Pt John H Footitt - Nottinghamshire & Derbyshire Regt

[alexgordo]

All

Firstly thanks to the forum members who helped me in tracing three of my great uncles serving with the Lincolnshire Regiment who were all killed in France 1915, 1917 and Galipolli in 1915.

My next area of research is my Great Grandfather:

Private John Henry Footitt, born in 1896 in Grantham, Lincs, served and survived WW1 with the Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire Regiment.

I am finding it difficult to trace the history of a survivor of the war, but am very interested in his experiences during the war. He died relatively young in 1951 as a result of 'shell shock', according to family stories. Clearly he was never the same man who returned home in January 1919 and I would like to piece together his war.

His medal records state the following information:

Theatre of War first served in: France

Date entered: 28th June 1915

Corps: Notts & Derbys R

Rank: Private

Regiment No: 2745 and 305749

If anyone could at least help me with identifying his battalion that would help me in researching a little more on his own personal experiences.

Why does he have two regimental numbers? I presume there may have been some time where he was transferred to another unit, or maybe wounded and later transferred.

Many thanks for any light you can shed on this.

Alex

[Guest]

Hi Alex. Regarding the two numbers, you will find it explained HERE

A few pages of your Great Grandfather's service record survive in the ' pensions ' records, on Ancestry.co.uk

He served with the 8th Bn

Cheers Mike

[sotonmate]

Alex

The records show him to be born and living in Newark, Notts,with his mother Lily.He attested from there on 20 Oct 1914. He is shown as 19 years old (and no months) at that time.His posting to France with the 1/8th Battalion on 28 Jun 1915 seems to have been as part of a replacement batch as the Bn first landed there with 139 Brigade of 46 Division in Feb 1915.

To read of his war you are lucky to be able to download the full War Diary for the 1/8th which covers from it's arrival in France to the end of the war. The reference is WO95/2695 and it will cost you 3.50 from the National Archives Catalogue.

Sotonmate