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Remembered Today:

Lancashire Fusiliers - 17th Btn


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Further to this thread - I am selling the medal and thought id offer it to any one who replied to the original

Looking for around £30

Ian

Hello

Any one tell me anything about this Btn during WW1? Was it a pals btn ? Date set up etc etc

Cheers Ian

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17th battalion LF was designated '1st South East Lancashire' battalion and was originally a 'Bantam' formation, i.e. made up of men below the minimum 5'3" height requirement, often former miners. Such units eventually lost their bantam status as the war went on as smaller soldiers were unavailable in sufficient numbers as replacements. I have a complete calendar of moves of the battalion from its formation on 2nd January 1915 to its disbandment on 6th May 1919.

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Hello

Thanks

so a January 1917 MID would be for what ? They only just got there, Could you get a mention for services in the UK?

Ian

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Mark,

a friend is a big RWF collector - I will see if he has any info for you

Ian

17th battalion LF was designated '1st South East Lancashire' battalion and was originally a 'Bantam' formation, i.e. made up of men below the minimum 5'3" height requirement, often former miners. Such units eventually lost their bantam status as the war went on as smaller soldiers were unavailable in sufficient numbers as replacements. I have a complete calendar of moves of the battalion from its formation on 2nd January 1915 to its disbandment on 6th May 1919.

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Hello

Thanks

so a January 1917 MID would be for what ?  They only just got there, Could you get a mention for services in the UK?

Ian

They`d been there a year then. They only de-bantamized in Jan 17. Phil B

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The battalion arrived in France in January 1916. Is January 1917 the date it was recorded in the London Gazette? There would have been a time lag of several months between the event the MID was awarded for and the gazetting. The battalion was in trenches/reserve in the Arras area from September 1916 onwards, having taken part in an attack at Angle Wood on the Somme on 24th August. While at Arras they beat off a hostile trench raid on 26th November , so that is a possibility. The LF Official History, whch I can look up at school, contains detailed lists of awards for particular actions, and I have a complete list of LW awards and gazzette date, so if you give me the name I can see if there is further info to be had.

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Hello

He is L/Cpl R E Fox 15474

Cheers Ian

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Lancashire Fusiliers MID on 4th January 1917. Note the date of Douglas Haig's recommendations which would rule out the 26-11-1916. Also there is a strange split of the men (The blank lines are the Gazettes own spacings) Could this split them by battalions in rank order?

I have included the whole list for cross reference purposes.

London Gazette 4-1-1917 (published 2-1-1917)

http://www.gazettes-online.co.uk/archiveVi...&selHonourType=

War Office,

2nd January, 1917.

The following despatch has been received by the Secretary of State for War from General Sir Douglas Haig, G.C.B., Cbmmander-in-Chief of the British Armies in France: —

General Headquarters,

13th November, 1916.

Sir,

I have the honour to submit a list of names of those officers, ladies, non-commissioned officers and men, serving, or who have served,

under my command, whose distinguished and gallant services and devotion to duty I consider deserving of special mention.

I have the honour to be,

Sir,

Your obedient Servant,

D. HAIG,

General.

LANCASHIRE FUSILIERS.

De Putron, Maj. (temp. Lt.-Col.) C. (Cyril De Putron - 1st Lancs Fusiliers (ex 2/15th Londons) - MIC)

Milnes, Capt. (temp. Maj.) J., Res. of Off.

Deane, Lt. M. W. B.

Ormrod, 2nd Lt. (temp. Capt.) W.

Wade, Lt.-Col. T. S. H.

Kesby, No. 7824 Regtl. Serjt.-MaJ. P. A. S.

Blencowe, Capt. (temp. Maj.) A. J. W., M.C. (2nd Lancs Fusiliers - MIC)

Greaves, Lt. J., Spec. Res.

Waghorn, Temp. 2nd Lt. D. L.

Watkins, Temp. 2nd Lt. J. W. (Watkins and Waghorn commissioned at same time)

Bowes, Qrmr. and Hon. Maj. W.

Watson, Maj. (temp. Lt.-Col.) H. F., D.S.O., Spec. Res.

Kay, No. 1719 Serjt. W. G.

Day, Temp. Lt. H.

Baker, No. 5645 Serjt. R.

Bird, Temp. Lt.-Col. L. G. (11th LF - LG)

Ganly, 2nd Lt. (temp. Lt.) R., M.C. (killed). (Roger Ganly, 11th LF - CWGC)

Reynolds, Temp. Lt. W. H.

Callaghan, Temp. Lt. M. A., D.S.O.

Waite, Temp. Lt. W. F.

Chilton, No. 8484 Serjt. G.

Fowden, No. 8476 Corpl. W. H.

Olive, No. 8964 Corpl. F.

Thomas, Temp. Maj. R. A. (died of wounds). (Robert Alfred Thomas, 15th LF - CWGC)

Mills, Capt. (temp. Lt.-Col.) A. M., Ind. Army.

Crook, Temp. Maj. (temp. Lt.-Col.) F. J. F., D.S.O. (17th LF - per m13pgb)

Cross, No. 14830 Serjt. R.

Watts, No. 14863 Corpl. W.

Fox, No. 15474 Lce.-Corpl. R. E.

Hayde, No. 14595 Pte. F.

Irvine, Temp. Lt.-Col. R. A., C.M.G. (13th LF, later R. Innis. Fus. - LG)

Dunn, No. 16770 Lce.-Corpl. S.

Garner, No. 27239 Co. Serjt.-Maj. (acting Regtl. Serjt.-Maj.) W.

Taylor, No. 18570 Co. Serjt.-Maj. W.

Crawford, Temp. Maj. W. L., V.D., Capt. Coorg. and Mysore Rif. (20th LF, ex 7th Lincs Rgt, later 6th SWB - LG)

Swarbrick, Temp. 2nd Lt. W. A.

McCann, No. 19754 Pte. (acting Corpl.) J.

Haig's despatch to which the Mentions probably coincide was dated 23-12-1916 in the LG of 29-12-1916. His previous despatch to that point was on the 19th May 1916, so theoretically the MIDs refer to actions between May and early November 1916.

The 19th May 1916 despatch covered actions from 19th December 1915 to date and was in the LG of 29th May 1916. The MIDs for that despatch were in the LG of 13-6-1916 and the recommendation letter dated 30-4-1916.

Hope this helps,

Steve.

P.S. 15474 R E Fox appears to have 2 MID MICs? Do you know when the other one was?

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Hello

Thanks for the trouble you went to to check the gazette

I know that the coldstream gds did list decorations by battalion but dont know if its 100% accurate

Fox has 2 MID cards but they are the same date - I had rather hoped for 2 MID's but it wasnt to be

Ian

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I see that Maj Crook (17 LF) from the above MID list was awarded the DSO for the action at Angle Wood on 25/8/16. As an LFologist, Mark, would you say this indicated that L/Cpl Fox was MIDd for the same action? Phil B

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Hello

its a good thought - need to check the war diary and hope!

Ian

I see that Maj Crook (17 LF) from the above MID list was awarded the DSO for the action at Angle Wood on 25/8/16. As an LFologist, Mark, would you say this indicated that L/Cpl Fox was MIDd for the same action? Phil B

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Just returned from the Front but will check the LF Official History when I go in to school on Monday. One of these days I'll have to get my own copy!

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Thanks Mark

Look forward to seeing if you find him

Ian

Just returned from the Front but will check the LF Official History when I go in to school on Monday. One of these days I'll have to get my own copy!

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  • 6 months later...

Further to this thread - I am selling the medal and thought id offer it to any one who replied to the original

Looking for around £30

Ian

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