WW1 MEDALS TO AN OLD CONTEMPTIBLE 8379 Pte J.T. McDONALD SOUTH LANCS REG.
John Thomas McDonald served with the 2nd Battalion, South Lancashire Regiment. His regimental number of 8379 would suggest that he joined the regiment between July 1906 and April 1907, probably some time in late 1906 (by comparison, per Nixon, 8237 joined on 7 July 1906 and 8655 joined on 27 April 1907). Possibly a Reservist on the outbreak of war, his battalion was stationed at Tidworth, Wiltshire as part of the 7th Brigade of the 3rd Division. He entered the France theatre of war via Havre and Rouen with his battalion on 14 August 1914, and would have fought with the 2nd South Lancashire at Mons – where the regimental museum stated “The accurate and disciplined fire of the 2nd South Lancashires, in front of Frameries, took a heavy toll of the massed German infantry, but eventually the battalion was ordered to retire. Though outflanked and outnumbered, the old 82nd withdrew in contact ‘in perfect order as if on parade’.” - as well as through the rearguard action at Solesmes, the Battle of Le Cateau - where the battalion held the position in the centre of the British line, near Caudry - the subsequent retreat, and the Battles of the Marne, the Aisne, and La Bassee as well as (possibly) Messines 1914.
As 8379 Private J T McDonald, South Lancashire Regiment, he was listed as "Wounded" on the Casualty List issued by the War Office from the 16th December 1914 (published 31 January 1915). However, the presence of his name on the South Lancashire Regiment's 'Princess Mary's Gift' PoW list transcribed by Paul Nixon indicates that he was taken prisoner on or before 25 December 1914; this was possibly on the same occasion as his wounding. He was most likely one of the large number of men reported missing after a heavy German attack on the British line at La Bassee on 21 October. Although the Germans failed to break the line, the war diary records 520 other ranks killed, wounded and missing over the two day period 20-21 October, leading to only 300 ORs mustering the following day (22 October). This timing would accord with German PoW Records of a J McDonald 2/South Lancs captured at La Bassee.
Confirming his PoW status, as 8379 Private J McDonald, he was listed as "Previously reported missing, now reported prisoner of war" on the Casualty List issued by the War Office from 29 June 1915.
Whilst a prisoner in Germany, under the aegis of the Regimental Care Committee for Prisoners of War of the South Lancashire Regiment, he was 'adopted' by an individual under an initiative by the Committee which encouraged individuals to sponsor prisoners; sponsors would then take on the responsibility of paying for gifts for ’their’ prisoners. His 'adopter', known in most of the transcribed records as 'B.', may be Lady Burghclere, (Lady Winifred Anne Henrietta Christiana Herbert, daughter of the 4th Earl of Carnarvon and wife of 1st Baron Burghclere, former President of the Board of Agriculture) who is expressly referenced in one record. The same record also references 3780 [uchtemoor F.B.G, Rownenburg, {unintelligible} c/o] C{a?}mp 5 Hameln on Weser, which are presumably the names of German PoW camps in which he had been held. In October 1917 other records indicate he was at Hameln Hanover and in December 1917 he was at camp 3780 Clausthal Harz.
Finally, on 4 January 1919 he was reported in War Office Daily List No.5763 as a released Prisoner of War from Germany, arrived in England. This gave his Next Of Kin Address as Stockwell, S.W (London).
An Old Contemptible, for his service J T McDonald was entitled to the 1914 Star with clasp and roses (issued January 1920), plus the British War Medal and Victory Medal.
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