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Remembered Today:

Identifying the Regiment


123karen

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I was wondering if anyone could identify the regiment by looking at these two photos........ My Grandfather was believed to be a stretcher bearer in WW1..... He was born and lived in Leeds Yorkshire and was believed to have joined the army underage...... So far i have not been able to allocate his war records/attestment papers etc...

post-80231-0-05734300-1316862938.jpg

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I was wondering if anyone could identify the regiment by looking at these two photos........ My Grandfather was believed to be a stretcher bearer in WW1..... He was born and lived in Leeds Yorkshire and was believed to have joined the army underage...... So far i have not been able to allocate his war records/attestment papers etc...

http://flic.kr/p/761kqM

http://flic.kr/p/22DgJo

In both photos it is clear that he is a man on mounted duty and as well as the picture mounted this is confirmed by items of his uniform such as spurs, the way his puttees are fastened and the double breasted 'mounted pattern' great coat (see enclosed photo of an ASC farrier for comparison). Unfortunately his cap badge is too indistinct to be sure of his unit, as are his shoulder titles in the mounted photo. However it seems likely that he might have been in the Army Service Corps, among whose duties was the driving of both horsed and motorized ambulances, which would fit with the stretcher bearer connection. He is also wearing a trench cap of late 1915 pattern (with ear flaps) although this is not significant in identifying his unit.

post-599-0-02809600-1316864996.jpg

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I was wondering if anyone could identify the regiment by looking at these two photos........ My Grandfather was believed to be a stretcher bearer in WW1..... He was born and lived in Leeds Yorkshire and was believed to have joined the army underage...... So far i have not been able to allocate his war records/attestment papers etc...

Hi Karen,

If you could post his full name and any other details, then it may be possible to find an MIC for him.

Robert

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KOYLI....Kings Own Yorkshire Light Infantry would be my guess and ties in with Yorkshire connection.

TT

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Hi

On Photo/All sizes, it looks to me, also to be a Army Service Corps, badge, and yes, in the other post illustration, it is a brass horseshoe, "Farrier".

It was brass, until 1941 when it chainged to worsted.

Gerwyn

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KOYLI....Kings Own Yorkshire Light Infantry would be my guess and ties in with Yorkshire connection.

TT

That did cross my mind, but I think the ASC is more likely from the mounted pic. I suspect the very small badge in the standing photo is caused by the brim of the cap being pulled down so far - sort of optical illusion.

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Hi Karen,

If you could post his full name and any other details, then it may be possible to find an MIC for him.

Robert

Information ......... William Reginald Gibson........... Born 1897 Leeds Yorkshire.................. on the 1911 census he was living at 2 Seaforth Terrace Harehills Leeds................ We all knew him as Reg - So not sure whether he enlsited as William Gibson or Reginald Gibson................ his parents were George & Charlotte Gibson

Many thanks for the help......

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There is a mic for a William R. Gibson, Army Service Corps, Royal Lancashire Regiment

Regimental Number: M/1680, 28287. He is listed as a Driver while with the Army Service Corps and a L/Cpl with the Royal Lancashire Regiment. His address is on the reverse of card; 23, Gledhow Wood Road, Leeds 8.

This soldier is also on the SWB list so Karen do you know if he was wounded?

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There is a mic for a William R. Gibson, Army Service Corps, Royal Lancashire Regiment

Regimental Number: M/1680, 28287. He is listed as a Driver while with the Army Service Corps and a L/Cpl with the Royal Lancashire Regiment. His address is on the reverse of card; 8, Gledhow Wood Road, Leeds.

This soldier is also on the SWB list so Karen do you know if he was wounded?

That fits well with the stretcher bearer aspect too and he might have brought some experience with him from the ASC. There was no Royal 'Lancashire' Regiment (just East and South), but there was a Royal Lancaster Regiment (King's Own). A large number of men were transferred from all the Corps and the Cavalry in 1918 to make up for some of the infantry casualties inflicted during the Kaiserschlact German Offensive in March of that year. They were, in effect, battle casualty replacements. As a result many men who began the war in e.g. the ASC, or the RA, ended it in the infantry.

