Unable to locate War Diary

[fellop]

I am having some difficulty in locating a War Diary for either or both 60 Bn MGC [formed May 1918] and part of 60 Division or 180 Machine Gun Company [part of 60^th Bn MGC] and the Brigade Machine Gun Company for 180 Bde 60 Div.

Man I am researching is 27916 Pte Walter Wigley DOW [GSW to Chest] 22 Sept 1918.

There is a diary for the Brigade Machine Gun Coy for June – Nov 1916 but nothing I can see for the period I am interested in July – Sept 1918

Or do I take it that it has not yet been digitized yet ? Or again am I not looking in the right place.

 

Regards

Peter

 

[alf mcm]

Peter,

  60 Btn. M.G.C. diary is here, but has not been digitised. https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C4557818

 

Regards,

 

Alf McM

[PRC]

60th Division were in Palestine by the time the 60th Battalion came into being.

https://www.longlongtrail.co.uk/army/order-of-battle-of-divisions/60th-division/

 

As far as I'm aware war diaries relating to the Palestine Theatre of War have not been digitised - see https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/help-with-your-research/research-guides/british-army-war-diaries-1914-1922/

and so would need to be viewed at Kew.

 

Cheers

Peter

[fellop]

My thanks to both Alf and Peter for their speedy and instructive replies.

Right a trip to the NA or get someone to have a peek for me, after the current unpleasantness has passed seems the way forward.

 

Right Walter to the back of the queue with you ...... right who is next.......................

 

Thanks again to both

Regards

Peter

[PRC]

I tried a quick look via Geoff Search Engine and it seems that in the period 1st September 1918 to 22nd September 1918 Walter is the only member of the Battalion recorded as having died.

 

Unfortunately the MH106 series of medical facility admission and discharge records I believe is a bit light on the Palestine Theatre. I take it there is nothing on his Army Register of Soldiers Effects entry that gives a clue as to whether he died in a Field Ambulance \ Casualty Clearing Station, etc. Looks like there is a Soldiers Will for him, but I don't believe there is usually any accompanying paperwork with those that would reveal where he died - the probate calendar for a civil will or request for letters of administration can actually be more helpful in that respect.

https://probatesearch.service.gov.uk/Wills?Surname=Wigley&SurnameGrants=Wigley&YearOfDeath=1918&YearOfDeathGrants=1918&IsGrantSearch=False&IsCalendarSearch=False#soldiers

 

Here is an old threads that cover some of the activity of the division around about that time - it also has a post from a forum member who has an interest in the Divisional Artillery who might be worth a PM.

 

also Chapter 7 of The Battle for Syria 1918-1920 by John D Grainger covers the integration of the Indian units who arrived in July 1918 to release British troops to be sent to France, and can be read online here:-

https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=LG2cG5SshpEC&pg=PA86&lpg=PA86&dq=2/30th+Punjabis+1918&source=bl&ots=64UrJe7-2n&sig=ACfU3U2TFcX3LdijPyvPyIBegaC0xU3ESQ&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwidt_PW-OXpAhUJXsAKHXbgDGQQ6AEwB3oECA0QAQ#v=onepage&q=2%2F30th Punjabis 1918&f=false

It seems that nearly all had seen no combat or even fired a gun in anger and so to prepare them spells were spent in the frontline with active patrolling bolstered by a backbone of experienced British soldiers. This was to prepare them for a big battle towards the end of September.

 

Finally one of the units that joined 180th Brigade in July 1918 was the 1/50th Kumaon Rifles. This would go on to become one of the founding units of the Indian Army and counts amongst its battle honours the Battle of Sharon, September 19th - 25th 1918.

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/dehradun/3-kumaon-rifles-regiment-one-of-indian-armys-oldest-units-to-mark-100-years/articleshow/61157084.cms

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Sharon

 

Apologies if none of this is news to you - otherwise hope it helps,

 

Peter

[fellop]

Peter.

Walter, all things considered had a bad war.

 

He enlists aged 33 on the 15 October 1915.

 

On the 20 September 1916 he had suffered GSW and SW to his head and severe concussion he was seen at 134 Fd Amb, admitted to 11 CCS and them moved to 30 Ambulance Train on the 23 September and then to 13 Sty Hospital in Boulogne then onward to England on the 4 October 1916.

 

He returns to France on the 11 April 1917 and there follows over time a set of minor misdemeanours [to be kind] which result in military punishments at unit level.

 

He returns again to hospital on the 30 August 1917 with Myalgia and returns to the unit on 4 September 1917

 

He goes to the EEF on the 14^th October 1917.

 

The offences continue and on the 19 March 1918 he is awarded 21 Days FP.

 

August 1918 he returns to hospital with a hand injury

 

On the 21 September 1918 he is wounded GSW Chest on the 22 September he dies of wounds at [it looks like] 33 CCH. I take that as 33 Casualty Clearing Hospital ?

 

He had both parents alive and brothers until well after the war however his enrolment papers [he is 33 years old] in 1915 are counter signed by his Uncle.

 

His money goes to his Mother as does the War Grautiy Payment.

 

There is no application for a Pension and his medals although sent to his mother are returned.

 

Perhaps of interest to someone, he is on my local memorial.

 

Regards

Peter

 

 

 

 

[PRC]

1 hour ago, fellop said:

He enlists aged 33 on the 15 October 1915.

 

Just had a look at his record on findmypast and looks like he enlisted on the 28th October 1915 aged 33 years and 10 months. Depending on the source you look at the Derby Scheme opened on either the 15th or 16th October 1915. However if he intended to enlist under that scheme it looks like the recruiting office were able to persuade him to go straight away !

 

Soldiers died in the Great War shows him as formerly 25016 Yorkshire Regiment. One of the Regimental Conduct Sheets is headed up 14th (R) Yorkshire Regiment with the same service number although the entries are signed off by an officer of the MGC.

 

Military discipline and lifestyle doesn't suit everyone and after what he'd been through in France I would have thought he would also have been traumatised.

 

2 hours ago, fellop said:

There is no application for a Pension and his medals although sent to his mother are returned.

 

To qualify for a Dependants Pension the applicant would have to show a financial dependancy, not a familial one. As his record includes a response from the Regimental Paymasters Office that there is no money being paid over to any dependants it would have been an uphill struggle for anyone wanting to claim a pension as a result of his death.

 

Cheers,

Peter