Norfolk Regiment individual - help please

[aengland]

I just know that on the Forum there is an expert who can tell me (and also the owner of this photograph, a friend) something about the attached uniform.

For me it looks like a uniform for warmer climes, and post-war?.... but I am certainly no authority on such matters.

The grandfather of the owner of the photograph is the soldier sitting on the bottom right hand side of the photograph, i.e. on the left of the group.... by name Cecil Joseph Mallott.

So if you have any information, then I (and the grandson) would be extremely grateful

Thank you

Andrew

[Stebie9173]

He is a Lance-Corporal sporting a marksmans badge on his left arm. The uniform is the tropical Khaki Drill (KD) rather than Service Dress (SD). His medals are the British War Medal, the Victory Medal, and either a later campaign medal or a good conduct medal. I suspect that it is the General Service Medal for the post war India campaigns especially as there is this chap on the Medal index cards:

Cecil J Mallott - Nos. Northamptonshire Regiment 50182 (a 1918 issue off-hand without my database to check), Norfolk Regiment 41502, Norfolk Regiment 72452 (probably a 1919 interim number),Norfolk Regiment 5764982 (post-1920 number). His medal card shows he was awarded the British War Medal, the Victory Medal and India General Service Medal with clasp for Waziristan 1919-1921.

I strongly suspect that he transferred to the Norfolks immediately upon arrival in France, and did not serve in the front line with the Northamptons.

Very tentatively, I would suggest that he may have served in France with the 1st Norfolks from around July/August 1918.

The other man sitting appears to also have the IGS medal. Since they are in uniform with this late medal ribbon, I would suspect that they are serving on into the mid-1920s and thus their service records will be held by the Ministry of Defence and open to next of kin.

Steve.

[Stebie9173]

I little bit of refinement to the above. There seem to have been a batch of men transferring to the Norfolk Regiment from the Northamptons at the same time once reaching France. The records of 41506 Charles Leo Peachey would suggest the following:

- Enlisted and posted to the 4th (Reserve) Battalion of the Northamptonshire Regiment in December 1917.

- To France on 16-5-1918 (via Dover & Calais to "L" Infantry Base Depot)

- Allocated on arrival to the 5th Bn. Northamptonshire Regiment (Pioneer battalion of 12th Division)

- Transferred to the Norfolk Regiment, allocated No. 41502, and posted to the 1st Norfolks.

- Joined 1st Norfolks on 30-5-1918

The IGS medal rolls compiled in June 1923 show 5764982 C J Mallott as being awarded the medal and Waziristan clasp whilst serving with the 2nd Battalion of the Norfolk Regiment. The date of the roll strongly suggests his service record will be with the MOD. There is also a V J Mallott on the same page, No. 5763552. This may be Victor John Mallott who I believe was Cecil's brother? Victor would have been entitled to the same medals as Cecil, so probably isn't on the picture?

All the men on the pages are noted as "Returned to UK", so presumably the 2nd Norfolks had returned home from India by mid-1923.

Steve.

[aengland]

Steve

Greatly appreciate your help.... some fascinating detail which I have already passed on to the friend who owns the photograph; he is also very grateful.

Incidentally... the name Beeby is unusual. A very great friend of mine has the same surname and is related to Lieutenant Charles Stuart Beeby, 4th Bn Leicestershire Regiment who died on 27 May 1918. He is comemmorated on the Soissons memorial. No relation I assume?

Thanks again

Andrew

[Stebie9173]

Lieutenant Beeby is no relation as far as I am aware. Haven't found any officers in the family tree yet!

I believe the surname Beeby comes from Leicestershire (two Norman knights granted lands at the village of Beeby in Leicestershire). The surname is most common in Northamptonshire and Cumbria.

Steve.