Royal Warickshire. Help needed please.

[lisab]

I have just been able to find my Grandads service records and need a little help finding out what battles (if any) he was in, this is what ive got,
Harry Worthington born born in Stockport and living in Reddish Stockport, he signed up 10.12.1915 and was in Cheshire Reg. B reserves number 62262, i think this must be home guard or something because he didnt go anywhere until he was called up 23.3.17 and transfered to the Royal Warwickshires 2/7 reg. no.29451 and posted 14.7.17 to France.
I have been trying to search on the web but i just dont understand some sites say that it was attached to 182 Infantry Brigade, the 61st division (2nd south midland)

( i think if i knew which battles he was in i will be able to follow it a little better.)

with many thanks

 

[Chris_Baker]

The date of enlistment tells us that he joined when a thing called the "Derby Scheme" was in operation. A man could enlist but then be placed on reserve until such time as the army needed him. Technically he went into "Section B Army Reserve". This was not a Dad's Army or anything like it. He would have carried on with his civilian life until mobilised, but was kept on the books of that Reserve. More detail here: https://www.1914-1918.net/derbyscheme.html

This page lists all the battles that he would have participated in as part of the 2/7th Battalion: https://www.1914-1918.net/61div.htm

Hope this helps.

 

[Alan Tucker]

At the start of the war there were four Territorial battalions of the Warwicks - 1/5, 1/6. 1/7 and 1/8. They had been raised in peacetime for home defence but were given the option of overseas service. Those who did not volunteer formed second line battalions with additional recruits - 2/5, 2/6, 2/7, 2/8. 2/7 was the only one not Birmingham/Aston. It was formed at Coventry in October 1914 and served Warwick, Leamington etc etc. In May 1916 the second line went to France as 182 Brigade, 61st Division. Search for Midlands Historical Data and you can buy Shannesy's history of the 2/6th which gives a flavour typical of the Brigade's experience as they remained together.

Places according to Shannessy...
1917
Late July. Leave Somme for Belgium.
Late August. Into the line in Ypres North area near Oxford Road
Sept 3. Hill 35 attack as part of 3rd Battle of Ypres
Mid-Sept. Moved to Arras front
End Nov. Begin move to Villers-Plouich and La Vacquerie sector of the Cambrai front into what had been part of the Hindenburg Line
1918
Early Jan. To area west of St Quentin - Maissemy, Holnon Wood etc.
March 21. Hit by major German spring offensive which forced retreat across the Somme to near Beaucourt/Villers Bretonneux in front of Amiens.
Early April. Moved to front south of Merville near Le Cornet Malo. Outflanked by new German attack and withdraw to the line of the St Venant-Merville railway.
August 8 Involved in beginning of the offensives which won the war in attacks along the River Lys. It was in bad shape and needed rebuilding.
October. Had been moved to the Cambrai sector and the October 24 attack on the Hindenburg Line including capture of Vendigies.

PS you need his medal card. See National Archives web site.

 

[lisab]

I would like to thank you both very much for your time in helping me.
It has been 8 years in the waiting, All my dad knew was that he was in the Royal Warwickshires and that was it, we paid for a search at the national archives that turned up nil results, then the other day while searching again on Ancestry I made a typing error on the surname and up he popped. As its Dads birthday next week i am keeping it to myself until then and i wanted to find out a little before i hand it over.
So thanks again, this will make his day.
Lisa