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Remembered Today:

L/11999 Pte Walter George Saxby. Royal West Kent Regt.


david west

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Hello, Can one of the experts help with some information about this Soldier ? Walter George Saxby born 1889, he served with the 1st Btn Northumberland Fusiliers with service number 52772, 113th Machine Gun Company with service number 14002 and the Royal West Kent Regt with service number L/11999. I was wondering which Btn of the Royal West Kent did he serve, and what was his order of service...Fusiliers first...RWK second & finally MGC ?

Walter survived the War and passed away in 1960.

Greetings from Denmark,

 

David

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Hi David

 

Looking at the Medal Roll, I think its MGC, Northumberland Fusiliers and finally Royal West Kent's, as that was the regiment his medals were issued to. As for the Battalion nothing on MIC or Medal Roll.

 

According to the Army Service Numbers website run by Paul Nixon, regular enlistment service numbers were prefixed with L/, and he lists a number of L/ prefix serial numbers for RWK ending with L/11448 who joined on 9th January 1917. That would suggest that Walter joined them early in 1917 - but not the Battalion

 

Looking on the surrounding Medal Roll pages, there were two DCM winners but neither won it with RWK and no fatalities. Even those men with one unit, RWK, are spread around the Battalions

 

Sorry but that's best I can do!
 

Regards

 

John

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Thanks alot for your help John Beech. I havn't been able to find much info about Walter, so this is a start.

Many thanks,

 

David

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  • Admin

We can't say exactly when he enlisted, it may have been to a local Regiment where he received basic training. 

 

Based on surviving service records my interpretation is that he joined the MGC on or around 23 July 1916.  Born in 1889 it was quite common for soldiers who were too young for active service overseas, to be posted to the MGC for further training if considered suitable.  We don't know when he joined 113 Bn in the field (14001 went to France on the 6 August 1916 but he was posted to 140 Coy).

 

The 1st Bn Northumberland Fusiliers is a little confusing. His number is in a series allocated to the 2/1 Northern Cyclist Battalion, this was a home service unit and men were posted first to the Army Cyclist Corps and then on to the 2/1 Northern Cyclist Bn.  I found another man from the MGC who took this route.  In any event the number appears to dated from 6/7March 1917.  Some went on to France, presumably when fit and joined an active service Battalion of the NF.  Graham Stewart is the NF expert and may be able to shed more light.

 

Finally he probably transferred/re-enlisted to the RWK, joining the Depot Bn. in March 1919 (L/11837 allotted that number in January 1919 in France on re-enlistment repatriated to UK and posted to the 1st Bn).  The L/prefix is significant in that similar numbers allocated in 1916 have the 'G' prefix. L/11837 and others with similar numbers went out to India.

As previously noted this was his last unit as he is on their Rolls, his medals would have been named to the MGC.

 

You can download 113 Coy MGC war diary here from TNA or on Ancestry if you subscribe, it's quite good on names of other ranks, unfortunately his does not leap out.

 

Ken

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Thanks to kenf48 for this information. Finally i feel i am getting somewhere with this soldiers history,

Thanks,

 

David

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