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Private S/14176 14th Bn Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders


kenf48

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What, if anything, can be learned from a service number?

Percy Foster Private S/14176 14th Bn was killed in an air raid on Etaples, together with a number of his comrades and other men from Scottish Regiments, on the 19th/20th May 1918. I have his medal record, Victory and BWM, Theatre of War is blank. The Great War Dead lists the theatre of war as Aldershot presumably, Etaples was regarded as an extension of the Depot. He's also on the Scottish Roll of Honour although he's from Northamptonshire. I can't find his service record, and assume it was destroyed. I've read the main site regarding the movements of the 14th Bn., and visited Etaples. I've not been able to check the local newspaper as yet, another field trip!

The closest of his comrades who died was L/Cpl Sayer MM 13485, but then again while looking through the cemetery record I found a Private W.H. Collins from the 12th (Service) Bn East Surrey Regt (another New Army Bn) with a Service number 14296 who died in Sept 1916, is it therefore safe to assume Percy joined before that date?

Ken

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Ken

A quick check on Ancestry shows S/14062 (Kenneth John Cuthbertson) Attested 19th October 1915 and S/14200 (James Morris McLean) Attested 28th October 1915. I'd suggest it's very likely that Percy Attested between those two dates.

As for Theatre of War being Aldershot, that's an Ancestry problem that they haven't sorted out yet <_< , should be France and Flanders.

Regards

Steve

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Thanks Steve,

I assume from the surnames you quote (which have a definite Scottish ring!) you're talking about attestation to the Argylls, rather than the Army. I thought the numbers must run in some sort of sequence thank you for clearing that up.

I know he could simply have been posted into the Battalion, but ld like think there was a stronger reason for him being in a Highland Regiment, even though the family has no connection with Scotland at all. If your informed estimate is right it would seem he was coming out of the line rather than going in, probably as the Bn was being reduced to cadre as it says on the main site.

When we went to Etaples in December (it was simply somewhere to go on a p & o special offer day trip and we were not really prepared) we were quite shocked to see the numbers killed that night, and apart from the Canadian Medical Corps they were mainly from the Life Guards and Scottish regiments. We simply thought Percy had died of wounds in the base hospital.

We've found out a lot more about the raid since our visit but still have many gaps. I was going through the Cemetery record to get a list of 14th Bn killed but with over 10000 records it's a bit daunting(I'd done the 2300 a-c when I posted last night!). I'm not sure what it's telling me, but those I have so far apart from Percy and L/Cpl Sayer are McAllister 40967, McPhail 8929, Morton 19756, Watson 325557 and Wood 325136. I also scribbled a few details from other Regiments to see if I could establish what they were doing there. From the descriptions and plans of Etaples, I imagine they had little protection,and were probably in the same tent or hut when the bombs fell. I thought it might make an interesting story to try and establish how they all got there.

As you can see from my posting history, I'm new to this area, but the war diary of the 14th Bn is in TNA but before I order any excerpts I wonder if you, or anyone else knows if it's been published?

Now you've given me a better idea of dates Percy was in the Regiment I think it's worthwhile to see, in more detail, where the Battalion was from 1915 to 1918.

btw thanks for clearing up the Aldershot bit I subscribe to the Genealogist, and access ancestry from the library, which is usually adequate but probably a bit limiting for this project.

Regards,

Ken

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Ken.

I have just checked Soldiers Died In The Great War part 70 Princess Louise`s [Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders] and the information given is as follows.

Foster, Percy born Kettering, Northants, enlisted Kettering, Northants. S/14176. Private. Died of wounds, France & Flanders 19/5/18.

I think i am correct in saying that regimental numbers that started with an S prefix were for Scottish regiments & were for war service only enlistments.

My Grandfather was also in the 14th Argylls & was taken P.O.W on 25/3/18, according to his medal index card he had an S prefix number at some point in his army life but his medals have a 4 digit number on them & also he had a 7th Argylls number of 278202. I am still confused by army numbering but hope that my reply has been of some help.

Regards.

Scott.

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Scott,

Thank you. Before visiting Etaples I had assumed Percy had been wounded in the German Spring Offensive, but it now seems he managed to escape being overrun, unlike your grandfather. Do you know where he and the Battalion were when he was made a POW?

As the Battalion was reduced to a cadre I guess we can assume heavy losses, and probably Percy and his mates were thinking themselves fortunate to be in the rear in one piece. Then along came the bombers, contemporary accounts say no air raid precautions were in place that night.

Regards

Ken

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