Essex Regiment - Balkans? At 16?

[Cambridge]

Hello!
I'm looking into my Great Uncle Percy R Field's war service and I have some limited info. To me it looks like he joined up in 1915, as his Medals Records seems to say that's when he fought in the Balkans to get his Star Medal.

The thing is - can this be true? He would have been only 16. Plus I can't find any record of the Essex Regiment fighting in the Balkans?

Does anyone have any knowledge about this please? Thanks in advance for any help anyone can offer!

[MaxD]

Could you confirm his regimental number please?  There are two medal cards for Field Percy R, neither has a Star medal.

1 Bn Essex,  and 1/4 Bn  1/5, 1/6 and 1/7 went to Gallipoli as did 1 Garrison Bn so rather depends what "Balkans" means in the context.

MaxD

[guest141721]

This link might help.

https://www.forces-war-records.co.uk/units/253/essex-regiment

And yes it's definitely possible that he enlisted age 16. Many boys lied about their age. My uncle's WW1 records show him as being 18 yrs 11 months when he enlisted. He enlisted in 1915 but was born in 1901. Thus 14 yrs 11 months when he enlisted.

There's an old story about a boy trying to enlist and the enlisting sergeant saying. "Come back when you're 18 lad. Tomorrow".

[jim1]

It might be worth confirming his name as well.
Is he Percy Reginald Fields or Percy R Field.

[ShaunJ]

Enlisted at 16, Essex Regiment? Is this Percy Reginald Fields  252695 ? Subsequently joined the Machine Gun Corps (137819)?

[Cambridge]

Thanks both for your advice. His Regiment number is 4679 - he later joined the Machine Gun Corps under the number 137819.

Embarrassingly - I've just noticed there are multiple Fieldses on that document and it's another Percy Fields with the Star. Mine has the Victory and the British.

I can see my Percy was in France, Russia and then India. I'd still love to find out more if I ever could!

This means I dont know how old he was when he signed up. Got a little overexcited there!

His name was Percy Reginald Field - however he and his siblings went by Field and also Fields which is why it's been a bit of a nightmare getting info on them all!

@ShaunJ - yes thats the chap but I dont know what year he enlisted.

[mmm45]

Looking at Great War Forum up until 31st December 1915 "Balkan" theatre of war on some MICs indicated Gallipoli

Ady

[Jebber]

I can't see a Percy Reginald FIELDS born in 1901, so glywri is wrong about that.

There is this birth two years earlier
 FIELDS, PERCY  REGINALD  mmn KILLY 
GRO Reference: 1899  J Quarter in BIGGLESWADE  Volume 03B  Page 373

This corresponds with a birth on the MG Corps records of 26 May 1899

 Regimental number  4679, Machine Gun Corps number 137819.
According to his records he served in France, Belgium and Russia

Father George FIELDS, Ivel Rd, Sandy, Beds.

Perhaps you have confused Belgium with the Balkans,

[Cambridge]

Thanks Jebber that's him - although mothers maiden name is Kilby not Killy.

As I said above - I mixed him up with another so he didn't serve in the Balkans but I didn't have Belgium - thats new.

I don't suppose there's a note of what year he enlisted, is there?

Is there a good place to look to see where more precisely he may have been at all? I'd love to know - looks like he had a hell of a journey, ending in 1920 in Bombay. I dont know which unit he was in, however.

Thank you for your help, I really appreciate that!

I haven't even begun getting started on finding out why my Grandad went missing for 6 months somewhere around Monte Cassino!