Whittaker Fred and Schofield James

[heywood]

I don't understand about the various battalions, but I have checked my book on the Oldham Pals, 24th Battalion The Manchester Regiment and although there is a Cpl Fred Whittaker it isn't this one.

[heatherjulie]

Julienne, where did you get the 2 numbers from?

[MaxD]

And may I add, which man was supposed to have a number between these two?  The only service number I have seen in these two ever more confusing threads is 9031 which belonged to James Schofield whose record i have cited.

maxD

[heywood]

His war nos were 9031 and 486926

Max,

On the record you found, James Schofield is 486926 - Manchester Regiment. That number is written over a scribbled one which could be 9031 - difficult to see. Would that have been his number when he was in the 3rd BT R... Regiment which he joined earlier?

Heywood

[MaxD]

While the selection of a quote about service numbers and the 17th Battalion is correct as far as it goes, it should be understood that until 1920 service numbers were not unique and could be and were duplicated in different battalions, see this passage from the same source http://armyservicenumbers.blogspot.co.uk/2014/11/duplicate-numbers.html so a service number on its own does not specifically identify a man's battalion. 
By way of illustration, a quick totally random search of Manchester Regiment medal cards at the National Archives throws up three men with the number 8050 http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/results/r?_aq=manchester%20regiment&_ep=medal%20card&_or1=8050&_dss=range&_ro=any&_p=1900&_st=adv

maxD

[MaxD]

Heywood - not quite.  When he joined the regular army in 1903, he was already serving in the 3rd Battalion Royal Lancashire Regiment (it looks like) which, like all 3rd Battalions of the time, was a militia battalion ie part time  The 9031 number was allocated as a Manchester Regiment number, his medal card is much more readable.  See http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/results/r?_aq=manchester%20regiment&_ep=medal%20card&_or1=8050&_dss=range&_ro=any&_p=1900&_st=adv  paragraph headed "In times of need" his number fits exactly in between Jan 03 and May 04 - he joined in Aug 03.

Thus he was 9031 from joining up in 1903 (another illustration here of duplication!!) and was given the other longer number when he transferred in 1918 to the Labour Corps.

maxD

[heywood]

From my lay perspective, I thought that's what I meant, Max  although I understand now that they are two Manchester Regiment numbers and not the previous Battalion.

However, thankfully you have solved one of Julienne's queries. Perhaps the army record for Fred will never turn up! Heather has found his parents so quite a good result.

[MaxD]

I wonder if Julienne noticed when she (presumably) visited the site earlier today?

I would go further and say (again) that there is no surviving service record that can be identified as belonging to a Fred Whittaker with a father called Joe Greenhalgh Whittaker.  As 70% of Great War records were destroyed by bombing in the second war, it is unsurprising.

maxD

[heatherjulie]

For my own interest, if somebody died a few months after being discharged on health grounds, should they have a CW Grave?