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From: Iain Kerr <>
Subject: Re: [WW1] William Hampson
Date: Sat, 07 Oct 2000 06:08:55 +0100


At 08:44 06/10/00, Nigel Teale wrote:
>Hello,
>
>I am searching for more details on when my grandfather was
>wounded in France.
>
>Name William Hampson
>Enlisted 24th Feb 1914 into the 1st 5th Lancashire Fusiliers
>I believe that he served overseas with them but later transfered to
>the 16th Lancashire Fusiliers but don't know why.
>No 200353 confirmed on MIC MBE 6683 what is this number?
>Entitled to War & Victory medals
>He was wounded and had his leg amputated in France but do not
>know when or which battle. This is the info I would like to find out.
>William was discharged 1st Aug 1919 and re-trained as a gold wire
>worker.
>
>Any help very much appreciated.
>also Silver War Badge no B286011

Nigel,

Another raft of questions. Soory this went out incomplete. I was called
away from my PC.

In World War I, the Lancashire Fusiliers from its pre-war two regular, two
reserve and four territorial battalions, raised a total of 31
battalions. During involvement in campaigns in all theatres, the XXth lost
13,642 men killed in action. It won more VCs, a total of eighteen, than
any other regiment during the Great War. During the Gallipoli campaign,
the six battalions of the XXth won six VCs, 4 DSOs, 5 MCs, 2 CBs, 13 DCMs,
and 43 MiDs. The six VCs were won by the 1st Battalion on W Beach on 25th
April 1915.

The 5th Battalion, the Lancashire Fusiliers was one of the regiment's
pre-war Territorial Force battalions whose origins lay in the 8th
Lancashire Rifle Volunteer Corps formed at Bury in 1859. To deal with the
rush of volunteers in the Autumn of 1914 and Spring of 1915 and in common
with other territorial units, the 5th Battalion split into two and then
three and finally four lines - known as the 1/5th, 2/5th 3/5th and 4/5th
Battalions.


The 1/5th Battalion, The Lancashire Fusiliers (Territorial Force) was
mobilised at the Castle Armoury, Bury on 4 Aug 1914 and assigned to the
Lancashire Fusiliers Brigade of the East Lancashire Division. On 20 Aug it
went to the Brigade camp at Turton. On 9 Sep 1914 the battalion embarked
at Southampton for Alexandria, arriving on 25 Sep. In Egypt it completed
its work-up training. On 5 May 1915, the 1/5th landed at Gallipoli, its
formations becoming the 125th Brigade and 42nd Division later that month.
On 28 Dec 1915 the 1/5th Battalion withdrew from the Dardanelles to Mudros
Island. On 15 Jan 1916, it arrived back at Alexandria to recover,
reinforce and retrain. In Feb 1917 the battalion was redeployed to France
and Flanders, landing at Marseilles on 27 Feb 1917. The 1/5th Battalion
ended the war on 11 Nov 1918 in 125th Brigade, 42nd Division at Hautmont,
near Maubeuge in northern France.

The 16th (Service) Battalion (2nd Salford), The Lancashire Fusiliers was
raised at Salford on 5 Nov 1914 by Mr Montague Barlow MP and the Salford
Brigade Committee. On 11 Feb 1915 it moved to Conway, North Wales. On 21
Jun 1915 it moved to Catterick Bridge and was assigned to the 96th Brigade
in 32nd Division. On 13 Aug 1915 it moved to Codford, Salisbury Plain.
Later the battalion, in common with other locally raised battalions was
taken over by the War Office (which also refunded the raising committee's
expenses). On 22 Nov 1915 it embarked for France and Flanders, landing at
Boulogne. The 15th Battalion ended the war in the same formations on 11
Nov 1918 at La Folie, south of Landrecies, France.
He was obviously wounded while serving with the 1/5th Battalion and
recovered to a hospital. After treatment and recovery he was either posted
to one of the depot battalions and then posted again to the 16th Battalion,
which was most in need of manpower at the time. Or he was posted direct to
the 16th Battalion after he had recovered.

MIC = Medal Index Card in WO 329 at the PRO, Kew. (see my earlier answer.



Yours aye,

Iain Kerr
In Windsor, Berkshire
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