Labour Corps-WW1: Roy McConville

[jim1]

What we can say for sure is that his number was allocated to the 90th. Coy.
I'm treading that well trodden path of service records.

[MaxD]

Looks as if some clarity re the Labour Corps is emerging in another place (as they say in Parliament).

MaxDi

[johneowens]

Hmm. Well, I'm glad we've got that sorted out, guys.

Many thanks and best wishes

John

PS. If you have any further thoughts, happy to have them.

[jim1]

Found a couple of men going the route of KLR Infantry Battalions to a KLR Lab. Coy. & being transferred to the Lab. Corps.
Have you got their marriage cert. which might say which KLR Batt. he was in ?
If not at least you know where he was 1917-18.

[johneowens]

Yes, absolutely locates Roy.

Actually, their marriage certificate does not help. They married in Liverpool when Cassie was a hospital nurse and Roy a seaman. More useful is Cassie's death certificate "wife of Mark Roy McConville Private Labour Corps nc? 53690". This number matches that on his medal index card (see earlier post), the ref. for which is LC/101.B.33, page 3326 (Victory & British medals, Natl Archives, WO372/12). The Liverpool Reg number is 78408. My understanding is that for Roy to receive these medals, he would have had to enter an active theatre of war or to have left the UK for service overseas between 5 August 1914 and 11 November 1918, and to have completed 28 days mobilised service.

Thanks again.

Best

John

[jim1]

Not quite, had he any pre 1916 service overseas he would have the 14 or 15 Star.
So overseas service 1916-18 with the KLR first as this is listed on his MIC. Only Regiments that a man served overseas with are listed.

[johneowens]

Ok. Many thanks for the further clarifications. Wish I had more information.
Best

John

[jim1]

If he was a seaman Xmas 1916 the earliest he could have gone overseas is March 1917 & that's assuming he was called up straight afterwards.

[johneowens]

Jim

John Starling's list from the war diaries shows the 90th Labour Company, XIII Corps, 4th Army, was formed 29 March 1917 and arrived in France in 5 May 1917. My working theory then is that Roy was called up March 1917 and was deployed arrived to France with the 90th in 5 May 1917, likely some training in the interim.

Still, I'm left with the mystery of why Cassie was in Essex when she (and Roy) had a child (James Roye b. 1917). Will have to wait for the 1921 Census to find who looked after their son. Oral history from my mother (Cassie's niece) is that Roy was not well thought of by the family but that does not explain why she was in Essex when she came from Lancashire, unless she wanted/was required to contribute to the war effort - but then I've just discovered she qualified as a midwife in August 1918, 4 months before she died. Not much call for midwives in a war situation. Hmm.

Thanks anyway.

best

John