Question regarding 1st Battalion King's Liverpool Reg't Moveme

[mooshwah]

Hello, I'm trying to find out what my Great Grandfather would/may have been doing in France between march and June 1915. He was with the 1st Battalion KLR.

He disembarked in France, 16th March 1915.

He joined 1KLR on the 20th March 1915 at Bethune.

Is it likely that he would've marched there from Boulogne/Calais ? (approximately 15 miles/day over 3.5 days ?)

Would he have travelled with other regiments/battalions or would he have been with 1 Batt KLR only ?

Having joined his Battalion at Bethune, is it likely that he would've taken part in the battle of Festubert ?

Also, he is buried in St. Sever Cemetery - Rouen, having died of wounds 6th June 1915.

Does anybody have any idea why, if he sustained his wounds at Bethune/Festubert, he would've gone all that way south, when Boulogne/Calais were less than half the distance to Rouen ? Or is it possible that he would've been deployed elsewhere ?

I'm sorry if these seem basic questions but I am very much new to this and find myself going off all over the place without much success.

As such, I would like to mention the following link (make a donation so to speak ) :-

http://www.1jma.dk/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=3328

I stumbled accross this and found it riveting!

I think it will be of interest to :-

1.Anybody who's relatives are from St. Helens (Lanc's at the time) .

2. Anybody interested in the South Lancashire regiments early days involvement.

3. Anybody interested (at many levels of life - from public to monarchy) in the 1st 11mths following the Archduke's assassination.

I thought it was great - Just wish I knew where to find the next 12 mths entries. I hope everyone else hasn't read it all before ( and I just sound like an over enthusiastic ninny!!) I also hope that I am not making a booboo by mentioning a link from another forum!

[Hambo]

They came to Bethune following heavy casualties on the 10th of March. Looks like he was a replacement for these losses. After Bethune they marched into billets at Beuvry and began a tour of the Cuincy sector trenches on the 25th.

They spent April there and at the end of the month marched from Beuvry to Bethune

In May they marched via Essars to Le Touret on the 8th and on the 9th advanced to Richebourg-St Vaast.

They moved forward to support lines during attack on Aubers Ridge on the 10th but in the afternoon withdrew via Windy Corner to Richebourg-St Vaast.

For the Battle of Festubert the battalion acted with the 2nd South Staffs to support 6th Brigade on the 16th and were unable to advance from the original British line to the new front line.

The CO's diary notes that "B Company attempted to cross Nomans Land at 3.30pm but the leading platoons were soon cut down by machine gun fire. With many dying and wounded lying in the open L/Cpl joseph Tombs voluteered to go out and rescue them attempting to bring in as many as he could, for this he was awarded the VC."

The battalion moved forward that evening to captured trenches and occupied The Bulge

On the 17th A and B Companies advanced down the German front line and as the history records with "irresistible dash they bombed and bayoneted the enemy"

three further trenches were taken along with 200 prisoners.

In another attack at 10am they suceeded in reaching the moat round the Ferme de Cour d'Avoine but heavy fire forced a withdrawal.

The same position was attacked the next day by B and C companies but heavy fire and casualties caused them to return to their starting lines.

Battalion was relieved on the night of the 19th and sent to billets at Rue de Chavettes. Next day they moved via Bethune and Chocques to Reveillon. casualties for the 15th to 20th of May 14 officers and 639 other ranks killed wounded or missing.

Moved at the end of the month to the Loos sector and billeted at Mazengarbe

On June the 3rd they took over the front line and were relieved on the 6th

from Ray Westlakes British Battalions series

Hambo

[mooshwah]

Many Thanks Hambo

I've plotted all those out on a map (autoroute actually) and they certainly appeared to do alot of travelling around.

Do you have any Idea as to why an injured soldier would've ended up travelling all the way to Rouen ?

I would've thought that nearer hospitals would've been chosen.

Also, as a side - I am new to this forum and just asking for advice. I obtained my Great Grandfather's Medal card from the National archive. The downloaded document contains the cards for 5 other men. Would it be the done thing to post this file on here ? Or not ?

Regards,

Graham

[Old Chap]

Hello Graham,

If you can travel to the Albert Dock in Liverpool make a visit to the Maritime Museum. They have the war diaries for the Liverpool Regiments. It might throw a little more information your way.

Regards,

Bill

[n3ttl3]

Hi Graham

There is a chap who goes by the name of Promenade on here (there are others but I dont think it's PC to put names up without permission) - I'm sure he wouldn't mind you sending the medal card scan electronically to him (I did that with my grandad's medal card - 7th Kings) as he has a database on the Kings Regiments. By the way, spent a wonderful morning at the maritime museum at the Kings Family Day - many thanks to Ken for all his help!

Annette

[mooshwah]

Many thanks Bill & Annette - the Maritime Museum it is then!

I had been under the impression that they were at the museum of liverpool life (which is now closed but will reopen in >2years )

So to find out that they are there is great!

Do you have to have an appointment to look at them ?