Phil Halton Posted 31 December , 2022 Share Posted 31 December , 2022 Hello, I would like to find out a little more about my grandfather, William Halton, who was at Tanga and stayed on in East Africa with the machine gun detachment of the Loyals where he was awarded the MC, but I don't know why. Any information would be greatly appreciated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aconnolly Posted 31 December , 2022 Share Posted 31 December , 2022 Hi Phil Happy New Year and Welcome to the forum. This link takes you to the Long Long Trail (LLT) - the most valuable website to find information: https://www.longlongtrail.co.uk/army/regiments-and-corps/the-british-infantry-regiments-of-1914-1918/loyal-north-lancashire-regiment/ Below is his medal index card from Ancestry. This shows he entered the war on 4 November 1914. He was originally a Col/Sgt (also known as Warrant Officer class 1 I think) and was commissioned to 2nd Lt on 1/11/1915. Seems he was in the Army serving in India with the Loyals when war started. Based on LLT, He was in the 2nd Battalion of Loyals as they landed at Tanga 3 November 1914. This link takes you to war diary for the 2nd Battalion: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/98bbce61da0e421a972bd61d46dd5065 It can be downloaded for free. It may give you more information. Andrew Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aconnolly Posted 31 December , 2022 Share Posted 31 December , 2022 A little bit more: This link shows the gazetting of his promotion to 2/Lt in 1915: https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/29360/page/11051 His MC was gazetted June 1917 https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/30111/supplement/5479 Afraid I do not have any details of the action. Andrew Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aconnolly Posted 31 December , 2022 Share Posted 31 December , 2022 This link covers War Diary for later period in East Africa: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/5c69c4c855fb4ffdb5fa38d82d183f98 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil Halton Posted 1 January , 2023 Author Share Posted 1 January , 2023 Thank you so much for the prompt reply. I will take my time reading through the information you have supplied, I have some old photos of my grandad but am struggling to upload them. My great uncle George Starling, was also with the Loyals in Tanga where he was unfortunately killed, if anyone has any information about him that would also be greatly appreciated. Many thanks again Phil. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RaySearching Posted 1 January , 2023 Share Posted 1 January , 2023 Lance Corporal George Thomas Starling 9355 2nd Bn., The Loyal North Lancashire Regiment George was killed in action on Wednesday 4th November 1914 He was the son of Frederick and Annie Starling George can be found on the 1901 census age 7 residing with his parents and siblings at Fulwood Barracks Lancashire On the 1911 census aged 17 at Barracks in Poona India The register of soldiers effects list his mother Annie as the legatee of his effects Born 1894 Mullingar West Meath Ireland enlisted Vacoas Mauritius From the Commonwealth Graves Commission website Cemetery: TANGA MEMORIAL CEMETERY, Location: Tanga is on the coast of Tanzania, 56 kilometres south of the border with Kenya. Tanga Memorial Cemetery is south-west of the town, and contains the burials of British and Indian soldiers. A single track railway line within 50 metres of the cemetery may aid visitors as a reference point, and the cemetery is surrounded on three sides by buildings (one of which has remained half built for many years). Visitors are advised to seek the key for the cemetery from the Tanga Municipal offices. The Tanga (Jasin) Memorial is located to the rear boundary of the cemetery and takes the form of a screen wall with inscribed panels Historical Information: MEMORIAL INDEX NUMBER 47. TANGA, the capital of the Province of Tanga, is an important town and seaport on the coast of Tanganyika, 35 miles South of the border of Kenya, and the terminus of a railway built by the Germans. It was the object of a British attack in November, 1914, and Tanga Memorial Cemetery, which is outside the town on the South-West side, contains the bodies of British and Indian soldiers who fell in that engagement. The Indian Expeditionary Force "B" arrived on the coast of German East Africa on the 1st November, 1914, and on the next morning they summoned the Port of Tanga to surrender. They attacked it on the following night, but the German garrison, hastily reinforced, compelled them to retire. The renewed attack on the 4th November was unsuccessful, and the force was re-embarked with 800 casualties. The 2nd Loyal North Lancashire Regiment, the 13th Rajputs, the 61st King George's Own Pioneers, the 63rd Palamcottah Light Infantry, the 98th Infantry