Trench Pals

[sasplin]

Hi all -

My great grandfather William Collins, fought with the Worcestershire Regiment during the great war. When he passed away I was given his War Medal - only it was engraved to Pte. Thomas Corbett 2980 Worcestershire Regiment. He is incorrectly categorised as being in the 8th Lincolnshire Regiment on the NA website. He also had the service number 240756.

It may be a huge leap but I can only presume they were pals in the trenches and exchanged medals. Would it therefore be safe to assume that William Collins would also have been in the same regiment? If so, which regiment would Thomas Corbett have been in based on those regiment numbers - and, would anyone be able to tell me if there was a William Collins in that regiment?

It's a long shot - but this is the only way that I can think of to trace my great grandfathers regimental number. I believe my great grandfather was born in 1891 in Droitwich, Worcestershire.

Any help would be very appreciated.

Steve

[Chris_Baker]

Steve, I am not sure this helps but here goes.

The medals were not issued until well after the war. It is not likely that the two men would have exchanged them whilst at the front.

Thomas Corbett was discharged from the army on 14 April 1917 as a result of having been wounded.

Eleven men named William Collins show medal-qualifying service with the Worcestershire Regiment.

I am not sure that going via Corbett is a sure-fire way to determine William's service. There may be more effective ways. Have you, for instance, searched existing service records for men of the right name, age and with a Droitwich connection?

[sasplin]

Thank you for the response. I have indeed searched both service and pension records - but nothing seems to be close. It's driving me crazy.

[Guest]

There is a service record for a William Collins, from Cutnall? Green, Droitwich, served Royal Field Artillery?

Mike

[sasplin]

Ok, that's interesting, as William Collins would have been from Cutnall Green. My grandfather told me William served with 'the Worcester's, but I've come to realise verbal history can become distorted. Unfortunately I don't have access to Ancestry - does the service record give an occupation, whether married, date of birth?

Many thanks.

Steve

[Guest]

Hi Steve, Forum rules don't allow me to do look-ups for you, am afraid. Ancestry quite often offer a free month's trial, so worth checking that, or copy the URL, and you should be able to get free access at your local Library. I can say that this man was a baker to trade.

Mike

[sasplin]

Thanks skipman. If I may, was his name just William Collins or was there a middle name?

Steve

[Guest]

Thanks skipman. If I may, was his name just William Collins or was there a middle name?

Steve

Father George

Mike

[sasplin]

That's great - fits with what I know. And if anyone asks...you were never here...

Was it common for two men to swap medals after the war - especially from two different regiments?

[Guest]

Was it common for two men to swap medals after the war - especially from two different regiments?

You ain't seen me. Right?

Can't say have ever heard of it. Could another family member have William's medals, could he have pawned them at some time....you might never know why?

Mike

[Bingo794]

Just had a neb at the Medal Index Card on the NA and again on Ancestry and I can see why the Tom Collins was listed as been with the 8th Lincolnshire Regiment.

The original transcriber must have seen the scrawl as Lincs, but take a minute to view and study it. It also reads as Worcs.

Just a bad transcription and ropey handwriting.

However, the coding L/102 confirms the Infantry Administration District as that for the Worcesters'.

Also, the numbers 2980 and 240756 are along the the same line as those in the Lincs Territorial Units, the shorter number being early war and the long number being post-1916 into 1917, during the renumbering of TF units.

Richard