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SWB could indicate sickness / no longer fit for active service as well as wounds

TT

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There was no Royal 'Lancashire' Regiment (just East and South), but there was a Royal Lancaster Regiment (King's Own).

I pasted the info from Ancestry but when you look at the actual card it says R.Lanc.R. which should be Royal Lancaster Regiment not Royal Lancashire Regiment.

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On the back of the mic is also a claim to a T.E.M. (Territorial Efficiency Medal) with comment:

"Man asked for doc evidence 20.04.43

No reply 31.12.43

B.M. 749/43"

The address at 23, Gledhow Wood Road seems to relate to 1943.

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There are two William R Gibsons on the Leeds Absent Voters List:

gibson william r 28287 l/cpl k o r lancs 6235ne (Cowper Avenue)

gibson william r 13369 pte lab bn 4567lw (Butts Mount)

http://www.leeds.gov.uk/Leisure_and_culture/Libraries/Records_and_archives__access/Family_history__Leeds_Absent_Voters_List_191418_War.aspx

Steve.

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Can you do a close up scan of his head in the first photo Karen? Looks like the guys have the right man...but may help confirm which badge he is wearing in the first photo. I think it may be that his cap is just overlapping his ASC badge as Steve has stated. Badge in second photo certainly appears to be ASC.

Rgds

Tim D

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There is a mic for a William R. Gibson, Army Service Corps, Royal Lancashire Regiment

Regimental Number: M/1680, 28287. He is listed as a Driver while with the Army Service Corps and a L/Cpl with the Royal Lancashire Regiment. His address is on the reverse of card; 23, Gledhow Wood Road, Leeds 8.

This soldier is also on the SWB list so Karen do you know if he was wounded?

Wow thank you so much for all the input everybody has being doing on my ID enquiry- much appreciated ............

Yes he was wounded during the war - he was injured in the thigh or hip and had to wear a built up boot thereafter........... and he lived at 23 gledhow wood road after he was married so that all ties in nicely

to the MIC record that you Myrtle found...... Regimental Number: M/1680, 28287

I will go now and see if i can find his WW1 records on ancestry........

much appreciation again to everyone for their help....

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Hi

On Photo/All sizes, it looks to me, also to be a Army Service Corps, badge, and yes, in the other post illustration, it is a brass horseshoe, "Farrier".

It was brass, until 1941 when it chainged to worsted.

Gerwyn

Do you have solid evidence for the 1941 statement please?

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And a Loyal North too.

Yes indeed, mustn't forget them - mea culpa.

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Wow thank you so much for all the input everybody has being doing on my ID enquiry- much appreciated ............

Yes he was wounded during the war - he was injured in the thigh or hip and had to wear a built up boot thereafter........... and he lived at 23 gledhow wood road after he was married so that all ties in nicely

to the MIC record that you Myrtle found...... Regimental Number: M/1680, 28287

I will go now and see if i can find his WW1 records on ancestry........

much appreciation again to everyone for their help....

Karen, this is the badge of the Royal Lancaster Regiment (King's Own) that the man in question would have worn.

post-599-0-12183000-1316982227.jpg

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Can you do a close up scan of his head in the first photo Karen? Looks like the guys have the right man...but may help confirm which badge he is wearing in the first photo. I think it may be that his cap is just overlapping his ASC badge as Steve has stated. Badge in second photo certainly appears to be ASC.

Rgds

Tim D

6184207947_470d233fc4_o.jpg

Hi Tim - i did zoom it up but its not very clear at all unfortunately.......................

I have now found his medal index card.......... but so far i havn't found any attestment papers for him........ but i shall keep on looking!

Karen......

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Do you have solid evidence for the 1941 statement please?

Hi

I just, returned your Pm, Yes my evidence came from: "Trademen's Instructor's and Skill-at-Arms, badges".

Gerwyn

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