india

[peter blackwell]

After serving in Mesopotamia, how did the royal welsh end up in India?

[BIFFO]

Brenockshire battalion south wales borders ALSO ended up in India and Aden for the duration !! 

[peter blackwell]

thanks pete

[MaureenE]

Looking at the "Long, Long Trail" at the page for Royal Welsh Fusiliers, I can't see that a Battalion was in India during the war.

 

What happened was that individual soldiers were evacuated from Mesopotamia to India for medical treatment.  India was the most common destination for medical treatment and convalescence.

 

There are soldiers buried in India whose Battalions had never been posted there.

 

Cheers

Maureen

 

 

[kenf48]

Which Battalion are you referring to?

 

From your previous post I guess you are referring to your grandfather’s service.  I’m also guessing you’re referring to the 8th Battalion Royal Welsh Fusiliers 40th Brigade 13th (Western) Division.  The Battalion was effectively demobilised in Mesopotamia.  However, you told us he re-enlisted, part of the reason for keeping the Regular Army up to strength was the commitment to Empire and a return to peacetime routine.  This meant while one Battalion remained ‘at home’ the other was posted overseas.

 

During the war soldiers were evacuated from Mesopotamia to India if sick or wounded.

It was also the staging point for embarkation to the U.K.  

My interest is more the SWB, the 4th Battalion were in the same Brigade, when they left Mesopotamia, 250 men who were not eligible for discharge were sent to Salonica.

There are many reasons why an individual soldier from a Battalion in Mesopotamia could find himself in India.

 

The Royal Welsh was not created until 2004, however there is a Royal Welch Forum on Facebook which may be of interest.

 

Ken

 

 

 

[peter blackwell]

8th Battalion royal welsh fusiliers, he wasn't discharged untill 13/01/ 1920 and reilisted with the welsh regiment the following day. Also people on this forum, have been kindly trying to to help me find out how he could have contracted TB, but there is no way of telling. Millitary service doesn't seem likely. but not impossible. He also served in the Third Anglo Afghan war in 1919 thanks pete

Edited 24 March , 2019 by peter blackwell

[peter blackwell]

9 hours ago, Maureene said:

Looking at the "Long, Long Trail" at the page for Royal Welsh Fusiliers, I can't see that a Battalion was in India during the war.

 

What happened was that individual soldiers were evacuated from Mesopotamia to India for medical treatment.  India was the most common destination for medical treatment and convalescence.

 

There are soldiers buried in India whose Battalions had never been posted there.

 

Cheers

Maureen

 

 

Thank you for your kind reply, i was wandering how he came to be fighting in Afghanistan Pete 

 

Edited 24 March , 2019 by peter blackwell
made same comment twice

[kenf48]

12 hours ago, peter blackwell said:

 i was wandering how he came to be fighting in Afghanistan Pete 

 

 

Generally speaking repatriation from India was an incremental process, in the Welsh Regiments coal miners were usually amongst the first to be sent to the UK for demobilisation.

 

However circumstances, and the fortunes of war sometimes got in the way.

 

The Official Account of The Third Afghan War 1919, notes:-

 

"In one respect India was fortunate.  A large number of personnel en route from Mesopatamia to England for demobilisation, were detained in India due to shortage of shipping.   These officers and men were utilised to meet the crisis.  The infantry were formed into "Special Service Battalions", which were given emergency numbers.  Thos numbered 1 to 4 were made into a Brigade at Rawalpindi, but in June were split up to provide reinforcements for existing British Battalions."

 

It seems probable he was one of those men drafted int the 'Special Battalions' and his regimental affiliation was lost for this period. The conflict ran from May to August 1919.

 

Ken

 

[peter blackwell]

thanks very much for your help thats great pete