18th Battalion Middlesex Regiment and 788th Company

[LizM]

I am trying to find some information on my Grandad George Thornley as we have nothing on him before 1936, but we found out that he served in these regiments.

Middlesex Regiment

27375

Private

Labour Corps

398306

Private

Army Service Corps

419212

Private

Hampshire Regiment

09686

Private

This is what I received from the Hampshire Musuem.

09686 George Thornley did indeed serve with the Hampshire Regiment but from a ledger we have did not transfer from the RASC Depot until 13.11.1919 when he re enlisted in the Hampshire Regiment.

He appears on the Hampshire Regiment Medal Roll for the British War and Victory Medals and this states that he served with 18th Battalion Middlesex Regiment and 788th Company, Labour Corps and Army Service Corps

I wondered if anyone has any information on where these battalions etc may have been.

Many thanks

LizM

[sotonmate]

LizM

Take a look at one of the Long Long Trail's pages:

http://www.1914-1918.net/33div.htm

as the 18th Middlesex (1st Public Works Pioneers) were attached to 33 Division in July 1915 and went to France in Nov 1915,serving the rest of the War on the Western Front. The Div page will give you all the actions they were involved in.

Best wishes

Sotonmate

[LizM]

LizM

Take a look at one of the Long Long Trail's pages:

http://www.1914-1918.net/33div.htm

as the 18th Middlesex (1st Public Works Pioneers) were attached to 33 Division in July 1915 and went to France in Nov 1915,serving the rest of the War on the Western Front. The Div page will give you all the actions they were involved in.

Best wishes

Sotonmate

Thank you Sotonmate

I have had a look and need to now find out when he joined. Cannot believe he would of made it though all those battles.

Been in touch with Glasgow now waiting for form.

Regards

LizM

[sotonmate]

LizM

There is always the possibility that his records live on at the NA. Whilst there are only around 30% survived the 1940 bombing there are still lots left. I have had quite a few successes as a proportion of my searches this year. So give it a go ! The microfilm spool is WO363/T1010. If you can't get there you can always ask someone in the National Archives section of this Forum.

Sotonmate

[Marc Thompson]

Hello LizM,

I noticed the information on your Grandad's service in the Hampshire Regiment and decided to do some more digging. Following on from what the Regimental Museum has already provided I managed to find an entry for him in the post 1919 Recruitment Ledger which shows that George Thornley went on to serve as a regular in the Hampshire's. Some of the handwriting in the register is faded and difficult to read so I have used question marks to show where letters cannot be made out.

Army No. 5487129 (Regular)

Formerly 09686

Name: THORNLEY George

Date of Attestation: 13/03/1919

(N.B. This is probably his attestation in the R.A.S.C.). Re-enlisted Hants Regt 13/11/1919

Age on Attestation: 25 years 10 months

Place of Attestation: Ma?????

Trade on Enlistment: Labourer

Place of Birth: Marylebone, Middlesex

Married: Amelia Fo???? or Jo????

Place of Marriage: R.O.?. Marylebone

Date of Marriage: 14/05/1919

Campaign medals: British War & Victory Medals

Discharged: 23/11/1922 Exeter

Cause: Discharged Para 392 XXV K Regs Reduction of Establishment

Address on Discharge: 147 Northwood Road, Thornton Heath, Croydon, Surrey

(this address is crossed through and replaced with - 45, Therefood Street, Dess??? Street, Merylebone)

Rank and Character on discharge: Private, Fair

Remarks: Formerly R.A.S.C. T/419212 transferred from Depot R.A.S.C.

Service: 3years 56 days

(N.B. This period of service doesn't match back exactly to his enlistment date of 13/11/1919 but the date may not include his service as 09686?)

I hope that the above is of some use.

Kind regards

Marc

[LizM]

Many thanks Marc for all your help and information. This will open many doors I am sure as my mother did not even know where her father was born. We knew he was previously married before meeting my grandmother but not to whom, he may even of had other children.

Do you know why he would of been in four different regiments during WW1?

Thank you again and I will let you know how I get on.

Liz

[Marc Thompson]

Hello Liz,

I am glad that the information is of use.

There will be a number of possible reasons to explain why your Grandfather saw service in four different units e.g. following a medical downgrading due to wounds or illness. Ivor Lee is the Labour Corps expert on the forum so it may be worthwhile dropping him a PM to see if anything can be derived from your Grandfather's Labour Corps number / service with 788th Area Employment Company, Labour Corps.

Kind regards

Marc

[Ivor Lee]

LizM

His Labour Corps number indicates he eas transferred to them in October 1917 when 788 Company was formed.

The bad news is that there is virtually no information on this company. It was an Area Employment Company wmployed on the Lines of Communication. The only reference to it was in April 1918 when it was St Valery and he may have been in the ASC by then.

Ivor