WWI 15th Battalion West Yorkshire Regiment Photo Request !!

[15th Bn West Yorks]

Hello all,

 

I am wondering can someone help me out as i am currently looking for a Photo of my Great Grand Uncle who Served in the 15th Battalion of the West Yorkshire Regiment,

 

(( I am willing to pay anyone a full weeks wages that is able to assist me with a platoon Photo of him with his Battalion ))

 

As i know there is currently one out there of him taken with his platoon before they sailed to France he was Killed In Action in the Somme on the 27th March 1918 and he recieved the (Military Medal for Bravery) in May 1917 the year before he was Killed in action

 

His Name was Pte. James Walsh 

Army Service Number: 41477

15th/17th Battalion West Yorkshire Regiment (Bantam Battalion)

 

I would be truly grateful to anyone who could assist me with my request and i thank you kindly in advance for any help that you can give me with allocating this photo request !

 

and i will look after you personally on my behalf myself for your time and effords.

 

Yours Sincerely

Thomas Connor.

 

 

Edited 18 April , 2021 by 15th Bn West Yorks

[Moonraker]

Welcome, Thomas

 

Your request constitutes quite a long shot.

 

Have you tried local newspapers covering his home locality? The fact that he won the MM increases the chances that they would have printed a photo of him, though perhaps some time after he won it, which would mean ploughing through several months  of editions probably held on microfilm at a major library or museum.

[tharkin56]

Any chance of a bit more info, where did he live, any idea of school or works. His photo may appear in a Roll of Honour rather than a group photo 

[15th Bn West Yorks]

13 hours ago, Moonraker said:

Welcome, Thomas

 

Your request constitutes quite a long shot.

 

Have you tried local newspapers covering his home locality? The fact that he won the MM increases the chances that they would have printed a photo of him, though perhaps some time after he won it, which would mean ploughing through several months  of editions probably held on microfilm at a major library or museum.

Hello 

And Thank You for your reply back to me.

 

I have tryed the local librarys around his home town and nothing available 

 

Yes i did contact the Yorkshire Museum in York, and they told me that they wouldnt be able to assist me any further as they said they hadn't time to help me out with my request, so they sent me to this forum as they said there might be someone on here who is Military Historian Specific to the Yorkshire Regiment's that served in the First World War. Thanks,

[Michelle Young]

There's  a quite a few platoon photos in the book Leeds Pals by Laurie Milner. Do you know what platoon he was in? 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Leeds-Pals-Laurie-Milner/dp/147384181X

 

Michelle 

[ilkley remembers]

James Walsh enlisted into the 17th West Yorkshire Regiment which was a Bantam Battalion raised in Leeds in late 1914 and early 1915. The battalion was known as the 2nd Leeds Pals Battalion (The first being the 15th West Yorks) and was originally made up of men under regulation height of 5' 3". In January 1918 the 17th were amalgamated with the 15th and formed the composite 15/17th Battalion with whom he was serving when he was killed in March 1918 when the battalion suffered very high casualties over a three day period...over 500 if memory serves me correctly.

 

He seems to have been from the  Wortley area of Leeds and his name and possibly a photograph may be in one of the Leeds newspapers. These are well covered on the British Newspaper Archives. 

 

As far as Laurie Milners book is concerned the group photographs are all 15th Battalion and were taken whilst they were training in the UK in 1915 so your ancestor will not be on any of these. Photographs of the battalion are fairly scarce, although, some platoon photographs were taken in Ilkley in March 1915 but are exceptionally difficult to find

 

I will check the Brit Npaper Arch and see if he is mentioned 

[15th Bn West Yorks]

On 19/04/2021 at 05:45, tharkin56 said:

Any chance of a bit more info, where did he live, any idea of school or works. His photo may appear in a Roll of Honour rather than a group photo 

Hello and thanks for your reply back to me as it is appreciated on this side

 

Yes James Walsh he was born in Laragan, Balla, County Mayo, on the west coast of Ireland 27th July 1886 and enlisted in York as his residence was Leeds, 

