Query on earlier Serial No Shown ?

[ALAMO2008]

Pte 203874 Halstead A Wilkinson  appears to have gone Overseas 1916 with East Lancs Regt
But Injury Record shows 4447 crossed out and other number then 202874/203874?
Was that an Error Entry for him
Or was 4447 his Enlistment number before 203874 ?

[AllanUK]

His service record still exists.

He enlisted into the 5th Battalion East Lancashire Regiment (a Territorial Force) on the 27 November 1915, service number 4447. Embarked Folkestone 7 August 1916, disembarked Boulogne the same day. 9th August 1916, Etaples 25 Infantry Base Depot. Joined Battalion in the field 17 August 1916. Transferred to 1/4th Battalion Loyal North Lancashire Regiment 6 September 1916. Wounded 9 September 1916 (shell shock); 11 September 1916 admitted to 21 Casualty Clearing Station; 12 September to 14 Ambulance Train; 13 September admitted to hospital at Rouen; 14 September to England.

Embarked Folkestone 27 April 1917 disembarked at Boulogne the same day.

22 October 1917 transferred to Labour Corps (#385349) then to 765 Area Employment Company (can't make out the date).

I can't see the service number 202874 but he does have 203874 mentioned in his record

The medal rolls entry for him shows 385349 Labour Corps previously 203874 East Lancs.

His service papers all show his name as Albert Halstead Wilkinson whereas his Medal Index Card and Medal Rolls show Halstead Albert Wilkinson.

(snippet image from his record courtesy of Find My Past)

[Andy J2022]

Wrote this before seeing AllanUK's reply:

Are you aware that he later transferred to the Labour Corps with the number 385349 and that his documents are on FindMyPast (and presumably Ancestry) if you use the second regimental (ie Labour Corps) number? They say he was wounded on 9 Sep 1916 in the field. He was shipped back to England on 19 sep 1916. He returned to France April 1917 and rejoined his battalion, before being transferred to the Labour Corps on 5 November 1917. He then had a  series of medical problems before downgraded as unfit for further service on 3 March 1919.

I assume you must have seen the same AFB 103 Casualty Form that appears in his docs because under his enlistment details it does say his Regimental Number was 4447 and it is crossed out and 203874 is written above. He appears to have first joined the 5th (TF) Battalion of the East Lancs and that is probably where the 4447 number comes from, and this was later replaced by the 6 digit number when he joined the 1/4th Battalion (ie a Regular) battalion.