Service in Leicestershire Regiment

[Stirrick]

I have a soldier, William STOKER (born 1892), who was wounded while serving with the 7th Leicestershire Regiment in 1918 as Private 29933.

There is no Service Record for William. I therefore looked for a close Service Number, but all I can find is Private 29922 Robert Humphries. This looks a good match, however, as Robert was called-up in Newcastle-upon-Tyne in late October,1916 and William was from this same area.

However, Robert joined the 1st (Home Service) Battalion of the Leicesters, and was later transferred to the Labour Corps. He was therefore obviously a lower medical category than William, who did serve with a combat unit.

So, my question is, would these two men have been enlisted into the Leicesters together ? I'd have thought that if the Regiment was in need of recruits, the enlistment would have been limited to those able to serve in combat. Or would a block of men have simply been channelled to the Leicesters for a variety of roles ?

[Jebber]

There were plenty of jobs required of men on the  home front, if they didn’t have personnel to do them. Without them it would have meant using combat fit men, instead of where they were really needed in battle.

[ShaunJ]

29932 Tom Smith (KIA 1917) lived in Bedlington, Northumberland.

[cath151]

Medal card for a William Stoker Leics. Reg gives army number as 29933
http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/SearchUI/Details?uri=D5406109
Can t see any other records at the moment.
Cathy

[BumbleB]

An image of the medal card is available on Ancestry - Private William Stoker, 29933, Leicester Regiment received the Victory and British Medals.

[jim1]

A bit confused.
You say he attested on Oct. 1916 into 1/Leics. & transferred into the LC
which would be 1917 at the earliest & then transferred out & into the 7/Leics.
as this was his discharge Regt.
It seems a strange route for a soldier to take so what do you have that says
he was in the Lab. Corps.
Just for curiosities sake really.

[ShaunJ]

29922 Robert Humphries

Humpish

[SmallTownGirl]

I have a soldier, William STOKER (born 1892), who was wounded while serving with the 7th Leicestershire Regiment in 1918 as Private 29933.

There is no Service Record for William. I therefore looked for a close Service Number, but all I can find is Private 29922 Robert Humphries. This looks a good match, however, as Robert was called-up in Newcastle-upon-Tyne in late October,1916 and William was from this same area.

However, Robert joined the 1st (Home Service) Battalion of the Leicesters, and was later transferred to the Labour Corps. He was therefore obviously a lower medical category than William, who did serve with a combat unit.

So, my question is, would these two men have been enlisted into the Leicesters together ? I'd have thought that if the Regiment was in need of recruits, the enlistment would have been limited to those able to serve in combat. Or would a block of men have simply been channelled to the Leicesters for a variety of roles ?

1.  There's a pension card for Private 29933, William Stoker, which gives his year of birth as 1889, whereas you have it as 1892.  Are you sure they're the same man?

2.  The pension card shows an address of 61 Stephenson St, Willington Quay, with the pension starting from 30.7.1920.  No indication as to why the pension was granted.

3.  As jim1 says, no record of Stoker having served with the Labour Corps.  Where does your info come from?

4.  What's the source of your information about him being wounded in 1918?

5.  What's the source of your information about him originally being enlisted into the 1st Bn?

STG

[ShaunJ]

There's a lot of confusion here. Per the original post it was Robert "Humphries" ( 29922 was actually Robert Humpish) who was said to have transferred to the Labour Corps, not William Stoker.