A late-War Conscript: Pair to Private Charles Clifford Mallinson, 28th and 2/6th Battalions, Durham Light Infantry and 4th Labour Company, Labour Corps

Holder's service details

Charles Clifford Mallinson
Year 1914-20
Service number106281, 652805
Second service number 652805
Rank Private,Private
Second rank Private
Regiment Durham Light Infantry, Labour  corps

Service record

Soldier Number: 106281,
Rank: Private, Corps: Durham Light Infantry
Second service record
Soldier Number: 652805,
Rank: Private,
Corps: Labour Corps

Charles Clifford Mallinson
Age in 1911:11
Estimated birth year:abt 1900 [actually mid-1899]
Relation to Head:Son
Gender:Male
Birth Place:Morley, Yorkshire, England
Civil Parish:Morley
County/Island:Yorkshire-West Riding
Country:England
Street address:82 Springfield Lane
Occupation:School
Registration district:Dewsbury

Married 13 Jun 1925 Parish:Morley, St Paul, West Yorkshire, England
Spouse:Margaret May Buraham
Father:James Arthur Mallinson. Residence at time of marriage was family home, 82 Springfield Lane, profession was Plate Moulder.

Judging by the careers of 106273/652808 Pte Alfred Bentham of Brightlington and 106282/652804 Pte Thomas Daniel of Leeds, CC Mallinson was probably called up between 10 and 17 July 1918 and posted immediately to 28th Battalion, Durham Light Infantry, then posted to the BEF, 2nd/6th DLI on 29 September 1918, and then permanently and compulsorily transferred for the "benefit of the  service" on 12 October 1918 to 4th Labour Company, Labour Corps.

Notes on formations

28th (Home Service) Battalion:
Formed at Frinton on 27 April 1918.

2/6 DLI:  Landed at Calais as a Garrison Guard Battalion on 1 May 1918, under orders of 177th Brigade in 59th (2nd North Midland) Division. "Garrison Guard" title was dropped on 16 July. The 59th was trained to enable it to hold a sector of front line again in June-July 1918 and took over a sector on 25 July 1918 under the command of Third Army. During the latter phases of the Second Battle of the Somme it was used to follow up attacking units, consolidate positions held, and provided working parties. By early October it was operating in the River Lys area, advancing towards Lille as part of the general final advance in Artois and Flanders (2 October – 11 November 1918.) CC Mallinson was transferred out of the Division before the main attack on 16 October 1918.

4th Labour Company: Nothing known as yet.

Medal condition :

Both Extremely Fine.

XXXIII

King's Own Royal Lancaster Regiment in Mesopotamia? : Private H P Herbert, 6th (Service) Battalion, KORLR, attached Royal Field Artillery

Holder's service details :

Horace Pryce Herbert
Military Year:1914-1920
Rank:Private
Medal Awarded:British War Medal and Victory Medal
Regiment or Corps:King's Own Royal Lancaster Regiment
Regimental Number:32669
Previous Units:6th K.O.R.L. Att R.F.A. 32669 Pte

Medal condition :

Very Fine with some loss to gilding.

6th (Service) Battalion
Formed at Lancaster in August 1914 as part of K1 and came under command of 38th Brigade, 13th (Western) Division.
Moved to Gallipoli in July 1915. Went to Egypt in January 1916 and thence to Mesopotamia.

XIV

Northumberland Fusiliers Territorial , Labour Corps and Garrison Battalion : Pte A Sheers

Holder's service details :

Arthur Sheers
Military Year:1914-1920
Rank:Private
Medal Awarded:British War Medal and Victory Medal
Regiment or Corps:Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regiment)
Regimental Number:GS/110681
Previous Units:1/7 North'd. Fus. 294418. Pte., 932/Coy. Lab. Corps. 425971, 44/R. Fus. GS/110681

1/7th Battalion, Northumberland Fusiliers
August 1914 : in Alnwick. Part of Northumberland Brigade, Northumbrian Division.
April 1915 : landed in France.
May 1915 : became 149th Brigade, 50th (Northumbrian) Division, in France.
12 February 1918 : transferred to 42nd (East Lancashire) Division and converted to Pioneer Battalion.

44th (Garrison) Battalion, Royal Fusiliers
Formed in France in September 1918 from Garrison Guard Companies, for duty at the five Army HQ’s. Manned by troops who had been rated as medically unfit for front line duty.

Medal condition :

Very Fine.

XV

Somerset Light Infantry Kitchener volunteer: Pte F Darby, 7th (Service) and 1st Battalions

Holder's service details:

F Darby
Military Year:1914-1915
Rank:Private
Medal Awarded:1914-15 Star
Regiment or Corps:Somerset Light Infantry
Regimental Number:16982

Date of entry into France (1a) theatre 18 8 1915.

Frank Darby
Military Year:1914-1920
Rank:Private
Medal Awarded:British War Medal and Victory Medal
Regiment or Corps:Somerset Light Infantry
Regimental Number:16982
Previous Units:7th Som. L.I. Pte 16982, 1st Som. L.I.

7th then 1st Somerset Light Infantry

7th (Service) Battalion
Formed at Taunton in September 1914 as part of K2 and came under command of 61st Brigade, 20th (Light) Division.
24 July 1915 : landed at Boulogne.

1st Battalion
August 1914 : in Colchester. Part of 11th Brigade, 4th Division.
22 August 1914 landed at Le Havre.

Medal condition:

Very Fine; some defacement to obverse of 1914-15 Star. Broken trio.

