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General => Armed Forces => World War One => Topic started by: AngieToton on Friday 03 August 18 17:44 BST (UK)
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I'm trying to find out about my great grandfather - Private William Henry Skinner
He was in the Sherwood Foresters then I think moved to the Leicestershire Regiment.
I'd like to find out which brigade etc he was in and where he served during WW1.
My Dad was told that William was gassed in the Somme ?
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What year was he born and where was he born? Do you know his regimental number?
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It’s ok I found a WW1 Medal Roll entry for him. 2 numbers 306818 and 235419
He was a Private and was awarded the British and Victory medals but there is nothing on the MRI to indicate he served abroad
The record shows both the regiments you mention in your post
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Thanks, he was born in Dec 1886 - which would have made him quite old for WW1 ( 28 years )
in Barnstable.
Why would he have to Army numbers ?
I have a photo of him in uniform.
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Over 60% of WW1 service records were burnt during the WW2 blitz. Looks like his was one of them as I can’t see a service or a pension record for him
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Presume he had 2 numbers because he served with 2 different regiments
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So I'll have to assume that the first was with the Sherwood Foresters and the second was with the Leicestershire regiment.
I'll have a look at them.
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was awarded the British and Victory medals but there is nothing on the MRI to indicate he served abroad
He wouldn't be on the Medal Roll if he hadn't served overseas.
He was 306818 2/8 Batt. Notts & Derbys. Regt.
This is the Batt. he first went overseas with.
Then transferred to the 6/Leics. Regt.
Both of these were Territorial Battalions hence the 6 digit numbers.
I'll see what I can dig out.
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was awarded the British and Victory medals but there is nothing on the MRI to indicate he served abroad
Sorry - badly worded reply on my part. Many MRI cards show the Theatre of War or a date (or both) but there is no such wording on William's to indicate where he served
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2/8 Sherwood's:
Rushed to Ireland on the outbreak of the Easter Rising in 1916, it saw severe street fighting in Dublin before the rebellion was quelled. The Battalion spent the rest of the year on garrison duty in Ireland before finally reaching France in February 1917 where it had its first taste of trench warfare at Le Verguier. Its later battle honours included Third Ypres (Passchendaele) and Cambrai.
6/Leics.:
April 1915 : transferred to 110th Brigade, 37th Division.
Landed in France on 29 July 1915.
7 July 1916 : transferred with Brigade to 21st Division.
According to this he didn't go overseas until 1917 & transferred to the 6/Leics. some time after that.
He wasn't at the Somme Offensive (1916) but was engaged in actions near the Somme in 1917.
The 2/8 SF were disbanded in Jan. 1918 so may have transferred at that time.
6/Leics. diary states drafts of men in Feb. & April 1918 but not where from except some from
9/Leics.
My Dad was told that William was gassed in the Somme
There you go.
This was the 3rd. Battle of Ypres Sept. 1917 in the Weiltje area Belgium.
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Wow, that's interesting - firstly going to Ireland, I hadn't even thought of that!
Is there anything for 15th August 1918 - my Uncle thinks he has something saying that William was gassed on that day but can't find it at the moment ?
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The 2/8 SF were no longer in existence by this time so he would have been with the 6/Leics.
On 15/8/18 they were in the trenches at Engelbermer. No mention of gas or any other kind of shelling. However on July 29th. gas was used on Engelbermer but no mention of casualties due to this.
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Thanks, my date may be wrong anyway.
At least I know he was in Belgium not France
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He was in Belgium & France.
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He is listed on the CWGC site
PrivateSKINNER, WILLIAM HENRY
Service Number 235419
Died 08/10/1918
Aged 24
1st Bn.
Leicestershire Regiment
Son of Henry and Lucy Skinner, of Prospect Villa, Laverick Rd., Jacksdale, Notts.
https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/182606/skinner,-william-henry/
it includes a link to a photo of grave registration report form at bottom of page
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The poster forgot to mention that snippet.
A bit odd as 1/Leics. isn't on his list of Battalions he served with. He may of course have only just arrived before being killed & the paperwork didn't catch up.
He was at Magny-la-Fosse France on the 8th. Oct.
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Gama - If you can add any information about his profile on the Tigers' website, I'm sure they'd love to receive it - particularly the photo you mention.
https://www.royalleicestershireregiment.org.uk/entity/120725-skinner-william-henry?q=
STG
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This isn't my William Henry Skinner as he died in May 1928 and not in WW1
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If this isn't your man then all of the above is incorrect.
The only other William Henry Skinner who was in the Notts & Derbys was 28016.
Went into the 19th. Reserve Batt. at attestation but didn't go overseas with them.
Overseas Batts:
1st. Batt. 16th.
2nd. Batt. 10th.
This man wasn't in the Leicesters.
Edit:
I think he's our man.
Born 1886 Barnstable Devon.
Received a pension due to being gassed.
Enlisted on 13/7/1915 & he said he was 29y & 210 days. (I'll let you work it out).
His address in 1920 was Old Derby Rd. Ashbourne Derbys.
Ring any bells?
Is there anything for 15th August 1918 - my Uncle thinks he has something saying that William was gassed on that day but can't find it at the moment
Look at the date he was gassed.
This occurred at Proyart France which is E. of Amiens (& about a mile from the R. Somme) when he was in the 10th.
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Yes, that’s him -Born 1886 in Barnstable & died on Ashbourne in 1928
Sorry to be a pain, but I’ve got confused with all this now - so which Battalion / Regiment did he serve in & where ?
Thanks
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I may have added a bit since you've read it.
He attested into the 16th. & was posted to the 19th. Reserve Batt. Posted back to the 16th. & went overseas with them finally ending up in the 10th. (the 16th. were reduced to a Cadre in May 1918 so may have transferred at that time).
It was with the 10th. that he was gassed.
All of this was the Notts. & Derbys. Regt. aka the Sherwood Foresters.
He was never in the Leicesters.
As to where he was at any particular time is near impossible to say without a service record.
He may have gone overseas at the same time as the 16/SF in Mar. 1916.
He may have gone later as a replacement. In June 1916 18 NCO's & men joined the 16/SF from 19/SF Reserve.
It doesn't look like he transferred to the 10/SF when the 16/SF were reduced in strength in May 1918 as the first mention of replacements after that date was on the 19th. Aug. 1918, 4 days after he was gassed.
During the first half of 1917 there were regular monthly intakes into the 10/SF totalling over 400 men. He may have been one of these.
You can see the problem.
All I can say is that when he was gassed he was in the 10/SF & at Proyart.
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Hi Jim
Being as the National Archive downloads are free at the moment I'm trying to collate all the info I have for my great grandfather that you've helped me with re the above.
I'm trying to find which War Diary the 10th Sherwood Foresters ( Notts & Derby Regiment) would come under when he was gassed in Aug 1918 ?
Any ideas
Thanks
Angela
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This one:
http://www.rootschat.com/links/01pei/