42756 Pte Lewis Musson Tyler, 2nd Battalion, Essex Regiment, wounded 1918

42756 Pte Lewis Musson Tyler, 2nd Battalion, Essex Regiment, wounded 1918

Lewis Musson Tyler was born on 30 July 1899 at Ingoldsby, Lincolnshire. He was the son of William Musson Tyler, farmer (died 1909) and Eliza Tyler. An apprentice motor mechanic, he enlisted on 31 August 1917, aged 18 years 1 month. Passing through the Leicestershire Regiment (possible regimental number 15837) and Training Reserve (as TR/6/31439) - with some possible unrecorded service in the King's  Royal Rifle Corps - he served as a Private with the 2nd Battalion, Essex Regiment under the Regimental Number 42756. Given his age he is unlikely to have gone overseas before the end of March 1918, when the minimum age was lowered from 19.

As L M Tyler he was listed as Wounded on War Office Daily List No.5592 of 14/06/1918, suggesting he was wounded in late April or early to mid May 1918. Possibly this was during the battalion's part at Riez-du-Vinage in the First Battle of Kemmel Ridge, 17-19 April 1918, or whilst in the line close to Busnettes, near Bethune, in Mid-May, where there appears to have been a steady stream of casualties. The war diary comments that there was "Much wiring and digging to be done. Front line is a series of posts and support line only dug in places. Wire bad". In the period in the front line from 12-20 May there were about 15 other ranks wounded and 2 killed. Pte Tyler was entitled to wear a "Wound Stripe" as authorised under Army Order 204 of the 6th July 1916, the terms of this award being named on this list. The list gave his Next Of Kin Address as Grantham.

Pte Tyler was discharged from the Essex Regt at Warley on 4 October 1918, aged 19, under Army Order VI of 1918 paragraph 2a, and paragraph 392 xvi of King's Regulations.

He received Silver War Badge Number B20307, which he would have been issued shortly after discharge. He was pensioned at 16/6 weekly for one year from 5 October 1918. His post-war addresses were Wilford House, Huntingtower Road, Grantham and 50 Sherland Road, Twickenham.

His British War Medal and Victory Medal, although later returned for adjustment, would have been issued some time from June 1920 onwards. Subsequently he lived in Spelthorne, Surrey. In later life he may have served as a motor driver, being a member of the Morris Commercial Drivers Association, and joined the Royal British Legion (associated badge is numbered 216593). He died in 1975.