Charles Henry Morris 2/5th Lincolnshire regiment

[Guest]

My grandfather was repatriated to UK on June2nd 1918 according to Red Cross files. He had left leg amputation. At  that time he had a service number for 2/5th, but another service number is handwritten on the card, which shows service in 1/5th LR. His medals have the latter number. I know that survivors of 2/5th LR were transferred to 1/5th LR in July 1918, as 2/5th had sustained so many casualties. Charles Henry Morris appears to have enlisted in December 1915. at the age of 36.

Does anyone know how I can find out when/where he was taken prisoner? I suspect it must have been during the German Spring offensive of 1918, as the 2/5th had three companies outflanked, with most of the men taken prisoner. Was it usual for repatriation of wounded prisoners to take place within two or three months? 

[charlie962]

Dave, welcome to the Forum

 

PA33740 on ICRC has him listed. But his home county has been transcribed as his regiment hence why you could not find him. One of the Benefits of FMP starting to index these records means that such anomolies can be uncovered (sometimes). So captured Bullincourt 21/3/18. Note 'A' Company

 

Edited 17 November , 2019 by charlie962

[charlie962]

15 minutes ago, Dave M said:

Was it usual for repatriation of wounded prisoners to take place within two or three months? 

1917 Berne Agreement speeded things up from Germany and someone with a leg amputated wouldn't pose a risk but would be a burden to the Germans. So 'yes' by 1918.

 

Charlie

[Guest]

Thanks Charlie962. Brilliantly fast responses. Interesting they should have put the Worcestershire regiment. He had lived in N Wales for at least 10 years, but moved to Nottinghamshire some time after 1911. Still not sure why he joined The Lincolnshire Regiment; in WW2, my dad joined Sherwood Foresters, which was the local regiment. My grandad lived until 1951, worked underground with pit ponies for most of his life and cultivated an allotment, in spite of having one leg. Sad I never really knew him and can't remember him,  as I was nearly 4 when he died.

[Steve Bramley]

Formerly 2/4th Lincolns, posted to the 2/5th last week of December 1917, along with several others,

 

Steve.