Glitterati needed: KRRC 13th Battalion 36651 John Moran

[Antoinette_Moran]

Good evening,

I recently discovered my Great Grandfather John Moran 36651 of KRRC 13TH Battalion was an Acting Serjent in WWI. This was a huge surprise and visited where he twice returned in Yypre and the Somme last year with my 77 year old Dad who was stunned after 70 years to discover his grandad was a fully signed up military man who fought and survived 1914~18.

The National Roll of honour described how he was wounded in ploegsteert wood and returned to the front and his pension records who him as "no longer physically fit for service" in April 1918.

Dad and I would love to know more about what the 13th battalions rile was in the war but do not know where to start. we would love to find out more.

Is there anyone that can help?

Thank you so much

Antoinette Moran

[spof]

Hello Antoinette and welcome to the Forum.

I can't find a medal card for him under that number. Are there any other numbers in records you have?

To follow his footsteps in the 13th KRRC, you can download their war diary from the National Archives here - http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/SearchUI/Details?uri=C4555684 You will need to go to Browse and work through each section which covers different parts of the war. If we can find a medal card, it should help to work out roughly when he went to the Western Front so you don't end up paying for downloads htat you don't need.

The diaries will probably raise a few more questions so feel free to ask away.

Glen

[IPT]

The service number seems ok - http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/SearchUI/Details?uri=D4125799

[archangel9]

Hi Antoinette,

Welcome to the forum.

Best to start here and follow the Division and Brigade -

http://www.1914-1918.net/krrc.htm

13th (Service) Battalion

Formed at Winchester on 7 October 1914 as part of K3 and attached as Army Troops to 21st Division. Moved to Halton Park, going on in November 1914 to billets in Amersham and Great Missenden.

Moved to Windmill Hill (Salisbury Plain) in April 1915 and transferred to 111th Brigade in 37th Division.

31 July 1915 : landed at Boulogne.

I'm sure KRRC experts will come along.

Good luck with your research.

John

[spof]

Thanks IPT.

He enlisted 7 Sept 1914 and went to France with the original battalion in July 1915. Discharged with a Silver War Badge on 3 April 1918.

I really do seem to be making a mess of this. That war diary link I posted above claims to cover October 1914 to February 1919.

[spof]

Silver War Badge has the details I mentioned plus the fact he was discharged due to sickness rather than wounds and was aged 35 years and 57 days on discharge.

[Antoinette_Moran]

Wow!

Thank you!

I didn't expect any responses! Thankyou for the warm welcome gentlemen!!

I have the medal card now but how on earth did you know about The discharge due to sickness and his age from that?

Is there a way of finding out what the sickness was?

My Dad vaguely recalls how a "gas attack sent his hair white" as a comment from his Gran after the war but wondered if I could link this to the diary somehow?

I read in some links there are "war diary's?" Would be very interested in these and\or photos of the regiment but don't know how to acquire these really..

Thank you for your very kind and knowledgeable support!!

:-)

Antoinette

[johnboy]

His MIC is on Ancestry but not his service record.

His MIC shows;

John Moran Cpl R36651

enlisted 7/9/14

discharged 3/4/18

Battalion not shown. Shows KRRC Depot

Awarded BWM Victory Medal and 15 Star. Entered France 29/9/15

Edit posts crossed.

[IPT]

Hi Antoinette,

SPOF has taken those details from his Silver War Badge record.

This is the badge that he was issued to prove that he had been discharged as physically unfit for military service.. Typically, the details recorded are age, date of enlistment, date of discharge, reason for discharge and whether he had served abroad.

Unfortunately, the evident lack of surviving service or pension papers mean that it is unlikely that you can obtain further details on the exact details of his sickness.

[spof]

If you have access to Ancestry, the SWB roil can be seen here http://interactive.ancestry.co.uk/2456/wo329_3129-00000?backurl=http%3a%2f%2fsearch.ancestry.co.uk%2fsearch%2fdb.aspx%3fdbid%3d2456%26path%3d&ssrc=&backlabel=ReturnBrowsing#?imageId=wo329_3129-00258

The war diary can be downloaded from here for £3.30.

The Rifles Museum in Winchester may have some photos of the battalion otherwise try searching the internet. You probably won't find a named one but there should be plenty of them in the field etc to help give you a better understand of what he did.

Glen

[Antoinette_Moran]

Wow thank you so much for your kind replies!!

This is amazing gentlemen!!

:-)

Antoinette

Xxxx

[Antoinette_Moran]

I have just ordered the diary Geln!! Fantastic thank you!

I do have the pension scans but it says physically unable for service.. Not sure I have anything else on this specifically.. I do know he was "gassed" perhaps it was this??

[Antoinette_Moran]

Sorry too excited writing! Glen