Roles in WW1 Army Batallion

[Neil_A]

Hi

Another WW1 service record query.
My relative had a role in his battalion that I need help deciphering.

I'm pretty sure he was a general private but would be great to understand what this means.

Many thanks

Neil

[AllanUK]

The image is very faint. Can you provide details of the man, i.e. full name; regiment name and service number. This will enable myself / others to look at the source document to try and come up with the answer.

[Neil_A]

Ahh yes of course. Context would help, wouldn't it? Thanks for your help on this.

His name was John Kelly, and he was serving with the 2/4th Battalion of the Royal Loyal North Lancashire Regiment. His service number was 203315.
(His attestation papers are on Ancestry, as his medal card, with a rank of private)

In 1918 days before the end of WW1 he was transferred to the reservists of the Suffolk Regiment.
He picked up a new service number 65732. His transfer papers are on FindMyPast under this reference number. This paperwork includes the faint role reference I copied earlier in this thread i.e. his role in the L.N.L. prior to his transfer to the Suffolk Regiment.

https://search.findmypast.co.uk/record?id=gbm%2fwo363-4%2f007397107%2f00730&parentid=gbm%2fwo363-4%2f7397107%2f35%2f722

Any help deciphering some of the abbreviations used would be great. A previous chat helped me understand the D.O.H. disability status, and I'm off to the National Archives next week to help understand the movements of his regiments to help me understand John's place in the war for the years he served.

Thanks again for your help on this.

Neil


 

[jim1]

Looks like salvage to me.
Post war there was a big clean up operation.
I don't know if it's me but I can't find his service record on Ancestry.
Can you give the link?

[Neil_A]

Thanks Jim

https://www.ancestry.co.uk/imageviewer/collections/1219/images/30599_157419-00690?treeid=&personid=&rc=&usePUB=true&_phsrc=CKU4&_phstart=successSource&pId=1083997

[jim1]

Not an easy record to decipher is it.
So conscripted & attested May 1917 & straight into Reserve.
Mobilised Oct. same year & posted to the 4th. Btn.
Although his record seems to state the 2/6th. which didn't exist.
His number falls into the block allocated to the 4th. which is also stated on the Medal Roll.
This would be the 1/4th. not the 2/4th.
He was posted to the 2/4th. Jan. 1918.
Posted to the Depot June same year.
Posted to the 3rd. Sept. same year.
He's then transferred to the 1st. Res. Garrison Btn. Suffolk Regt. Nov. same year
& posted to Grain Island Kent.
Then goes AWOL in Dec.
April 1919 he's posted to the Depot & held on detention.
& discharged.
His C.O. describes his character as fair.
The Army wasn't allowed to say anything negative about a man's character on discharge
so it was fair, good, v. good, excellent & exemplary.

[Neil_A]

Many thanks for taking the time Jim.
Can I get my head around your logic? Helps my WW1 education!!

Why do you say 2/6th? If it's the first entry on his service statement I do believe this is a 2nd and a dodgy 4 that looks like it could be a 6? Suggesting 2/4 rather than 1/4 given the end was the reservists grouping.

Is there a block number listing available? I'm keen on looking at his colleague's records to help with overall movements.

Am I right in inferring given his absence of leave on the 28th of December, and the next entry is about detention - he could indeed have been absent for some period of time! And (putting it out there) there could be some disciplinary papers held that show John being punished for his time AWOL?

And where are you picking up on his C/Os comments that he was 'fair'? Is that a code or I am missing this comment? (is it on his discharge - FindMyPast - or service - ancestry records?)

Many thanks for this.

Neil

[jim1]

He was posted to the 4th. LNR Oct. 1917 & to the 2/4th. Jan. 1918.
If he'd been posted to the 2/4th. in Oct. 1917 he wouldn't be posted
again to the same Btn. in Jan. 1918 with no movement in between.
His Medal Roll states the 4th. Btn.
First line Btn's. didn't use the number prefix "1" only 2nd. & 3rd. line Btn's.
Link to re-numbering:
http://www.rootschat.com/links/01spr/
With regard to his absence if he'd been tried by a GCM it would be on his record.
It looks like he was missing up until his detention but the Army decided to discharge him
rather than try him.
With regard to his character it's on his Ancestry record.

[jim1]

I've gone over everything again & I think you are correct in that the 2/6th
is in fact the 2/4th.
They went overseas on the 8th. Feb. 1917 which is consistent with the info on his record.
In Jan. 1918 he was posted to the LNR Depot.
My mistake I'm afraid.
So it's onto the 2/4 LNR diary between those dates for what he was up to.
got there in the end.