1st 7th Northumberland Fusiliers

[pammyw]

A friend and I are writing a book about the 1/7th NF. The book will record the events in France and Belgium during WW1 pertaining to the 1/7th with the emphasis being on the men themselves told with the aid of newspaper cuttings, tape recordings, diaries and letters.
We hope our book will enable relations to trace the movements of their ancestors during the course of the war, from enlistment to the time they left the battalion.
If anyone has any letters or photograph's that they would be willing to allow us to use in the book, please could you send me a p.m.
Thank you
Pam

[Michael Dixon]

Pam,

By "1st 7th Northumberland Fusiliers" do you mean the first company of the seventh battalion of the NFs ?

Michael Dixon

[pammyw]

Hi Michael
Yes the 1st line of the 7th battalion. Any relations in the 7th?
Pam

[Michael Dixon]

Pam, 

Thanks for your interest.... I have a great interest in the NF  in WW1, but my (pretend) coat of arms and name interests will give you clues that my interest lies in the 24th, 25th, 26th and 27th battalions, known as the Tynside Irish.

A "labour of love" of Bob Balmer, a local historian connected to Blyth Public Library, was to log all WW1 enlistments from newspapers etc. His scope was wider in that he covered all regiments, but narrower in that he covered only the Blyth area.

I have spent many frustrating hours in the National Archives at Kew, looking for individual NF soldiers and in the "war diaries" tracking the daily movements and actions of NF battalions (e.g. 24th and 25th)

I have also rubbed soldiers with folk in the Newcastle Local Studies library, who were logging WW1 enlistments from Newcastle newspapers. ( and further afield, as many Sunderland etc folk joined the NF)

Good Hunting
Michael Dixon (spot my deliberate mistake in last para ? )

[pammyw]

Hi Michael
Sorry can't help you with the Tyneside Irish, only 7th NF.
Pam

[Michael Dixon]

Pam,

Luckily JOHN SHEEN wrote two informative books on the "TYNESIDE SCOTTISH" ( 20th-24 battalions of NFs) and the "TYNESIDE IRISH "
( 24th-28th battalions of NFs), covering men and action in WW1.

So I got comprehensive lists of all men, but the war action was centred on battalions as a whole, not necessarily individual soldiers.


Thanks,

Michael Dixon

[Pete E]

Michael,
Is Mr Balmer's research available for anyone to view?
cheers
Pete

[Michael Dixon]

Pete,

I am sending you a PM about contact details for Blyth Public Library.

Michael Dixon

[Robison1988]

My Second Great Grandfather, Private James Dixon fought in the First World War with the Northumberland Fusiliers. I've been told before that his service number  7/3415 indicated that he might have served with the 1/7 Northumberland Fusiliers. His service number was later changed to 290950. His date of entry into France was date of entry was 01-09-1915. I'm sure that it is quite unlikely but have you comes across him?