Staffordshire Regiment and Battalions. Private Thomas Bailey.

[jimbo341]

I am researching Private Thomas Bailey who served in Staffordshire regiments and would like to know where he was deployed. Unfortunately his statement of service record is fairly ineligible but the information I have is that he Joined the Army 11/11/15, served with North Staffs Regiment 8th Battalion (Private nr 19380) then with the South Staffs Regiment 8th then 2nd Battalion (Private nr 43017). He was Demobilised on the  21/2/2019 with the South Staffs 2/5.

Would he have been located in Ireland for the Easter Rising or would he have gone straight to France? If so what could his movements have been throughout the war? 

Thomas Bailey.pdf

Edited 30 April by jimbo341
spelling

[mancpal]

If he “joined the army” on the 11/11/15 then I think it unlikely he was in Ireland in time for the uprising given the time it took to turn a civilian into a trained soldier. It of course possible but I think the timeline is a bit tight. That being said his mic shows he didn’t enter a theatre of war until on or after 1/1/16 meaning he could have been in Ireland (part of UK in those days so not a TofW despite the appearance) before being sent to war.

Simon

[andrew pugh]

Hi jimbo

If he served with the 2nd Battalion South Staffordshire's throughout the war. During 1918 they were part of the British 6th Infantry Brigade. I dont know how long they were in the 6th Brigade.

Regards

Andy

[PRC]

So what I’m seeing is that he was a married man with six children who attested on the 11^th November 1915. He was posted to the 11^th (Reserve) Battalion, North Staffordshire Regiment, receiving regimental service number 11/19380

11th (Reserve) Battalion

Formed in Guernsey in October 1914 as a Service Battalion of K4. Moved to Alderney in February 1915.
10 April 1915 : became a Reserve Battalion and moved soon afterwards to Darlington. Moved on to Rugeley Camp (Cannock Chase) in September 1915. https://www.longlongtrail.co.uk/army/regiments-and-corps/the-british-infantry-regiments-of-1914-1918/the-prince-of-waless-north-staffordshire-regiment/

He landed in France on the 20^th April 1916, having been posted as part of a draft to the 8^th Battalion, North Staffordshire Regiment.

8th (Service) Battalion

Formed at Lichfield on 18 September 1914 as part of K2 and came under orders of 57th Brigade in 19th (Western) Division.
18 July 1915 : landed in France. https://www.longlongtrail.co.uk/army/regiments-and-corps/the-british-infantry-regiments-of-1914-1918/the-prince-of-waless-north-staffordshire-regiment/

Battalion War Diary July 1915 to January 1918 can be found in the National Archive catalogue here. Free to download if you log in with your account. https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C7353055

More on the Division they were part of http://www.longlongtrail.co.uk/army/order-of-battle-of-divisions/19th-western-division/

In a casualty list that appeared in the edition of the Staffordshire Sentinel dated 15^th August 1916 a Private 19380 T. Bailey, next of kin living at Burslem, puts in an appearance. Could be a co-incidence but I don’t subscribe to the British Newspaper Archive so can’t check it out. These appearances are normally between 4 and 10 weeks after the event, but it does vary. I’m not readily spotting him in the Official Casualty Lists that appeared in The Times.

He was posted somewhere else on the 12^th February 1917 or 1918.

He was discharged to the Class Z Reserve from the 2/5^th Battalion, South Staffordshire Regiment, (regimental service number 43017) in February 1919.

If that posting was to the 2/5^th Battalion South Staffordshire Regiment they were shortly due to leave for France as part of the 176th Brigade, 59th (2nd North Midland) Division. The Battalion had Moved in January 1917 to Fovant and landed at Le Havre 25 February 1917.
30 January 1918 : disbanded in France. https://www.longlongtrail.co.uk/army/regiments-and-corps/the-british-infantry-regiments-of-1914-1918/south-staffordshire-regiment/

More on the Divison they were part of here http://www.longlongtrail.co.uk/army/order-of-battle-of-divisions/59th-2nd-north-midland-division/

Unless he was in the medical treatment system I’m not sure how he could have still been with the 2/5^th Battalion over a year later. His entry on the Victory Medal and British War Medal Roll should show all the units he served overseas with, although the clerks completing the rolls didn’t always comply with that instruction.

I see that FindMyPast also have two Medical Admission Register entries for him dating from 1917 under the 43017 service number. These registers were held by all the elements along the formal medical evacuation chain – from the Field Ambulances just behind the front line to the hospitals back in the UK. Post war a 5% sample was retained for statistical analysis. It’s this sample that would eventually end up at the National Archive and were digitised by FMP.

Hope some of that helps.

Peter

[Ancre1917]

I posted a couple of articles on 8 battalion North Staffordshire regiment during the first battle of the Somme 1916. The battalion took part in the attack on la Boiselle 3-6 July 1916, which was a success, and the disastrous one on Grandcourt on 18-19 November where most of the battalion became casualties. Many became pows, including the c/o. 
You can find them here:
https://www.greatwarforum.org/topic/230656-8-s-battalion-north-staffordshire-regiment-on-the-somme/

https://www.greatwarforum.org/topic/228358-8-north-staffordshire-regiment-at-grandcourt-18-19-november-1916/

Richard