Straight into the army as a Colour Sargent?

[Guest Guard 1]

Hello All,

I just brought a WW1 BWM/VM pair off Ebay. The MIC that came with them shows 37047 C/SJT Thomas H Smith first served in the Cheshire Regt, then into the Labour Corps number 33606 and then finally into the North Staffs Regt number 44443. It confirms only entitled to a pair and only had this rank.

It seems strange that a soldier would start off with this rank, another strange thing is that I would'nt of throught that a soldier would go into the labour corps and then be transfered back to a line regiment.

If anyone has eney ideas on the above that would be great.

Cheers

Rowland.

[PhilB]

Rowland, he could have gone back into a line regt as a result of a combing out, probably late in the war. Phil B

[HarryBettsMCDCM]

Hi,Just having the BWM/AVM named to Colour Sergeant doesn't mean he started there,all it means is that he didnt serve overseas prior to 1st January 1916,he was probably involved in Recruiting @ home or in Training of other Battalions on Home Service,having served @ home for over a Year He probably wangled his ticket for Overseas Service,to get some in,he had probably been serving prior to 1914 & was recalled from the Reserve,or Re~enlisted,or of an age where his Service Overseas was deferred,as he may have been of more use @ Home,where he would have served his time & received prior Promotions,Col/Sgt being the Rank he Held,when he qualified for the BWM/AVM.

[charlesmessenger]

Rowland

I think that your man was probably in an Area Employment company of the Labour Corps. A number of these were formed into Garrison Guard battalions for line holding in spring 1918. One of these, 11th Garrison Guard Bn joined 40th Division and was retitled 12th North Staffords and fought as such for the last months of the war. This could explain your man's transfer from the Labour Corps.

It is worth e-mailing the Forum's Labour Corps expert, Ivor Lee, who may well have your man on his database.

Charles M

[Guest Ian Bowbrick]

C/Sgt Smith having the number 33606 was an original member of the Labour Corps and in the 57th Labour Company.

[GavinH]

Rowland,

I have a long service group to a man who served in Sudan and South Africa with the Lincolnshire Regt, and who re-enlisted in the Great War into the Royal Engineers. His service records show he was promoted from Private to Serjeant the day after joining, and was Staff Serjeant a couple of weeks later. He went overseas in 1915 as A/RSM (WO1). So rapid promotion was possible for experienced ex-regulars.

Regards

Gavin

[Guest Ian Bowbrick]

C/Sgt Smith having the number 33606 was an original member of the Labour Corps and in the 57th Labour Company.

The 57th Labour Company were formed from men of the 18th Bn Cheshire Regt, which would fit.

[Guest Guard 1]

Many thanks for all your help.

It make it a lot more clear now. So he would have been serving I guess for quite a period before he went to France in April 1916 with the 18th Btn and then a year later the Btn transfered to the Labour corps in April 1917. Then at a later date went into the North Staffs.

Does anyone know if the 18th were involved in any fighting during the year with the cheshire's?

Rowland