11 London Regiment - Pte H E Smith

[Mark]

I started this topic some 11 months ago http://bit.ly/hxoApR and at long last I now have some concrete information to work on. Grandad's medals arrived in the post yesterday from an elderly relative who has had them hidden away for some years. There is 14/15 Star, VM & BWM all in need of some cleaning.

I now know that Grandad's (Henry Everard Smith) regimental number was 3638 11/London Regiment. His MIC also gives 451339 as a second number presumably when the London regiment's renumbered. He went to Egypt on 28 November 1915 and was there for the duration. A quick check of Ancestry seems to show that his service record didn't survive.

Could one of our London Regiment experts give any information from the regimental numbers? Thanks in advance as always.

Of course I'm pretty chuffed to get his medals after such a long time of looking and asking. Grandad died 53 years ago and his medals have been in a box in an attic since then.

[IPT]

Looks like he may have joined early/mid May 1915?

11th (County of London) Bn, The London Regiment (Finsbury Rifles)

3553 joined on 4th May 1915

3905 joined on 1st June 1915

http://armyservicenu...-bn-london.html

LLT

1/11th (County of London) Battalion (Finsbury Rifles)

7 May 1915 : formation renamed 162nd Brigade in 54th (East Anglian) Division. Moved to St Albans.

Late July 1915 : sailed from Plymouth for Gallipoli, going via Mudros. Landed at Suvla Bay 11 August 1915.

December 1915 : evacuated from Gallipoli and moved to Egypt..

[Stebie9173]

The medal rolls and medal index cards can quote two dates - either the date of arrival in a theatre of war or the date of embarkation. When this is from England to France they are usually the same or a day different. In the case of Egypt & Gallipoli, they were a couple of weeks ship journey away, so the embarkation dates are often a while before arrival in a Theatre of War. Most of the medal card dates I have seen for 54th Division state the embarkation date.

The battalions of 54th Division started to evacuate Gallipoli in early December 1915, so it is likely that the 11th Londons were already evacuating from the peninsula (or just about to). It seems likely that he joined the battalion in Egypt once they arrived back from the Dardenelles.

Steve.

[David_Underdown]

Well the 451339 number is in the block allocated to 11th London in the renumbering http://www.1914-1918.net/TF_renumbering_infantry.htm and his medals were issued against an 11th bn roll WO 329/1923 so it looks pretty likely he stayed with them throughout his service, to be sure though you need to get a look at that medal roll.

[Stebie9173]

...and London Regiment medal rolls even shoe dates served overseas with the relevant battalions.

Steve.

[Mark]

Many thanks for your help. My Dad has always said that grandad served throughout the war in Egypt but thanks for the tip to check the medal roll. Quite when I can get to Kew I don't know.