Cheshire Bantam? or Labour Corp or both?

[Guest booklady]

I'm very new to this, so I'll hope you be able to help, I've read and re-read the Grandad pages and have downloaded the medal index. The purpose of the exploration into my Grandfather is to find out where he would have fought but so far I have come up with other questions.

I have always been told he was Cheshire Regt, Labour Corp and was gassed in WW1.

Was the Labour Corp part of the Cheshires or was it somewhere he would have transferred to after he was gassed?

Secondly, if he was transferred would he definitely have been a Bantam previously as he was under 5ft?

Thirdly, My father mentions he may have originally have signed with the Kings (Liverpool) Regiment would all of these transfers show on his medal roll if this still exists..

Many Thanks for any light you can throw on these issues, I'm sure I'll be back with more.

[Max]

Hello Booklady

Is there any chance that you can post an image of the index card?

Welcome to the forum.

Andy

[John_Hartley]

Debbey

The Labour Corps was a separate part of the army - normally filled with men unfit for front line combat. He could have served in the Corps before OR after the Cheshires. If you publish the Index card we might be able to deduce which was the case. His Cheshire service number may give me some clues as to his service.

It is also possible that he did originally joinn the King's Liverpool - but if he didnt serve abroad with them, it wouldnt show on the Index Card. Did he come from the Merseyside area.

John

(PS: welcome to the Forum)

[Guest booklady]

I don't think it will be possible to copy the medal card download. If I posted the link here which the archive centre sent is that allowed?

I have just spoken with my Dad who has found his discharge certificate which tells us he was posted with the Cheshire Regiment but had previously enlisted with the Kings Liverpool regiment (not surprising as he was from Liverpool). He served from 30/9/15 until 9/4/19.

I also know that he served under someone called Fisk, unsure whether he would have been a Captain or Major.

Thank you all for your interest.

[Guest booklady]

Here is a picture of the medal card (I hope!)

[PPCLI]

I also know that he served under someone called Fisk, unsure whether he would have been a Captain or Major.

Hi,

The only Fisk who served with the Cheshire Regiment according to the MICs was Captain Anthony Alan Fisk MIC

Stuart

[PPCLI]

Hi again,

Can I ask what makes you think that this is your grandfather's MIC? Do you have his medals with this regt. no. (513711)? It's just that there is another MIC for a Pte. James Carey that fits neatly with the story you have been told:

Cheshire Regiment, 25304

Labour Corps, 388485

Labour Corps, 690987

Stuart

[Guest booklady]

Hi again,

Can I ask what makes you think that this is your grandfather's MIC? Do you have his medals with this regt. no. (513711)? It's just that there is another MIC for a Pte. James Carey that fits neatly with the story you have been told:

Cheshire Regiment, 25304

Labour Corps, 388485

Labour Corps, 690987

Stuart

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Hi Stuart

We have my Grandfathers discharge card and discharge papers as well as the British and Victory medals which contain the number 513711. My father did National Service in the RAF and is convinced that he would retain the same number whichever regiment he was with. However, it appears from what I have been viewing that soldiers were given new numbers when they transferred regiments. Am I right in thinking he may have had a different number when he was a private if this was before joining the labour corps and therefore is it possible for him to have another MIC?

Liz

[PPCLI]

Hi Liz,

There will be other people on this forum better qualified to answer your queries, but I can be sure that he would have had a different number when he was a private so long as he was with a different regiment (or battalion of same regiment), i.e., if he served as a Private with the Cheshires and then as a Sergeant in the Labour Corps he would have two different numbers. Also, if he moved within the Labour Corps he would have been issued with a new number (I think - I stand by to be corrected). However, I don't believe that men were given new numbers on promotion when they were promoted within the battalion, etc..

As for your father thinking that there would only be one number, I think that was the case in WW2, but in WW1 a soldier could have ended up with multiple numbers.

Hopefully some other forum pals will confirm/correct the above.

Hope this is clear,

Stuart

[Guest booklady]

Hi Stuart

Thanks for all the info. I decided to download the other mic for Pte James Carey to see if it could have been him. I've come to the conclusion that it can't as in the Date of Entry therein column it has a date before he joined the army (date of joining known from discharge papers). Further confirmation that he was in the Cheshire's as we also have a certificate saying he was in the Cheshire's and disabled out.