Frank Whithorn MGC/Northumberland Fusiliers

[Agincourtmike]

Hello.

Trying to find out any more information regarding my Great Uncle who is listed as serving with the MGS and also the Northumberland Fusiliers. I have his medal card index only but wondered if there might be any other sources I can check to find out more, I know his brother Fred died at Passchendaele and is commemorated there but would love to find out more about Frank who survived the war

 

thanks

 

Mike

[Mark1959]

The Medal car showing only the War and vIctory Medals in itself shows he did not serve in a theatre of operations prior to 1/1/1916.

struggling to find anything.

findmypast have a record showing he was discharged on 1/6/19.

[kenf48]

Welcome to the forum, based on surviving service records his enlistment in the Northumberland  to the end of May 1915.  Graham Stewart has him on his database on FMP but his Bn is N/K.

 

He may have gone on active service with the NF but where the records survive in spite of it being shown on the Medal Rolls men around him did not go on active service with the regiments shown.

 

His transfer to the MGC was 3rd March 1916 and most likely posted in May.  

 

There is more information on researching a soldier on the parent site the Long Long Trail link top right.  Unfortunately without a service record the MGC is one of the most difficult of units to research.

You might find his MGC Company from casualty lists for he was injured or wounded, or the Absent Voters List if it has survived.

 

Ken

Edited 1 December , 2017 by kenf48

[Graham Stewart]

On 29/11/2017 at 18:46, Agincourtmike said:

Hello.

Trying to find out any more information regarding my Great Uncle who is listed as serving with the MGS and also the Northumberland Fusiliers. I have his medal card index only but wondered if there might be any other sources I can check to find out more, I know his brother Fred died at Passchendaele and is commemorated there but would love to find out more about Frank who survived the war

 

thanks

 

Mike

Contrary to what your sources say, he was actually serving with the Northumberlands prior to transfer to the Machine Gun Corps, whose Medal Rolls are known not to have the battalion of the previous infantry regiment served in.

Another explanation is that he may have been transferred out with the Northumberlands from either the 3rd(Res)Bn or 15th(Res)Bn - which again are not mentioned in any Medal Roll, as these are 'home' units - to a Base Depot in France and from there transferred to the MGC. All speculation I know, but MGC Service Records were destroyed in a Depot fire not long after the War.

On top of which there is a problem with his N.F. number - 22322 - now this is a duplicate number and the same number is also allocated to Frederick Greenan, who served with the 2nd Bn, N.F. and continued to do so throughout the War.

[kenf48]

 

19 hours ago, Graham Stewart said:

Contrary to what your sources say, he was actually serving with the Northumberlands prior to transfer to the Machine Gun Corps, whose Medal Rolls are known not to have the battalion of the previous infantry regiment served in.

Another explanation is that he may have been transferred out with the Northumberlands from either the 3rd(Res)Bn or 15th(Res)Bn - which again are not mentioned in any Medal Roll, as these are 'home' units - to a Base Depot in France and from there transferred to the MGC. All speculation I know, but MGC Service Records were destroyed in a Depot fire not long after the War.

 

 

Apart from the problem with his NF number he is also 'odd' in that in the sequence in the Rolls he is a single Northumberland Fusilier.  The other men around him are in Regimental groups, i.e. half a dozen from the Lancashire Fusiliers, a. few from Leicestershire etc.  suggesting, as you have remarked they were posted from a Depot or Reserve Battalion of their respective units, which would be the normal  course of entry into the MGC at this stage of the war.

 

Where the very few examples of service records have survived the men did not go on active service with the previous unit shown in the Rolls but were posted from Grantham to the MGC Depot at Camiers  before joining a Company in the field.  

 

His age may offer a clue as many eighteen year olds went to the MGC for further training prior to being posted on active service.

 

Ken

 

[Agincourtmike]

On ‎29‎/‎11‎/‎2017 at 22:46, kenf48 said:

Welcome to the forum, based on surviving service records his enlistment in the Northumberland  to the end of May 1915.  Graeme Stewart has him on his database on FMP but his Bn is N/K.

 

He May have gone on active service with the NF but where the records survive in spite of it being shown on the Medal Rolls men around him did not go on active service with the regiments shown.

 

His transfer to the MGC was 3rd March 1916 and most likely posted in May.  

 

There is more information on researching a soldier on the parent site the Long Long Trail link top right.  Unfortunately without a service record the MGC is one of the most difficult of units to research.

You might find his MGC Company from casualty lists for he was injured or wounded, or the Absent Voters List if it has survived.

 

Ken

 

many thanks to all who replyed re gt uncle frank much appreciated MIKE