Joseph Arthur Nadin, Machine Gun Corps

[cj1992]

I’m trying to clarify details about Joseph Arthur Nadin, who was killed in action on the first day of the Battle of the Somme.

It seems that he started off in the King’s Own Yorkshire Light Infantry and later transferred to the Machine Gun Corps.

His medal card shows him as a Private in the K.O.Y.L.I., with regiment number 8/13413. What does the prefix 8 refer to? Is it the 8th Battalion?. His medal card indicated that he landed in France on 26 August 1915 and I have found reference on The Long, Long Trail that the 8th Battalion landed at Boulogne in August 1915.

I don’t know when he joined the Machine Gun Corps. His medal card shows regiment number 22088 and 2088 in the M.G.C. Is there any significance to the two different numbers? I’ve had a look on the CWGC site and his number is shown as 22088 and it quotes him as being in the 70th Bn. Machine Gun Corps (Infantry).  I can’t seem to find any specific references to the 70th Bn and I would be interested to know their whereabouts during the battle and if possible the events from him landing in France to being killed on 1st July 1916.  Any pointers would be very much appreciated.

[Victor Harvey]

Try the following websites:-
www.machineguncorps.co.uk/research.html
www.1914-1918.net/mgc.htm
Victor

[cj1992]

Many thanks for your message Victor. I've had a look at both of those sites but so far I haven't found anything that really helps me go any further forward.

Regards

CJ

[mmm45]

He would have gone overseas with 8 KOYLI and transferred sometime between Aug 15 and July 16.
Ill do a bit of number crunching see what the MGC numbers throw up.
His MGC Company maybe with same Brigade that 8 KOYLI were with?

Ady

[mmm45]

8th KOYLI AND 70th Coy MGC were in same Briagde in 8th Division


70th Brigade   
Brigade transferred from 23rd Division in exchange for 24th Brigade on 18 October 1915. Returned to 23rd Division on 17 July 1916. 
11th Bn, the Sherwood Foresters   
8th Bn, the King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry   
8th Bn, the York & Lancaster Regt   
9th Bn, the York & Lancaster Regt   
1/8th Bn, the Middlesex Regt  joined October 1915, left February 1916 
70th Machine Gun Company joined 5 March 1916 
70th Trench Mortar Battery formed January 1916 

This is from GWF:

Ady

[ainslie]

The 8th Battalion KOYLI were a Service battalion, raised in  Pontefract in September 1914 as part of "K3", Kitchener's third wave of recruiting.They were in Frensham, Aldershot, Hythe and Bordon before embarking for France in August 1915 and were then in 70th Brigade, 8th Division.
The Machine Gun Corps was created by Royal Warrant on October 14 followed by an Army Order on 22 October 1915.   It absorbed specialist machine-gunners from battalions, though this is not necessarily the date your man was transferred from KOYLI.

A

[MargP]

Hi I found this record, I am not sure if there is any additional information

Name: Joseph Arthur Nadin
Birth Place: Intake, Sheffield
Death Date: 1 Jul 1916
Death Location: France & Flanders
Enlistment Location: Sheffield
Rank: Private
Regiment: Machine Gun Corps
Battalion: (Infantry)
Number: 22088
Type of Casualty: Killed in action
Theatre of War: Western European Theatre
Comments: Formerly 13413, Y.L.I.

margp

[ainslie]

I see that a parallel correspondence is running on the Geat War Forum, with many of the opinions duplicated.
A

[cj1992]

Many thanks to everyone for all the information. It is certainly helping me to put together a broader picture.

Regards

CJ