Regimental Numbers

[dodger123]

Hi,
I'm looking up an ancestor William Crompton DOB abt 1899 WW1 service records and noticed he has 3 regimental numbers.  The first number I know the reason for (22214) as he was underage and got kicked out, the 14790 would be him re-enlisting again. However not sure about the last number below. 
Regimental Numbers: 14790, 54675
I know I have the same person has it has the same address (89 Grafton St, Helens) on all the forms and his mothers name also.
It appears he was a POW and got repatriated in 1918, would this explain the other number?
Any help would be much appreciated.

[KGarrad]

Did he change Regiments?

In WW1, each Regiment used their own numbers.
Sop, on moving to a different Regiment he would get a new number.

[dodger123]

Hi, KGarrad
Thanks for the reply.
From what I can make out on the papers with reference to service number 54675 he was with the 14 Platoon D Company 16th Manchester Regiment  and shows he is a repat POW.  On his papers with number 1479 it says D Company and also has repat to England and then discharged as no longer phyically fit for war service. I thought it may have been the number given to him when he was in the Training Bn prior to being posted to D company, but to me his number would have stayed with him for life and also it doesn't make sense that same info is showing up on the paperwork of both service numbers.

[crisane]

In WW1 if a person was moved into a different regiment they were given a service number relevant to that regiment. They didn't keep the same number as they did later.
South Lancashire regiment - number 22214
Manchester regiment = 54675
51st Training Reserve Battalion - 14790

[dodger123]

Hi, Crisane

Thanks for the info, much appreciated.

[MaxD]

The sequence of numbers was 22214, then 14790, then 54675.  KGarrad has queried the later change of numbers as, on the face of it, he was in the same regiment in his second stint (Manchesters) all the time

The explanation of the later change of numbers has to do with the fact that the 51st Training  Reserve Battalion up to October 1917 had no regimental affiliation so had its own set of numbers, he went there in Feb 1917.  When (or perhaps just before)  he was then posted to 16 Bn in Jan 1918 he was allotted a "proper" Manchester number.

He was captured in the St Quentin/Cambrai area in 21 March 1918, the first day of the massive German offensive Operation Michael.  Camps mentioned in his POW records are Göttingen and Limburg an der Lahn.  It isn't clear whether he lost his left leg during capture or afterwards.

MaxD

[jim1]

This is what the LLT says about the 50/51st.
51st (Graduated) Battalion
Up to 27 October 1917, this was known as 225th Graduated Battalion and had no regimental affiliation. Before that it had been 50th Battalion of the Training Reserve and up to September 1916 had been the 14th (Reserve) Battalion of the Cheshire Regiment. A training unit based at Halesworth, it was part of 203rd Brigade in 68th Division. Moved to Yarmouth in winter and by May 1918 was at Herringfleet.
I see MaxD has beat me to it but I agree with his comments.

[dodger123]

Thank you so very much Maxd and Jim1 for the information. I really appreciate everyone’s help.  It is sad to know he lost his leg.