Re: East lancs regiment?
 

Thanks for that Retlaw, although can't remember my dad ever living in Stonebridge Lane, but there again my granddad may have lived there before he was married, My Dad was born in Jan 1920, don't actually know when my grandparents were married, but they did live in Blackburn when my Dad was born and moved to Monarch Street when he was around 6 months old and he lived there until he died in 2003. Insidentaly I still have both my Dads and Granddads medals.

Re: East lancs regiment?
 

You mean my name sounds failiar, I'm on Blackburn 247 under my own name, as Ithink you are

Re: East lancs regiment?
 

I've checked the British Service records and the Pension records for Farrer/Farrar, John James -- James John, James or John. Nothing his records must have been amongst those detroyed in the blitz of 1940.

Look after those medals

Retlaw.

Re: East lancs regiment?
 

I'v every intention of doing that, Retlaw, there in m safety deposite box at the bank

Re: East lancs regiment?
 

Hi Retlaw,

I believe he was with the West Yorkshire Regiment; 21st Battalion. The Attached Photo shows what I think is his Medal Card. I need help to decipher what information is on the medal card; it’s totally meaningless to me, any ideas Retlaw.

Thanks Doug.

Re: East lancs regiment?
 

Private 21/475. 21st Battalion West Yorkshire Regiment.
He was awarded the Victory Medal & the British War Medal.
Discharged Army Order 29/19. (para 392)
means Kings Regulations, paragraph 392 part (XVI)
no longer fit for active service.
Just as a matter of interest the Kings Regulations is over 1 1/2" thick, very small print, and there are 1 to XXVIII, reasons for discharge in that paragraph alone.

Retlaw.

Re: East lancs regiment?
 

Re: East lancs regiment?
 

The uniform & cap badge is definitely Royal Field Artillery.

Yo don't give a name or residence, if its Blackburn/Darwen, you will have to check the news paper records in Blackburn Library.

Retlaw.

Re: East lancs regiment?
 

Sergeant Walter Hanson Buckley 1138.

5th East Lancs Battery
Royal Field Artillery
1st East Lancs Brigade

Residence - probably Accrington.

Joined 1914
Served in North Africa, Palestine, Gallipolis, Middle East.
Probably Europe 1918.
Russia.
Demobbed probably 1921.

Re: East lancs regiment?
 

He is among the mistery's. nothing the news papers.
There are no Attestation papers at Kew either.
There is only one record in my files, St Peters Church R-O-H
Not in the Absent Voters list of 1918.

Retlaw.

Re: East lancs regiment?
 

Thanks for trying.

It’s almost as if he didn’t exist except that I have a number of photographs that proves otherwise. Photos in North Africa, Palestine and even one in the George Arthur Ward, Ampton Hall Hospital, Suffolk. 24th May 1918 where he was being treated after being wounded.

I know that most of the army records for WWI were destroyed by fire and damaged by water in WWII so I guess his must have been amongst them.

St Peters Church? Where is that?

Re: East lancs regiment?
 

To me the collar badge looks like it comprises a pick-axe and a rifle. Now I know that there were Tunnellers' Companies during WWI and maybe he served in one of those. The badge doesn't appear in my book either.
Good Luck,
davidf

Re: East lancs regiment?
 

[quote=Doug;647846]Retlaw, can you identify these collar badges for me, it’s most likely Service Corp of the West Yorkshire regiment, the gent wearing them is my great uncle, Harold Whitaker, a Shipley (North Brieley) man who died of wounds in 1922 at the age of 26.

The Collar badges are for the Pioneer Battalion

The Medal cards at Kew, WO372 series, show 5 Harold Whitakers
in the Yorkshires.

Retlaw.

Re: East lancs regiment?
 

Hi Doug, I tried to help last week but my contribution doesn't seem to have taken. The collar "dogs" look like a pickaxe and a rifle to me. From doing family history research on my wife's late father I have learned that there were Tunnelers' Companies in north France during the First World War - I think that they were part of the Royal Engineers and should have worn their cap badge.
davidf

Re: East lancs regiment?
 

Most of the tunnelers in WW1 were colliers, they didn't wear any badges or insignia which would identify them to the Germans. They worked in secret for 12 months, digging tunnels, and laid nearly a million tons of explosies in 5 big mines, which blew up Hawthorn Ridge. 10,000 jerry casulties in one hell of a bang. The biggest man made explosion, before Hiroshima.
They also set off mines on the Somme on the 1st July 1916, a silly argument between high ranking officers, and the mines were detonated 10 minutes too soon, giving jerry ample time to get ready

The collar dogs of a rifle and pickaxe, are a pioneer section.

Retlaw.