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Remembered Today:

18104 Pte. Joseph Cooney S. Lan. R.


Biermacht

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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

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If it shows 2 (b) then yes.

 

Regards

 

Alan.

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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 by Mark1959
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Thank you for your inputs Gentlemen.

Does anybody have an idea where he went with the Machine Gun Corps afterwards?

 

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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

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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

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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

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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.png.3daf8e448b318aefa67e6a91f75373b6.png

Image source: Findmypast - British Armed Forces, First World War Soldiers' Medical Records

 

Regards

Chris

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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 by charlie962
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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

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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 by charlie962
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