20th (Service) Battalion DLI

[mikemcc]

My Grandfather served in the 20th (Service) Battalion of The Durham Light Infantry (Wearside). Any one know what 'Service' means in the context of the title?

Mike McCabe

[Chris_Baker]

Read this: http://www.1914-1918.net/kitchen.htm

[CROONAERT]

What very rarely gets a mention is the reason why the word "service" was used to denote these battalions.

Basically (and it's the most simplistic description of the battalions imaginable when you think about it!), it's an abbreviated form of "War Service" Battalion (ie. formed during and for the war only, with the intention of disbandment on the war's conclusion).

Dave.

[David_Blanchard]

Hello,

The 20th Bn DLI, I believe was moslty recruited in Sunderland.

Regards

David

[mikemcc]

Thanks everyone.

He was from a rural village in Wiltshire - I'd be interested to know how he ended up in the DLI

Mike

[Chris_Baker]

Mike

It is most likely that he was a conscripted soldier - post 1916.

Conscripts were liable to be posted to any unit that needed replacements.

[JulianB]

Dear Mike,

The 20/DLI were indeed raised in Wearside, Sunderland on 10th July 1915. They were in 123rd Inf Bde in 41st Div and went overseas in May 1916. I think they were disbanded in about late 1919 -1920.

Their War Diaries are preserved at the NA, refs WO 95/2639 and WO 95/4243.

There is a fairly good account of them in the general history by Miles

Miles, W, 1920, The Durham Forces in the Field; Vol. II The Service Battalions of the Durham Light Infantry, Cassell & Co Ltd., London.

but a more specific history by Leather:

Leather, KJW, 1920, The History of the Locally Raised 20th (Service) Battalion, the Durham Light Infantry, privately published, printed by R.Youll, Sunderland.

I am interested in them because I'm studying 123rd Inf Bde.

This might seem a long shot but I'm trying to find who the 20/DLI soldier was who was treated for an eye wound on Sat 1st July 1916 when they were in trenches at Le Bizet.

Yes, the Durham archives contain lots of good photographs - there was an earlier thread on this some time ago. Best wishes on your search for your grandfather - he is, as noted by others, likely to have been a later addition to the Bn.

Julian

[mikemcc]

Thanks Julian.

My grandfather was wounded in the arm.

I agree he was probably a late addition to the DLI - I need to do more research, possibly a trip to the Durham Records Office.

We have several photographs of him, one (possibly pre-war) shows him in what appears to be the Honourable Artillery Co, others show him being in the Royal Artillery.

Mike