Royal Welsh Fusiliers - London Division

[Guest]

My Great Uncle Corporal James Albert Maguire enlisted into the Royal Welsh Fusiliers (London Division) on 19th April 1915 and was killed in action 30th May 1916. Of six sisters and three brothers he is the only one, for whom, I do not have a photo. I have, therefore, been searching group photos in the hope I can, perhaps, identify him. Unfortunately, I don't know if there were many London Divisions of the Royal Welsh Fusiliers. He is listed as being in the 13th Battalion but I have been unable to verify whether this Battalion were recruiting in London.

[Steven Broomfield]

The 4th RWF (a Territorial Battalion) was the Pioneer Battalion of the 47th (1st/2nd London) Division, while the 15th Battalion, RWF, was known as The London Welsh, having been raised from Welshmen living in London,

 

There wasn't a 'London Division' of the RWF, so my suspicion would be the 15th Battalion.

[charlie962]

Name:	James Albert Maguire
Birth Place:	Clapton, London
Death Date:	30 May 1916
Death Place:	France and Flanders
Enlistment Place:	Holborn, London
Rank:	Corporal
Regiment:	The Royal Welsh (Welch) Fusiliers
Battalion:	13th Battalion
Regimental Number:	27327
Type of Casualty:	Killed in action

 

 

 

from the LongLongTrail

 

13th (Service) Battalion (1st North Wales)
Formed at Rhyl on 3 September 1914 by the Denbigh and Flint TF Associations, but transferred to the Welsh National Executive Committee on 10 October 1914. November 1914 : came under orders of 128th Brigade, 43rd Division at Llandudno. 28 April 1915 : formation became the 113th Brigade, 38th (Welsh) Division.
Moved to Winchester in August 1915 and landed in France in December 1915

Edited 21 January , 2018 by charlie962

[charlie962]

His Service record is on FindmyPast here

 

I see he originally attested 18th Bn  (2nd London Welsh)

Edited 21 January , 2018 by charlie962

[Dai Bach y Sowldiwr]

Annoyingly, his papers don't seem to be accessible on Ancestry despite being on FMP.

(Why am I not surprised?)

27326 Hart, also signed up on the same day and also went into 18th Bn  (2nd London Welsh), although subsequently took a different path I think.

[Steven Broomfield]

The 18th were the Reserve battalion of the 15th, initially formed of the excess recruited for the 15th.

[LarsA]

His medal roll entry confirms that he was sent to the 13th Battalion from the infantry base depot after his entry in France.

 

Holborn was were the 15th and 18th btns (1st and 2nd London Welsh) recruited, at Gray's Inn. There is a memorial plaque for both battalions there.

 

ATB,

 

Lars

[clive_hughes]

On 30 May 1916 the 13th RWF were at Moated Grange, Laventie,  and generally being plastered from 2:30am till 9:40pm by rifle grenades, followed by artillery & trench mortar bombardments.  No casualties in the war diary, but I note 7 dead from the unit that date.

 

Clive

[Ron da Valli]

He enlisted in Holborn, London, on the 19th April 1915 into the 18th Battalion RWF, the 2nd London Welsh. Subsequently transferred to the 13th (1st North Wales ) Battalion on the 28th February 1916 shortly after arriving in France.  He was a qualified range finder. 

  Your best bet in finding a photo is to contact Shirl Williams at the Royal Welch Fusiliers Museum in Caernarfon. They have a collection of over 2,000 photos.