Pte John Wilson - his previous service with1st V.B.King's Liverpool 1899-1903

[davidbohl]

Pte John Wilson #17100 KLR CWGC

Can we pick up his prior service please, assuming South Africa?

 thanks

Dave

 

From Anc.

[Keith_history_buff]

I believe the answer is no.

Those who served as regulars have records in the WO 97 series, and those who served in the militia have records in the WO 96 series. There was no requirement to keep similar records for the period 1859-1908, and there is no corresponding series for the Volunteer Force. I have only come across older records if they were kept in tandem with the WW1 sheets within the WO 363 series of burnt records.

He may appear on a Boer War medal roll, but given that his VF records were not with his 1914 records, I think it safe to say that the records have not survived.

 

[davidbohl]

2 hours ago, Keith_history_buff said:

I believe the answer is no.

Thanks Keith, I didn't hold many hopes for him. Pity he survived that lot and perished on the 1st day of the Somme.

Ancestry just have medal rolls and number for the Boer

View Record	J Wilson	Private	3529	Liverpool Regiment
View Record	J Wilson	Private	7733	Liverpool Regiment
View Record	J Wilson			Liverpool Regiment
View Record	J Wilson	Private	7816	Liverpool Regiment

[Ken Lees]

There was a "J Wilson" of the 1st Volunteer Battalion who served in the 1st Volunteer Coy in the Boer War. His Volunteer Company number was either 7733 or 7816.

Unfortunately, I don't know his 1st Volunteer Battalion number.

[davidbohl]

55 minutes ago, Ken Lees said:

His Volunteer Company number was either 7733 or 7816.

Thanks Ken, it takes us a bit closer.

[Ken Lees]

8 minutes ago, davidbohl said:

Thanks Ken, it takes us a bit closer.

Of course, there may have been other J Wilsons of the 1st VB who didn't serve in a Volunteer Coy in South Africa. There was real competition for the few places in the Volunteer Companies. Many NCOs took a reduction in rank in order to get in.

[Keith_history_buff]

He may well have served.....

There are no Volunteer Force records for the Lancashire County Association.

There is a John Wilson who enlisted under Regular terms of Short Service. His service number is 7733 and the archive reference for the record is WO 97/6270. His attestation states  that he is in 1 VB KLR, so that matches.

His mother is deceased, his father is John (Senior). His address is 19 Churnet Street, Kirkdale.

His profession is storekeeper. His declared age is 23 years 5 months as at his attestation date of 23 Jan 1900 which suggests he was born July 1876, and his place of birth is Kirkdale.

Does this cross-reference with other details?

Image courtesy FindMyPast

[Keith_history_buff]

If I am reading this correctly, 1 Volunteer Service Company were attached to the 1st Battalion Liverpool Regiment, made up of men who had enlisted under Regular terms of service of 7 years colour service, and 5 with the reserve.

As a "Volunteer Force" private, he had no obligation to go further than the banks of the Mersey, like TF men who had not signed up for the Imperial Service Obligation. Signing up under short terms of service, his service record for this being saved with that of the regulars.

https://www.angloboerwar.com/forum/11-research/9063-volunteer-service-companies

 

[Ken Lees]

25 minutes ago, Keith_history_buff said:

There are no Volunteer Force records for the Lancashire County Association.

There are annual returns for the Lancashire County Association, which I have used here - https://www.9thkings.co.uk/3rdVB.html

I didn't take a copy of the 1st VB returns as they were outside my field of interest.

[Keith_history_buff]

So, there are muster lists for the Lancashire County Association, but no service records. I stand corrected. Every day is a school day.

There is a surviving WO 97 service record for 7816 Wilson, first name is James  not John, so that rules him out.

[davidbohl]

3 hours ago, Keith_history_buff said:

Does this cross-reference with other details?

Thanks gents, 

Pte #17100 John Wilson 

John Wilson was born on October 19th 1879 in Toxteth, Liverpool,and was baptised on the 19th July the following year in St Peter's Church, Liverpool. John was the third of eleven children; two sons and nine daughters, born to John, a ship’s joiner, and his wife Mary Elizabeth (nee Trainer) who married in St Nicholas Church on the 12th March 1876. John was a joiner of Porter St, father Robert a joiner, whilst Mary was also of Porter St, father John a shipwright.  

Edited 23 February by davidbohl