Labour Corps WW1

[jim1]

I need to emphasise that just because he had an LC no. allocated to the 25th. D.L.I. doesn't necessarily mean that's where he went. There were many occasions where spare numbers were given out to men who were sent to whichever Lab. Corps Coy. needed them. In fact he must have gone elsewhere as the 25th. D.L.I. (later 7th. Lab. Batt.) never went overseas & as he appears on the LC Medal Roll means he did serve overseas in the LC.
The other bit I can tell you is that he received the 15 Star (entry into France 22/8/15), the British War & Victory medals.
He first went into action on the 25th. Sept. at Bois Grenier.

[Artful Owl]

Thank you so much for that, Jim. Our family have often wondered where he served. He mentioned to my mother that he was near Ypres and that's all we ever knew.
I am surprised that he went back overseas with the LC as his hip injury meant he always walked with a stick…..but perhaps that was in later life. Is there any way of finding out where he went with the LC?

Also are there any records of where casualties were treated? I think he was sent to Stoke on Trent, but I've no idea when or how long for. He was gassed and had shrapnel in his hip, he said the pain was so bad he hoped the next hit would bury him.

Sorry...so many questions but you have made my day already by finding this out!

Many thanks

Ruth

Bizarrely I know of Loos as I visited there with my husband 3 years ago, his Great Uncle died there on the 3rd October 1915, they must have been in the same battle.

[jim1]

Is there any way of finding out where he went with the LC?

Without knowing which Coy. he was in I'm afraid not.

are there any records of where casualties were treated?

There were hundreds of military hospitals in the UK so you would need his medical history sheet to have any chance of finding out. This would have been with his service record.
Wherever he went he would have been there for several months including time rehabilitating.
He than would have had his final medical assessment & anything lower than A1 would have excluded him from frontline service. Going into the LC was a common route for men re-assessed B1 or 2.
If the information is that he received his wound at Ypres it would be after Oct. 1916 as the 10/WRR were in France up until then. In Nov. 1917 they moved to Italy.
His 1st. tour in the trenches on the Salient was 11th. Nov.
The 1st. major assault he was involved in on the Salient was on the 7th. June 1917 at (would you believe) Hill 60.
It became a much talked about event & there are even films made about it.
I wouldn't want to have seen what he saw.

[Old Bristolian]

Jim,

I wonder if you can help with the following:

Neil Dougal, born Motherwell, Lanarkshire 2nd December 1890.
Enlisted in Argyll & Sutherlands 1st October 1914 (reg. no. 3091)Served in BEF 11.11.1914 -11.12.1914
Discharged as physically unfit 31st July 1915
Private in the Highland Light Infantry (April 1916)
Medal cards (he has two) also state in Labour Corps (no. 567276) and Seaforth Highlanders (15863, discharged)
After the war he enlisted in the 2nd.Lowland Division RE.

I would be very interested to find out where he might have served in the Labour Corps especially,

Steve

[jim1]

Hello Steve
Can you start a new topic. This one's getting a bit congested.

[Artful Owl]

Jim,

 Once again very many thanks for your incredible knowledge and help.

I'm not completely certain he was wounded at Ypres, it's just hearsay from my late  Mum. To his mind perhaps he was near Ypres at Bois Grenier. But thank you for the information of where the battalion were fighting.

He did marry my Grandmother in the 4th quarter of 1917 which rather points to an earlyish injury  and their first son was born in April 1918, so at some point before the end of the war he was back in Yorkshire, even if it was just for a short time.
 I'm thinking my next step should be to get a copy of their marriage certificate, perhaps there will be some helpful information on there as to occupation and address at time of marriage.

I agree, just looking of photographs of the time horrifies me…..he was an untravelled country lad, who only signed up because he was tired of being served mouldy apple pie for lunch at the farm he worked on. I can't begin to imagine the Hell they all landed in.

I plan a visit to Kew for other genealogy research. Do you know if they have anything more there that isn't on line or that you have access to?  I have to think his service record hasn't survived.

Many thanks

Ruth

[jim1]

You won't find anything more at Kew.
So back well before Sept. 1917. He must have been pretty fit to be allowed to marry in Sept.-Dec. 1917 so was probably due to go back. I think you can say that from that point he was in the LC.
It's possible he's been injured around the time of the assault on Hill 60.
His marriage cert. probably won't yield much but worth a try.
The first mention of gas was on the 5/6th. June while they were waiting in railway dugouts for the order to move up to their assembly positions prior to the mine explosions.
The shelling was quite intense as they were held up by it for 1 1/2 hours.
There was more gas after they had reached their objective. They were relieved on the 10th.
I've been there a couple of times, the last to this exact location. Where the mine exploded there now lies a 40' deep lake.

[Artful Owl]

I appreciate the time you've taken over all my questions, Jim. I'll read up on Hill 60, we certainly know more than we did before and have an image of what it must have been like for him.

Thank you
Ruth

[jim1]

This is the battlefield map used on the day.
10/WRR were in LEEK trench when the mines exploded.
Their route in was along the communication trenches & up to the frontline.
When the barrage lifted along the red line they went over the top.
Their orders were to make it to the blue line & consolidate it.
You'll notice just behind Impact support trench between that & the tramway is an oblong pillbox.
It's still there today.