Is this a Manchester Pal?

[Chris_Baker]

Can anyone pls confirm whether 25805 Pte David Lynch was an original with one of the Manchester City battalions? It looks like it from his number.

[John_Hartley]

Apparently not - according to the Book of Honour

Number does look right. How about he joined the Mancs, but was very quickly transferred elsewhere (i.e. before the photos for the book were taken)? Does that fit your info?

[Chris_Baker]

Thanks, John. I've got his medal roll info, and it gives the following

25805 Mancs R, no battalion

then

114256 Labour Corps, no Company as usual.

I believe 114256 might put him in 191 Company of the LC but quite how he got there is anyone's guess

[John_Hartley]

The only two listed by SDGW with near numbers (25800 & 25809) are both 22nd Bn. I'm sticking with my speculation that he's an original joiner (9/14 or jjust after) and then quickly bounced off to the LC).

[CROONAERT]

There are several 258** numbered soldiers from the 16th, 17th, 21st and 22nd Battalions, but none appear in the BOH. A couple of them died on the 1st July 1916, but I don't think that they were with the battalions when the BOH was compiled (apart from maybe one, whose number may have changed ) making them slightly (might only be a month or two) later recruits. The majority of "pals" who had this number seem ,to me, to be "Somme replacements" (the late 1914, early 1915 recruits?) or even later.

Dave (speculating yet again!!!)

[Guest Ian Bowbrick]

Thanks, John. I've got his medal roll info, and it gives the following

25805 Mancs R, no battalion

then

114256 Labour Corps, no Company as usual.

I believe 114256 might put him in 191 Company of the LC but quite how he got there is anyone's guess

Chris,

Quite correct 114256 was a number in the block allocated to the 191st Labour Coy, when the Labour Corps was formed in April 1917, meaning that he was an original member of the Company.

Ian

[John_Hartley]

Dave

Must have been even later than very early 1915. In the January, the "E" Coys were recruited (certainly with the 17th - coz that's when grandad joined up - none of this rushing off to get killed for Tom). Interesting that they may have "slotted in" people into the numbers.

John

[Chris_Baker]

I have a theory. I've cross checked all the casualties from 191 Labour Coy, using SDGW and CWGC records. Almost all came from 23rd Manchesters or 15th or 16th Cheshires. These were all bantam battalions. In late 1916 and early 1917, many men were combed out of these units as being just too small and unfit for front line service. Seems they were placed into the Labour Corps in April 1917.

[Guest Ian Bowbrick]

Chris,

One fact in your favour is that the number block making up the 191st Coy was allocated to the CinC BEF France rather than say a Regimental Infantry Labour Company or Infantry Battalion, so you would be looking at a scratch unit. Interestingly they reported to the OC Depot Durham Light Infantry.

Ian

[John_Hartley]

OK - I've bothered to look at the actual Roll of Honour book (rather than relying on the index of the CD). The original Pals'(and my view is that if you ain't in the book, then you ain't a Pal) numbers only go up to the range of 22000 (or so). This means he must be, as Dave suggests, a later recruit. In which case could be any Battalion. 23rd seems a good speculation in the absence of anything else, Chris.

John