1914/15 Star and Victory Medal 13715 Pte H Perkins, Essex Regiment, HLI, MGC, possibly wounded in action 1 July 1916, Montauban

13715 WW1 1914/15 STAR MEDAL AND VICTORY MEDAL PERKINS ESSEX REG

Harry Perkins from Upton Park served with the 10th Essex, 18th (Eastern) Division, under the regimental number 13715. Like 13718 Pte William George Lewis Napper (a carman from Islington, only 3 service numbers away, 10th then 11th battalion) he probably enlisted on or around 7 or 8 September 1914 at Finsbury or City Road barracks.

He went overseas on 25 July 1915. At some point he was appointed to the rank of Lance Corporal. The 10th battalion attacked south west of Montauban on the Somme on 1 July 1916, suffering 30 men killed in action and 156 wounded. Pte Perkins appeared on War Office Daily List 28/07/1916 (suggesting a wounded in action date between 1 and 4 July 1916), in the same list as (3/)2037 Lance Corporal Bernard Parry, 2nd Essex and 18969 Pte Clement Peacock, 9th Essex (wounded in action on 1 July and 3 July 1916, respectively).

After a presumed period of recovery, he then transferred to a Territorial Battalion of the Highland Light Infantry - probably, like 282505 Pte Albert Maisey, the 2/7th (Blythswood City of Glasgow) Battalion, Highland Light Infantry (as 282507). Going overseas once again some time presumably after March 1917 and the Territorial  Force infantry renumbering, he featured again as wounded on War Office daily list No.5567 for 16/05/1918, suggesting he was wounded some time in the course of the German Spring offensive. His HLI battalion is not recorded but was probably the 18th, like 33217 Pte R Andrew and 36375 Pte D Brown (wounded 26 and 28 March 1918 respectively and both on the same casualty list as Pte Perkins). Pte Perkins was subsequently transferred again, this time to the Machine Gun Corps (149404) - transferring some time before 30 May 1918, probably like 149393 Pte Percy Orgles, 58th Battalion MGC, around 28 May 1918.

He was finally discharged to the Army 'Z' Reserve on 11 May 1919.

Partially erased 1914-15 Star attributed to Pte E W Lawrence, 3rd London Rgt, wounded in action at Gallipoli

Partially erased 1914-15 Star attributed to Pte E W Lawrence, 3rd London Rgt, wounded in  action at Gallipoli

Impressed:

237[9]

Pte [E].W. L[A]W□□□CE

3-[L][O][N]□ R.

Possibly 2379 Pte E.W. LAWRENCE 3-LON R.

Edwin William Lawrence was born about 1895 in Paddington, Middlesex. He enlisted on 3 September 1914 aged 19 years 6 months. He was a clerk in civil life. He gave as his next of kin his father, also Edwin W, of 28 Alperton Street  Paddington. Edwin the younger served with the 2/3rd Battalion the London Regiment. First sent to Malta in December 1914 to relieve the 1/3rd Battalion in garrison there (where the opportunity was taken to train the recruits), he served in the Anglo-Egyptian Sudan as part of the Khartoum garrison between about 15 April 1915 and 13 September 1915

He  then went to Gallipoli via Port Sudan, Port Said and Mudros, leaving around 15 September, landing at Suvla Bay to join the campaign on 26 September. The battalion was attached to the Regulars of 86th Brigade in 29th Division and assigned to 'C' section of the 'Dublin Castle' sector of the line. The battalion spent the next two months holding the trenches, losing half its strength in the process, Pte Lawrence amongst them. He received a severe gun shot wound to both feet on 15 October at Gallipoli and, after admission to 15th General Hospital, was invalided home to England via the Hospital Ship 'Asturias' on the 29th. Pte Lawrence was discharged due to wounds, under paragraph 392(xvi) of King's Regulations*, on 16 August 1916 and was entitled to the Silver War Badge, number 89735. A pension record ledger entry subsequently gave him addresses in Birmingham and at Holly House Newtown near Hyde, Manchester.

*No longer physically fit for war service