Pte Samuel Blake

[jp1885]

Hi Chums,

 

As a favour to a mate, I'm researching his Great-great Grandfather, Samuel Blake.

Having exhausted all the avenues I can think of, I was wondering if any of you fine folks can shed any more light onto his service (movements, dates etc.)

 

Here are my notes so far:-

 

Samuel Blake, born 1887, Hereford.

Tribunal held May 1917 and exemption refused (Hereford Journal newspaper article). Allow a period of time for admin, training etc. possibly with the Herefordshire or KSLI reserves?

AVL 1918 puts him in the 2nd Herefordshires. If the AVL is correct, the 2nd Herefordshires were disbanded in September 1917, so he wouldn't have been there for long.

Possible transfer to the KSLI after this (or the AVL is wrong and he was recruited straight into the KSLI).

Medal roll states:-

Pte Blake, Samuel 

239184 4th Shrops LI

239184 2nd Shrops LI

G/106816 Middlesex Regiment

6 digit territorial service number, so 1917 onwards. 

Number part of Herefordshire TF range, part of KSLI series according to LLT.

1918 AVL appended with 'pa'. Looking this up, I think this means 'proxy area', i.e. not Britain or France.

AVL for 1919 gives the transfer to the Middlesex Regiment as 22/05/19.

Pensions ledger gives date of discharge as 26/12/19. Disability: Malaria.

 

So, I'm guessing that, following possible movements from the Herefordshire Regiment to the KSLI, he was sent to Salonika to join the 2nd KSLI (who'd been there since 1915).

At some stage he was transferred to the ?/4th KSLI, though I don't know which battalion.

I wonder if, having suffered from malaria, he was transferred to the 4th reserve battalion KSLI?

Transferred to the Middlesex Regiment in 1919, prior to being discharged. Possibly a home service battalion?

Looking at the medal rolls, there appears to be a large block of 2nd KSLI men who were subsequently posted to the 4th KSLI and then Middlesex Regiment, but I can't find any service/pension records for any as of yet.

Can anyone comment on the above?

Thanks in advance,

Jon.

Edited 18 September , 2019 by jp1885

[jp1885]

Actually, looking at his medal roll again, I’ve got this wrong.

I think he was 4th KSLI first, then 2nd KSLI.

So... As the 4th is on his medal roll, I'm guessing the 1/4th KSLI in France and not a home service battalion? Thence to Salonika to the 2nd?

Edited 19 September , 2019 by jp1885

[Guest]

Hi @jp1885 

 

Did you ever manage to find more information on this? I may have some information relating to this person that I received from my family, however, not sure if it is the correct person. 
 

Thanks,

Lionel

[jp1885]

Hi. Yes, I found some useful information (but always happy to learn more). I’ll paste what I wrote to my mate below:-

 

I think I can build up a reasonable picture of what your great-grandad did during WW1…

He was refused exemption from conscription in May 1917 and probably mobilised before June 1917. He was posted to either the 2nd Herefordshire Battalion or the 4th (Reserve) Battalion KSLI. In any event, the 4th (Reserve) KSLI absorbed the Herefords in 1917.

The 4th (Reserve) Battalion KSLI (the 3/4th KSLI until 1916) was stationed in Swansea and then Pembroke Dock as part of Milford Haven Garrison.

 In November 1917 or thereabouts he was posted to Salonika, Greece, arriving possibly on 6th December 1917. He was transferred to the 2nd Battalion KSLI, 27th Division.

The 27th Division was involved in fighting the Bulgarians in the Struma Valley, an area where malaria was rife. In 1918 they moved to the Doiran front to take part in the final push against the Bulgarians.

After the Bulgarians capitulated in September 1918, they spent a little more time in Salonika (during which time the Turks and Germans surrendered and ceasefire was declared) until December 1918, when they were ordered to Constantinople and then to Tiflis in Southern Russia (now Tiblisi, Georgia).

Their job was to protect the oilfields at Baku and generally keep the peace between the various competing factions following the chaos of the Russian Revolution.

Samuel was transferred to the 26th (Reserve) Battalion Middlesex Regiment (the Divisional Pioneer Battalion) on 22nd May 1919.

The 27th Division shipped out of Russia in September 1919, arriving in the UK the next month. Samuel was discharged on Boxing Day 1919. His pension ledger states that he suffered from malaria, no doubt due to his time in the Struma Valley.

He was would receive his medals in 1920.