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Royal Warwickshire 8th Battalion

  • Thread starter Thread starter Nostromo
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Nostromo

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My Great Grandfather served as a Private in the 8th Battalion Royal Warwickshire Regiment from December 1914 to May 1916. Does anyone know where this battalion saw action between these dates?
 
Hi Nostromo :) I would anticipate 8th Btn Royal Warks to be in the thick of the most notorious/famous WW1 "foreign fields"
The Commonwealth War Graves Commission,, site CWGC would have that information
Just input any name,,eg A Andrews died 1917 then scroll through til you see a 8th Btn hero, details etc
Cheers JohnY :cool:
 
From https://www.1914-1918.net/warwicks.htm :

1/8th Battalion:
August 1914 : in Aston Manor. Part of Warwickshire Brigade, South Midland Division. 13 May 1915 : redesignated the 48th Division and 143rd Brigade.
11 September 1918 : moved from Italy to France and joined 75th Brigade, 25th Division

2/8th Battalion:
Formed at Birmingham in October 1914 as a Second Line battalion. Became part of 2nd Warwickshire Brigade, 2nd South Midland Division. August 1915 : redesignated the 61st Division and 182nd Brigade. 20 February 1918 : disbanded in France.

3/5th and 3/6th Battalions:
Formed at Birmingham in May 1915.
April 1916 : became Reserve Bns and 5th then absorbed 6th on 1 September 1916.

3/7th and 3/8th Battalions:
Formed at Coventry and Birmingham respectively in May 1915.
April 1916 : became Reserve Bns and 7th then absorbed 8th on 1 September 1916.
 
Nostromo
I have lots of information on this battalion. Would you like to contact me direct?
regards
Amanda
 
Thanks everyone. Amanda, sure - how do I do that? Through instant messages?
 
What was his name and number?

The battalion went to France on 23 March 1915. I Take it he was wounded if he only served until May 1916. I have copies of the War Diary.

Terry
 
Wow, I love this website! His name was Samuel Walter Keight, reg. no. 9865. Cause of discharge: Par 392 XVI K.R. Wounds (lost a leg, I think). Theatre of war first served in: France. Date of entry therein: 2.5.15. Was awarded the '15 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal. I've tried to attach his medal card. Hope it works!
 
hello Nostromo
First of all what made you think that he served in the 8th Bn Royal Warwicks? He was wounded some time before June 1915 and his name and number appeared in the Birmingham Daily Post casualty list on 17 June 1915. He is listed as the 1st Bn Royal Warwicks.

Terry

I see by the attachments, that he went to France on 2 May 1915 and discharged on 22 May 1916. During this period the 1st Warwicks were serving in Belgium on the Ypres Front. They were in trenches near Potijze and Wieltje near a landmark known as 'Shell Trap farm'. A new draft of men arrived at the battalion at the start of May, Sammuel Keight would have been amongst them.
 
Hi Terry. I think it was the 8th Battalion because on my Grandmother's birth certificate (born 10.07.15), his profession is given as Private 8th Battalion Royal Warwickshire Regiment. That's strange, isn't it? Could he have been transferred? An administrative error, perhaps? Also, is it normal for a discharge from the army to take so long - I mean, from June 1915, when you say he was wounded, to May 1916, when the medal card states that he was discharged? How do you go about getting a copy of the Birmingham Daily Post, by the way, Terry?
 
The Birmingham Daily Post is on microfilm on the 6th Floor B'ham Central Library. The newspaper confirms the 1st Bn Royal Warwicks. Why did it take a long time before he was discharged? This is no doubt to the seriousness of the wounds and how long he spent in hospital and recuperation before the Army decided to discharge him.

Terry

Other men with a similar service number who were killed in action served in the Regular or New Army battalions of the Warwicks... none in the Territorials such as the 8th Bn.
 
Thanks, Terry - I'll have a gander the next time I'm in town. How do you go about consulting or obtaining copies of regimental war diaries?
 
I'll certainly give that a go. Thanks for all your help, Terry - much appreciated.
 
Hi Terry, With regard to these posts - would the lst/6th Battalion have been in Ypres in 1916 which would mean that my grandfather Alfred Blackham would have been there which is what I thought.
Many thanks.
Sheri
 
Hi Sheri

The 1/6th Warwicks spent the vast part of 1916 in the region of the Somme. They did not serve in the Ypres area until around August 1917.

Terry
 
Royal Warwickshire Regiment

Hi, I contacted the Royal Warwickshire Regiment Museum in Warwick (now called the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers Museum) as was suggested above (couldn't figure out how to do the cheaper National Archives option) and have just received copies of the 1st Battalion war diaries relating to my great grandfather's service in Belgium. I have found this most informative, so I first I wanted to say many thanks to Terry for suggesting I do this and also thanks to David Baynham at the museum for being so helpful. I was now wondering if, apart from the obvious books on the First World War that there are out there in libraries and bookshops, there are any alternative sources I could consult for further information (i.e. any records of where wounded were treated or evacuated to, battalion histories relating to the deployment of troops, etc.). In short, anything relating to where the 1st Battalion of the Royal Warks were deployed in and around the Ypres sector (i.e. Vlamertinghe, Potijze, Wieltjze, etc.) in and around May 1915 would be much appreciated. Thanks in advance.
 
Look for the book entitled 'Seek Glory, Now Keep Glory' The story of the 1st Bn The Royal Warwickshire Regiment 1914-18, written by John Ashby isbn 1 874622 45 0, published by Helion & Co, Solihull. Published in 2000.

Good accounts of the early days of the battalion when the CO, Lt Col Elkington, was court martialled and dismissed then join the French Foreign Legion as a Private and win awards for bravery serving in the trenches with the French Army and finally being pardoned by the King awarded a DSO and given his rank back with the Warwicks.

If you google around you might get a good deal on this book. The museum sells it for around £27.

Terry
 
That's brilliant, Terry, thanks very much: I'll see if I can obtain a copy. As my great grandfather was wounded, I was also wondering whether the Red Cross kept any records at all relating to this period. Would you or anyone happen to know?
 
Another book which would be of interest is called
Our Harry's War: 1553 Sgt. G.H. Morgan Royal Warwickshire Regiment 1914-1918 by Henry Morgan

You can get it on Amazon UK

Served for a time with the 1st Warwicks around the time your grandfather was wounded



[ame="https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/reader/0954219309/ref=sib_dp_ptu/278-9711758-2079743#reader-page"]Amazon.co.uk: Books: Our Harry's War: 1553 Sgt. G.H. Morgan Royal Warwickshire Regiment 1914-1918[/ame]

A link to a page in the book
 
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