Jump to content
Free downloads from TNA ×
The Great War (1914-1918) Forum

Remembered Today:

How do I find out more about grandad's war service..


megplews

Recommended Posts

Please can anyone offer any help on how i can find out what battalion my grandad would have serverd with ... (Frank Tomlinson born 21/03/1897 Middlesbrough)....post-102423-0-08933200-1416139938_thumb.Thank you...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi

Ow, my eyes !!!!!!!!

Unfortunately the medal rolls do not indicate a battalion, merely recording the details as per the MiC.

Hopefully someone will be along who will be able to help,

Regards,

Graeme

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Looking at the medal rolls in the King's Own Yorkshire light Infantry to either side of Frank Tomlinson's number would suggest the battalions are:

1/4th Battalion The Yorkshire Regiment

10th Battalion King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry

http://interactive.ancestry.co.uk/5119/41629_636897_11081-00130/901412?backurl=http%3a%2f%2fsearch.ancestry.co.uk%2fcgi-bin%2fsse.dll%3findiv%3d1%26MS_AdvCB%3d1%26db%3dIWOServiceMedalAwardRolls%26rank%3d1%26new%3d1%26MSAV%3d2%26gss%3dangs-d%26gsfn_x%3dXO%26gsln_x%3dXO%26_F8007A65%3d34698%26dbOnly%3d_F8007A65%257c_F8007A65_x%252c_F00061C3%257c_F00061C3_x%252c_F000836E%257c_F000836E_x%26_F8007A65_x%3d1%26_F00061C3%3dyorkshire%2blight%26_F00061C3_x%3d1%26uidh%3d5k3%26pcat%3d39%26fh%3d0%26h%3d4977097%26recoff%3d99%2b100%26ml_rpos%3d1&ssrc=&backlabel=ReturnRecord

http://interactive.ancestry.co.uk/5119/41629_636897_11081-00131/4977097?backurl=http%3a%2f%2fsearch.ancestry.co.uk%2fcgi-bin%2fsse.dll%3findiv%3d1%26MS_AdvCB%3d1%26db%3dIWOServiceMedalAwardRolls%26rank%3d1%26new%3d1%26MSAV%3d2%26gss%3dangs-d%26gsfn_x%3dXO%26gsln_x%3dXO%26_F8007A65%3d34698%26dbOnly%3d_F8007A65%257c_F8007A65_x%252c_F00061C3%257c_F00061C3_x%252c_F000836E%257c_F000836E_x%26_F8007A65_x%3d1%26_F00061C3%3dyorkshire%2blight%26_F00061C3_x%3d1%26uidh%3d5k3%26pcat%3d39%26fh%3d0%26h%3d4977097%26recoff%3d99%2b100%26ml_rpos%3d1&ssrc=&backlabel=ReturnRecord

The sheer number of men with the same number and battalion combinations would suggest a large group transfer of men at the same time from the 1/4th Battalion Yorkshire Regiment to the 10th Battalion of the King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry either just before embarkation or on arrival in France.

Steve.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Because of the predictability of the Army numbering (in the main!) we can tell from looking at other members of this transfer group when other men of the same group went overseas. Fortunately the records of 34696 Joseph Tomney do survive.

Joseph Timney was previously No. 6084 in the 4th Battalion of the Yorkshire Regiment having enlisted on 20 August 1915. Having trained with the 2/4th Battalion of the Yorkshire Regiment , he was transferred to the 1/4th Battalion of the Yorkshire Regiment in July 1916 and embarked to France in mid-July 1916. The group did not go to join the 1/4th Battalion but was instead posted to the 4th Entrenching Battalion (a non-regimental unit, not associated with the Yorkshire Regiment). On 6th September 1916 the group were transferred to the 4th Battalion of the King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry and posted to the 10th Battalion of the K.O.Y.L.I. with whom they served in the front line.

http://search.ancestry.co.uk/cgi-bin/sse.dll?MS_AdvCB=1&db=BritishArmy&rank=1&new=1&so=3&MSAV=2&gss=ms_r_db&gsfn_x=XO&gsln_x=XO&_F0007CF4=yorkshire+light&dbOnly=_F0007CF4%7C_F0007CF4_x&_F0007CF4_x=1&_F8007A65=34696&dbOnly=_F8007A65%7C_F8007A65_x&_F8007A65_x=1&uidh=5k3

It is likely that Joseph Timney and Frank Tomlinson had the same path to the front line, albeit with Frank enlisting a few days earlier than Joseph Timney.

Steve.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The 142605 Machine Gun Corps number appears to date from Feb/Mar 1918. This date coincides with the 10th battalion being disbanded and men transferred out in fairly large groups to other units. Again there seems to be a fairly large group of K.O.Y.L.I. men being moved at this point and with sequential MGC numbers (numbers 142587 to 142618), so this may have been the result of a transfer of a group of men from the 10th K.O.Y.L.I. to a Machine Gun Battalion. This also coincided with they merging of Machine Gun Companies (attached to Infantry Brigades) into Machine Gun Battalions (attached to Infantry Divisions).

It is possible that this group went to 62nd Machine Gun Battalion judging by those men of this group who were later killed:

  • 142609 John Markham, Died of Wounds 27-5-1918 62nd M.G. Battalion
  • 142617 John Lees, KIA 26-3-1918 62nd M.G. Battalion

Steve.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Gosh Steve your reply tells me I have so so much to learn about Army numbers, transfers, battalions etc....

Thank you very very much for your time and help....... :thumbsup:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 7 years later...

hi, sorry to open an old topics again but i really would like to talk to you megplews. the picture on your profile looks exactly like my dad and would love some answers. thanks. frank (1897) would be my great grandfather.

Edited by jmeuk
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Admin
9 minutes ago, jmeuk said:

hi, sorry to open an old topics again but i really would like to talk to you megplews. the picture on your profile looks exactly like my dad and would love some answers. thanks. frank (1897) would be my great grandfather.

Welcome to the forum

@megplews hasn't visited since 2019 but you could try sending a private message. Click on their user name and select the message (envelope) icon. Once sent they will receive an email to their registered email address.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi David Owen,

My profile photo is not of my grandfather Frank Tomlinson to who my post refers to. The profile photo is of my great grandfather James Hunter from Middlesbrough. If you think you have a connection to the family, I would be very interested to know more.

Regards Meg.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi jmeuk, I replied to your post above, sorry to say I made a mistake in not adding your name to my reply. 

My profile photo is of my great grandfather James Hunter from Middlesbrough, if you have a connection to this family I would be very interested to know more.

Regards Meg.   

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...