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The Great War (1914-1918) Forum

Remembered Today:

Wilts Regiment in Battle


Chris Phillips

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My Grandad, Henry James Morse (or Harry) served in the Wiltshire regiment & got a 15 star.

I'm trying to find out about the battles he/they fought in to arrange a visit around some or all of the sites.

Family history mentions: Egypt; Turkey; Dardanelles; Salonika: Greece & Tortoises and that he was a band sergeant.

I'm not sure how true these things are, but may give some clues?

Thank you

Chris

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Chris, to determine that you will need to identify his battalion(s). I see from your other post that you have his medal index cards. You will need to consult the medal rolls to which they refer. They will give his battalion(s). The rolls are not online: they are held as original documents at the National Archives. Good luck!

Meanwhile have you tried to find his service record at Ancestry? That would give battalion(s) and dates and perhaps a good deal more.

Finally have you seen this: http://www.1914-1918.net/wilts.htm

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If the information is correct, he almost certainly served with the 5th (Service) Bn Wiltshire who were part of 40th Infantry Bde in the 13th Western Div - the only Wilts Bn at Gallipoli. Note the 7th (Service) Bn were in Salonika from Nov 1915 ro Jun 1918

5th Service Bn Wiltshire Regt

Formed Devizes Aug 1914

13th Div Oct 1914. Chiseldon

Dec 1914 Cirencester and to 40th Bde replacing 8th Welsh regt which became Pioneer Bn

Feb 1915 -Woking

May 1915 - Bisley

1 Jul 1916 Sailed from Avonmouth for Med and Mudros

16th-30th Jul 1915 Helles (Gallipoli)

4 Aug 15 ANZAC (Gallipoli)

Jan 16 to Egypt

Feb 6 to Mesopotamia

31 Oct 18 40th Bde 13th Div Mesopotamia, Altun Kupri north of Kirkuk

Source: Brig E A Jams "British Regiments 1914-18" page 96.

The National Archives holds two War Diaries for this Bn:

1. WO 95/4303 Sep -Dec 1915 (Gallipoli)

2. WO 95/5161 Feb 1916- Feb 1919 (Mesopotamia)

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  • 3 weeks later...

Thanks for all the posts. Having checked the medals further, 1 of the set had 13536 on the back & Corporal.

So my understanding is:

My grandad Henry James (aka Harry) Reg. No. (army Service Number) 13536 was originally a Lance Corporal who later became a Corporal in the Wiltshire Regiment.

Class Z means he was a reservist after the war (1918 - 1920)

Family conversations included mention of Territorial - but I can't be certain.

Where or how can I check which battalion he was in? 5th or 7th?

He would have lived at the time in Wroughton near Swindon, Wiltshire - so very near to Chiseldon & not far from Cirencester & Devizes.

Family conversations mention Salonika (7th), Egypt (5th) & Turkey (Gallipoli) (5th)

Was it the 7th Battalion because they went to France in Sep 1915?

Then onto Salonika from Nov 1915 to Jun 1918

Or more likely did he serve with the 5th (Service) Bn Wiltshire who were part of 40th Infantry Bde in the 13th Western Div - the only Wilts Bn at Gallipoli.

With the following history:

Formed Devizes Aug 1914

13th Div Oct 1914. Chiseldon

Dec 1914 Cirencester and to 40th Bde replacing 8th Welsh regt which became Pioneer Bn

Feb 1915 -Woking

May 1915 - Bisley

1 Jul 1916 Sailed from Avonmouth for Med and Mudros

16th-30th Jul 1915 Helles (Gallipoli)

4 Aug 15 ANZAC (Gallipoli)

Jan 16 to Egypt

Feb 6 to Mesopotamia

31 Oct 18 40th Bde 13th Div Mesopotamia, Altun Kupri north of Kirkuk

Or was he in reinforcements for other battalions?

Any further help would be gratefully received.

Later I'll check the war diaries listed:

5th Wilts:

1. WO 95/4303 Sep -Dec 1915 (Gallipoli)

2. WO 95/5161 Feb 1916- Feb 1919 (Mesopotamia)

http://www.thewardro...e:1/regiment:13

7th Wilts:

http://www.thewardro...rch/regiment:15

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The 5th (Service) Bn went straight to Gallipoli, sailing on 1st Jul 1915...the 7th (Service) Bn landed in France in Sep 1915...Your grandfather's medal Index card (MIC) shows a disembarkation date of 21st Sep 1915 in France....they left for Salonika in Nov 1915 and returned to France in July 1918...so it looks as if he was with the 7th (Service) Bn.

The 7th (Service) Bn War Diary records they sailed straight to Salonika (no mention of Gallipoli or the Dardanelles) from the UK and sailed from Greece to France via Taranto in Italy in 1918.

It is a remote possibility that he served with both Battalions, but that would provide only a tiny window of opportunity to have set foot on Gallipoli. It means he would have been sent from France to Gallipoli rather than Salonika which would be highly unusual. I think given his MIC details, whilst technically possible, I think it is extremely unlikely he was at Gallipoli. Also, from all the War Diaries I have seen I have not seen reiforcement drafts coming from units on active service in France. They all came either directly from the UK or from units in Egypt. MG

Regards

MG

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