XXIII

Army Veterinary Corps Victory Medal: Pte A Shemming

Holder's service details :

Arthur Shemming
Military Year:1914-1920
Rank:Private
Medal Awarded:British War Medal and Victory Medal
Regiment or Corps:Army Veterinary Corps
Regimental Number:SE/20684
Previous Units:SE/20684 RAVC Pte

The "SE" prefix appears to indicate Special Enlistment as a horsekeeper whilst Shemming seems to be an East Anglian name. The Corps provided a Mobile Veterinary Section as part of each Division that went overseas, expanding from 934 Other Ranks to 41,755 for the purpose over the course of the war. It is estimated that at one point over half of the veterinary surgeons in Britain were officers in the AVC, and that of the 2.5 million animals treated in France and Flanders, 2 million were cured to return to duty.

Medal condition :

Very Fine.

XIV

Army Veterinary Corps Victory Medal: Pte A Shemming

Holder's service details :

Arthur Shemming
Military Year:1914-1920
Rank:Private
Medal Awarded:British War Medal and Victory Medal
Regiment or Corps:Army Veterinary Corps
Regimental Number:SE/20684
Previous Units:SE/20684 RAVC Pte

The "SE" prefix appears to indicate Special Enlistment as a horsekeeper whilst Shemming seems to be an East Anglian name. The Corps provided a Mobile Veterinary Section as part of each Division that went overseas, expanding from 934 Other Ranks to 41,755 for the purpose over the course of the war. It is estimated that athe one point over half of the veterinary surgeons in Britain were officers in the AVC, and that of the 2.5 million animals treated in France and Flanders, 2 million were cured to return to duty.

Medal condition :

Very Fine.

XIV

Green Howards Victory Medal: Pte J Gargett, 4th (Reserve) Battalion, The Yorkshire Regiment

Holder's service details :

Joseph Gargett
Regiment or Corps:Yorkshire Regiment
Regimental Number:2459, 200567

Joseph Gargett
Military Year:1914-1920
Rank:Private
Medal Awarded:British War Medal and Victory Medal
Regiment or Corps:Alexandra, Princess of Wales's Own Yorkshire Regiment
Regimental Number:200567
Previous Units:4/Yorks. 2459 Pte.

Discharged 24 January 1919.

Brief note on the battalion:

In September 1916, a scheme of amalgamation of all the 3rd Line Units led to the incorporation of the 3/4th and the 3/5th Battalions, which were henceforth known as the "4th [Reserve] Battalion Yorkshire Regiment". The function of this new Unit was to feed the 1st Line Territorial Battalions such as the 1/4 (see below).

Pte Gargett's first service number inducates that he attested/was enlisted before the early part of 1917, when the renumbering took effect, whilst his new number falls within the early part of the 200000-240000 block allocated to the 4th Battalion.

1/4th Battalion
August 1914 : in Northallerton. Part of York & Durham Brigade, Northumbrian Division.
18 April 1915 : landed at Boulogne.
14 May 1915 : formation became 150th Brigade, 50th (Northumbrian) Division.
16 July 1918 : reduced to cadre strength and moved to Lines of Communication.
16 August 1918 : transferred to 116th Brigade, 39th Division.
6 November 1918 : demobilised.

Medal Condition: Very Fine.

XVIII

Mercantile Marine War Medal - Edward Reed Southampton or Greenhithe

Holder's service details :

The medal, awarded to merchant sailors for war service, is impressed with the name Edward Reed. There are two possible candidates :

name(s)Edward
Last nameReed
Birth year1862
Birth place as transcribedSouthampton
Birth placeSouthampton
Birth countyHampshire
Birth countryEngland

Edward
Last nameReed
Birth year1880
Birth place as transcribedGreenhithe
Birth placeGreenhithe
Birth countyKent
Birth countryEngland

Medal condition :

Very Fine.

A collection of French medals of the Great War

The Republic of France conferred a number of medals and decorations on its nationals and those of its allies. This selection (from top to bottom and left to right) consists of:

Medaille de Blessé (Wounded Medal)

Croix de Combattant
Medaille Militaire
Victory Medal1914-1918 War Commemorative Medal
Croix de Guerre

Medal condition:

Various from Extremely Fine to Very Fine.

A brief excursus into Belgian Medals of the Great War

The Kingdom of the Belgians issued a number of Great War medals to its citizens and those of its allies. From left to right these are:

1914-18 Commemorative Medal
Fire Cross
Yser Medal
1914-18 Deportees Cross
Victory Medal

(Bottom)
Albert Medal for Humane Action

Medal condition:

Various, from Extremely Fine  to Fine.

King's Royal Rifle Corps and Army Cyclist Corps Old Contemptible: Pte C H Boot

Holder's service details:

C H Boot
Military Year:1914
Rank:Rifleman
Medal Awarded:1914 Star
Regiment or Corps:King's Royal Rifle Corps
Regimental Number:10774
Sub Unit:1st Battalion

Date of entry into French theatre: 13 August 1914

Transfered (2nd Battn?) Army Cyclist Corps, new s/n 875

Cyril Hugh Boot
Military Year:1914-1920
Rank:Private
Medal Awarded:British War Medal and Victory Medal
Regiment or Corps:Lincolnshire Regiment
Regimental Number:63381
Previous Units:10774. 1/K.R. Rif. C. Pte., 875. 2/A. Cyclist C.

Medal condition:

Very Fine. Original ribbon.

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