Sjt 12971 Matthias PARKIN Yorks & Lancs

[theluddite]

Further to an earlier posting in the Units and Formations Section....

I have my grandfather’s WW1 medals (the usual trio) .... they are engraved 'Sjt 12971 PARKIN Yorks & Lancs' (N.B. there is no slash between the 12 and the 971).

I have been in touch with the Regimental Museum at Rotherham, but unfortunately they have no record of my grandfather in their achives at all. Karl NOBLE, the curator there cannot assist further.

I've tried to access his medal index card on the Public Records Office web site but it does not show up as the result of a search on his name/regimental number

I have also tried to access his Service record but again a search brings no direct ‘hits’. I fear that his must have been one of the ones destroyed by WW2 bombing .

I have recently obtained from my uncle a formal group photograph. It is titled " 8th (Service) Battalion York and Lancaster Regiment, Sergeants' Mess, Bordon 1915 ". (I understand that Bordon is still a garrison town in Hampshire).This photo is further marked, ‘Gale & Polden Ltd of Aldershot & London’.

This photograph is labled with the names of all the personnel within. The Senior Officer present is Lt. Col. M.L. HORNBY, D.S.O., Commanding Officer, others pictured are:-

Lce. Sgt. D Meese, Lce. Sgt. C. Hayward, Sgt. H Poulson, Lce. Sgt. W. Abrahams, Sgt. H. Worker, Sgt.B. Worker, Sgt.B. Burnley. Sgt. J.B. Harper, Sgt. T.Shaw, Lce. Sgt. G.H. Swaby, Sgt. G Sheard, Sgt.F. Barr, Lce. Sgt.W Lythgoe, Lce. Sgt. C. Heavor, Sgt W.E.Arnold, Lce. Sgt.Hutchinson, Lce. Sgt.D.McCall, Sgt W.Ward, Sgt. H.Moore, Sgt. H. Lee, Sgt. J.Gill, Lce. Sgt. W. Hough, Sgt. E.Daykin Sgt. A.M.Smith, Sgt.F. Abbott, Sgt. S. Pitchford, Lce. Sgt. F.Wroe, Sgt. J. Wroe, Sgt. G.W.Ford, Sgt. W. Pitch, Sgt. T.Hirst, Lce. Sgt.J.J.Ralphson, Sgt. A. Metcalfe, Sgt. H.Jeffs, Sgt. L Rowe, Sgt. T. Bird, Sgt. F.W. Weldrick, Sgt A. Speight, Col. Sgt. L.Duke, C.Q.M.S. J.Shaw, C.Q.M.S. T. Short, Sgt. Mstr.-Tir. A.C. Snell, Sgt J. Cooper, Sgt. C.F. Crowson, Lce. Sgt. J. Garner, Lce. Sgt. E.B.Charlton, Sgt G.E. Booth, C.Q.M.S. Yaneski, C.S.M. T. Parnell, Maj. J.W. Whitle 2nd in Command, Bn. Sgt. Maj. A. Alder, Lt. Col. M.L.Hornby D.S.O. Commanding Officer, Capt. D. Quirk Adj., Q.M.S. W. Simms, C.S.M. T.W. Coy, C.Q.M.S. W.J. Bradley.

Curiously, a small photo of my grandfather in full uniform is stuck to the left-hand side of this photograph, and hand written at the foot of the photo below the other names is 'INSET. SGT. M.PARKIN'.

I have no information as to why he should be stuck to this group photo; perhaps he later transfered in to this Battalion from another unit or was sick or absent for another reason at the time that this photograph was taken?

Can anyone assist in any way? I know nothing of my grandfather's war service. I'm trying to establish anything that I can about him and because of the above mentioned photo, I believe that he may have been in the 8th Btn - but obviously even that is not certain.

Thank you to all Pals who previously replied to my initial postings - I’m not rebuffing your assistance in any way! I’m just trying to approach other potential sources via what I now believe to be the relevant channel.