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General => Armed Forces => World War One => Topic started by: Duck on Sunday 25 June 17 13:24 BST (UK)
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Hi
I'm trying to find out which Battalion of the Cheshires and Labour Corps Harry Parker served, his service numbers were 37213 for Cheshires and 33783 for the Labour Corps
Any help would be much appreciated
Kind regards
Simon
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Difficult to prove this without his record but the medal roll for Labour Corps men in which he appears has a significant block of men from the Cheshires with very similar Labour Corps and Cheshire numbers. They were all 18th (Labour) Battalion which in April/May 1917 was converted into 56 Company Labour Corps. Checking this against the service records of men with similar Cheshire numbers that do survive, I find quite a body of them who were in the 18th (Labour) Battalion Cheshires and whose service papers are all stamped with the redesignation to 56 Company Labour Corps. Dates of entry are all early 1916 and his medal card has no overseas service prior to 1916. Both 18 and 19 Battalions were formed at Oldham which may or may not correlate with your man, not important if it doesn't.
So in the absence of anything to the contrary, I suggest he was 18 Bn then 56 Coy.
maxD
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MaxD
Many thanks for your help, I really appreciate it
Kind regards
Simon
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Value added - War diary for 18 Cheshire:http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/319845e303604edf8b9aeb0cf2bba1d9
Labour Corps not so well documented http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/363ce894ec9345c193c96ea5bf49ae7f seems to be all there is.
maxD
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maxD
Many thanks once again
I've downloaded the NA information for the Labour Corps, there's hundreds of pages, should keep me occupied for a while :D I found one poor fellow who had died of asphyxiation, caused by the excessive drinking of rum :o
Kind regards
Simon