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General => Armed Forces => World War One => Topic started by: Bobbi.T on Monday 04 August 14 12:56 BST (UK)
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Hi
I'm hoping someone can please help me find more information about my grandfather who served in the above regiment. From the Brit Army WW! Medal Rolls Index Card 1914-1920 I have established his Regtl.No was 4469 600118. He received Victory & British medals under Roll L/O 101B229 Page 23267
I am not very experienced in genealogy & have searched the internet but cant seem to find anything about him or what he actually did. I would love to know details about his army life or in fact anything about him.
I would appreciate it if anyone can help me find out more about my granddad who died in 1948 in Liverpool, or point me in the right direction.
Thank you. :)
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Hi Bobbi.T, welcome to Rootschat!!!
Did your grandfather die in the Crosby registration district of Merseyside? http://www.ukbmd.org.uk/genuki/reg/districts/crosby.html If so, the death index gives an approximate date of birth as 1886, with him being aged 62 when he died.
Does this sound accurate to you? Just want to check that we are on the right chap!
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This will give you some more information about The King's Regiment http://www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/mol/visit/galleries/soldiers/research/index.aspx
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I think the fact that he started in the King's Regiment, then finished up in the Labour Corps may indicate that he was either injured whilst on the front line and could not be returned, or that for some reason he may not have passed the fitness criteria to be sent to the front. The Labour Corps was formed in 1915.
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Hi Spidermonkey. Thanks for the welcome & quick reply. Yes he lived in Litherland so that came under Crosby I believe. I read that about the labour corps but I originally thought it was their responsible for going out & digging trenches etc. Until that point I hadn't even considered who dug them. I am desperate to find out more now. Thank you also for the link, I will def go & have a look.
Regards
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You should ask a moderator to move this to the WW1 section/Armed Forces.
You may have a problem identifying his Liverpool Battalion. 4469 indicates he was in one of the Liverpools six Territorial battalions – 5th to 10th Liverpool Regiment. Each had their own numbering sequence. So there would have been a 4469 in all six battalions. They started at 1 in 1908 so 4469 suggests it was allocated after WW1 started. The lack of a 1914-15 Star means he did not go overseas until 1916 at the earliest.
Unfortunately his medal card does not show a six-digit Territorial number, which were issued in blocks and can assist in identifying the battalion. Assuming you have checked Ancestry for his service record, I would ask the KLR museum if he is listed in their database.
There are a number of Labour Corps experts on the Great War Forum. I would also post a question on that site asking if they can tell you when 600118 was issued.
Ken
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I think this might be your grandfather in the 1901 census - big family!!!
106 Brookhill Road, Bootle,
John Hewson 35 Head Corporation Labourer bn Bootle
Mary Hewson 33 Wife bn Bootle
Thomas Hewson 15 Son Errand Boy bn Liverpool
John Hewson 14 Son Apprentice to painter bn Liverpool
Mary A Hewson 11 Dau bn Bootle
Martha Hewson 9 Dau bn Bootle
Robert Hewson 7 Son bn Bootle
Isabella Hewson 5 Dau bn Bootle
Jane Hewson 3 Dau bn Bootle
James Hewson 1 Son bn Bootle
Catherine O'Brien 63 Mother in Law bn Ireland
John O'Brien 18 Nephew Labourer in ? Works bn Liverpool
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Thanks for the info & guidance Ken.
As you can see its my first post which is why I put in this section, but that's probably a good idea. Mind you, I don't know how to ask a Moderator! LOL :)
I had noticed that his 'numbers' weren't the same as others Id seen mentioned & did wonder why. The only other six digit number was 600118 on the line under the 4469 ie
Corps: Rank: Regtl No:
L'pool R Pte 4469
Lab. C 600118
I originally though the labour corps was a division of the Liverpool Regiment but I now realise its two different corps. Now you can see why Im eager to find out more as my WW1 knowledge is so basic.
I have searched Ancestry & the KLR sites but cant find anything Im afraid.
I think that's a good suggestion about the other forum so I will do that. Im just hungry for any info now.
Thanks again.
Regards.
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Thanks Spidermonkey
That certainly is my grandfather. The Robert (age 7 ) was my father. Yes, a massive family! The poor women in those days!
According to my records he got married in Sept 1914, so maybe that's why he didn go overseas until after 1916. ? I understanding at the time of his marriage he was a carter, although I believe a lot of my Liverpool ancestors worked at the docks.
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Ooops Spidermonkey, sorry got a bit excited! That Robert couldn't have been my dad as he wasn't born until 1920!
