Garry Wills Posted 8 November , 2019 Share Posted 8 November , 2019 I am looking for any information about my great grandfather James William Wills born 1870 and joined the Northamptonshire regiment Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GWF1967 Posted 8 November , 2019 Share Posted 8 November , 2019 3 minutes ago, Garry Wills said: I am looking for any information about my great grandfather James William Wills born 1870 and joined the Northamptonshire regiment If you know where he was born, and who his parents or siblings were, it may help folks find the right man. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Garry Wills Posted 8 November , 2019 Author Share Posted 8 November , 2019 His fathers name was George Wills his mothers name was Ann Wills his son (my grandad) was named Thomas Bertram Wills Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie962 Posted 8 November , 2019 Share Posted 8 November , 2019 (edited) 16 minutes ago, GWF1967 said: where he was born 1911 census has him as an Ironstone labourer, born Brixworth Northants (aged 41) Edited 8 November , 2019 by charlie962 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Garry Wills Posted 8 November , 2019 Author Share Posted 8 November , 2019 Yes that's correct Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie962 Posted 8 November , 2019 Share Posted 8 November , 2019 He is presumably the Northamtonshire Regt man who then went to the Labour Corps ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Garry Wills Posted 8 November , 2019 Author Share Posted 8 November , 2019 What is the labour corps ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Garry Wills Posted 8 November , 2019 Author Share Posted 8 November , 2019 He survived the war because I think I am right he died in 1948 aged 78 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie962 Posted 8 November , 2019 Share Posted 8 November , 2019 (edited) Ancestry is free this weekend so you will find his MIC here (but you need to log-in) The LongLongTrail here will tell you about the Labour Corps. Given James's age and past occupation then Labour Corps would be an appropriate posting for someone like him who was probably not up to front-line infantry service. (and I mean no disrespect !) He will first have gone overseas with the Northants but then been transferred. We don't know units or dates but it will be after 1/1/1916 because he wasn't entitled to a 14/15 Star. Edited 8 November , 2019 by charlie962 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GWF1967 Posted 8 November , 2019 Share Posted 8 November , 2019 (edited) 15 minutes ago, Garry Wills said: What is the labour corps ? There is a very good book covering the formation and duties of the Labour Corps - No Labour, No Battle, John Starling and Ivor Lee - “From 1917 British soldiers who were unfit or too old for front-line service were to serve unarmed and within the range of German guns - undertaking labouring tasks” By November 1918 there were 350,000 British, and over 1 million men from the Empire and the Chinese Labour Corps employed as loaders/packers, road builders etc. Post War they cleared battlefields. Edited 8 November , 2019 by GWF1967 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie962 Posted 8 November , 2019 Share Posted 8 November , 2019 (edited) I'm going to take a guess that he may have gone to France with the 12th Labour Co of the Northamptonshire Regt before being 'taken over' by the Labour Corps. There is a service record for a 41 year old William Ross who was issued with Northants number 38168 (your James was Northants 38160) and that's what happened to him. See here on Findmypast (also free this weekend).( Ignore all the other stuff on Ross's Service Record.Ross was an old soldier but I am not aware that Wills was ?) Edit- this seems to be confirmed by the Labour Corps number issued to James Wills. 89407 was issued to 150th Company Labour Corps, formerly known as 12th Northants Infantry Labour Company. Edited 8 November , 2019 by charlie962 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GWF1967 Posted 8 November , 2019 Share Posted 8 November , 2019 (edited) 13 minutes ago, charlie962 said: I'm going to take a guess that he may have gone to France with the 12th Labour Co of the Northamptonshire Regt before being 'taken over' by the Labour Corps. There is a service record for a 41 year old William Ross who was issued with number 38168 (your James was 38160) and that's what happened to him. See here on Findmypast (also free this weekend) Spot on, NLNB places his No.89407 in the block (89401 - 90000) allotted to men of 12th Labour Coy - Northamptonshire Regt in May 1917, when it was renamed as 150 Coy Labour Corps. Edited 8 November , 2019 by GWF1967 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie962 Posted 8 November , 2019 Share Posted 8 November , 2019 GWF I've crossed with you in editting my post having seen same info on LLT ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Garry Wills Posted 10 November , 2019 Author Share Posted 10 November , 2019 Many thanks gentlemen, if you have anymore info please let me know. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stebie9173 Posted 10 November , 2019 Share Posted 10 November , 2019 The 1918 Absent Voters list for Holcot shows James William Wills, Main Street, Holcot as a Sergeant, No. 89407, in the 32nd Labour Company (of the Labour Corps). The 32nd Labour Company was a different company to the 150th Company so he would have transferred at some point. The Infantry Labour Companies (ILC) of the Northamptonshire Regiment were formed of men who were below the "A1" medical grade needed for front line service. Most of the men going into the Northamptonshire Regiment ILCs were not actually from Northamptonshire. The Northamptonshire Regiment ILC units were created in March 1917. There was no infantry training given to the men as they were not expected to fight and went overseas within a week or two of the creation of the units. Once in France, the units were put to work and then converted to companies of the Labour Corps in May 1917, as noted above. At some later point he was transferred to 32nd Company (also a converted Infantry Labour Company, this one being the 1st ILC of the Durham Light Infantry in its former guise). Steve. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie962 Posted 18 November , 2019 Share Posted 18 November , 2019 There is a Pension Card (via WesternFrontAssociation) for James William Wills 89407. It adds nothing for unit other than Labour Corps but does say discharged 27/3/19 and granted a Pension wef next day due to 'Rheumatism, aggravated by service'. Address is Chequers Row, Holcott. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sadbrewer Posted 19 November , 2019 Share Posted 19 November , 2019 (edited) He was fined 10 shillings in 1913 for using obscene language...courtesy of the British Newspaper Archive. Edit....I can't find a William James in Holcot...so I assume the paper got the order of Christian names mixed up. This one might be interesting from January 1915. Edited 19 November , 2019 by sadbrewer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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