For interest

[Quadey]

I was very fortunate to be allowed to go through the family photo album which includes all sorts of pictures and post cards from the Great War.  After reading this card, which was bought by my Gt Uncle Fred Wood, 26731, 11th Battalion East Lancs Rgt, I just thought it would be appropriate for members on this forum to read this and perhaps get a feel of what the atmosphere was like after the war.  To any members from Rossendale, particularly Bacup, there cannot be too many of these left knocking about!

[seaJane]

I wonder if Cuthbert was a generic term (as it looks from the quotation marks) or if there was a real Cuthbert whose name was used.

 

Intrigued that there was any question of men with Silver War Badges being sent back to fight again.

[TEW]

Seen men discharged KR392 Para IIIc early in the war only to be called up in 1916, some got a second SWB, others less fortunate.

TEW

[seaJane]

Thanks TEW!

[PhilB]

Strangely, Fred`s name doesn`t appear in Bill Turner`s nominal roll for the 11th East Lancs though 35674 Fred Wood does.

[Quadey]

My Gt Uncle Fred was called up on 01/04/1916 and did his training with the Depot Battalion at Fulwood Barracks, Preston. He was then drafted into the 11th Battalion East Lancs once the number of casualties were known at the Somme. He was a Lance Corporal during his training but was put back to Private once assigned to the 11th. He suffered from Enteric Fever (Typhus) in November 1916 whilst in the field and again from a Mustard Gas attack at Acheville on September 5th 1917. Once fit again, he was transferred to 8th Battalion Kings Own Lancaster in Feb/March 1918. His War Service record is on Ancestry. It was the centenary anniversary of his wedding yesterday and on his wedding certificate it clearly states 11 E.L.R.so perhaps the Nominal Roll needs updating?

[PhilB]

I suggest you contact GWF member Retlaw who continues Bill Turner's work on the roll.

[TullochArd]

What a find!  This will be a local version of a NFDDSS flyer.  The National Federation of Discharged and Demobilised Sailors and Soldiers was a group founded in January 1917 against the Review of Exceptions Act. The Act made it possible for people invalided out of the armed forces to be re-conscripted (re-read the leaflet in that context and you'll get a feel for the frustration felt by those likely to be recalled after medical discharge). This card was therefore printed during the War when that threat was very real. The organisation had slogans like "Every man once before any man twice" and "Justice before charity".  I suspect there will not be a matching Rawtenstall one as the Rawtenstall Discharged and Demobilised Sailors and Soldiers Club was only established much later in April 1920 - incidentally with the help of Rawtenstall's woman Mayor, Miss Carrie Whitehead, who had also driven the Rawtenstall Municipal War Memorial project of 1915.  

[DavidOwen]

There are quite a few documents indexed at TNA on this subject. Most are not yet digitised but two that may be of interest are available as a free download http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C14091013 & http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C14091005

 

Questions were asked about the continuance of pensions to those re-enlisted under this act (not yet digitised) http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C205732

http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C205731 

 

Edited 8 March , 2019 by DavidOwen