Changing from Northamptonshires

[maudson]

I am researching a family called Baker and their brother-in-law Frank Horace Robinson who all came from Ringstead in Northamptonshire. They all had very different army careers: Herman Baker went into the Machine Gun Corps, Charles Baker joined the Railway Corps, Arthur Harry Baker joined the Veterinary Corps in 1917 and may have stayed in England. Frank Horace Robinson joined the 28th Battalion of the Royal Fusiliers and transferred to the 7th Battalion of the Queen's (Royal Surrey) Regiment and was taken prisoner and taken to Langensalza for the remainder of the war. Only Herman and Charles seem to have records remaining, although I have got a copy of a postcard sent by Frank Robinson from Langensalza..

It is Walter Baker who I am struggling to find much about although I have found his medal card. This says he was in the Northamptonshire Regiment (30926), Royal Inniskilling Regiment (40722) and Royal Irish Regiment (18580). I have found from a local website that he was badly wounded on 1st April 1917 and that he enlisted in November 1916. My questions are:

Is there a way to work out from the change of regiments when this would have occurred (so I can see where he saw action)?

Was there a process whereby this change of regiments would have happened (did they come home because wounded or on leave and were just sent to a different regiment)?

I write up the life stories of people who lived in Ringstead in the nineteenth century and put them on a website and then into a short run self-published book. I thought, as it will come out next year it would be right to add a few short biographies of these men who were in WW1

Many thanks for any information or guidance.

David

[sotonmate]

There is a member here STEBIE9173 who has a wide knowledge of Northamptonshire soldiers. He may be able to put an enlistment date to your subject,and maybe some more detail as well.

You might have to send him a personal message here,as he might miss your request due to your thread header being non-specific !

[maudson]

Thanks sotomate. I have changed the topic title. I hope that helps.

David

[Stebie9173]

I have got the answer for that (5th R.I.F. in Salonika in 1917 in very short terms!) but I am on a flying visit to my PC, so will get back to you later!

Steve.

EDIT: Ok. Type in haste, repent at leisure. I picked up the wrong set of transfers from the Northamptons - that will teach me for doing things on the run and off the top of my head!. I shall review things at a more studious pace and report back...

Edited 12 November , 2013 by Stebie9173

[Stebie9173]

Right,

Apologies for that. I have had a better dig and the records of 30909 Horace Edgar Allen seem to provide a clue or two to Walter Bakers service.

Horace Allen of Irthlingborough enlisted at Northampton on 16th November 1916 and was posted to the 3rd Battalion of the Northamptonshire Regiment for training (allotted No. 30909). He went to France on 1st February 1917 and was initially held at No. 17 Infantry Base Depot at Etaples. On arrival in France he was posted to the 1st Battalion of the Northamptonshire Regiment, dated 1st February 1917. however, he never joined the 1st Northamptons, instead joining the 2nd Battalion of the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers on 16th February 1917 under Army Council Instruction 1499 of 1916, and renumbered to 40712. He joined the 2nd R. Inn. Fusiliers (probably a short while later) and was wounded on 1st April 1917. He was evacuated to England on 17th April 1917.

Horace Allen's service would seem to match that of Walter Baker - even down to the wounding on 1st April 1917! Due to the similar combination of numbers it would seem likely that both Horace Allen and Walter Baker followed the same path to the front line.

Three local men were also killed in the April 1917 period who share similar combinations of numbers:

Percy Baxter, R.I.F. No. 40724, DoW with 2nd R.I.F., 2-4-1917 (previously 31925 Northamptonshire Regiment)

Harry Baxter, R.I.F. No. 40720, KIA with 2nd R.I.F., 1-4-1917 (previously 72922 Middlesex Regiment)

Arthur Leonard Charles, R.I.F. No. 40727, KIA with 2nd R.I.F., 1-4-1917 (previously 30949 Northamptonshire Regiment)

There are 11 other men from Northamptonshire with the same combination of numbers, all dying with 2nd Battalion Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers.

The deaths of the above men with 2nd Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers strengthens the conjecture that they served with 2nd Battalion. Of course, the medal roll at the National Archives would probably give the correct battalion numbers....

Steve.

[maudson]

Many thanks again Steve. I am used to writing short biographies but am a little out of my depth with the military. I was going to finish my second set of Ringstead life stories and send them to the printer but then someone gave me the photograph of the Baker family and I felt that I had to do one final chapter. I will of course acknowledge your help for which I am very grateful.

David

[maudson]

Hi All

Many thanks to everyone who helped - especially Steve. I have posted the stories of the Baker Boys on my Ringstead website http://ringstead.squarespace.com . I hope that I have got everything right. Thanks again

David