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Robert J Hewson was born in 1920 to Thomas Hewson and Mary AE Oliver who were married at St Andrew C of E church, Bootle, in 1914. There was a Private Robert Hewson of Bootle who died on the western front on 10 Apr 1917. King's (Liverpool) Regiment, 13th Battalion, 52360. Maybe brother of Thomas Hewson?
Blue
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Thanks Blue
Yes, that was indeed my dad & its his father I'm trying to find the info on. I wish there was still someone in the family who knew this information. It would make life so much easier. :(
Thanks again
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A lot of WW1 records didn't survive so specific information may not be available.
Blue
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Some links for Robert Hewson who died in 1917:-
http://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/249218/HEWSON,%20R
http://www.merseysiderollofhonour.co.uk/get2.php?cwgc=249218
http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=24736988
http://twgpp.org/information.php?id=3306753
Blue
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Thank you , I will certainly check these out.
Blue, I was so hung up on grandfather Thomas I hadn't realised Robert (great uncle) actually died in the war.
Roberta
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Interesting that they lived in Bootle. The 7th Battalion's headquarters were in Park Street Barracks, Bootle. My GF was Sergeant Major at the start of WW1, RSM once war started, and later Captain/Adjutant of the 3rd Bn 7th Liverpool Regiment. So GF may have have signed him up if he joined before April 1916 when recruitment passed to a Reserve Battalion.
If he waited to be conscripted he could have been placed in any of the others.
Ken
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Blue, Thank you so much for those wonderful links. It was wonderful & particularly emotional today of all days to find out I had a great uncle who not only served in the war but also lost his life in France. To actually see a photo of him and his headstone etc is quite humbling. To think, whilst he is on my family tree, I hadn't even realised he served in the war. I wouldn't be surprised if my dad was named after him.
Thank you again.
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That's interesting Ken. Unfortunately I cant seem to find much info on my grandfather but already people have helped me so much on here I am hopeful of discovering more.
Oh my your GF was very high up wasn't he? A million miles from my ancestors of dock workers & carters etc. :)
Thanks again.
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Robert may have attested originally on 12 Aug 1914, as of St Luke's parish, Bootle, aged 21 years 240 days, general labourer, 12089, RC, 5ft 9.5ins, 1681bs, exp girth 37ins, exp range 3ins, fresh complexion, brown eyes & hair, mole right back arm, at Kings Liverpool, Seaforth and discharged as unlikely to become an efficient soldier on 24 Sep 1914.
Blue
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Birth index for Thomas Hewson:-
Name: Thomas Hewson
Born: Apr-May-Jun 1886
District: West Derby
Vol: 8b
Page: 409
There was another Thomas Hewson born in the same district, in the same year. He died in Northumberland in 1971. The date of birth from his death index matches the birth index in the Jul-Aug-Sep quarter of 1886 so we know for sure that the above index is your Thomas Hewson.
Blue
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Thanks again Blue. Really appreciate your help.
My only query re your latest info about Robert above is that he did actually serve in 13th Battalion The King's (Liverpool Regiment) (Regtl number 52360) and died in France from his injuries on 10 April 1917. There is also a link showing his headstone in Beaurains. This I found out from the GWGC link above.
Is it possible that he signed up (or was conscripted) at a later date?
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It's possible he was later conscripted see information here about WW1 conscription:-
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conscription_in_the_United_Kingdom
Perhaps at the outbreak of war there were so many men joining up that they could afford to be selective about who they kept and who they discharged.
Blue
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I have just come across this website and thought that it might give background info to recruitment into regiments in Liverpool http://liverpoolremembrance.weebly.com/local-regiments.html
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Thank you all so much for your help. Really appreciate it. 👏😊
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Hi Bobbi, this reply is a bit late, but it looks like we are related! Thomas; sister Jane was my Nin.
There were actually three brothers in the KLR during WW1. John Joseph (uncle Johnnie) was injured, Robert as you know died of wounds, he was left handed, so was discharged first time, then he joined up again. Your granddad Thomas you know about.
I would love to know more about the family, I've got a bit about the Hewsons if you would like to collaborate?
All the best
Annette
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Hello Annette
Thank you so much for replying. How exciting. I always think of great uncle Robert, especially at this time of the year.
I’m afraid I have been a bit lazy continuing my family research over the summer but really need to get back to it. There is so much I still need to find out about my dad’s family. ❤️ It would be wonderful if we could share info. I’ve really come to a standstill at Gabriel.
I’m not sure how we can ‘talk’ off of here. Do they do private messages or are you on Ancestry? Mind you my current subscription has expired.
Thanks again for replying.
Roberta.