8th London Regiment, Post Office Rifles

[colin12]

Hi Everyone,

Ernest John Ellis b. Dec 1896 in Islington, London joined the 8th London Regiment (Post Office Rifles)in 1914 he was discharged after being wounded in 1916, he was wounded on the 18 March 1915, his regimental number was 2004:

1. From that date can you me where abouts in France he was, when wounded.

2. He was awarded the Silver War Badge No 54925, where can I find details of that award to download

Thanks to you all

Colin

My Grandfather died on the 1st November 1914 at the Battle of Coronel, Chile when the German navy sank HMS Good Hope and HMS Monmouth all hands were lost over 1700 seaman.

RIP All those that gave their lifes for us

[Greenwoodman]

I have Charles Messenger's "Terriers in the Trenches - History of the Post Office Rifles", and according to it the 1st Battalion left Southampton on 17/03/1915, and docked the next morning in Le Havre. They marched up to No 6 rest camp, still in the process of erection. In the evening of 18/03/1915, the battalion boarded a French military train for a 20-hour journey towards the front near Bethune. The history makes no mention of any casualties in these first two days. Your best bet would be the War Diary, I think.

[Guest christiemoore]

As far as I'm aware I don't think the POR fought in France but rather in Belgium at Ypres. I may be wrong as most of my research centred around my Grandfather who was sent over in 1917. However as Greenwoodman pointed out they were shipped from Southampton to Le Havre but in my Grandfather's scrapbook he lists the route he took and he was sent to Ypres via France. If you go to my website www,christiemoore.co.uk and click on "Tom" there are links to videos on YouTube I have done about my Grandfather, the episode 4 "to the Front" has a map which shows his route. Another place to look is the Post Office archives behind Mount Pleasant Sorting Office in London which is where I got a lot of my information (http://www.postalheritage.org.uk/page/postofficerifles)