Walter James Newell 1 Batt East Kent (The Buffs)

[Patrick H]

Walter James Newell was kia 28/9/18 whilst in trenches with the 1st East Kents. His number is given as T/2025566. That is also the detail on CWGC. Soldiers Effects has him as 8th Battn. Does this mean he was on temporary transfer to the 1st Battn for a particular action. If so, why does SDGW and CWGC give him as 1st Battn.

 

Did this happen a lot to make up numbers ?

 

Patrick

[PRC]

According to the Long, Long Trail, the 8th Battalion was disbanded in February 1918. Drafts would have been sent elsewhere - he may have been fortunate to end up with another Battalion of the same regiment.

http://www.longlongtrail.co.uk/army/regiments-and-corps/the-british-infantry-regiments-of-1914-1918/buffs-east-kent-regiment/

 

This is a guess, but as both battalions were served by the same pay office, and that pay office would be the source of Soldiers Effects, then a clerical oversight could have occurred and his records not updated with his new battalion, especially as by this stage of the war he would have almost certainly retained the same service number.

 

I struggle on a not infrequent basis with men who died with their new units well into 1918 but shown on official records as serving with a unit that ceased to exist in the January to March period when the British Army was going through a fundamental reorganisation.

 

Cheers,

Peter

 

[Mark1959]

Both Newell and the man above him in the medal Roll show 8th and 1st. Roll in number order. So as Peter says a probable transfer when 8th disbanded. 

Edited 17 February , 2018 by Mark1959

[clk]

Hi Patrick,

 

49 minutes ago, Patrick H said:

His number is given as T/2025566.

 

I think that should read as T/202556, where the 'T/' bit indicates that he was originally a territorial man with the number 202556 coming from the number block issued to the 4th Bn under the 1917 renumbering scheme. The number 202554 appears to have been allocated to a man (Hunt) who was mobilised and posted to the 4th Reserve Battalion (2/4th) on 22nd January 1917. That would appear to tie back nicely with the amount of war gratuity paid shown as paid in Walters Soldiers' Effects record which gives calculated service counting from circa January 1917.

 

His medal roll record indicates that Walter didn't serve overseas with a territorial unit though. It indicates that his service there was with the 8th Bn (New Army), then 1st Bn (Regular Army). Without an actual service file, I guess that we will never know, but I would speculate that he initially served in the UK with the 2/4th Battalion, was sent overseas and posted at the Infantry Base Depot to the 8th, then later posted to the 1st - possibly as the result of the disbandment of the 8th as suggested above. 

 

Regards

Chris

[Patrick H]

okay thanks for that Chris

Do I assume that as a Territorial he may have served/enlisted before the war ?

 

Patrick

[ss002d6252]

30 minutes ago, Patrick H said:

okay thanks for that Chris

Do I assume that as a Territorial he may have served/enlisted before the war ?

 

Patrick

If he did then he did not have any qualifying military service between Aug 14 and Jan 17 otherwise that would be reflected* in the war gratuity (which indicates enlistment in the month from 29 Dec 1916).

The date can be narrowed further by looking at #202554. his number was issued on 22 Jan 17 so I'd expect Walter's was allocated on the same or next day - certainly no later than 28 Jan 17.

Craig

*with a few exceptions

 

Edited 18 February , 2018 by ss002d6252

[Patrick H]

that's helpful, I didnt really think he would have had any pre war service

 

Thanks Craig

Patrick