Private Isaac Greenbank 36562 - 1st Battalion, East Lancashire Regimen

[gfsharples]

Hi,

I am researching my great great Uncle, Private Isaac Greenbank. He died on 5th July 1918 as a POW and is buried in Berlin South Western cemetery. However, I am struggling to find anymore information with regards to where he was captured, how he actually died and how long he was a prisoner for.

The only items I have for Isaac are two photographs. I have no medals or a dead man's penny - he did have brothers and sisters so these could have gone to them.

Hope someone can provide some help as I feel I have hit a brick wall with this now. I utilised the CWGC site and this has helped a great deal.

Thanks,

Gillian

[Pat Atkins]

Hi Gillian,

Apologies if you already know all this! Can't add to your knowledge of Isaac's capture and death, alas, but you never know where a seemingly innocuous detail might lead so...

His medal index card is on Ancestry, and it gives his original regimental number as 2966 as well as his second one 36562 (both E Lancs R). He is listed as entering the theatre of war "2b" on 18th August 1915, which was Gallipoli.

His original regimental number (each unit numbered its soldiers independently, there was no unique identifying Army Number as such) looks a little puzzling as 1/E Lancs R number 2966 would seem to have been issued in the early 1890s! However, no doubt someone on here will know about this and will I hope correct me if I'm barking up the wrong tree.

Perhaps Isaac originally joined another battalion of the same regiment (hence his different number) before transferring to 1st Bn? A very quick search shows that both 1st and 2nd Bn deployed to France in 1914, but two Territorial battalions - 1/4 and 1/5 E Lancs R - were part of 42nd East Lancashire Division which fought at Gallipoli, so they might be worth investigating. They both moved to the Western Front in early 1918. There were many battalions of this regiment which fought in the First World War including "Pals" battalions - was there a Service battalion raised from Isaac's hometown?

There may be other far more plausible theories, however - an expert will be along shortly, I hope! Incidentally, I got this information from Ancestry, and from LLT (on the menu at top of this page), which is full of useful information; it has a detailed section on researching soldiers, etc. My source re regimental numbering is the excellent http://armyservicenumbers.blogspot.co.uk/2009/06/east-lancashire-regiment-1st-2nd.html

Good luck with your search,

Pat

[gfsharples]

Hi Pat,

Many thanks for your reply! I had no idea that Isaac had an original regimental number but it does link in with what our tour guide said on the Battliefields trip I was on last week - ie that Isaac was likely to have signed up before WW1.

Also, I didn't know the location of where 1st Battalion fought but your helpful information has certainly given me a great starting point! Isaac was from Mellor (he had four Brothers - Thomas, Richard, William and John) so I don't think there was a Pals battalion from there.

Thanks for taking the time to respond to my post.

Gillian

[Old Owl]

Hi Gillian,

Welcome to the Forum.

Your GGU has the number 2966 which is a territorial number so he must have been either 1/4th or 1/5th Bn E.L.R. Where was his family living in 1914? I would assume that this would have been in the Accrington/Blackburn/Burnley area?

If you are nearby and can check in the local newspaper around the time of his death, then you should find an entry for him which may fill in several gaps for you. The newspapers for these towns are all very good for such information during WW1 and usually attach a photo of the casualty to any entries.

It is possible that your GGU was wounded at some time which may explain why he changed from a territorial unit to a regular battalion, if this is the case then you may find several entries for him in the papers.

The 1st and 2nd Bns E.L.R. had around a dozen officers and many men taken POW on the 27th/28th May,1918, so it is possible this is the date that he was taken prisoner?

Hope this helps.

Robert

[Old Owl]

Me again.

I have just checked on Ancestry, 1911 census, and find an Isaac Greenbank living at Elswick Terrace, Mellor, Blackburn. Age 22. Brother of Thomas Greenbank.

I feel that this must be him? If so I would check the Blackburn newspaper for entries.

Robert

[gfsharples]

Hi Robert,

Many thanks for your help. Yes, Isaac lived at 22 Elswick Terrace in Mellor. We were interested to know where the original regimental number came from so this might explain things. He worked at the mill along with the rest of the family at the time.

I'll look into the Blackburn newspaper entries.

Thanks again !

Gillian