Percy Robert Baker RFA and 22nd Battalion Manchester Regiment

[Beverly Baker]

I wonder if anyone can help. My grandfather, Percy Robert Baker can be found in the British Army Service Records as being in the Royal Field Artillery, 40th Batt.  Service No. 119196;  I then find him in the Essex Regiment, 22nd Brigade in the "Burnt Records".

I am a bit confused...  

I would love to know more about his service in WW1.  He said he was in Ypres.

Can anyone help me please?

[jay dubaya]

Welcome to the forum Beverly, you may wish to edit the thread title to show what you're looking for. I think you'll find its the 22nd Battalion Manchester Rgt you're looking at, Percy doesn't appear to have served overseas with the RFA, the documents i'm looking at show an enlistment date of 10th May 1916, he arrived at the 30th Infantry Brigade Depot on 5th March 1917 before being transferred to the 22nd Bn Manchesters by the 24th March, he went on to serve with the battalion in Italy. I'm sure there is an online book detailing the battalions service... I'll go have a look.

 

J

[kenf48]

On 12/11/2019 at 19:52, Beverly Baker said:

I wonder if anyone can help. My grandfather, Percy Robert Baker can be found in the British Army Service Records as being in the Royal Field Artillery, 40th Batt.  Service No. 119196;  I then find him in the Essex Regiment, 22nd Brigade in the "Burnt Records".

I am a bit confused...  

I would love to know more about his service in WW1.  He said he was in Ypres.

Can anyone help me please?

 

Hi Beverley,

 

Welcome to the forum

I've changed the title of your post to reflect the name of your grandfather.

 

Aged 18 years and 5 months when he enlisted on the 10th May 1916, he was too young for active service overseas, at that time the minimum age was nineteen.  He appears to be one of a group of young men who enlisted under the extended Derby Scheme.  He was posted to the RFA when mobilised on the 8th October 1916 and was compulsorily transferred to the infantry on the 25th November 1916, a common occurrence following the losses on the Somme. On the same date he was sent to the 49th Training Reserve Battalion from there he was posted to the BEF as described by JW above.

 

I recommend you have a look at the Long Long Trail website , link top left where there is lots of information on how to research a soldier, including the Manchester Regiment, the Training Reserve etc.

 

Ken

 

[alf mcm]

Beverley,

  Welcome to the forum.

  There are 2 sets of burnt records for Percy on Ancestry.    https://www.ancestry.co.uk/interactive/1219/miuk1914e_124637-00048?pid=69325&backurl=https://search.ancestry.co.uk/cgi-bin/sse.dll?indiv%3D1%26dbid%3D1219%26h%3D69325%26tid%3D%26pid%3D%26usePUB%3Dtrue%26_phsrc%3DbmY34518%26_phstart%3DsuccessSource&treeid=&personid=&hintid=&usePUB=true&_phsrc=bmY34518&_phstart=successSource&usePUBJs=true&_ga=2.127212558.2056628378.1573505223-119227612.1483026526#?imageId=miuk1914e_124637-00050

 

and

https://www.ancestry.co.uk/interactive/1219/miuk1914e_124637-00051?pid=69326&backurl=https://search.ancestry.co.uk/cgi-bin/sse.dll?indiv%3D1%26dbid%3D1219%26h%3D69326%26tid%3D%26pid%3D%26usePUB%3Dtrue%26_phsrc%3DbmY34546%26_phstart%3DsuccessSource&treeid=&personid=&hintid=&usePUB=true&_phsrc=bmY34546&_phstart=successSource&usePUBJs=true&_ga=2.85464986.2056628378.1573505223-119227612.1483026526#?imageId=miuk1914e_124637-00055

 

In the second set he is shown as a Private in the Manchester Regiment, served in Italy, and went to the Army school pf cooling. He also had a few disciplinary problems.

