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General => Armed Forces => World War One => Topic started by: holmsie on Wednesday 25 August 10 17:07 BST (UK)
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Does anyone know if the Accrington Pals served abroad during WW1
My uncle, Arthur Harold Jones was in the1/5 East Lancs regiment, he died of Malaria after he came home
Regards
Freda B
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This might help
www.pals.org.uk/pals_e.htm
Linda
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Freda,
Is he Arthur H Jones, Private 1990 and later 240341, East Lancashire Regiment and service records on Ancestry? Awarded the Military Medal, according to his MIC, but I'm struggling to find it.
He certainly served overseas. He embarked for Egypt 10/9/14
Phil
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The Accrington Pals not only served abroad, many of them died.
Mike Harding wrote this song. Read it here http://www.aftermathww1.com/harding.asp
You can also here it by clicking a link beneath the song.
Susan
(who went to school in Accrington)
I hadn't listened to that for a while so have just done so. Never fails to bring tears to my eyes and make the hairs stand on end.
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Many thanks Linda for that link - Very interesting, and also very sad
Regards Freda
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Thanks Phil for the information, it's nice to know where they got to during their overseas service
Regards Freda
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Freda,
Have I got the right man?
Born 29th Jan 1898.
Address: 14 or 41 Stevenson St East, Accrington. Also 39 Mariden(?) St, Accrington.
Next of kin on his original attestation papers: Mother, Rebecca.
He wasn't one of the Accrington Pals, as that was the 11th (Service) Battalion. He was a Territorial.
If I have got the right one, you could write a book about him.
I can't track down the MM, but he was awarded the Belgian Croix de Guerre. He never claimed his medals according to his medal index card.
I also can't see any reference to malaria and this man re-enlisted in 1920.
When did your uncle die?
Phil
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Hello Phil
This is very strange, I always understood he was in the pals. You have the correct dob he did live at 41 Stevenson st east Accrington, and his mother's name was Rebecca. Does it give his wifes name? she was called Freda Muriel. As for the date of his death, I will have to get back to you on that one, as it was another person who researched that, she has the death certificate, that's how I found out about the Malaria
Regards Freda
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Thank you Susan for that link, yes I agree, it brings a tear to your eye
Regards Freda
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Just back from a visit to the Somme battlefields. The picture shows the inscription on a memorial to the Accrington Pals near Serre and what remains of a front line trench nearby. About 700 men of the Pals battalion went into action on the first day of the Battle of the Somme, June 1st, 1916, to attack the village of Serre. Two hundred and thirty-five were killed and 350 wounded in half an hour, effectively wiping out the battalion (source Wikipedia). AF
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Hello AlexanderFields
Thank you so much for the photograph
Regards Freda
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Hello Phil
Arthur Harold Jones died on the 3rd March1923 aged 26
Regards Freda
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Thanks Freda,
It definitely looks like the records I found are for your uncle.
I didn't spot any marriage details when I was going through them, but some of the pages are badly damaged.
He died 18 months too late to be included on the CWGC Debt of Honour.
Phil
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Hello Phil
The papers you have, are they just the Army records? and what sort of details do they give.
Freda
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Freda,
All the information has come from the 20 or so pages of his Army service record and his medal index card. It includes when he enlisted and was demobbed and his postings in between, including periods of sickness, leave and promotions.
The records are on Ancestry.
Phil
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Thanks Phil