He is burried in Two Tree Military Cementry Moyneville, France. He enlisted from my records on the 15th of February 1916 his brothers address was

9 Sankey Square 

Goldtrope

Rotherham

 

Thanks

 

 

[15th Bn West Yorks]

46 minutes ago, Michelle Young said:

There's  a quite a few platoon photos in the book Leeds Pals by Laurie Milner. Do you know what platoon he was in? 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Leeds-Pals-Laurie-Milner/dp/147384181X

 

Michelle 

Hello Michelle,

Thank you very much for sharing this link with me as it is muchly appreciated on this side for sharing that book, Thank you for that

 

Unfortunately i dont honestly know what platoon he was in i know my father seen that photo of him back in the 1950's in his home house at the time and he said he was standing on the right side of the Photo with a poncho going from his shoulder to waist and he had a moustache with around 10 men in that group photo

 

Thank you in advance for your help

 

Yours Sincerely 

Thomas 

[15th Bn West Yorks]

31 minutes ago, ilkley remembers said:

James Walsh enlisted into the 17th West Yorkshire Regiment which was a Bantam Battalion raised in Leeds in late 1914 and early 1915. The battalion was known as the 2nd Leeds Pals Battalion (The first being the 15th West Yorks) and was originally made up of men under regulation height of 5' 3". In January 1918 the 17th were amalgamated with the 15th and formed the composite 15/17th Battalion with whom he was serving when he was killed in March 1918 when the battalion suffered very high casualties over a three day period...over 500 if memory serves me correctly.

 

He seems to have been from the  Wortley area of Leeds and his name and possibly a photograph may be in one of the Leeds newspapers. These are well covered on the British Newspaper Archives. 

 

As far as Laurie Milners book is concerned the group photographs are all 15th Battalion and were taken whilst they were training in the UK in 1915 so your ancestor will not be on any of these. Photographs of the battalion are fairly scarce, although, some platoon photographs were taken in Ilkley in March 1915 but are exceptionally difficult to find

 

I will check the Brit Npaper Arch and see if he is mentioned 

Hello

Thank you very much for all of the detailed information you have provided me with there, yes you are spot on 100% yes he was in the Bantam Battalion thats great with what you just mentioned there, Thank you very much for that and for your effords 

 

Do you think it would be a possibility that his photo might still exists in one of the Leeds Newspapers Archives ?

 

Thank you very much for your help as it is muchly appreciated on this side as i would be really happy if i could be able to allocate a photo of him for my family,

 

Yours Sincerely 

Thomas 

[15th Bn West Yorks]

Here is a few more Documents from his Military Service Records 

 

Thanks 

 

 

 

 

[Gunner 87]

Hi Thomas. You may know this but you can view many of the images, though not all, from the book Michelle has suggested online at the link below. I have had a look and James is mentioned by name as a recipient of the MM.

 

https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=fIPgAwAAQBAJ&lpg=PA1&pg=PA1#v=onepage&q&f=false

 

In addition, the two pension cards held Ancestry, viewable though Fold3, have a slightly different address for his Mother which maybe of use when searching.  

 

[15th Bn West Yorks]

1 hour ago, Gunner 87 said:

Hi Thomas. You may know this but you can view many of the images, though not all, from the book Michelle has suggested online at the link below. I have had a look and James is mentioned by name as a recipient of the MM.

 

https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=fIPgAwAAQBAJ&lpg=PA1&pg=PA1#v=onepage&q&f=false

 

In addition, the two pension cards held Ancestry, viewable though Fold3, have a slightly different address for his Mother which maybe of use when searching.  

 

Hello Sir,

Thank you very much for adding this picture into the thread as it is very much appreciated on this side,

 

Thanks a lot for your help this is great to hear that his pension cards are visible on Ancestry and great to see his hand writing does it show the full size on them two cards or is this just this picture like you were very good to attach for me ? 

