Did this officer serve with the Durham Light Infantry?

[Skipman]

2/Lt Fergus Robertson 3rd att/1/5th Battalion Border Regiment died at Mainz, Germany,  on the 3rd of December, 1918. I have his service record and much of the details I require, other than, a possible period of service with the Durham Light Infantry, from 1/1/1918 to an unknown date before his death on 3/12/1918. On the 1/1/1918 the 1/8th DLI relieved the 1/5th Border and thought he might have joined them there but no sign of his name in the diary.

 

There are no other mention of service, that I can see, with that regiment, other than in his service record (relevant pages attached). Did this officer serve with a battalion of the DLI at some point in early 1918, or is it an error of Cox & Co., or the War Office, or both?

 

Mike

[RaySearching]

Biography

Which matches his MIC

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Skipman]

Thanks Ray. I contacted them a few years ago. As said, the only ref to DLI is that attached above. I wondered if I might be missing something in the documents that prove he actually did serve DLI or whether it's just an error?

 

Mike

[PRC]

ICRC Report page PA23332 shows Fergus as one of 7 officers of the 5th Battalion, Border Regiment captured at Templeux on the 21st March 1918. He was with B Company.

 

Sourced from the International Committee of the Red Cross.

 

The 5th Battalion War Diary entry for the 21st March 1918 starts "Manned Battle positions for German offensive. A and B Companies Templeux, C. Company in reserve at ROISEL.

11.0.am. Information received that "A" and "B" Companies. although surrounded were holding out at the QUARRIES.

12.30 pm. "C" Company ordered to move up and take a position on WEST side of TEMPLEUX VILLAGE with their left on the COLOGNE RIVER. No further news received from "A" & "B" Companies. 3 Officers and 80? Other Ranks succeeded in getting out of the QUARRIES, remainder of the two Coys. Missing."

 

A summary of casualties at the end of the month records 2nd Lieutenant F. Robertson along with the other names in the ICRC report above, (with the exception of Charles Henry Corbett - although the War Diary lists 11 names and gives a total of 12 Officers), as amongst the missing.

 

Sourced from the National Archive.

 

So any time spent with the Durham Light Infantry preceded him going into action with the 5th Borders on the 21st March 1918.

 

Taking a step back, on the 13th February 1918 the War Diary notes that the 5th Battalion were being moved to the 66th (2nd East Lancashire) Division to be Divisional Pioneers. They were moving from 50th Northumbrian Division which then had 5 Battalions of Durham Light Infantry, including the Divisional Pioneers, (although two battalions of the DLI would also leave the Division at the same time as the 5th Borders) to a Division which had none.

 

On the 21st February the Battalion was reorganised, with "D" Company disbanded and the personnel redistributed amongst the remaining Companies. They were then training for their new role.

 

So possibly with the British Army wide re-organisation in Februay 1918 it may have been that the 1/5th Borders was one of the Battalions earmarked for disbandment, only to be saved and rebranded as Pioneers. During that period Fergus may have been put down to go the DLI, but the move never went ahead. Or alternatively he could have been loaned to the Divisional Pioneers of the 50th Division, the 1/7th DLI,  in order to get hands on experience, returning to the 5th Borders when they completed their training. Or with the move to a three Company structure it may be the 5th Borders needed less officers and so he was going to be reallocated. I suspect any time spent with the DLI was short and certainly over by the time of his capture.

 

Hope that helps,

Peter

Edited 24 October , 2020 by PRC
Typo

[Skipman]

Many thanks for that Peter. That's pretty much what I have, and what I am thinking. appreciate you firming up my beliefs in such a helpful way. I think you're right, any service with the DLI was brief and may well have been just paperwork. Will study your post and see if there are any other diaries I should look at, who knows, he may get a mention. Thanks very much for your help.

 

Mike