Pte William Fountain 1/4th Somerset LI / Hampshire Regt

[Andy F]

Hi, I am tracing the service of my Great Uncle Pte William Sidney Fountain I

It seems that he enlisted in E company of the 1/4th Somersets no 2122 at Winscombe Somerset, and according to his MIC entered India on 29th Aug 1915.

He was given a new SLI no of 200444 during the renumbering of 1917, presumably whilst serving in Mesoptamia.

At some point he transferred to the Hampshire regt and was given a new no of 210905. this is a 1/4 th Hampshire no, but his Medal roll entry shows him as having served in 1/ 9th Hants.

Would there be a reason for this? I am thinking that the roll entry is probably a typing error.

Cheers , Andy

[kenf48]

A typing error is always too simple!

I can only find one other in the surviving records Pte Ernest Lee 210898 Compulsorily transferred to Hampshire Regiment from 1/4 Somerset Light Infantry on authority Adjutant General India on 29/9/1918 and posted to the 1/9th Battalion.

Formerly 4442/201693 Somerset Light Infantry

Ken

[Andy F]

Thanks Ken,

His MIC shows a 1/4th Hampshire no , the 1/9 I think were in the 300 range. I suppose it could be the case that he also transferred to the 1/9th late in the war , but kept his 1/4 th Hants no .I assume the 1/4th Somersets retained cadres in India whilst engaged in Mesopotamia.

Andy

[kenf48]

According to the digest on his discharge documents Pte 210898 Lee ( a 4th Bn number) only served in the 1/9th. you must make your own interpretation mine, based on Lee's service record is:-

As his number is only seven digits from Pte Fountain it suggests a group of men from the SLI who were in India (Lee was there from 2/1/1918) and posted to the Hampshire Regiment ( the date of the AG's memo was the 27/9/1918 Simla) given numbers in the 4 th Bn series and posted to the 1/9 on the 29th. This was a few days before the 1/9th went to Russia so was probably to bring it up to strength before they left India.

Why they were given numbers in the 4th Bn series I don't know, but men often moved Bns in the Base Depots in France. The 1/4 were in Persia and the 2/4 in France in 1918.

Ken

[Andy F]

Thanks Ken,

What you're saying would make sense , as the 1/9th Hampshires stayed in Russia until Nov 1919 , arriving back in England on 5th Dec and my Uncle was disembodied on 5th March 1920 , which is coincidentally my birthday. I always assumed that he went to Mesopotamia with the Somersets in 1916, unless of course he did, but was sent back to India because of wounds or sickness.

Many thanks for your help, Andy.

[kenf48]

There are at least 25 men from the SLI in the mics who were renumbered in the 2108**/2109** series to the Hants Regiment, you may find more service records, unfortunately the Roll appears to be alphabetical rather than numerical!

Ken

[Andy F]

Ken, I had a closer look at his medal roll entry for his BWM and VM, it appears that his 1/4 Somerset entry was over stamped to show a transfer to the 1/5th bn SLI., so it would appear that he stayed on in India after the 1/4 th left for Mesopotamia in Feb16. He appears to be still retained in the 1/4th in March 1917 as he is allocated a new 1/4th no.

The 1/5th left India for Egypt in May 1917 so it would appear that for some reason he was again retained in India prior to his transfer to 1/9 Hampshire's

Andy