Somerset Light Infantry WW1

[stevemars89]

First time i have used this site so here goes.
Can anybody help me find out any information about my great great uncle? I have hit abit of a brick wall.
He served in the 8th Bn Somerset Light Infantry from 1917 to 1918 when he was killed in action. He first served as a private though in the Royal Warwickshire Regiment from 1915. Im trying to find out how and why he was commisiond into the SLI? where his unit was when he was killed and obviously anything else. Any help would be greatly appriciated.

Thank you

Steve.

[Seoras]

Welcome to RootsChat Steve.Can we have his name and date/place of birth if you know it.

[stevemars89]

Hi,
   His name was 2nd Lt Harold Arthur Drakeford born in 1892, I only know his year of birth. He went into France on 21 Nov 1915 as a Private in the R WAR R, Reg num 160. He was then commisioned on the 30 Oct 1917 into the SLI and unfortunetly killed 5 Apr 1918. I know all this from his medal index card which i found online. He was from Coleshill in Warwickshire.

Thank you

Steve.

[Seoras]

I presume you know his parents,Charles and Mary Ann Drakeford.Harold like his father was born in Coleshill.Mother in Essex.Elder brothers Thomas and Charles C in Malmsbury and Sudbury.Younger siblings Cecil and Beatrice in Coleshill.Harold seems to have no known grave but his name is recorded on the Arras Memorial in France.

George.

[Seoras]

There are medal cards for his brothers too.Charles was with the Royal Field Artillery,Thomas with the Royal Warwickshire Regiment and Cecil with the Royal Army Medical Corps.

[stevemars89]

Ive seen the other cards as well, Charles was also awarded the meritorious service medal, I was told he also served in India no idea when though. I find Harold very interesting though as he was commisioned from being a Private. My Grandmother told me that she heard he was shot by a German sniper because he refused to remove his shiny rain coat! how much truth there is in that i dont know but I would like to find out where he was killed. any ideas?

[forester]

The service record for Harold Arthur Drakeford is held at Kew in WO 339/110978.

http://www.rootschat.com/links/0epa/

There is also a Lt H Drakeford with a file in WO 374/20687, but I can't find out who he is. He's not in WO 338.

The war diary for 8th Battalion SLI, for the period you are looking at, is available to download. It is in WO 95/2529.

http://www.rootschat.com/links/0epb/

Phil

[stevemars89]

Thank you very much for those links. i will definetly be following them up!

[forester]

From this London Gazette entry, it looks like he was one of a batch transferred from the Devonshire Regiment:

http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/30513/supplements/1792

By the way, the other H Drakeford is A/Capt Herbert Drakeford MC, 7th Battalion King's (Liverpool Regiment).

Phil