Guest trimaran17 Posted 22 November , 2005 Share Posted 22 November , 2005 My father was Private 290992 Lewis Henry Sommers of the Middlesex Regiment, who served throughout and survived the Great War. He joined up at the beginning of the War and was living in Middlesex. I know he fought in France and Flanders throughout and was on the Somme and at Ypres. How can I find out which Battalion he was in and thereby exactly where he would have been during the War? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cliff brown Posted 22 November , 2005 Share Posted 22 November , 2005 His six-figure number 290992 indicates that he was serving in a Territorial btn in March 1917 when the army moved from four-figure to six-figure numbers for Terriers. 290992 was a number allocated to 10th Btn Middlesex. That doesn't mean he served abroad with 10th Middlesex because he could have been drafted to another battalion of the regiment but kept this number. Have a look at his Medal Index Card (National Archives online) and also try to discover if his army service records survive. Details on researching are available on this site. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cliff brown Posted 22 November , 2005 Share Posted 22 November , 2005 Details of 1/10th, 2/10th & 3/10th from this site.... 1/10th Battalion August 1914 : in Ravenscourt Park. Part of Middlesex Brigade, Home Counties Division. 30 October 1914 : sailed from Southampton for India, arriving Bombay on 2 December 1914. The Division was broken up on arrival. The Bn remained in India until the end of the war. 2/10th Battalion Formed at Stamford Brook in September 1914. Attached to 2/Middlesex Brigade (201st), 2/Home Counties Division (67th). 24 April 1915 : moved to Welsh Border (160th) Brigade, 53rd Division. 19 August 1918 : left the Division, and disbanded in Egypt. 3/10th Battalion Formed at Ravenscourt Park in May 1915. Attached to 2/Middlesex Brigade (201st), 2/Home Counties Division (67th). 1 June 1917 : left the Division and moved to France, landing at (Le) Havre. 23 June 1917 : attached to South African Brigade, 9th (Scottish) Division. 2 August 1917 : transferred to 10th Brigade, 4th Division. 20 February 1918 : disbanded in France. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cliff brown Posted 22 November , 2005 Share Posted 22 November , 2005 Just another thought. The fact you mention France would point to 3/10th btn which went to France in 1917. That looks favourite, but... it is also possible he was sent out to France slightly earlier from 3/10th and drafted to another battalion of Middlesex Rgt . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
squirrel Posted 22 November , 2005 Share Posted 22 November , 2005 Just another piece of info; Ravenscourt Park is about 10 minutes walk away from the old drill hall at Stamford Brook in Stamford Brook Avenue London W6. What remained of it has I think been pulled down but it used to have a Middlesex Volunteer Rifles title and badge in the stone work above the main entrance. It was used as a warehouse last time I saw it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest trimaran17 Posted 22 November , 2005 Share Posted 22 November , 2005 Details of 1/10th, 2/10th & 3/10th from this site.... 1/10th Battalion August 1914 : in Ravenscourt Park. Part of Middlesex Brigade, Home Counties Division. 30 October 1914 : sailed from Southampton for India, arriving Bombay on 2 December 1914. The Division was broken up on arrival. The Bn remained in India until the end of the war. 2/10th Battalion Formed at Stamford Brook in September 1914. Attached to 2/Middlesex Brigade (201st), 2/Home Counties Division (67th). 24 April 1915 : moved to Welsh Border (160th) Brigade, 53rd Division. 19 August 1918 : left the Division, and disbanded in Egypt. 3/10th Battalion Formed at Ravenscourt Park in May 1915. Attached to 2/Middlesex Brigade (201st), 2/Home Counties Division (67th). 1 June 1917 : left the Division and moved to France, landing at (Le) Havre. 23 June 1917 : attached to South African Brigade, 9th (Scottish) Division. 2 August 1917 : transferred to 10th Brigade, 4th Division. 20 February 1918 : disbanded in France. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest trimaran17 Posted 22 November , 2005 Share Posted 22 November , 2005 Details of 1/10th, 2/10th & 3/10th from this site.... 1/10th Battalion August 1914 : in Ravenscourt Park. Part of Middlesex Brigade, Home Counties Division. 30 October 1914 : sailed from Southampton for India, arriving Bombay on 2 December 1914. The Division was broken up on arrival. The Bn remained in India until the end of the war. 2/10th Battalion Formed at Stamford Brook in September 1914. Attached to 2/Middlesex Brigade (201st), 2/Home Counties Division (67th). 24 April 1915 : moved to Welsh Border (160th) Brigade, 53rd Division. 19 August 1918 : left the Division, and disbanded in Egypt. 3/10th Battalion Formed at Ravenscourt Park in May 1915. Attached to 2/Middlesex Brigade (201st), 2/Home Counties Division (67th). 1 June 1917 : left the Division and moved to France, landing at (Le) Havre. 23 June 1917 : attached to South African Brigade, 9th (Scottish) Division. 2 August 1917 : transferred to 10th Brigade, 4th Division. 20 February 1918 : disbanded in France. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest trimaran17 Posted 22 November , 2005 Share Posted 22 November , 2005 Thank you Cliff and Squirrel. I have his medal card. This just shows SOMMERS, Lewis H., Midd'x R, Pte 290992. He was awarded the Victory Medal and the British medal. Roll shows ' E/1/102 B? 44 page 7475' for both. Unfortunately dad died when I was 13 in 1965. I know he lied about his age to join up when the Great War began. He would have only been 17, not 18 until February 1915. If he had joined at the start would he still be a Territorial? He definitely did not go to India and was in Europe from intitial training to end of War. I have looked at a photo of him in uniform I have which looks as though this would be soon after joining up. The epaulette insignia does show '10' above the word 'Middlesex'. There is another symbol or number above the '10' which could be a 'T' or a Roman numeral '1' perhaps? I will pursue his servise record and see if it has survived. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cliff brown Posted 23 November , 2005 Share Posted 23 November , 2005 If he joined 10th M'sex during the war he would still be classed as a Territorial. Recruits to TF btns in the early part of the war were used for several purposes - filling gaps in the exisiting btn or filling the ranks of the 2nd, 3rd and even 4th line btns. It is possible your relative went into 1/10th M'sex, but he didn't go to India. My guess is he might have joined 2/10th in 1914 (because 3/10th didn't exist at that stage). It is possible that he could have been moved to 3/10th, particularly if he was too young to go abroad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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