As i dont currently have access to Ancestry but will look into joining it thanks

 

And Thank you very much for adding the link of the Book that Michelle mentioned there the Leeds Pals i have now purchased that book,, just in case his platoon photo is inside there,

 

Yes you are 100% correct i see what you mean there is a slight difference in the two spelling of the same Village of Laragan instead of Larrigan there was a mistake il say in the spellings of that village from the Genealogy Records in mayo, as they seemed to have spelled it differently, yes it is spelled today Laragan as that is my Dads home address where he was born and grew up and still have family living at that address its just outside of the town of Kiltimagh County Mayo.

 

Thank you very much in advance for all of your great help and detailed information you just provided me with there that is amazing !

 

Yours Sincerely 

Thomas.

[Gunner 87]

1 hour ago, 15th Bn West Yorks said:

Hello Sir,

Thank you very much for adding this picture into the thread as it is very much appreciated on this side,

 

Thanks a lot for your help this is great to hear that his pension cards are visible on Ancestry and great to see his hand writing does it show the full size on them two cards or is this just this picture like you were very good to attach for me ? 

As i dont currently have access to Ancestry but will look into joining it thanks

 

And Thank you very much for adding the link of the Book that Michelle mentioned there the Leeds Pals i have now purchased that book,, just in case his platoon photo is inside there,

 

Yes you are 100% correct i see what you mean there is a slight difference in the two spelling of the same Village of Laragan instead of Larrigan there was a mistake il say in the spellings of that village from the Genealogy Records in mayo, as they seemed to have spelled it differently, yes it is spelled today Laragan as that is my Dads home address where he was born and grew up and still have family living at that address its just outside of the town of Kiltimagh County Mayo.

 

Thank you very much in advance for all of your great help and detailed information you just provided me with there that is amazing !

 

Yours Sincerely 

Thomas.

 

 

Hi Thomas, i've sent you over a pm. 

[15th Bn West Yorks]

18 hours ago, Gunner 87 said:

 

 

Hi Thomas, i've sent you over a pm. 

Hello, Thank you just seen your message there now, and have replied back to you Many Thanks again 👍

[Gunner 87]

Hi Thomas. The entry in the 15/17th Battalion War Diary (WD) for the 27th March 1918 gives a clear record of a withdrawal the unit was making which may well be when James was killed, see attached. 

 

The following links will take you to the WD's, free to download at the National Archives once registered, for the 15th, 17th and 15/17th after they merged. While these documents are unlikely to mention James by name, with the possible exception of the MM, they do give a detailed insight into what the units were doing on a day to day basis. 

 

15th Battalion 1st March 1916 to 31st December 1917 

https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C7353708

17th Battalion first entry December 1914 with subsequent entries through 1915 though in the main 24th January 1916  to 8th December 1917

https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C7353981

15/17th Battalion 1st January 1918 to 28th Rebury 1919

https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C7353709

 

 

[15th Bn West Yorks]

On 21/04/2021 at 16:28, Gunner 87 said:

Hi Thomas. The entry in the 15/17th Battalion War Diary (WD) for the 27th March 1918 gives a clear record of a withdrawal the unit was making which may well be when James was killed, see attached. 

 

The following links will take you to the WD's, free to download at the National Archives once registered, for the 15th, 17th and 15/17th after they merged. While these documents are unlikely to mention James by name, with the possible exception of the MM, they do give a detailed insight into what the units were doing on a day to day basis. 

 

15th Battalion 1st March 1916 to 31st December 1917 

https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C7353708

17th Battalion first entry December 1914 with subsequent entries through 1915 though in the main 24th January 1916  to 8th December 1917

https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C7353981

15/17th Battalion 1st January 1918 to 28th Rebury 1919

https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C7353709

 

 

Hello Mat,

Thank you very much indeed Sir,

 

Once again For all of your Expertise help and assistance in sharing with me these great links there !

 

Yes i will diffneatly download from those links you just shared as will be very handy to have that info on his unit from around the Moyneville, area in the Somme, where they were on there day to day basis and there very last days before they became out numbered by the Germans,

 

Thank you once again for all of your expertise help as i really do appreciate it very much on this side

Thanking You Sincerely 👍

 

You are a great guy Many Thanks

 

Regards

Thomas