Help with Service Number - Bedfordshire Regt

[peter4447]

I am tracing a soldier from the 1st Bn Bedfordshire Regt who was KIA in France on 27th July 1917. His name is Harry Bays and I have been informed that he was also wounded in France in 1914.

His Service number is 3/6753 and would be most grateful if anybody could advise me about the signifigance of the numer 3 at the beginning - did this stand for the 3rd Battalion perhaps?

Many thanks

Peter

[headgardener]

His Service number is 3/6753 and would be most grateful if anybody could advise me about the signifigance of the numer 3 at the beginning - did this stand for the 3rd Battalion perhaps?

In a word, Yes.

All regular army regiments would have 2 battalions of regulars (1st and 2nd Bn), and a depot battalion (the 3rd). Your man would probably have been a reservist, recalled to the depot at the outbreak of war, and then posted to 1st or 2nd battalion, probably as a reinforcement before the Bn went to France. Alternatively, he could have been sent over as a reinforcement 'in the field'; check the date on his MIC.

[max7474]

Here it is:

ADMIN EDIT - MIC are not permitted to be posted.

From the rules - Members MAY NOT use the GWF to display any images of MIC's, service records etc downloaded from Ancestry or any similar genealogy sites on behalf of a third party. Members who are NOT subscribers to Ancestry and similar sites, MAY NOT use the GWF as a platform to ask parties who are to download data on their behalf.

Les

[headgardener]

So the MIC tells us that he was sent to France as a reinforcement for 1st Beds who had been in France since 16th August. 2nd Bn only arrived in France in October. Must have been a replacement for men lost during the retreat from Mons?

[peter4447]

Thank you very much indeed Gentlemen for your speedy replies I am most grateful to you.

Although serving with the Bedfords he actually came from Brixham, Devon. I am working with another amateur researcher down here in the southwest in putting together a roll of honour for all those who lost their lives in WW1 from Brixham. We have been very fortunate in the information we have managed to obtain to date but verifying everything is a slow process.

Once again many thanks indeed.

Peter

[corisande]

From the Service number he appears to have originally signed up for 3rd Battalion about Dec 1910 (see here)

The other thing you can do is find him in either 1911 census or 1901 census. I would use to start a hypothesis that he was 17 when he signed for the 3rd battalion, giving a dob of about 1893 - that may be wrong, but it would help census searches to start.

[peter4447]

Many thanks Corisande.

I think the mystery has now been solved.

The local Newspaper reporting his death states that he had been married for only 14 months. The only marriage I can find with the same names took place in early 1916 in Tendrng, Essex which covers Harwich and Dovercourt. With his service number indicating he was 3rd Bn, after he was wounded in France with the 1st Bn and returned to the UK, he must when he had recovered rejoined his original 3rd Battalion which along with the 4th Bn was actually stationed at Harwich as part of the Felixstowe Garrison and supplied reinforcements to the Bns in France. (I posted a photo of the 3/4 Bn Bands at Harwich on GWF recently). His Wife was born in Brixham so she must have travelled to Harwich where they were married and he must then have been re-drafted to the 1st Bn arriving for his second tour of duty in France on the 3rd June 1916. As a point of interest he was born in Chartteris, Cambs and his name is recorded on that War Memorial as well as the one in Brixham.

Kind regards

Peter

[Stebie9173]

According to his WO363 service record number 3/6740 Owen Henry Goff enlisted on 29 March 1911, so Harry Bays presumably enlisted in the few days/weeks after that, hence he may not be on the 1911 Census as a soldier. Special Reserve was part time service only - several months basic training, followed by summer training camps in 1912, 1913 and 1914 before full time mobilisation on 8-8-1914. Owen Henry Goff was also one of the Reservists that went to join 1st Bedfords in France on 11 September 1914.

The 1911 Census shows him as a civilian, age 17 in North Witchford, Cambs. Likely the son of William (age 43 per 1911 Census) and Sarah Jane (43), brother of Joe (15), James Albert (12), Sarah (9) and Lilly (3)

The town is actually spelt Chatteris (with no extra "r")

Steve.