AMMALGAMATING BATTALIONS

[mick benton]

HI EVERYONE, WHILST DOING RESEARCH FOR MY DISSERTATION ON THE HULL PALS BATTALIONS, I HAVE BEEN LOOKING AT REPLACEMENTS TO THE BATTALIONS. iT WOULD APPEAR THAT ON THE 2ND fEB 1918 A LOT OF MANCHESTER REGIMENT MEN TRANSFERED TO THE 10TH BATTALION EAST YORKSHIRE REGT. THERE IS TOO MANY FOR THIS TO BE EITHER A COINCIDENCE OR A TRANSFER OF WOUNDED MEN FROM BASE CAMP. IT WOULD THEREFOR SUGEST THAT THE 31ST DIVISION HAD A RESHUFFLE ON THIS DAY. DOES ANYONE KNOW IF ANY MANCHESTER BATTALIONS WERE DISBANDED AROUND THIS TIME, IF SO, WHO WERE THEY AND WERE THEY A PALS BATTALION ALSO. IF ANYONE WANTS THE NAMES AND NUMBERS OF THESE MEN TO MAKE IDENTIFICATION EASIER THEN I WILL GLADLY E:MAIL THEM TO YOU. THANKS VERY MUCH.

MICK

[John_Hartley]

According to the Long, Long Trail, four battalions were wound up during February - 2/8th, 18th, 19th, 23rd. The last three were "Pals" battalions

[themonsstar]

Hi Mick

Can I ask you to post the list of Manchester Regt lads on the Manchester Regt Forum;

http://themanchesters.org/forum/index.php

As this will help anyone looking for them, if they drop onto the site.

Cheers Roy

[mick benton]

According to the Long, Long Trail, four battalions were wound up during February - 2/8th, 18th, 19th, 23rd. The last three were "Pals" battalions

thanks so much john, do you know what these pals batts were called please. thanks

[mick benton]

Hi Mick

Can I ask you to post the list of Manchester Regt lads on the Manchester Regt Forum;

http://themanchesters.org/forum/index.php

As this will help anyone looking for them, if they drop onto the site.

Cheers Roy

hi roy, tried to join that site but had probs anyway here we go

name manchester no. east yorks no

john grace 17359 30149

herbert robinson 699 30202

james johnson 39553 27244

john boardman 36530 30245

there may be others, i will look into it for you. i only took a sample of cassuaty's for my diss.

all the best

[John_Hartley]

Mick

Simply the 3rd, 4th and 8th "Pals".

The 16th - 19th Battalions were all formed in September 1914 and were originally known as the 1st - 4th City Battalions, before they were officially taken on by the War Office. I think by November, when recruitment started up again, the new ones would have been the later 20th - 23rd Battalions. "Pals" was never an official designation. BTW, the 23rd was formed as a Bantam battalion.

Of the four, only John Grace appears to be an original Pal - listed in the Manchester City Battalions Book of Honour as 20th Battalion and his medal records show him going overseas on 9 November 1915.

Robinson's number looks like one associated with a Territorial battalion but I've no idea which. Johnson and Boardman have much later service numbers and probably went overseas as replacements for July 1916 casualties.

John

[mick benton]

Mick

Simply the 3rd, 4th and 8th "Pals".

The 16th - 19th Battalions were all formed in September 1914 and were originally known as the 1st - 4th City Battalions, before they were officially taken on by the War Office. I think by November, when recruitment started up again, the new ones would have been the later 20th - 23rd Battalions. "Pals" was never an official designation. BTW, the 23rd was formed as a Bantam battalion.

Of the four, only John Grace appears to be an original Pal - listed in the Manchester City Battalions Book of Honour as 20th Battalion and his medal records show him going overseas on 9 November 1915.

Robinson's number looks like one associated with a Territorial battalion but I've no idea which. Johnson and Boardman have much later service numbers and probably went overseas as replacements for July 1916 casualties.

John

thanks again john that is a great help. its ammazing where this dissertation research takes you.

mick

[joseph]

Hi,

I have Johnson 27244 joining the East Yorkshire Regiment in June 1916 from the Royal Fields Artillery.

The other 3 are part of a draft of 440 men who joined the 10th and 11th Battalions East Yorkshire Regiment on the 2nd April 1918, they came from a base depot and Corps belonging to numerous regiments. About 120 from the Manchester Regiment joining the 10th Battalion in the field at Monchy-Breton 70 men from Base on the 4th April 1918 and 256 from XIII Corps (M and R Camp?) on the 5th April 1918.

Of all the numbers I have the only one that could have been in a pals Battalion is 699 Robinson.

Regards Charles

[David W]

This answers a question that I have often thought about. A soldier I researched who died serving with the 8th Batt Manchester Regt had a younger brother living in the family home at Moston.

Given his age I assume he joined up towards the very end of the war where I found him listed with the East Yorks Regt, rather strange I thought given he would have joined up in Manchester. Perhaps he did join one of the said Manchester Batt and was subsequently transferred.......

[mick benton]

Hi,

I have Johnson 27244 joining the East Yorkshire Regiment in June 1916 from the Royal Fields Artillery.

The other 3 are part of a draft of 440 men who joined the 10th and 11th Battalions East Yorkshire Regiment on the 2nd April 1918, they came from a base depot and Corps belonging to numerous regiments. About 120 from the Manchester Regiment joining the 10th Battalion in the field at Monchy-Breton 70 men from Base on the 4th April 1918 and 256 from XIII Corps (M and R Camp?) on the 5th April 1918.

Of all the numbers I have the only one that could have been in a pals Battalion is 699 Robinson.

Regards Charles

hi charles thanks for that, i have just been looking through james taits diary and for march 12th 1916 he says that 56 men from b company have volenteered for a commision. i know a lot of the 10th did, but do you know how many and how you can trace them after they were commisioned. i have been comparing replacement men for each battalion, it is really interesting how each battalion alters in structure. anyway all the best

michael