Italian Front - Major Sykes.

[genealogistsykes]

Attached is my great grandfather's protection certificate. It states that the last theatre of war was "Italy" and that he arrived at "Folkestone" on "2nd of September 1919". He was stationed with the "8th West Yorkshire Regiment". However, I can't seem to find anything on them in Italy. Apart from the 11th Battalion which was not the one he predominantly served with. I can't make out the Unit he was with "HQ. ......" The officer that signed it off was the commandant at Tortona, Italy.

The last date I have on him is 9th October 1917 when he commanded the 1/8th Battalion during the attack on Poelcappelle. Also, I read up on re-enlistment into the army and apparently many re-enlisted in 1919 and the criteria was lengthened so that men up to the age of 37 could re-enlist. Could this be the reason why Stan was still in active service? He didn't fully "resign" from the services till 1931.

I hope someone can make something out of this. Was he in Italy?

Thanks,

GenealogistSykes

[Billiegirl]

Hello, I'm no expert on this but with this document I'd say its a cert that he was in Italy. Its even printed in Italy, as it says down the bottom. I think it was a very important bit of paper so he could prove he wasn't a deserter and could show where he came from on re-entry to Britain.

After HQ, perhaps the IGC means something like "Italian General Command"?

I'm sure someone more knowleable can point you in the right direction soon. 

[AMBLY]

Maybe it was:

http://www.1914-1918.net/abbrev.htm
IGC : Inspector-General of Communications

and also,  on the document where it says:
Theatre of War or Command: L o C Italy

maybe that is (from that same website link):
L of C : Lines of Communication

The "Code" used (on the document) for both the "Theatre of War"  and "Unit with which last Serving"  is: 11 - which is perhaps a code for Comms,   in which case both acronyms seem to go together if in fact they translate as found on that website?

Cheers
AMBLY

[genealogistsykes]

Is "L O C Italy" not "L O b Italy". If you look at the "B" on "Wetherby" and on "box", I'm sure they're identical?

[AMBLY]

Hi 

I don't think it's L O b. I say it's definitely L o C  - UpperCase L, lower Case o, UpperCase C.

The Agent  & Paymaster is Messrs Cox & Co,  not Box & Bo.
The b in Wetherby is quite different, is lowercase and is not an initial letter. That 'b' is a standard lower-case  and the C  in Cox  a standard upper-case  in that cursive style of writing.

The writer is using 2 different, but quite 'normal' styles of B and C :

See: C in Camp &  in Lt Col.  & in I.G.C.
See: C in L o C , in Cox & Co & in Commandant

See: B in VB Ripon
See: B in Ford Bank

Cheers
AMBLY

[genealogistsykes]

Brilliant, okay thanks!!

[DaveKe]

There are multiple newspaper references to British forces entering the Tyrol in December 1918,   which is a month after the war ended.

There were also German and Italian forces entering the Tyrol.

It's not clear exactly what the British forces were doing.

There was a lot of quarreling over the future of the southern half of Tyrol,  where the population was about 60% German-speaking and 40% Italians,   despite this,  the area was given to Italy by treaty in 1920.

So it's not entirely surprising to me that it took over a year from the Armistice,  for your man to get back to England.

[DaveKe]

http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/115139842

This story mentions where British forces were deployed in June 1919,  including northern Italy and Tyrol and Fiume.

[genealogistsykes]

Okay, thanks. I've been trying to look for information on those that were deployed, I had no luck.