and the 101st Grenadiers sustained most of the casualties; the 2nd and 3rd Kashmir Rifles and the Gwalior (Imperial Service) Infantry also took part in the operations. Tanga was occupied by a British force almost without opposition on the 7th July, 1916, and the bodies of 270 officers and men who had fallen in the earlier attack were found buried in various places and were reburied in this Cemetery. It was not possible to identify the bodies, and the graves are therefore recorded as those of 270 unidentified British and Indian soldiers. It is known, however, that these unidentified soldiers are among the 64 British and 330 Indian officers and men who fell in the attack and whose graves are not known, and these 394 names are engraved on a screen wall in the Cemetery. The Cemetery was fenced and provided with a lych gate in 1916, and a stone pyramid was raised in the middle of it. The lych gate has been repaired, the stone pyramid replaced, and a low stone wall built round the Cemetery. The cost of construction was defrayed partly by the capital of the original Tanga Memorial Fund, which was raised by the troops. The Register records particulars of 394 dead, of whom 48 belonged to the Loyal North Lancashire Regiment and two to other United Kingdom units, 14 were British officers of the Indian Army, and 330 belonged to the Indian Ranks of the Indian Army. The Jasin Memorial, which occupies part of the screen wall, is the subject of a separate Register. The diary for the 2nd Bn The Loyal North Lancashire Regiment has not been digitalised by the National Archives and cannot be downloaded but can be viewed at Kew That should get you started Regards Ray Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil Halton Posted 2 January , 2023 Author Share Posted 2 January , 2023 Ray, thanks so much, I will now see if I can get up to Fulwood Barracks and see if I can get some more info. He was a young lad who got cut down before his prime even started. Thanks again Phil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RaySearching Posted 2 January , 2023 Share Posted 2 January , 2023 If correct and it may not be ! George's place of enlistment is shown on SDGW as "Vacoas Mauritius" ? Having entered Vacoas Mauritius as place of enlistment on SDGW George is the only one listed to have enlisted at this location ! George was serving at Poona India as shown on the 1911 census and most likely still serving there at the outbreak of the war There is also the anomaly regarding his MIC Qualifying date for 14/15 star shown 16/10/1914 George was KIA on the 4/10/1914 ? maybe one of our learned forum pals will offer an explanation regarding the anomaly Ray Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aconnolly Posted 2 January , 2023 Share Posted 2 January , 2023 Ray - he was killed 4 November 1914. Andrew Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aconnolly Posted 2 January , 2023 Share Posted 2 January , 2023 (edited) 23 hours ago, RaySearching said: The diary for the 2nd Bn The Loyal North Lancashire Regiment has not been digitalised by the National Archives and cannot be downloaded but can be viewed at Kew That should get you started Regards Ray Ray - it is on line: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/98bbce61da0e421a972bd61d46dd5065 It covers the action of 4 November in quite considerable detail but (not surprisingly) I cannot see specific mention of Private Starling Andrew Edited 2 January , 2023 by aconnolly typo corrected Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RaySearching Posted 2 January , 2023 Share Posted 2 January , 2023 10 minutes ago, aconnolly said: Ray - it is on line: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/98bbce61da0e421a972bd61d46dd5065 18 minutes ago, aconnolly said: Ray - he was killed 4 November 1914. Ray - it is on line: 2nd Bn The Loyal North Lancashire Regiment So he was ,and it is the new year festive drinks apparently havent worn off yet well thats my excuse, or I am again suffering from another attack of the Nile Virus type C Ray Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aconnolly Posted 2 January , 2023 Share Posted 2 January , 2023 Ha ha Ray - if it's any consolation I think its the first time I've found a diary on the NA site - I'm usually stumped! Happy New Year Andrew Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RaySearching Posted 2 January , 2023 Share Posted 2 January , 2023 George Thomas Starling's hand written will can be found Here StarlingG_E59775.pdf (nationalarchives.ie) Ray StarlingG_E59775 (1).pdf Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matlock1418 Posted 3 January , 2023 Share Posted 3 January , 2023 On 31/12/2022 at 19:43, Phil Halton said: I would like to find out a little more about my grandfather, William Halton, who was at Tanga and stayed on in East Africa with the machine gun detachment of the Loyals where he was