Biermacht Posted 22 June , 2018 Share Posted 22 June , 2018 Gentlemen, I have recently purchased the 1914-15 Star awarded to 18104 Pte. Joseph Cooney of the South Lancashire Regiment. My friend helped me find his MIC, and it states that he first entered the theatre in the Balkans 20.11.1915. Would it be right to assume that he was sent to Gallipoli then? If anyone have some more info on this soldier, it would be highly appreciated. Kind regards Brian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan24 Posted 22 June , 2018 Share Posted 22 June , 2018 If it shows 2 (b) then yes. Regards Alan. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark1959 Posted 22 June , 2018 Share Posted 22 June , 2018 (edited) Yes it was 2B. 6 SLR were in Gallipoli when he arrived. He became 61434 in the Machine Gun Corps. Discharged 3/5/18 no longer fit for war service. SIlver War Badge Roll incorrectly gives his name as John. Service reckons from10/4/15. 22 years 3 months old at discharge. Discharge shown as due to wounds. Edited 22 June , 2018 by Mark1959 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Biermacht Posted 25 June , 2018 Author Share Posted 25 June , 2018 Thank you for your inputs Gentlemen. Does anybody have an idea where he went with the Machine Gun Corps afterwards? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clk Posted 25 June , 2018 Share Posted 25 June , 2018 Hi Brian, Forces War Records has a 'hospital' admission/discharge register transcription. It reads: First Name: J Surname: Cooney Age: 19 Rank: Private Service Number: 61434 Years Service: 2 years* Months With Field Force:1 month* Ailment: Gunshot wound humerus Date Transferred to Other Hospitals: 25/07/1917 Date of Transfer From Other Hospitals: 08/07/1917 Number of Days Under Treatment: 18 Notes written in the Observations Column: To Capetown. From Bombay. "Conv". Religion: Roman Catholic Regiment: Machine Gun Corps Battalion: 38th Company Archive Reference: MH106/1929 - Representative Medical Records of H.M.A.T Ship Assaye Cape Town, Bombay, Cairo. *These don't appear to stack up though with the other info that has been found. FMP has an image of the original record, and FWR seem to have made a faithful transcription. Regards Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie962 Posted 25 June , 2018 Share Posted 25 June , 2018 His actual wounding took place much earlier, I think. Daily Casualty List:16/4/17 (suggesting wounding at least 4 weeks earlier) J Cooney Wounded 61434 Machine Gun Corps Home Town / Place of Enlistment Wigan Charlie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie962 Posted 25 June , 2018 Share Posted 25 June , 2018 Given the Wigan connection and age 19 in 1915 (matches SWB ?), there is just a possibility that he tried an earlier enlistment here on Ancestry. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie962 Posted 25 June , 2018 Share Posted 25 June , 2018 (edited) 1 hour ago, clk said: Battalion: 38th Company Was this not part of 38th Bde, 13th (Western) Division who were fighting in Mesopotamia leading to the capture of Baghdad at the time? Edited 25 June , 2018 by charlie962 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie962 Posted 26 June , 2018 Share Posted 26 June , 2018 I see that 6 South Lancs were 38th Infantry Brigade. So Cooney's migration to 38 Co MGC would have been fairly routine. As to his wounding, I suspect it was during the move upon Baghdad in March 1917. He would then have been evacuated, ending up in India. From there he was shipped back to UK and that is what the FWR record is showing. Charlie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clk Posted 26 June , 2018 Share Posted 26 June , 2018 Hi, 59 minutes ago, charlie962 said: He would then have been evacuated, ending up in India. From there he was shipped back to UK and that is what the FWR record is showing. On the basis of ditto marks in the register, I think that the MH 106 record appears to represent a voyage on the Assaye from Bombay to Cape Town. Image source: Findmypast - British Armed Forces, First World War Soldiers' Medical Records Regards Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie962 Posted 26 June , 2018 Share Posted 26 June , 2018 (edited) Good, Chris. So that confirms 'via' India. The War Diary for 6th South Lancs in Mespot is here at Discovery National Archives Jan1916 to June 1917 The War Diary for 38 MG Coy period 1916 Sept - 1917 Apr Is here at Discovery National Archives, downloadable for GBP 3.50 . The Company came out from UK in Sept 1916 but there was already a 'Provisional' 38 Bde Macihe Gun Company with 13th Division in Mespot and the two would be merged. I presume Cooney was in the 'provisional company' already in Mespot. So two war diaries to trawl through which might highlight when men were trfd from SLR to MGC and will give good background on all the fighting. Unlikely to mention Cooney by name, of course. 13th Division also took part in the unsuccessful and very costly Relief attempt for Kut from February 1916. Cooney presumably part of this. But most likely still with 6SLR rather than with 38 MG Coy . War Diaries or even allocation of service numbers may date the transfer ? Charlie Edited 26 June , 2018 by charlie962 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Biermacht Posted 27 June , 2018 Author Share Posted 27 June , 2018 Wow, that's a lot of new info guys, jolly good work. Just to be sure I got it right, did he go to Mesopotamia and got wounded there, and then sent to Bombay India, and then to Capetown South Africa on his way home to Britain? Quite a journey while being wounded. Regards Brian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie962 Posted 27 June , 2018 Share Posted 27 June , 2018 (edited) 3 hours ago, Biermacht said: Just to be sure I got it right, did he go to Mesopotamia and got wounded there, and then sent to Bombay India, and then to Capetown South Africa on his way home to Britain? yes. Medical facilities in Mesopotamia were much improved by 1917, after a scandalous neglect 1914-16- see Parliamentary Commission Report. However general climate and health conditions in Mesopotamia were a constant battle so men were shipped to India as soon as possible for further treatment and recuperation. Charlie Edited 27 June , 2018 by charlie962 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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