George White, Scottish Rifles. Help Please

[*Sandra*]

UK, World War I Pension Ledgers and Index Cards, 1914-1923


https://www.acronymfinder.com/Military-and-Government/SAL.html

[Ashtone]

1 MW/3860 corresponds to the Ledger reference for George White.

Here is a breakdown of the codes for 1 MW/3860 found on his Pension Index card:

1 = Scotland (the region, depending on the claimant's address)
M = Military claim
W = White (his surname)
3860 = Ledger reference number

The cards - which were produced after the ledgers - were effectively 'finding aids' to locate the ledger which was in turn used to summarise post-award correspondence as well as the results of medical-board examinations.

As regards "SAL 8794" -- it might be his Pension Identity number he required in order to claim his pension at a Post Office.

[Ashtone]

auntya - do you have your George White in the 1891 and 1901 census? If so, can you provide the details.

Probably unrelated, but I can see a Stephen & Eliza Ann White in 1891 in Lambeth, but there isn't a son with them. Both parents are drapers.

If George was already in the army by 1901 he may be listed as "private" somewhere in the UK. Or possibly serving away in the Boer War.

[*Sandra*]

The service records of soldiers whose service ended before 1921 are generally held by the National Archives:

The National Archives
Ruskin Avenue
Kew
Richmond
Surrey, TW9 4DU

www.nationalarchives.gov.uk

Good read here - Cameronians Research Guide.

There are a few more links within this link :-

http://www.rootschat.com/links/01t38/

e-mail address : - museumresearch@southlanarkshireleisure.co.uk

http://www.rootschat.com/links/01t39/

Mr Google has many more links which you might find useful.

Sandra

[AllanUK]

Find My Past hold a medical admissions entry for him -- details:-

Medical unit -- 34 Casualty Clearing Station (this was based at Vequemont, Somme Deaprtment, France)

Regiment -- 1st Battalion, Scottish Rifles

Squadron or Company -- 'B' Company

Service No -- 7158

Name -- White, G

Age -- 34 years

Completed years in Army -- 15 years 5 months

Time in the field -- 1 year 11 months

Wounds -- Gun Shot Wounds to left arm and left leg

Admitted -- 18/7/1916

Transferred - 18/7/1916

To -- 20 Ambulance Train

There is no detail as to where he was being transferred to, his wounds would have needed treatment in one of the many army hospitals in France.

The 1st Battalion were involved in the Battle of the Somme which started on the 1st July 1916. As he was admitted to the 34 Casualty Clearing Station on the 18th July, he would have been wounded a couple of days prior. A look at the Battalion's war diaries shows that on Sunday, 16th July, the Battalion were involved in heavy fighting at High Wood and records the casualties that day as 'Officers - 1 killed; 1 wounded; Other Ranks 2 killed; 46 wounded' -- George would have been one of the forty six wounded.

[AllanUK]

His Medal Index Card shows that he entered a Theatre of War on the 1st September 1914 -- this would have been France and Flanders. (image courtesy of Ancestry)

[AllanUK]

Today, Sandra said The service records of soldiers whose service ended before 1921 are generally held by the National Archives:

A pension card held on Fold3 shows that he was discharged on the 28th July 1919. His service record has not survived -- over 60% of records were destroyed in WW2 when the storage warehouse on Arnside Street was bombed resulting in a huge loss of records.

[*Sandra*]

AllanUK, wonderful to see some information about George, that's exactly what the op wanted.
Shame his service record didn't survive.  Do you think the PPS 5781 was a previous regiment number amalgamated to 7158  ??   Poor chap with a few gun shot wounds   

Regards
Sandra

[AllanUK]

Today, Sandra said Do you think the PPS 5781 was a previous regiment number amalgamated to 7158  ?? --

I believe that PPS 5781 was another pension reference number. I have never come across an Army service number starting with PPS. It appears that he was born in 1882 and he declared on his admission to the 34 CCS that he had been in the Army for 15 years 5 months -- this would take his enlistment back to circa February 1901. Looking at Paul Nixon's website https://armyservicenumbers.blogspot.com/ service number 6804 was issued on the 20th February 1900 and service number 7294 was issued on the 8th May 1901 -- George's service number of 7158 was issued in the first few months of 1901. As he was still a serving soldier when WW1 broke out, he would still have 7158 as his service number.