The 2nd Battalion, The Kings Liverpool Regiment

[MDPMicahDominicParsons]

Hello everyone,

I have been researching my Great Great Uncle, Fred Bates, who served under the alias of Frank Taylor. Fred Bates, joined the volunteers and was soon transferred to The Kings Liverpool Regiment where he spent quite an extended period of time serving with The 2nd Battalion, The Kings Liverpool Regiment in India. Upon his return from India, Fred Bates spent around a year living with his brother in Blackburn before he was called up with The 1st Battalion, The Kings Liverpool Regiment on the outbreak of war in August 1914. Fred Bates was killed in action on Tuesday 12th January 1915.

 

I was wondering if anyone could help me to locate where The 2nd Battalion, The Kings Liverpool Regiment was based in India between 1905 - 1913 and if anyone could help me with digging a little deeper into this period.

 

Many Thanks,

 

Micah Dominic Parsons

[davidbohl]

In 1909 they were in Sabathu, India which is up near Kashmir in the north I think.

Dave

 

From the BNA

 

1906 Nasirabad, Rajasthan

 

 

Edited 21 July , 2020 by davidbohl

[Bob Davies]

Hi Micah Dominic Parsons, your best start here is possibly the Indian Army Lists. They are searchable, providing you put in the correct words as I just found out. Kings Liverpool Regiment drew a blank but Kings' came up trumps. Sift out the Kings' Huzzars etc and I found them. 2nd Battalion Kings' (Liverpool Regiment) arrived India 6th Jan 1909 from England. Try this link. Regards, Bob. https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.284986/page/n265/mode/2up?q=+King's

[Bob Davies]

And here is how to find all the lists. Best of luck; https://wiki.fibis.org/w/Indian_Army_List_online#1910-1919

[PRC]

CWGC has his service number as 9037 and Paul Nixons' Army Service number site does indeed show the the Regular Army Battalions of the The Kings (Liverpool Regiment) issued that number  between the 28th April 1904 (8774) and the 8th July 1905 (9316).

https://armyservicenumbers.blogspot.com/2009/07/kings-liverpool-regiment-1st-2nd.html

 

The standard enlistment term at that point was 3 years in the colours and 9 in the reserves, although other splits of the 12 year period were available and a man could always extend the time spent in the colours from the initial three years.

 

If, as you believe, he was stationed in India up until 1913, then he should turn up on the 1911 Census of England & Wales - the scope of that included overseas military units stationed around the British Empire.

 

I see from the CWGC entry that the Army believed him to be 29 at the time he died - so born circa 1886. There is a 24 year old Private Frank Taylor, 2nd The Kings Regt and born Blackburn, Lancashire, who was recorded in Barracks at Ambala, Punjab, India - does that sound a likely match for your relative?

 

I'll dig out the Harts Annual Military List for 1911 and see where the Regiment was stationed.

 

Hope that helps,

Peter

 

Edited 21 July , 2020 by PRC
Typo

[Bob Davies]

9 minutes ago, PRC said:

I'll dig out the Harts Annual Military List for 1911 and see where the Regiment was stationed.

 

Thanks Peter, I was just looking on the 1913 Harts list. From an earlier search in another post I recall them being at Dalhousie. Regards, Bob. https://archive.org/stream/hartsannualarmy1913lond#page/322/mode/2up

[PRC]

Update: The 1911 edition of Harts Annual Military List, correct to the 31st December 1910, shows the 2nd Battalion stationed at Subathu for Lahore Cantonment.

 

Frank Taylor appears on page 8 of an institutional return in the 1911 Census - and all the way through to the the first line of the first page - Lieutenant Colonel Louis St. Clair Nicholson - the unit for each man is shown as 2/The Kings.

 

The 1912 Edition of Harts has them at Dalhouse, so at a guess in the move from Subathu to Dalhousie was via Umballa Amballa  on the night of the 2nd April 1911 when the census was taken.

 

Hope that helps,

Peter

Edited 22 July , 2020 by PRC
My bad :-)

[MDPMicahDominicParsons]

Hello everyone,

Thank you so much for your help. I have to admit, I spent some time trying to find out more information about this period but nothing was really coming up. I did find this newspaper article and his original service records from when he signed up in 1904 which was rather interesting.

 

I think I will have to try and do some research as to what The 2nd Battalion, The Kings Liverpool Regiment were doing in India during this period.

 

Thank you so much again for your help.

Many Thanks,

Micah Dominic Parsons