Essex Regiment and Yorkshire Regiment 7th Battalion

[Guest WendyF]

Hi,

I am trying to trace information about my Great Uncle. Would anyone be able to tell me why someone from County Durham (North East of England) would have been in the Essex Regiment and why he would then have transfered to Yorkshire Regiment 7th Battalion. Would it be common for their service number to have been changed when a move like this took place.

As a last point would anyone be able to tell me where I would be able to find information on which regiments took part in which battles.

Thanks

[shaymen]

Wendy

Welcome to the forum

Where one lived did not always tie in with the regiment they served in.

Go here for info on regiments / battles

http://www.1914-1918.net/regiments.htm

If you could let us have your Great Uncles details I am sure you will get plenty of help

Glyn

It was the Essex bit that caught my eye

[Guest WendyF]

Thanks for your reply Glyn,

I have visited the site you suggested and it would seem that the Yorkshire Regiment 7th Battalion was involved at 3rd Ypres. Thanks for that.

I still don't know why he was moved from the Essex Regiment. His name was Joseph Craigs his service number was 39478, do you have any ideas?

His service number in the Yorkshire Regiment was 33777 I know he died on 15 Nov 1917 and is buried at Cement House, he has a grave reference of VIII A.23. Does anyone know if this means he will have a stone marker.

If anyone could provide me with any information at all (about the regiments, dates, battles or the actual cemetery) I would be very grateful. I think the date of his death suggest that he was involved with the fighting around Passchendaele, but that's my best guess and as I am new to this type of research I could be way wrong!

Thanks, again

Wendy

[shaymen]

Wendy

To start here are his details form Soldiers Died in the Great War.

Glyn

[shaymen]

Wendy

In answer to some of your other points.

Yes he will certainly have a CWGC headstone where he is resting in Cement House cemetery.

Details of Cement house cemetery can be found on the CWGC site - here

http://www.cwgc.org/search/casualty_detail...?casualty=97515

and here

http://www.silentcities.co.uk/cemeteryc/Ce...-Vlaanderen.htm

Interesting that SDGW lists him as formerly with the Army service corps, if you haven't already downloaded his Medal Index card click below

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documen...p;resultcount=3

Should tell you what you need to know.

Changes of regiments was fairly commonplace with no definitive reasoning.

Hope some of this helps a little

Glyn

[Rodge Dowson]

As the war dragged on the need for infantryman grew so numbers of service personel in Corps were transfered, there are a number who went from the ASC to the 7th Yorks and at least 7 who died. I tried to look online for medal index card today but the site is not working.

[Guest WendyF]

I have been able to get hold of the medal cards and things seem to get a bit confussing from here. M/272394 Army Service Corp is my grandad (also a J Craigs, his name was John). Joseph was definitly Essex and then Yorkshire Regiment. Is it common for things to be confussed like this.

I was going to post seperate questions about my grandad, I am having real problems trying to trace which part of the ASC he was involved with. I have a picture of him and his cap badge includes what looks like a stag or a deer. From the stories I was told when I was little I'm pretty sure he drove a lorry (does that rule out all of the horse and steam regiments, knowing my luck not).

Thanks again for all your time and effort.

Wendy