awarded the MC, but I don't know why. Any information would be greatly appreciated. Welcome to GWF Any information ... Rather looks like your GF applied for an unspecified disability pension post-war Image thanks to WFA/Fold3 As per reference to AFW 5134 [Army Form W 5134 - Medical Board Report] There might be more details in his officer's service papers. Unfortunately I couldn't find service papers at TNA under HALTON but perhaps as WALTON ??? https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C1152408 [unfortunately not digitised so hard to easily check - you might like to contact TNA and ask them to check the indexing before any sortie to look at this file] or perhaps because still held elsewhere as he seems to have served until 1922 From the London Gazette: https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/32765/page/7941 Loyal R. — ... The undermentioned Lts. retire, receiving a gratuity. 7th Nov. 1922: — W. Halton, M.C. He seems to have plenty of other earlier entries in the LG https://www.thegazette.co.uk/all-notices/notice?text="William+halton"&categorycode-all=all¬icetypes=&location-postcode-1=&location-distance-1=1&location-local-authority-1=&numberOfLocationSearches=1&start-publish-date=01%2F11%2F1915&end-publish-date=31%2F12%2F1922&edition=&london-issue=&edinburgh-issue=&belfast-issue=&sort-by=oldest-date&results-page-size=100 and https://www.thegazette.co.uk/all-notices/notice?text="W+halton"&categorycode-all=all¬icetypes=&location-postcode-1=&location-distance-1=1&location-local-authority-1=&numberOfLocationSearches=1&start-publish-date=01%2F08%2F1918&end-publish-date=31%2F12%2F1922&edition=&london-issue=&edinburgh-issue=&belfast-issue=&sort-by=oldest-date&results-page-size=100 M Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil Halton Posted 5 January , 2023 Author Share Posted 5 January , 2023 Thanks again your research has been greatly appreciated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil Halton Posted 7 January , 2023 Author Share Posted 7 January , 2023 Just a photo I have just found of my grandfather with the machine gun detachment of the Loyal North Lancs in Africa. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bushfighter Posted 16 January , 2023 Share Posted 16 January , 2023 Phil Greetings. I have written several articles and a thread sequence on 2nd Loyal North Lancashires in WW1 East Africa. The Machine Gun Company links are: http://www.kaiserscross.com/188001/410022.html and http://www.kaiserscross.com/188001/442901.html There is a long thread (40 pages) on this forum that can be accessed here: I like your photograph of Bill Halton with a machine gun team. When 2nd Loyal North Lancashires were posted to Egypt a company of machine gunners was transferred to the Machine Gun Corps (MGC) as 259 Company MGC. Bill was transferred into this company and like all the other officers he was on a "loan for the duration of the war" basis, but the men were on a "permanent transfer" basis. Bill would have fought in the fierce battle at Mahiwa in October 1917. After that 259 Company MGC was transferred to the France & Flanders theatre of war. Bill did return to the 2nd Battalion Loyal North Lancs after the war and he features in a photograph facing page 74 of the regimental history where he is holding a regimental colour in post-WW1 Germany. Bill is also mentioned on pages 125 and 130 of the regimental history (which can be bought from the shop of the Lancashire Infantry Museum in Fulwood Barracks, Preston). As well as being awarded the Military Cross (I have not been able to obtain a citation) Bill was also Mentioned in Despatches in the London Gazette on 4th June 1917. Thanks for your interest in the 2 LNL Battalion and the 259 Machine gun Company, and I hope that my research is useful to you. Harry. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil Halton Posted 16 January , 2023 Author Share Posted 16 January , 2023 Thanks for the information, it's a subject I didn't know alot about,but am very interested in finding out more. I shall read your links. I have been told he was given the MC not for one action but prolonged service and received it at Buckingham Palace. I don't know if this is true. Many thanks Phil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bushfighter Posted 28 January , 2023 Share Posted 28 January , 2023 Phil Greetings. The Military Cross could be awarded in two ways: 1. An Immediate award for a specific act of gallantry on a certain day. 2. A Periodic award for gallantry displayed consistently over a certain time period eg: 3 months. My guess is that Bill´s award was a Periodic one. Regards Harry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil Halton Posted 28 January , 2023 Author Share Posted 28 January , 2023 Thanks again for your help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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