Changing Regiment After Enlistment

[Leatham]

I have recently acquired my grandfather's attestation of his enlistment for the duration of World War 1. It shows that like many other men, he lied about his age (He was 16 but claimed to be 19) and gave his mother's pre-marital address. The document shows he was assigned to the Welch Regiment on 24 March 1915. However, he spent the duration of the war in 13 Batt, King's Liverpool Regiment. I have photographs of him in the KLR uniform and his campaign medals also show him to have a been a member of KLR. He was fiercely proud of having served with the regiment and wore his cap badge - a Hanovarian-style horse in silver above a gold bar that simply reads "King's" - as a lapel badge  to his dying day.

Can anyone please explain why a man would be apparently assigned to one regiment yet serve with a completely different one?

[David_Underdown]

Pretty common, men were re-assigned on arrival in France depending which unit was most in need.  May also have followed time away from his original unit after wounding or sickness.

[RussT]

If you could provide his name and KLR number, then it might be possible to provide a more definitive reason.

 

I don't think it would be because of a wounding, as mentioned above, because that would imply active operations in the field with the Welch Regiment. Given his medals are named to the KLR, then it seems evident he didn't have any active service with the Welch.

 

Regards

 

Russ

[Medaler]

3 hours ago, RussT said:

If you could provide his name and KLR number, then it might be possible to provide a more definitive reason.

 

I don't think it would be because of a wounding, as mentioned above, because that would imply active operations in the field with the Welch Regiment. Given his medals are named to the KLR, then it seems evident he didn't have any active service with the Welch.

 

Regards

 

Russ

 

Would need to see the MIC to be sure, and we need the KLR number and his name to find that.

 

Regards,

Mike

[Leatham]

Thank you gentlemen. My grandfather's name was Alfred Butson and his KLR regimental number was 94405. I have tried to find his army records but was told they were destroyed during the Blitz.

[Medaler]

6 hours ago, Leatham said:

Thank you gentlemen. My grandfather's name was Alfred Butson and his KLR regimental number was 94405. I have tried to find his army records but was told they were destroyed during the Blitz.

 

A search of the MIC's on Ancestry finds 94405 Alfred Burtson (not Butson). Awarded BWM and Vic with no "date of entry". The only Regiment mentioned is King's Liverpool, the implication being that he never served overseas with the Welch. The lack of a "date of entry" demonstrates that his overseas service began after 31st December 1915.

 

Regards,

Mike

[kenf48]

As at post 2:-

 

Pte 94438 Kennedy was previously in the Manchester Regiment and wounded.  Sent back to France he embarked for the BEF 29/03/1918 Folkestone Boulogne and went to the IBD at Etaples.  On the 30th he was posted to the 1/6 Manchester Regiment.  Then on 1st April posted to the 13th KLR and renumbered 94438.

 

As was 94452 Paterson and others.

 

The war diary of the 13th KLR  shows a draft of 431 other ranks arriving on 3rd April.  Looking at the Rolls it appears to begin at 94397 and ends at 95187 which puts 94405 in the frame.

 

As the Welsh Regiment is not shown on his medal roll he was probably in a TF Home Service or Training Battalion and posted to the BEF following the German Spring Offensive, on attaining the age of eighteen.  He may have been found out and discharged then re-enlisted under the Military Service Act, or retained in a Young Soldier or Graduated Bn, in the Welsh the 53rd.  We just don't know.  We do know that after the March Offensive for the first time eighteen year olds were sent to France provided they had six months training in the U.K.

 

Ken