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World War One / Liverpool Pals
« on: Saturday 17 November 12 11:13 GMT (UK) »
I have a photograph of my father, Frank Pedder Cannell, as a volunteer for the King's Liverpool Regt as one of Earl Derby's Pals in 1914, complete with silver cap badge. His medal sheet shows him a Frank Peddar in the Border Regt being awarded the British Medal and the Victory medal, but not the Star, I remember the two medals as a child, but they disappeared sometime. He was wounded with a Blighty, and didn't return to the front, I know not where or when. I remember him saying that they generally didn't have trouble with German snipers, because quite a few of the regiment were former gamekeepers, and accustomed to handling firearms, which would fit the Borders rather than the Pals. Like most of the WW1 soldiers he spoke very little of his experiences.
His brother RJB also volunteered with the Pals and ended up in the Royal Engineers. did this Regiment swapping take place frequently in the early years of the war? Were service numbers given sequentially throughout the Army, or within a Regiment in the non computer days? His number on the card is 33138, his brother's 47468, quite a large difference.
Pete
His brother RJB also volunteered with the Pals and ended up in the Royal Engineers. did this Regiment swapping take place frequently in the early years of the war? Were service numbers given sequentially throughout the Army, or within a Regiment in the non computer days? His number on the card is 33138, his brother's 47468, quite a large difference.
Pete