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Wow Gwil, thank you for your speedy and informative reply with helpful links!

I'm checking how many medals there were - I didn't see them myself.  I agree that it doesn't seem likely that the William Reay I'm interested in was serving overseas as early as 1914/15, so, like your Reginald Gordon Young, probably didn't have one of the Star medals.

The scenario you set out and illustrated so well with RGY's service record, sounds entirely plausible and would certainly explain the training at Kinmel Park and the uniform anomaly.  I note that this William Reay's regiment numbers are both just 50 before RGY's.  I've not had a chance yet to check out the pattern of transfers from Welsh Regiment to DLI myself but have no reason to doubt what you say!  Do you know if all of the service records salvaged have now been digitised, or is there still a chance that this William Reay's record could still be made available?

Do you, or anyone else, know if it would be expected that a soldier who had trained at Kinmel Park but had been gassed while serving with DLI, should subsequently return to the hospital at Kinmel Park for his recuperation?

Also, does anyone have any tips for sources of military hospital records or other sources for DLI information perhaps?

Thank you, I'm feeling much more optimistic that this Medal Roll could belong to the right William Reay!  BW, Pippa

     
 

Hi, I’m trying to track down the WWI service history of William Reay, who was born in 1899 in Cockermouth, Cumbria. He is believed to have served with the Durham Light Infantry and trained at Kinmel Park Camp, Rhys, Wales. He is also believed to have returned to the hospital at Kinmel Park after having been gassed, perhaps on the Somme.
He received the medals, “Pip Squeak & Wilfred”, but we no longer have these or his service number. However, there is a photo in uniform from that time but that is puzzling in that the cap badge appears to be of a Welsh regiment, not the DLI!
The medal card index on Ancestry shows a number of William Reays in the DLI but one of them is stated to be of “Welsh Regiment, Durham Light Infantry”. Can anyone throw any light on this entry, please?  Or does anyone know of any links between the DLI & Kinmel Park or have any other information or tips for further research for me, please?
Thank you, Pippa

Hi, anyone able to tell me how to obtain a copy of an ancestor's will & how much this will cost, please?  He died in Huddersfield on 1 May 1966 & his will was proved in Wakefield on 19 May the same year.  Thank you, Pippa

Seaweed, thank you so much for your time & interest in finding this out for me. 

Yes, I think that this record relates to my gggrandfather and that your theory is probably correct.  I haven't been to TNA, Kew before but will make the trip to look at the RN records asap.  I gather that the Merchant Navy was seen as a reserve of sailors for the RN. 

Thanks again, Pippa