After Gallipoli

[kenneal67]

Hi All

After Gallipoli my grandfather was sent to France.

I am told he was at the Somme after this but I wondered if anyone could help me confirm this.

He was private 557S Norman Sedgwick RMLI originally with HMS Victory brigade, Portsmouth division D company.

Arrived Gallipoli 28/4/1915 and was wounded early May but remained on force until evacuation.

Then his army records say northern France but nothing more.

Any help appreciated

Cheers

Ken

[horatio2]

Ken,

Your GF was probably in Portsmouth BATTALION of the Royal Naval Division, with Register Number Portsmouth/557(S). The Portsmouth Division short service papers are held at the NA, where, I believe, they have been quite heavily weeded. However, his record of service (NOT "army" but RMLI) should be there. At Gallipoli, in August 1915, Portsmouth and Plymouth Battalions were amalgamated to form 2nd RM Battalion of the RND, later known as 2/RMLI Battalion. 2/RMLI served with the RND in the BEF in France and Belgium from June 1916 until April 1918, when 2/RMLI was absorbed into 1/RMLI. He fought on the Somme October 1916 to March 1917 on the River Ancre, including the taking of Beaucourt on 13/14 November 1916.

H2

[Tom Wales]

I have recently researched PO 555/S , Robert Atkinson. He signed up at York on September 28th 1914. To confirm Horatio's point , at Kew I was able to find his service record , attestation papers and discharge papers.

With help from other Forum members I was able to track him through Gallipoli to Salonika and then to the Western Front

This thread was started by wellsms on October 30th 2004 - Documents, photos, art > Document repository > Unit War Diaries

in case the link doesn't work

Royal Marine War Diaries

Available online

Good luck

Tom

[kenneal67]

Thanks guys for your help. I am fairly new to the site.

I have Norman's service record and it only says France and to find out where the division went is a big bonus to me.

Cheers

Ken

[horatio2]

For the 2/RMLI war dairies go to: http://cwgc.co.uk/ and click on "Research".

[kenneal67]

Do any of you know of a book that might follow the RMLI story from start to finish when it was disbanded in 1919?

Regards

Ken

[horatio2]

RMLI was not disbanded in 1919 - the RN Division was. For full story of RMLI in the Great War try and get hold of "Britain's Sea Soldiers" by General Sir HE Blumberg. For RMLI in the RND the divisional history, "the Royal Naval Division" by Douglas Jerrold tells the tale. For a more general (and available) RM read try "The Royal Marines" by Julian Thompson.