1st East Yorks

[Guest Dav1d]

Hello, after researching an ancestor (Private Joseph Burlinson)through his medal card, it shows he entered the war at Gallipoli on the 29/9/15, Shortly after the east yorks became part of the 64th brigade 21st division. He died in the 1st battalion East yorks in october 1918. However I understand that only the 6th battalion east yorks went to gallipoli. How often were privates transfererd to different battalions if at all? Could he have been sent to Gallipoli with the 6th, then joined the 1st in france? thank you for your time. D.Burlinson

[joseph]

David,

Welcome to the forum, a nice place full of helpful people,

Joseph joined the EYR in May/June 1915 and was assigned to the 1st EYR, he commenced his training at Beverley moving to Hedon. When he finished his training he was part of a draft of 2 Officers and 106 Other Ranks who departed on the 21st September 1915. These men where sent to help make up the loses of the 6th EYR which was a Pioneer Battalion, was he a tradesman or skilled man?

1st East Yorkshire Regiment

BY CAPT. C. A. H. SUTTON

24th October 1918

We moved forward at 2 a.m. the 24th inst., encountering thick enemy wire, and at various intervals small gaps, the latter being covered by German machine guns which in¬flicted heavy casualties.

The Village of Poix du Nord was entered, and a number of prisoners taken. We released something like 500 French civilians, who were delighted to see British troops, and offered us black bread, the only thing they had. Great difficulty was experienced in taking our objective, a line on the far side of the Village, owing to enemy machine guns. This was, however, accomplished by 1 p.m. It was here that Colonel Greenwood, of the 9th K.0.Y.L.1. obtained his V.C. for attacking a troublesome machine gun post.

As the German gunners were doing considerable damage to the Village through shelling and gas we were asked by Brigade to attack again at 4 p.m. for a position about 500 yards in advance of our present line, in order to give better protection to the village behind. The new position was taken and consolidated by 5 p.m., with Battalion headquarters in a quarry immediately behind. Our casualties in this attack were about 141.

25th October 1918

On October 25th, we remained holding this position till the following day, when we were relieved by the 2nd Lincolns. We went into re¬serve. I here left the Battalion to go on leave, and Capt. J. A. Oughtred will carry on with the story.

Regards Charles

[Guest Dav1d]

David,

Welcome to the forum, a nice place full of helpful people,

Joseph joined the EYR in May/June 1915 and was assigned to the 1st EYR, he commenced his training at Beverley moving to Hedon. When he finished his training he was part of a draft of 2 Officers and 106 Other Ranks who departed on the 21st September 1915. These men where sent to help make up the loses of the 6th EYR which was a Pioneer Battalion, was he a tradesman or skilled man?

1st East Yorkshire Regiment

BY CAPT. C. A. H. SUTTON

24th October 1918

We moved forward at 2 a.m. the 24th inst., encountering thick enemy wire, and at various intervals small gaps, the latter being covered by German machine guns which in¬flicted heavy casualties.

The Village of Poix du Nord was entered, and a number of prisoners taken. We released something like 500 French civilians, who were delighted to see British troops, and offered us black bread, the only thing they had. Great difficulty was experienced in taking our objective, a line on the far side of the Village, owing to enemy machine guns. This was, however, accomplished by 1 p.m. It was here that Colonel Greenwood, of the 9th K.0.Y.L.1. obtained his V.C. for attacking a troublesome machine gun post.

As the German gunners were doing considerable damage to the Village through shelling and gas we were asked by Brigade to attack again at 4 p.m. for a position about 500 yards in advance of our present line, in order to give better protection to the village behind. The new position was taken and consolidated by 5 p.m., with Battalion headquarters in a quarry immediately behind. Our casualties in this attack were about 141.

25th October 1918

On October 25th, we remained holding this position till the following day, when we were relieved by the 2nd Lincolns. We went into re¬serve. I here left the Battalion to go on leave, and Capt. J. A. Oughtred will carry on with the story.

Regards Charles

Hello again and thankyou kindly for that information, as to whether he was a tradesman or a skilled man, i think he was a miner? his son was a miner etc, i thought miners were encouraged not to go? Is there any way i could get his service record, or medical record? im very interested as to what areas he was in, also after gallipoli does that mean that he was with the 1st battalion on the somme in 1916?

Also, sorry to be a pain, but i cant make sense of the numbers/grid references in the 1st east yorkshire regiment diaries, they are very interesting and have maps but the way the locations are recorded is beyond me.

Thanks again for your time, D. Burlinson

[joseph]

Dav1d,

If you have a read of the mother site the Long Long Trail it explains finding the documents. I don’t have any records of him moving back from the 6EYR to the 1EYR but there could be many reasons why he went back two are;

a. He was wounded and on recovery went back to his original battalion.

b. A lot of the men in the low 19000’s where miners from the Sheffield area and where used in the front line to dig the mine shafts under the German trenches. Possibly he was transferred back to help.

Trench maps.

A fellow member has a website that gives a good explanation on the mapping system during the Great War.

http://pathsofglory.co.uk/trench%20maps.htm

Regards Charles