Error on Medals/CWGC site?

[Ray Tomlinson]

My Great Uncle Thomas Tomlinson was KIA on 24/02/1917. His brother, my Grandfather, gave me his medals 40 or so years ago but it is only recently that I have started to research my family history (its an age thing!).

i) He is listed on the CWGC site as Lance Corporal, 11th Bn. Cheshire Regiment and his Service No. is 52516.

ii) The medals are inscribed - 3267 Pte T Tomlinson Ches R.

iii) His MIC gives both numbers, the former with the rank of Pte, but precious little else.

My conclusion would be that (a) the CWGC site is wrong and he should be listed as Private rather than Lance Corporal (yes I do have the right man - the next of kin is noted) and ( the medals are also wrong and should have been issued with the higher/later number.

Would anyone agree/disagree? Is there any other way of checking his rank?

[Bob Coulson]

Soldiers Died also gives him as 11th Cheshires with a reg no of 52516.

Born and enlisted in Stockport.

Bob.

[HarryBettsMCDCM]

Both are "Right" he first served O/S with the earlier rank,with presumably a TF Battalion{from the Number} & thus the Medals are named as such,Lance Corporal is an appointment & is often just temporary unpaid & not impressed on Medals,the later Number/Battalion is the unit etc he was serving with @ the time of Death.

Your best bet is to obtain the Medal Roll pages the MiC refers to which should give both{or more} Battalion Numbers served with.

[John_Hartley]

Hello Ray

Are you the relative of Thomas' who contacted me some while back? With a great family story?

"HarryBetts" is right in his advice about this. The Lance Corp. is likely to have been of the "acting unpaid" variety.

His service number of 3267 is consistent with him enlisting into the 2/6th Cheshires (Stockport's reserve territorial battalion) around the late spring of 1915. A large draft of soldiers went to France in late June/early July 1916 and I would reckon, from his number, that he will have been one of them. Although originally intended as a replacements for the 1/6th Cheshires, almost all of them were split up to other battalions and, indeed, to other regiments. His 52516 service number is entirely consistent with him being assigned to one of the service battalions in mid-1916.

John

[Ray Tomlinson]

Hi John,

Yes it was me. I'm still sorting through things and trying to tie up several loose ends. I think you need to put the photo of him I sent you asside for the time being - I no longer think its him! He has a strong resemblance to my grandfather and its half of a picture of my grandfather's elder brothers Tom and Harry (before you say it, no my grandfather wasn't called Dick!). Harry doesn't look much like Tom but Harry does resemble his son Lawrence.

Enough of the confusion - the photo I sent you is of a Corporal in the MGC. Tom was a Private/Lance Corporal and not in the MGC. I suppose it could have been my grandfather Lawrence. He was in the MGC but his MIC/medals indicate that he was also a Private. I can understand acting up from Private to Lance Corporal but surely only a Lance Corporal would act up to a Corporal?

Ray