Margate medical discharge - query

[tom bowler]

A friend of mine's Grandfather was discharged with a shrapnel leg wound amongst other issues from the Gallipoli campaign, at Margate in July 1916. I can't make out from the documents what or where that place/unit was. From what I can gather it was a Provisional Battalion.

 

Any pals got any further info on Margate that I can pass on please ?

[ss002d6252]

2 hours ago, tom bowler said:

A friend of mine's Grandfather was discharged with a shrapnel leg wound amongst other issues from the Gallipoli campaign, at Margate in July 1916. I can't make out from the documents what or where that place/unit was. From what I can gather it was a Provisional Battalion.

 

Any pals got any further info on Margate that I can pass on please ?

Who is the man in question ?

Craig

[tom bowler]

7 hours ago, ss002d6252 said:

Who is the man in question ?

Craig

 

It is L.Cpl. John Thomas Duffy , 9167, 6th. Lancashire Fusiliers. He was also a Boer war veteran apparently.  The Provisional Battalion seems to have been the 45th.

Edited 30 August , 2018 by tom bowler

[Ron Clifton]

Hello Tom

 

Provisional Battalions were formed from Territorial Force troops and were used for home defence only. There were about 40 of them, organised in ten Provisional Brigades. Three of these were later expanded to form 71st, 72nd and 73rd Divisions, and the others were redesignated 221st to 227th Mixed Brigades.

 

45 Prov Bn was based at Margate, and joined 219 Brigade, 73rd Division. It was redesignated 28th Bn Manchester Regt on 1 Jan 1917.

 

There is a War Diary, which only covers Sept 1915, at Kew in this file, but it is not available to download online.

WO 95/5458 9 Provisional Brigade: 45 Provisional Battalion 1915 Sept. only  
 

Ron

[tom bowler]

Thank you Ron.

 

I suspected that with it being a medical discharge, this was a medical facility. Seems not. Words used in other documents included 'Netley' and 'Chelsea' - both which I know. He was  a territorial . It looks like he spent 235 days at Margate . Probably to see if they could make any further use of his skills after his injuries in Gallipoli ? Sadly, he was discharged and with a pension. With a military character of 'Very Good' & 'very reliable'.

Edited 31 August , 2018 by tom bowler

[tom bowler]

I've just spotted this mention of the 45th Reserve Bn. Someone else who served at, and was injured at Gallipoli apparently.

 

We don't know why, but Sam left Gallipoli on the 26th November 1915 and returned to the UK. It is likely that he had either been wounded or fallen ill, because in January 1916 he was assigned to the 45th Provisional Battalion. This was a unit made up of soldiers who were unfit for service overseas.

 

Sam was a member of the 45th Provisional Battalion until the 25th August 1916 when he rejoined the 10th Battalion. The 1/10th were in Egypt, so he will have joined the 2/10th, which was now a battalion in its own right, or the 3/10th, which was the reserve.

 

http://www.themenbehindthemedals.org.uk/index.asp?page=full&mwsquery=({Person identity}={Doubleday, S})

Website of the Museum of the Manchester Regiment

Edited 31 August , 2018 by tom bowler

[DavidOwen]

Tom

This might be of interest (or not) taken from the January 1916 British Army Lists.

A list of the officers of that battalion at that time

David

[tom bowler]

Thank you David.

 

It is very interesting for me, in that all the officers were from the same geographical area regiments. Either the Lancashire Fusiliers or the Manchester Regiment .