William Malcolm just found service records but can't understand th

[jonmalco]

Hi,

Just found my Gr Grandfathers service records on Ancestry. I am not quite sure what it is all telling me especially the statement of service, as I noticed a concentration camp mentioned.

To see the document please click on these links

Page 1

Page 2

Page 3

Can anyone help me work out what these are telling me about his service. I know he survived the war but would love to be able to understand these documents.

Thanks

Jon

[jonmalco]

Found some more pages

Page 4

Page 7

Page 8

Page 9

Page 10

Page 11

Page 13

Missed off blank pages.

[Terry_Reeves]

The concentration camp mentioned was an assembly camp for troops being sent back to England for demobilization.

TR

[jonmalco]

The concentration camp mentioned was an assembly camp for troops being sent back to England for demobilization.

TR

Thanks for that.

I can't quite work out where he served and what he was doing. Can anyone help?

[Stebie9173]

William Malcolm volunteered under the Derby Scheme on 26 November 1915. He was mobilised and called-up on 3 April 1917. After his early training at Plymouth, he was posted to the the 428th Siege Battery of the Royal Garrison Artillery from 21 April 1917 to 3 September 1917 (serving at Pries Heath whilst in the UK), and 161st Siege Battery of the Royal Garrison Artillery from 3 September 1917 until he was demobilised in 1919. He served in France and Flanders (B.E.F. = British Expeditionary Force) from 29 August 1917 to 21 October 1918. After two weeks leave he returned to the Western Front on 4 November 1918.

Neither 428 nor 161 Batteries has an individual War Diary at the National Archives, which suggests that they were part of a Heavy Artillery Group (HAG). You will need to identify the HAG to track their movements. That is beyond my expertise but fortunately the topic has been raised before and it states the following regarding the War Diary for the HAG in question.

Unfortunately no official diary survives for 161 Sge Bty either for this period, so your only recourse is therefore the HAG diary they were part of from June 1917 until 1919, which was 51 Brigade for this 9.2 Howitzer battery. This can be found at NA ref WO95/473

See:

http://1914-1918.invisionzone.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=138886&st=0&p=1324569&hl=

Some expanded details in this older Topic:

http://1914-1918.invisionzone.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=40754&st=0&p=339067&hl=

Steve.

[jonmalco]

William Malcolm volunteered under the Derby Scheme on 26 November 1915. He was mobilised and called-up on 3 April 1917. After his early training at Plymouth, he was posted to the the 428th Siege Battery of the Royal Garrison Artillery from 21 April 1917 to 3 September 1917 (serving at Pries Heath whilst in the UK), and 161st Siege Battery of the Royal Garrison Artillery from 3 September 1917 until he was demobilised in 1919. He served in France and Flanders (B.E.F. = British Expeditionary Force) from 29 August 1917 to 21 October 1918. After two weeks leave he returned to the Western Front on 4 November 1918.

Neither 428 nor 161 Batteries has an individual War Diary at the National Archives, which suggests that they were part of a Heavy Artillery Group (HAG). You will need to identify the HAG to track their movements. That is beyond my expertise but fortunately the topic has been raised before and it states the following regarding the War Diary for the HAG in question.

See:

http://1914-1918.inv...0&p=1324569&hl=

Some expanded details in this older Topic:

http://1914-1918.inv...=0&p=339067&hl=

Steve.

Thanks for your help, it is greatly appreciated