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Remembered Today:

5th Battalion Loyal North Lancashire Regiment


Guest jenanda

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I am researching my grandfather Walter Lee and his military career. He joined the 5th Battalion Loyal North Lancashire Regiment on 9th March 1914 aged 17. He was born and lived in Bolton, Lancashire and joined the army with his friends. His war record shows he spent some time in the UK from his sign up to 26/6/15. I know that he did some of his training in Kent. The Battalion was sent on their expeditionary force to France on 27/6/15 to 7/9/16. The Battalion was in Ypres. My grandfather has drawn a farm house which they attacked. During this action Walter Lee was machine gunned and taken as a casualty to the field hospital. There was not enough medicine to treat many of the soldiers here. My great grandfather Frederick Foxen Lee, Walters father was a herbalist. He went from the UK to the field hospital and paddled in the nearby stream to collect leeches which he placed on Walter's injured legs. Walter returned home to the UK with his Dad on 8/9/16. He remained at home until his discharge on 8/5/17. Walter was the champion granade thrower of the battalion.

Medals: 1914 - 1915 Star, British War Medal, Victory Medal

I would be interested in contacting other relations of those in the 5th Battalion of the Loyal North Lancashire Regiment. If you have other details of anyone belonging to this battalion and details of any other places they were sent.

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Hello

Have you contacted www.loyalregiment.com

They have a 5th Battalion Loyal North Lancashire Regiment page and many more...

cheers

John

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Jenanda

Since I spend occasional mornings in Bolton Library Local Studies and the Lancashire Infantry Museum at Preston I had hoped to be able to help you. I have researched 1/5 LNL 1916 for Forum Member "bernithebolt" and have sent him cuttings from the Bolton papers. (click on Members, find bernithebolt and open his content - you will see two threads on 5 LNL). Walter's Medal Index Card gives his number as 3346 later 241321, shows the date he entered France as 26/06/1915 and has a Silver War Badge Reference. His SWB entry shows his enlistment date as 09/11/1914, discharge date as 08/05/1917 and that he was issued badge no 174048. Four pages of his service record survive in WO 364 (Pension Records) which show that he enlisted on 09/11/1914, lived at 13 Newton St and shows his NOK as father Frederick. It shows his service history as home 09/11/1914 to 26/06/1915 and France 27/06/1915 to 07/09/1916. Unfortunately there is no Casualty Form - Active Service which would show the date that he was wounded and which Bn he was with when wounded. 1/5 LNL went to France on 12/02/1915 and served in the Ypres area from 06/06/1915 until 16/07/1915. A draft of 350 details went out from 2/5 LNL at Oxted on the weekend of 26 and 27/06/1915 to reinforce 1/5 but the Bolton papers reported that this draft was transferred to No 4 Entrenching Battalion. I can send you copies of the reports. They did not find their way back to 1/5 until between January and May 1916 by which time the Bn had moved to the Somme Area, and not all the 350 can be accounted for as returning. Cont....

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cont.... The War Diary shows that 1/5 went into the trenches on the Somme on 31/07/1916 and on 09/08/1916 it was involved in an attack on Guillemont where it suffered heavy casualties. The Bolton Papers reported on this Action and named all the casualties, which came from Official Sources. Walter is not among them. The War Diary then shows that on 05/09/1917 the Bn returned to the trenches between High Wood and Delville Wood and on 06/09 had 38 other ranks wounded and on 07/09 another 30 other ranks wounded. The WD states that the Bn was employed on these two days on salvage and burying parties. I checked the papers for the remainder of 1916 for any pictures or reports of his wounding but did not find anything, not all families responded to the request for pictures and biographies of casualties. I will check the Official Casualty Lists in the Bolton Evening News 09/16 to 12/16 tomorrow and post here.

Brian

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The Bolton Chronicle of 28/07/1916 reported that a rumour had swept the town on 26/07 that the Bn had been annihilated and that the Mayor had been given a list of names. The Bolton Evening News of 15/08/1916 reported the Action at Guillemont on 09/08 and named all the casualties showing which companies they belonged to. The BEN of 29/09 also reported "Heavy Local Casualties" and named all LNL casualties in date order from 06/08 to 12/09. The details of both these reports were provided by the Regiment. Walter is not in either list. There is a 5204 W Lee of 54 Settle St wounded on 07/09 (but MIC shows this to be a William Lee). I also checked all Official Casualty Lists printed in the BEN from 09/08 to November inc. No mention of Walter at all. I will check the OCLs earlier in the year. If you are certain about Ypres then he was not serving with 1/5. I will check the Official history of the LNL when next at the Museum to see what other LNL Bns were on the Western Front in 1916. This one has got me.

Brian

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  • 3 months later...

According to the Service Medal and Award Rolls 241321 Walter Lee only served with 1/5 LNL.

Brian

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