42nd East Lancashire Division

[wrdimitroff]

Hi There

I have just joined, so bear with me. My Grandfather was Private 1664 Leonard Wilkinson Cooper in the East Lancashire Division. I have a photo of him in Egypt ?1914. He was awarded a Belgian La Croix de Guerre on 8/12/1917. I also have a photo of a memorial erected in France for a Colonal Arthur Wrenford who was killed on 21/3/1918.

I have further photos of my Grandfather in uniform (possibly a police uniform, if not army) and he is listed as a Sargeant. This photo was taken in 1929 at Salisbury Plain. He is pictured with Sgts. James Duffy, William Heyes and J. Gibson. There is also a photo in 1931, taken at Altcar.

Does anyone know of these people or places?

Thanks for any help

Wendy (Perth WA)

[tjec]

Hi,

Altcar is a firing range between Liverpool and Southport. I believe it is still being used.

Regards,

Norman

[Stebie9173]

Hello, Wendy.

Welcome to the Forum. Can I suggest that you have a read of the Long, Long Trail website linked to at the top of the page that will help your research.

From the Medal index Cards on the National Archives website we have this entry which should be for your grandfather:

Medal card of Cooper, Leonard

Corps Regiment No Rank

East Lancashire Regiment 1664 Private

East Lancashire Regiment 200258 Private

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documen...p;resultcount=2

He would have been in the 4th East Lancashire Regiment Probably the 1/4th), as was the Colonel you mentioned:

Name: WRENFORD, ARTHUR LEONARD

Initials: A L

Nationality: United Kingdom

Rank: Lieutenant Colonel

Regiment/Service: Worcestershire Regiment

Secondary Regiment: East Lancashire Regiment

Secondary Unit Text: attd. 4th Bn.

Age: 36

Date of Death: 21/03/1918

Additional information: Son of William Leonard Wrenford, Barrister-at-Law, and Emily Flora Mary Wrenford, of Upton Manor, Brixham, South Devon; husband of Mrs. A. L. Wrenford, of 8, South Parade, Southsea. Entered Army 1903. University (Cambridge) Commission. 4th on Sandhurst List. Served with Worcestershire Regt. in Ireland, South Africa, Ceylon, India. 3 times seconded to Northern Nigeria Regt., West Africa, where he served first months of war, 1914.

Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead

Grave/Memorial Reference: XXX. F. 17.

Cemetery: CABARET-ROUGE BRITISH CEMETERY, SOUCHEZ

This is a lnk the the East Lancashire Regiment pages of the Long, Long Trail. If you follow the Divisional links you should get an idea of his war. Judging by his number he seems to have been in the territorials pre-war. The 1/4th East Lancshires were sent to Egypt in late 1914 with 42nd Division.

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

Hope this helps,

Steve.

[wrdimitroff]

Hi,

Altcar is a firing range between Liverpool and Southport. I believe it is still being used.

Regards,

Norman

Hi Norman

Would this be an army firing range or would special police use it? As I said I am not sure if my Grandfather was still in the army in 1931 or in the Police force as a sargeant. A family member seemed to think he left the army after WW1

Thanks

Wendy

[tjec]

Hello Wendy,

I have used the range as a private individual some years ago, there is a civilian rifle club there.

My Grandfather also used the range before the first world war when he was with the Lancashire and Cheshire RGA.

This is a link that will give you more information.

http://www.nwrfca.org.uk/altcar.php

Regards,

Norman

[wrdimitroff]

Hello, Wendy.

Welcome to the Forum. Can I suggest that you have a read of the Long, Long Trail website linked to at the top of the page that will help your research.

From the Medal index Cards on the National Archives website we have this entry which should be for your grandfather:

Medal card of Cooper, Leonard

Corps Regiment No Rank

East Lancashire Regiment 1664 Private

East Lancashire Regiment 200258 Private

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documen...p;resultcount=2

He would have been in the 4th East Lancashire Regiment Probably the 1/4th), as was the Colonel you mentioned:

Name: WRENFORD, ARTHUR LEONARD

Initials: A L

Nationality: United Kingdom

Rank: Lieutenant Colonel

Regiment/Service: Worcestershire Regiment

Secondary Regiment: East Lancashire Regiment

Secondary Unit Text: attd. 4th Bn.

Age: 36

Date of Death: 21/03/1918

Additional information: Son of William Leonard Wrenford, Barrister-at-Law, and Emily Flora Mary Wrenford, of Upton Manor, Brixham, South Devon; husband of Mrs. A. L. Wrenford, of 8, South Parade, Southsea. Entered Army 1903. University (Cambridge) Commission. 4th on Sandhurst List. Served with Worcestershire Regt. in Ireland, South Africa, Ceylon, India. 3 times seconded to Northern Nigeria Regt., West Africa, where he served first months of war, 1914.

Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead

Grave/Memorial Reference: XXX. F. 17.

Cemetery: CABARET-ROUGE BRITISH CEMETERY, SOUCHEZ

This is a lnk the the East Lancashire Regiment pages of the Long, Long Trail. If you follow the Divisional links you should get an idea of his war. Judging by his number he seems to have been in the territorials pre-war (though I'm not sure where Egypt comes in!)

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

Hope this helps,

Steve.

Hi Steve

Thanks for the help. I have printed out the Divisional links in the past, but I didn't know his regiment until just recently. I guessed where he might have been and I do know that he received the Belgian medal as I have it and confirmation from the Belgian Consulate. I will endeavour now to look at where the 1/4th Bn. were based.

I will be visiting England next year so hope to be able to expand on whatever research I have accumulated by then.

Regards

Wendy