posted 25 June , 2008 Author Share Posted 25 June , 2008 James Steve, obviously better eyesight than me!, is quite correct he was in the 4th Infantry Labour Company, Northants Regiment. The bad news is that there are no Diary entries for 1 May 1917 when he was wounded. What we have are the following: 25 March 1917 arrived in France - 3 Officers and 494 Other Ranks 26 March 1917 left Bolougne for Bouqemaison - no indication of their work there 17 April 1917 moved from Haute Vise to Courcelles - to be employed on railway work. The next reference to them is not until 8 May when they were in the "Arras area". I appreciate he had returned to the UK by 8 May but the following reference during May, June and July all indicate they were involved in railhead work so I think it safe to assume that this was what they were doing in March and April - probably unloading wagons. Frank was not transferred to the Labour Corps as the change from 4th ILC Northants to 142 Company, Labour Corps only took place in May after he was returned to the UK. I see on his return he was sent to the Northants Depot where he appears to have remained until his discharge on 16 February 1918. Sorry I cannot give you exact information for the day he was injured. Ivor Thanks for that Ivor, He was wounded on the 5th April so was probably in the Bouqemaison area. Something to go on. Thanks for that James Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stebie9173 Posted 25 June , 2008 Share Posted 25 June , 2008 The Northamptonshire Regiment "Depot" posting would be a paper only posting - he was probably in hospital, physically. Steve. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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