Highland Light Infantry man

[buritonian]

Hi all,

 

Could anybody tell me which Highland Light Infantry Battalion Samuel Rutter, (38495), served in? Also at some point he moved to the Labour Corps (No 418638). It would be good to know when this change might have happened.

 

[kenf48]

As you are probably aware the Silver War Badge Rolls gives an enlistment date of 25/05/1915.

 

He appears to have been in a group of men posted from the ASC to the Infantry Training Reserve in 1917.

 

These men were posted to the HLI on or after 17th April 1917 probably at the IBD in France 38479 Mason went to the 15th (1st Glasgow) Battalion so I would start there.  He arrived in France on the 8th April, I guess your man was in the same draft.  The HLI medal roll shows 38492 and 38496 also went to the 15th.  Earlier in the sequence some men were posted to the 2nd Battalion but those seem to be the only possibilities.  War diary for the 15th shows a draft of 10 on the 1st May, and a further 40 the following day.

 

His Labour Corps transfer was October 1917 to January 1918. I believe this list is from 'No Labour No Battle'

We may be able to be more accurate.

 

His SWB entry shows discharge due to sickness rather than wounding.  It looks to me he was one of the home service men 'combed out' in early 1917 and posted to the front line when he probably was not fit enough as happened with many men in this period.

 

Ken

Edited 15 January , 2019 by kenf48

[buritonian]

Thank you very much. Can I ask you to clarify the line you wrote “His Labour Corps transfer was October 1917 to January 1918” - is that to say that some when between those dates he went from labour corps to his HLI Battalion?

Also if anyone can help pin down what Battalion he ended up in it would great to know. 

I don't suppose we'll ever learn from documents etc what he got up to 1915 to 1916. Could he have been around the Somme in 1916 for example during his Labour Corps service?

 

[kenf48]

2 hours ago, buritonian said:

Thank you very much. Can I ask you to clarify the line you wrote “His Labour Corps transfer was October 1917 to January 1918” - is that to say that some when between those dates he went from labour corps to his HLI Battalion?

Also if anyone can help pin down what Battalion he ended up in it would great to know. 

I don't suppose we'll ever learn from documents etc what he got up to 1915 to 1916. Could he have been around the Somme in 1916 for example during his Labour Corps service?

 

 

I think there is a misunderstanding. The Labour Corps was formed following a Royal Warrant in February 1917 see 

https://www.longlongtrail.co.uk/army/regiments-and-corps/the-labour-corps-of-1917-1918/

There were no Labour Corps units on the Somme in 1916.

 

The Labour Corps is difficult to research as during its relatively short life it performed many tasks and was formed into relatively small Companies, few records have survived.

As noted in the list in the thread I copied for you he was posted to the Labour Corps between October 1917 and January 1918.  In the service records I have found 418635 Robertson, formerly 10th Battalion HLI and after being wounded in action and on recovery posted to the Labour Corps on the 7th October 1917 which accords with the list.

 

Typically what happened is that men who were wounded or sick after front line service would appear before a medical board.  If considered fit to continue in service but with a downgraded medical category they would be posted away form a front line unit.  In the case of the Labour Corps they would be posted to one of the Command Centres, as he was in a Scottish Regiment he would most likely have gone to the Scottish Command Centre, on the other hand he may have ended up at one of the other Home Commands.  In any event Robertson was posted to 775 Area Employment Company and then to a POW Company.  

 

We cannot say whether or not Rutter was posted to the same AEC as Robertson or elsewhere, although the Medal Rolls indicate four men from the Scottish Command were posted to the Labour Corps at the same time i.e. 418634 - 418638.

 

To summarise a timeline for Pte Rutter is:-

 

Volunteered and enlisted in the Army 25 May 1915 (SWB Record)

Home service at least until 1 January 1916 (No 14-15 Star Medal entitlement)

Home service probably continued until posted to Highland Light Infantry (no other unit shown as served with when first entered a theatre of war)

Posted to the BEF in a draft in April 1917 (probably on the 8th) and posted to the Highland Light Infantry on or around 17th April 1917 (surviving record near number sampling)

Two possible Battalions, the 2nd or 15th but based on the consecutive numbers in the Medal Rolls most likely the 15th

At some point in 1917 he was either wounded or placed sick and left the active Service Unit of the HLI.  We don't know if he convalesced in France or the UK but the balance of probability favours the UK. 

Posted to Labour Corps 7th October 1917, without a service record or discharge documents we don't know where, therefore we don't know if he remained in the UK or returned to France (Pte Robertson remained in the UK)

Discharge from the Army due to sickness on the 12 March 1919 and granted a Silver War Badge in recognition of his service.

Medal entitlement Victory Medal and BWM.

 

It is possible he was awarded a pension therefore the newly released pension records in Fold 3 on Ancestry may indicate which Labour Corps unit he was serving with when discharged.  You will need a subscription or free trail to access that.

 

Ken

 

Edited 16 January , 2019 by kenf48