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Posted

I am trying to find out any World War 1 information I can about my grandfather, Jonathon Bowden, born Chadderton, Oldham, Lancashire on 16/12/1883.



He was living in Waterhead, Oldham in the 1911 Census, and continued to live there until his death in 1955.



There seem to be 3 possibilities on the MIC records.



One is Private J. BOWDEN, Service No.2809 in the East Lancs Regiment.



Is it possible that someone from Oldham would be in the East Lancs?



Does the low service number give any clues as to when he might have joined up and which part of the regiment he belonged to?



In turn would it then be possible to find out where he served? Any information about this regiment in general would be of interest.



Many Thanks



Posted

I am seething ! Just written a long note and pressed something, whatever it was,and lost the lot !

As it's been a long day I won't be doing that again. Here a precis instead :

Your JB, 2809 East Lancs,no reason why he couldn't have signed on to East Lancs.His Medal Index Card shows him landing at Gallipoli on 23.7.1915,tying him in to 6 Battalion East Lancs which was part of 38 Brigade of 13 Division. The Card is unusual in that it only shows him receiving the 1914-15 Star,whereas he would have received the British War and Victory Medals also. The odd thing is that there is another JB 40338 South Lancs Regt who received the other two,and I am wondering if this is one and the same man,who at some time had to change Regiments (it happened frequently) and the medal issue wasn't cross-referred on both the cards. I wonder if anyone here has seen of that before ?

The service number issue can possibly be narrowed down to late 1914,as small sample of other numbers maybe illustrates this possibility:

2512 = 2.10.1914 ; 2761 = 7.10.1914 and 2938 = 20.10.1914

I have not encountered either a service or pension record on Ancestry UK,so maybe they aren't surviving.

Your other possibility, JB 24929 Driver ( likely meaning a horse driver who pulled the field guns around) Royal Field Artillery,have you an idea that you shouldn't include this one ? Was your subject a horse user in civvy life which would qualify him to being a useful addition to the RFA ? He also began his war (in France) in Sept 1915.

There,I've written it again anyway !

Posted

There is an Absent Voters List (AVL) for Oldham, in most that I've seen a mans number and unit are listed. Try Oldham Local Studies Group

Posted

Thank you for your suggestions and interpretations of the different MIC.

Sadly I don't think I can determine which of these soldiers might be my grandfather from the information I have so far.

The possibility that Private 2809 of the East Lancs and Private 40338 of the South Lancs are the same man is an interesting theory.

My grandfather was a coal labourer in the 1911 Census so he could have used a horse and cart and therefore been Private 24929 in the RFA. Am I correct that this card shows this soldier became a Lance Bombardier?

My 76 year old cousin did say that my grandfather had respiratory problems as a result of his war experiences.

I will contact the Oldham Local Studies to see if he appears on the absent voter list or if they have any other local newspaper information that might be relevant.

Vera

Posted

.... no reason why he couldn't have signed on to East Lancs.His Medal Index Card shows him landing at Gallipoli on 23.7.1915,tying him in to 6 Battalion East Lancs which was part of 38 Brigade of 13 Division....

...or the 1/4th or 1/5th Battalions East Lancs of the 42nd (East Lancashire) Division

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