 

His medal record card is here

https://www.ancestry.co.uk/interactive/1262/30850_A000074-00532?pid=329422&backurl=https://search.ancestry.co.uk/cgi-bin/sse.dll?_phsrc%3DbmY34553%26_phstart%3DsuccessSource%26usePUBJs%3Dtrue%26indiv%3D1%26dbid%3D1262%26gsfn%3Dpercy%26gsln%3Dbaker%26gsfn_x%3D1%26gsln_x%3D1%26cp%3D11%26new%3D1%26rank%3D1%26uidh%3D9y4%26redir%3Dfalse%26gss%3Dangs-d%26pcat%3D39%26fh%3D71%26h%3D329422%26recoff%3D%26fsk%3DMDs0OTs1MA-61--61-%26bsk%3D%26pgoff%3D%26ml_rpos%3D72&treeid=&personid=&hintid=&usePUB=true&_phsrc=bmY34553&_phstart=successSource&usePUBJs=true

 

Regards,

 

Alf McM

[Beverly Baker]

15 hours ago, jay dubaya said:

Welcome to the forum Beverly, you may wish to edit the thread title to show what you're looking for. I think you'll find its the 22nd Battalion Manchester Rgt you're looking at, Percy doesn't appear to have served overseas with the RFA, the documents i'm looking at show an enlistment date of 10th May 1916, he arrived at the 30th Infantry Brigade Depot on 5th March 1917 before being transferred to the 22nd Bn Manchesters by the 24th March, he went on to serve with the battalion in Italy. I'm sure there is an online book detailing the battalions service... I'll go have a look.

 

J

Gosh !!! I want to thank all of you for this!  I never would have found so much!  I will start looking.  My grandfather was a very discreet person.  Only once did he speak of his war time days.  They were not nice !  

I feel I owe it to him to finally try to piece his war time life up.  

[Beverly Baker]

Thank you all for this!  

 

I never would have found so much!  I will start looking.  My grandfather was a very discreet person.  Only once did he speak of his war time days.  They were not nice !  

I feel I owe it to him to finally try to piece his war time life together. 

[8055Bell]

Hi Beverley,

I found the thread interesting and can see you've been directed to some great records that survived the Blitz.  If you need more information on 22nd Manchesters, feel free to join and raise any questions on Manchesters Forum I'm afraid I have very limited knowledge of their activity in Italy, but other members do.

Cheers

Tim

[mancpal]

Michael Stedmans book ‘The Manchester Pals’ (Pen and Sword books) covers the 22nds and includes Italy. The 22nds war diary is available to download from the NA for a small fee and the handwriting of the compiler is for once quite legible (the sections Ive read anyway).

 

Simon

[Beverly Baker]

On 16/11/2019 at 14:27, mancpal said:

Michael Stedmans book ‘The Manchester Pals’ (Pen and Sword books) covers the 22nds and includes Italy. The 22nds war diary is available to download from the NA for a small fee and the handwriting of the compiler is for once quite legible (the sections Ive read anyway).

 

Simon

Thank you Simon!  Much appreciated!  I managed to download the 22nds war diary.  It will make interesting ready I'm sure! 

On 16/11/2019 at 13:24, 8055Bell said:

Hi Beverley,

I found the thread interesting and can see you've been directed to some great records that survived the Blitz.  If you need more information on 22nd Manchesters, feel free to join and raise any questions on Manchesters Forum I'm afraid I have very limited knowledge of their activity in Italy, but other members do.

Cheers

Tim

Thank you Tim!  I have just registered on the Manchesters Forum :-).  

[Beverly Baker]

On 16/11/2019 at 13:24, 8055Bell said:

Hi Beverley,

I found the thread interesting and can see you've been directed to some great records that survived the Blitz.  If you need more information on 22nd Manchesters, feel free to join and raise any questions on Manchesters Forum I'm afraid I have very limited knowledge of their activity in Italy, but other members do.

Cheers

Tim

Hello Tim.  I have followed your advice and registered on the Manchesters Forum!  I thank you so much for this piece of advice.  I hope to be able to fill the gaps.  Bye for now!

[Beverly Baker]

On 16/11/2019 at 14:27, mancpal said:

Michael Stedmans book ‘The Manchester Pals’ (Pen and Sword books) covers the 22nds and includes Italy. The 22nds war diary is available to download from the NA for a small fee and the handwriting of the compiler is for once quite legible (the sections Ive read anyway).

 

Simon

Thank you Simon, I have ordered this.  

I stumbled across some interesting info yesterday on the "WW1 Actions and Troop Movements for Manchester Regiment, 22nd (Service) Battalion (7th City)" web page. This is so interesting to be able to follow what he endured during his time with the Regiment.  

[mancpal]

Another book which may be of interest to you is “To Fight Alongside Friends”, the diaries of Capt Charles May, 22nd Mcrs.

Sadly for us but tragically for him his diaries stop at the start of the Somme offensive. He is buried next to Capt Bland of the 22nds in Dantzig Alley, Mametz (another articulate, humane and prolific diarist).

hope this of interest

 

Simon