4th Lincolns/Machine Gun Corps

[Guest C729LEE]

I saw that medal come up for sale........someone certainly made you pay. I dont envy the Lincs collectors of today, you have to pay four times the price of almost any other line regiment!

Anyway from looking at the service number I dont believe this man was 1/4th......I'll have a guess with looking at any records and say he was probably 1st Battalion with that number........maybe entitled to the 14 Star with Mons Clasp?

Steve

The medal came as a group of two individuals - one a cas and a cas pair and was bought after I had bid on another medal from the chap selling. It was bought off - line privately. It may have been up for sale before. It has not landed yet.

Yes - Lincs gear is pretty silly price wise - I have had loads in the past very cheap and some given - for a good home.

On the subject of price - did you see the 1914 Star to Pte Alf Birch very early 1st Bn. cas - Buy it Now for 200 sheets. I got a 14 trio a cas KIA a week after for 185 notes. Then a 3rd dayof the Somme for 100 - an alias to boot.

The MIC is basic - I got a batch of twelve done the other night when I posted.

His entitlement gives only BWM/VM with no dates or markings. So not much help really. I am going for a load of medal rolls next.

Chris

Just got your letter with Rattan. Can't say I've heard of him but will keep an eye out in some bits I have coming concerning local men from the Kirton area. I am looking into a cas - ATKINSON from Redbourne/Kirton.

Lee

[Guest C729LEE]

Chris

He doesn't appear in the 1st/2nd manning lists for 1914, the one that you posted to me sometime ago, just thought I'd check those out.

There is no gap or six digit number.

Lee

[Steve Bramley]

Lee, Steve, Chris et al,

Some of the group of service numbers that Chris has documented above belong to a 'batch' of (probable) Derby Scheme recruits from the London area allocated to the 2/5th Lincolns. there is also a 242007 Cpl Wm Henry Mills of the 2/5th.

Several of this batch were later transferred, some to the 7th Lincs. Perhaps not all actually served with the 2/5th, but some definately did. Scambler, a 'native of West Ham' lost his life on 15/04/18.

If your man was part of this 'batch' he possibly may have been renumbered but his number has not been recorded on the MIC. Myself and Jim davies discussed this regarding Boulton earlier in the thread and have reached the same conclusion.

Then again he could have been a regular!!

Would the 1901 census give any clues? But even if he was from London he could still have been a regular. It would eliminate the 4th Lincs men with the same 4 digit numbers if they were anywhere other than from London, don't you think?

Steve.

Incidently, Ringham and Strand 242010 also saw service with the 1/4th Lincolns.

[Chris]

Lee

The fact that he does not appear in the 1st and 2nd Bn lists plus the fact that his MIC does not have any Star entitlement still hints to me that he was 5th Lincs initially. Given that steve (stebie) cannot see his MGC number being issued before 1918, and presuming he was 5th Lincs, it does leave an interesting gap. I would suspect/hope you may find it on the Medal Roll. and if my theory is right it will be 242006.

Interestingly on the MIC's we have Cpl. 242007 William Mills who has no four digit number given but logically he would fit as having the 4 digit number 6028. Ill stop know as i am beginning to confuse myself.

Steve (yellow). Would it be possible for a 1st Lincs man with a low number such as 6027, who has no star listed on his MIC, to stay on the books of the Regt through 1914 and 15 without going abroad, and then go abroad 1916 onwards? be interested to know as the Regulars are not an area i know a great deal about.

Chris

[Stebie9173]

Different Regiment, but a great-uncle of mine in the 11th Suffolks (eventually) had a lowish (7000s) number because he was a pre-war reservist. He was recalled but sent home due to Pleurisy, recalled to UK duty in 1916 and went to France in 1917...

Anything is possible it seems!

Steve.

[Steve Bramley]

Steve (yellow). Would it be possible for a 1st Lincs man with a low number such as 6027, who has no star listed on his MIC, to stay on the books of the Regt through 1914 and 15 without going abroad, and then go abroad 1916 onwards? be interested to know as the Regulars are not an area i know a great deal about.

Chris

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

So would I.

Now get back to work

[yellow]

This was actually a subject of discussion I had with another member only a few days ago.

I believe that some NCO's who were too old to go (fitness came into question) were not sent out in the first draft so stayed at the depo or were used as instructors. However due to the high casualty rate these men were then sent out, probably late 1915 - 16. There was shortage of NCO's at that time and the 1st Battalion were forced to make up many privates into NCO's and the few NCO's who were still alive into SNCO's.

Heres a 1st battalion example.........Freddy Masters who was the RSM of the 1st was made up to Lt. and QMS because the old guy who used to fill this position was not fit enough to go out in the first draft in 1914.

Exactly the same thing happened with the Coldtreams in the first Gulf conflict. Many of the NCO's were found to be unfit so the regiment didnt send them.

Steve.