6-9th Battalion, Leicestershire Regiment July 1916

[SharonB]

Hi,

I'm researching my great grandfather Frank Mowbray who was a Private (no. 13192) in the Leicestershire Regiment. From his Medals Index Card I see he went to France on the 29.7.15, so I assume he was in the 6th, 7th, 8th or 9th battalion? Is there anyway of telling which one he was in please? Unfortunately his service record didn't survive. He was born 12.10.1893 in Loughborough.

The Loughborough Echo (28.7.1916) reported that his parents had received a letter from a chaplain at the front, which said Frank had been wounded for the third time! Any ideas which battle he may have been injured in please? He was then discharged on the 8.12.16.

I've been to the National Archives at Kew and looked through the Leicestershire Reg medical records. I couldn't find his record, but there were boxes and boxes of them! Most were in surname or reg number order so I jumped to the appropriate parts because of the limited time I had, so may well have missed him if he was out of order. Did they collect/keep all the men's records from the Leicestershire Reg does anyone know please?

Many thanks in advance for any information, Sharon

[Mark1959]

The index card is the index for the actual medal rolls

The 1914/15 Star does not add anything to the info on the card. The roll for the British war and victory medals show him as 8th battalion. No other battalion shown - this implies overseas service was entirely with that battalion. 

The card also shows he was given the Silver War Badge when discharged as unfit due to wounds on 8/12/1916. The roll for this shows his service reckoned from 4/9/1914

The Western Front Association have recently released pension ledger cards. There is one for him. This shows 2 addresses in Loughborough. It shows he was discharged due to "GSW Chest". So a bullet or shrapnel wound to the chest

 

He is listed as "Wounded" on the Casualty List issued by the War Office from 21st August 1916.That will be the wounding referred to above.

 

He is listed as "casualty in the Expeditionary Force reported from the Base under date 18th February: wounded" on the Casualty List issued by the War Office from 27th February 1916. A previous wounding. This shows he was with 8th Leics.

 

He is listed as "Wounded" on the Casualty List issued by the War Office from the 22nd September 1915. This record also shows 8th Leics.

 

These listings tended to be a fortnight to several weeks after the actual wounding. I cannot find any specific medical records relating to him at the moment.

All seems to confirm what the chaplain was saying. 

Edited 20 August , 2019 by Mark1959

[travers61]

 

 

The Medal Roll shows him as 8th Battalion Leicestershire Regiment, which as you say landed in France 29th July 1915.

 

If you didn't have the info from the Silver War Badge records say that he enlisted 4th Sept 1914 confirms his date of discharge through wounds, that he had overseas service & was discharged from the depot of the Leicestershire Regiment.

[Mark1959]

The battalion war diary is your next port of call on ancestry or download from the national archives

 

https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C7354096 - up to June 1916

https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C7353183 - July 1916 onwards

 

Based on a quick read I believe he was probably badly wounded at the Battle of Bazentin Ridge 14-17 July 1916. This was a large attack by the British on the Somme.

The war diary has lots of detail on the operation

It also includes the price paid

Officers 4 KIA, 1 Died of Wounds, 12 wounded - 17 casualties

Other Ranks: 56 killed, 10 DoW, 310 wounded, 39 missing - 415 casualties

There is a chance he was injured outside of the attack but more likely between 14-17 July. 

It does fit in with the chaplin probably writing a few days later when the battalion was out of the line and the contents being published on 28/7/16. 

The diaries should also give you some idea of his movements from when he arrived in 1915 - possibly also where the previous woundings may have happened.

Hope that helps

 

Edited 20 August , 2019 by Mark1959

[SharonB]

Thank you so much for all the info.

It's really great being able to ask questions and get such knowledgable replies - lots for me to follow up

Thanks again!

[clk]

Hi Sharon,

 

Working on the presumption that the paperwork for wounded men from a regiment flowed through the recording system at the same rate, it may be worth looking for service records of others (ideally from the 8th Battalion) listed on the same casualty lists. Unfortunately I don't have access to them, but what you'd probably find is a common date of wounding (give or take a day, or so) from which  you could make a reasonable assumption about Frank, and then cross reference to the war diaries.

 

Regards

Chris

[Ellis1918]

Sharon B   My grandfather Willie Ellis served with the 7 Leics service number 13392 ( very close to your man) together with his brother Ernest service number 13402. Both enlisted on 31 Aug 1914 and landed in France on 29 Jul 1915 , sailing from Folkestone on the SS Onward. Referring to the dates of your great grandfather being wounded above the 110th brigade (6th 7th 8th 9th Leics) locations were - Sep 1915 Berles au Bois , Feb 1916 Bienvillers au Bois , Jul 1916 Bazentin. The war diaries are available on Ancestry or try reading - "The Tigers" by Matthew Richardson , "Bazentin Ridge" by Edward Hancock , "Of those we loved"  by I L Dick Read.

I researched my grandfathers time in France , with the great assistance of several Forum members , and in 2011 retraced his steps. Attached photo of plaque in Berles au Bois village square. 

Edited 22 August , 2019 by Ellis1918

[SharonB]

Sorry for the delay, but thank you so much Chris and Ellis1918 for your help.

[Don Regiano]

4 hours ago, SharonB said:

Sorry for the delay, but thank you so much Chris and Ellis1918 for your help.

 

You might find this thread of some interest: