14th Batt. South Lancs Regiment: James Stanley Miles Reg. No. 265016

[Angela Miles]

Hello, could anyone please tell me where the 14th Batt. South Lancs were serving / what they were doing from 16 Jun 1917 till 24 Jan 1918? My relative, James Stanley Miles (known as Stan) Reg. No. 265016 was with this regiment and on 29 Jun 1917 he was promoted to Acting Lance Sergeant, then on 15 Sep 1917 promoted again to Acting Sergeant. He was in England on 15 June 1917 and back again by 25 January 1918 so it’s the period in between those dates that I’d like figure out. He was born in 1890, came from Pontygwaith, Rhondda, Wales and was a coal miner and policeman before and after the war.
Also, if anyone could give me an idea of the actions taken that would cause a soldier in that regiment to be promoted then I’d be grateful. Many thanks indeed. 

[Michelle Young]

Found this medal index card ©️ Ancestry. 

[Cheshire22]

Taken from the Long Long Trail 

14th Battalion
Formed on 1 January 1917 from what had been the 49th Provisional Bn TF. The 49th was formed from Home Service personnel from the TF Bns of the regiment. Based at Hemsby (Norfolk) but moved to Palling (Norfolk coast) in late 1917.

[Bordercollie]

There is a surviving service record for Stanley Miles on Ancestry https://www.ancestry.co.uk/imageviewer/collections/1219/images/30972_176114-00558?treeid=&personid=&rc=&queryId=06000c81-2897-41af-b3a9-26d062556315&usePUB=true&_phsrc=xaC2140&_phstart=successSource&pId=1302412  It confirms that he served with 49th Provisional Bn which subsequently became 14th Bn South Lancs.  James's British Regiments 1914-18 entry for the battalion records "End 1917 to Palling on Norfolk coast east of Stalham and remained in this area." Stanley's service record shows that he embarked for East Africa on 10th September 1918 for service with the East African Rifles.  

Edited 27 April by Bordercollie

[Angela Miles]

Thank you everyone. I have already scoured The Long Long Trail and other military web sites plus picked up as many records as I can from Fold3 and Ancestry but I just can’t get my head around where the 14th Batt. S. Lancs was during those times I mentioned. I’m sure the info. is available, it just seems difficult for a novice to find as this was potentially a more obscure battalion.

To Michelle, many thanks for your efforts. Whilst some of his records are hard to read, others clearly say he was in 14th battalion which, as Cheshire22 said, came out of the 49th. He had a slightly sketchy military career with being discharged for drunkenness, being rehired elsewhere (as it were) and then having a good dose of syphilis but he carried on till the end when, as Bordercollie says, he ended up in Africa. He was in so many regiments it makes my head spin! 

 

[jnorthall]

Here is his Pension card from Forces War Records:

 

Also, worth checking out this thread: https://www.greatwarforum.org/topic/103948-private-in-14th-batt-south-lancashire/

 

[Matlock1418]

2 hours ago, jnorthall said:

Here is his Pension card from Forces War Records:

A small correction/clarification if I may ...

This is not a card for MILES' pension ... but a card showing, as their step-father, he was issued pension allowances for the two children of Reuben GORE, G/42068, Middlesex Regt

I.O.W = Issue Office Widows

M

[Bordercollie]

The surviving service record is difficult to follow.  This summary of his service in the Great War with links to the relevant documents might help you to pick out the key points.

31^st March 1915 Commissioned in 16^th Battalion (Cardiff City) The Welsh Regiment – London gazette entry https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/29179/supplement/5318

December 1915 Landed at Le Havre with his battalion – 1914/15 Star Medal Roll https://www.ancestry.co.uk/imageviewer/collections/5119/images/41804_611411_6013-00199?ssrc=&backlabel=Return

3^rd May 1916 Dismissed the Service by sentence of a general Court Martial – London Gazette entry https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/29598/supplement/5305

16^th June  1916 Called up for service under the Military Service Act 1916 – Army From B103 entry https://www.ancestry.co.uk/imageviewer/collections/1219/images/30972_176114-00568?treeid=&personid=&rc=&queryId=6157def0-7f53-4bb0-aaa3-eb7cb6d056dd&usePUB=true&_phsrc=xaC2145&_phstart=successSource&pId=1302412

The subsequent entries on the AF B103 show that on 17^th June 1916 he joined 3^rd Garrison Reserve Battalion Royal Welsh Fusiliers at Wrexham and on 27^th June 1916 he was transferred to the 49^th Provisional Battalion.  I am not sure where that battalion was at the time but on 1^st January 1917 it was at Hemsby Norfolk when it became 14^th Battalion South Lancashire Regiment.  At the end of 1917 it moved to Palling where it remained until the end of the war.

The last entry on the AF B103 shows that on he embarked 10^th September 1918 he embarked for East Africa for service with the King's African Rifles.

An entry on another AF B103 shows that he transferred to the King’s African rifles although the exact date is unclear, possibly sometime in October 1918 https://www.ancestry.co.uk/imageviewer/collections/1219/images/30972_176114-00571?treeid=&personid=&rc=&queryId=6157def0-7f53-4bb0-aaa3-eb7cb6d056dd&usePUB=true&_phsrc=xaC2145&_phstart=successSource&pId=1302412

A memorandum to Oi/c Records at Shrewsbury records that he returned from East Africa on 21^st January 1919 https://www.ancestry.co.uk/imageviewer/collections/1219/images/30972_176114-00606?treeid=&personid=&rc=&queryId=6157def0-7f53-4bb0-aaa3-eb7cb6d056dd&usePUB=true&_phsrc=xaC2145&_phstart=successSource&pId=1302412

An entry on the Statement of Service records that he was posted to 3^rd (Reserve) Battalion South Lancashire Regiment 17^th April 1919 having been on disembarkation leave since his return to the UK. The 3^rd Battalion had been in Barrow-in-Furness during the war but probably by April 1919 it had returned to its peacetime location in Warrington. The subsequent entry on the Statement of Service records that he was demobilized and transferred to the Army Reserve Class Z on 11^th June 1919. https://www.ancestry.co.uk/imageviewer/collections/1219/images/30972_176114-00589?treeid=&personid=&rc=&queryId=6157def0-7f53-4bb0-aaa3-eb7cb6d056dd&usePUB=true&_phsrc=xaC2145&_phstart=successSource&pId=1302412

In your original post you asked about his promotion to Sergeant.  In practice that would have been a matter for his Commanding Officer although it would need to be confirmed by the Oi/c Records.  By the time he arrived the South Lancashire Regiment he had served as a commissioned officer for over a year and for at least four months in France.  I would suspect that a Commanding Officer would want to make use of that experience by trusting him with promotion once he had satisfied himself that the conduct that had led to a General Court Martial had been an aberration.

Edited 28 April by Bordercollie

[Bordercollie]

There is also a file on Stanley's commissioned service at the National Archives which might give you more information.

https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/results/r?_q=WO+339%2F30873&_sd=&_ed=&_hb=

Unfortunately these files have not been digitised and so access involves a visit to Kew or employing an agent.  The National Archives do offer a copying service but I think that is the more expensive option.

[Angela Miles]

Thank you again everyone for the time and trouble you’ve put into Stan, and the links. Very much appreciated.

Thanks to Bordercollie for the suggestion about the possible reason for promotion; it’s not the most exciting but probably the most likely🤣 Thank you also for the huge amount of effort you have gone to! I hadn’t come across the London Gazette information before. Why are promotions given on a temporary basis? 

I think you’ve all, in your own ways, confirmed my feeling that the 14th Battalion South Lancs is difficult to find out information about. It seems that trying to find the war diary for it (presuming this battalion had one) is my only way forward regarding my question.

[Michelle Young]

War diaries were only kept on overseas service as far as I know. 

[Angela Miles]

Ah, thanks Michelle, that wouldn’t have occurred to me. Stan said he was on the Western Front at one time, so I guess I’d hoped to find some record of that but it looks unlikely that I will. A bit frustrating but that’s life. 

[Bordercollie]

Sadly I do not think you will be able to find out much more about the activities of the 14^th Battalion South Lancashire Regiment but you will find the war diary for the 16^th Battalion Welsh Regiment where Stanley served between December 1915 and May 1916 here: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C7354167 (download free if you have registered)

The 14^th battalion’s forebearer, the 49^th Provisional Battalion, was a unit of the 4^th Provisional Brigade with its headquarters at north Walsham and later at Norwich. There is an article on the formation of Provisional Battalions in The Long Long Trail here: https://www.longlongtrail.co.uk/army/the-territorial-force/provisional-brigades-and-battalions/

In January 1917 the Provisional nomenclature was abandoned and the 4^th Provisional Brigade became the 224^th Mixed Brigade and the 49^th Provisional Battalion became the 14^th Battalion South Lancashire Regiment.  The role would have remained home defence and in particular defence of the Norfolk coastline which was thought to be the most vulnerable part of the UK coastline.  There was no requirement for home defence units to maintain a war diary and so there is little more that can be gleaned about the activities of these units.

You asked why Stanley’s commission was temporary.  Men like Stanley were granted a commission for the duration of the war and so they could not expect (or be obliged) to continue to serve beyond the war. Therefore, their commission and any subsequent promotion was by its very nature temporary. 

Stanley’s subsequent conscription was also for the duration of the war.  Before he could be seconded to the King’s African Rifles he had to confirm in writing that he was willing to serve for one year after the war https://www.ancestry.co.uk/imageviewer/collections/1219/images/30972_176114-00560?treeid=&personid=&rc=&queryId=8f920216-6f26-465c-b72a-baa8168d7c6f&usePUB=true&_phsrc=xaC2149&_phstart=successSource&pId=1302412

I think the dates of 15^th June 1917 and 25^th January 1918 that you gave is your original post were taken from this document

https://www.ancestry.co.uk/imageviewer/collections/1219/images/30972_176114-00588?treeid=&personid=&rc=&queryId=8f920216-6f26-465c-b72a-baa8168d7c6f&usePUB=true&_phsrc=xaC2149&_phstart=successSource&pId=1302412

This is a medical record that records his appearances before a travelling medical board at Hemsby in June 1917 and Grantham(?) in January 1918.  On each occasion he was graded B1 which meant that he was not judged fit enough for active service conditions but could be employed on Lines of Communication or garrison service in the tropics.   The travelling medical board, as its name implies went out to examine soldiers where they were based.  The June 1917 appointment at Hemsby would have been while the 14^th Battalion was based there.  I am not certain about Grantham. Here it looks more like Marham: https://www.ancestry.co.uk/imageviewer/collections/1219/images/30972_176114-00585?treeid=&personid=&rc=&queryId=8f920216-6f26-465c-b72a-baa8168d7c6f&usePUB=true&_phsrc=xaC2149&_phstart=successSource&pId=1302412

In fact I think it is Martham which is a few miles to the north west of Hemsby.  So both appointments would have been while Stanley was serving with his unit in Norfolk.   Sorry the light dawned as I was writing this!

[Bordercollie]

This might be of interest. https://www.north-norfolk.gov.uk/media/6236/nndc-pillbox-trail-leaflet.pdf  At least one of the pillboxes shown on the map is where the 14th Battalion South Lancashire Regiment was based.

[Angela Miles]

That’s all such useful information, thank you Bordercollie. Reading that diary will keep me going for a while! It’s been very helpful having all these questions cleared up and I feel much more in the picture about his service now and I can’t thank you enough for the time and trouble you’ve all taken over it.