Any Queen's Royal West Surreys experts out there?

[Jim Hastings]

Good evening all,

I just wondered if there were any Queens Regt experts on the Forum? I'm particularly interested in 2nd/4th Bn. Although I now live in Sussex, I was born and bred in Croydon and remain interested in the war service of Croydonian's. I understand from LLT that 1/4th were despatched to India in 1914, and a 2/4th was raised and served in Gallipoli and the Middle East.

I'd be interested to know, if anyone does, how many of the Bn, particularly those that served at Gallipoli, were Croydon men? I've always wondered if there was a 'Pals' element to enlistment in Croydon (I raised a post re: this as few years ago) and although I know there was nothing like Lowther's Lambs as in Sussex, I wondered if 2nd/4th may have some element of it, be it at Company or Platoon level.

Also, what was the 'key point' (i.e. battle) of their war?

Know a long shot, but if you don't ask you don't learn, and it does intrigue me.

Appreciate any insight, many thanks

All the best

Jim

[Colin W Taylor]

Jim

I'm not an expert on the Queens Regiment but I'd suggest a look at their regimental history by Colonel H C Wylly (best method would be on inter-library loan or buying a cheap reprinted version). It explains the origins of the 2/4th and also 3/4th which do hark back to Croydon. However not all of those in 2/4th Battalion were from Croydon - just under half were from the 2/5th Queens. Presumably the men from each of the original battalions were kept in the same companies but it would be difficult to know. Theres also a 3/4rd Battalion to look at who arrived on the Western Front in 1917.

Have you got a copy of Croydon in the Great War? If you download a copy and go through the roll of honour it might give you an idea where the casualties predominantly served.

I hope that's of help.

Kind regards

Colin

[Jim Hastings]

Thank you Colin,

That is very helpful, didn't realise they were half 2/5th and missed the 3/4th. I'll try Croydon in the GW and see what materializes, and I'll post any finds/deductions.

Thank you again

Jim

[Spud Trevor]

Jim,

A quick search of the CWGC using The Queens (Royal West Surrey) as regiment and Croydon as additional information lists 207 casualties. Obviously it will need additional work to establish the Bn's of the men listed, and there will obviously be 2/4th men who did not have any link to Croydon recorded by CWGC, but it would provide a start.

Regards,

Spud

[bootneck]

Jim

Have you thought about the local newspapers at the Croydon Archives. The West Surrey papers at the Surrey History Centre are full of reports about the battalion along with lists of sick and wounded during 1915.

regards

Bootneck

[Jim Hastings]

Spud and Bootneck,

Both good directions thank you, I've had mixed fortunes with papers archives down in Sussex but must make some time to get up to Surrey by the sounds

Thank you both, appreciated

Jim

[ASA1]

The 2/4th's battle honours from Wylly's history are - Sulva, Landing at Sulva, Scimitar Hill, Gallipoli 1915, Rumani, Egypt 1915-16, Marne 1918, Soissonnais-Ourcq, Gaza, El Mughar, Jerusalem, Jericho, Tell 'Asur, and Palestine 1917-18.

According to the CWGC database they suffered 374 casualties; 25 of these have 'Croydon' in the additional information field.

The battalion war diaries are available online - http://qrrarchive.websds.net/menu2.aspx?reg=WSR

The Croydon Roll of Honour can also be viewed online - http://www.croydononline.org/history/the_war_years/roh/dod.asp

Andy

[Jim Hastings]

Outstanding Andy,

Thank you very much, greatly appreciated. I used to live just up the road from Carshalton in Waddon and remember the memorial in Carshalton very well.

Have been to Suvla with the Army too, so must have stepped where they did.

Many thanks again

Jim