St Helens Royal Engineers- 55th West Lancs Division Update

[Mark Abbott]

I am currently compiling a roll of the soldiers who served with the St Helens RE in the 55th West Lancashire Division during WW1.

The units being:

1/1st West Lancashire Field Company, RE - which became 419 Coy
2/1st West Lancashire Field Company, RE - which became 422 Coy
2/2nd West Lancashire Field Company, RE - which became 423 Coy
55th West Lancashire Divisional Signal Company, RE

If anyone has any information, or wants me to check the relevant War Diaries, please contact me.

Mark

[margie]

Hello Mark,
If its not to much trouble would be interested in any info you have on the following names.

Galvin, and Bonney.
Thanks Margie.

[Mark Abbott]

Hi Margie,

I will check and get back to you.

Regards

Mark

[Mark Abbott]

Hi Margie,

Unfortunately, neither name appears on the records I have. Do you have any other details, forenames etc?

Mark

[Tina]

G'Day Mark
I'd just like to welcome you the best forum around the world.
I'm sure you will be a valued member.
Thank you for so much interesting input.
Best wishes
Tina

[Mark Abbott]

Tina,

Many thanks for the warm welcome!

I hope that I will be able to assist fellow members with any enquiries they may have concerning their relatives who served with the 55th Division during WW1.

Best wishes

Mark

[CaroleW]

Hi Margie

If its not to much trouble would be interested in any info you have on the following names.

Galvin, and Bonney

.

This appears on the Liverpool Roll of Honour - don't know whether it's a mis-transcription

BONNDY, PTE. W. H. LOYAL NORTH LANCS. REGT. PANEL 15 RIGHT

And these 2 Galvin entries

GALVIN, BUGLER W. "THE KING'S" (L'POOL) REGT. (8TH [IRISH] BATT.) PANEL 47 LEFT
GALVIN, GUNNER L. ROYAL GARRISON ARTILLERY (124TH BATTERY) PANEL 49

[daggers]

Mark
I have searched the Liverpool Town Hall Roll of Honour transcription, for '419', '422' and '423' with no results; likewise using RE or Engineers or Sapper or Pioneer shows nothing with West Lanc in the field for unit. Disappointing!
Have you any interest in the St Helens Engineers in the pre-TF Volunteer days, as I have a snippet ot two [which would be off-topic on the GWF].

Daggers

[Ricky]

Hi Mark,

Ken Lees from Ormskirk has just joined the Liverpool Forum. He has similar interests on WW1. I have received service records from him for my G'Uncle who enlisted in Birkenhead.
His main interests seem to be Liverpool veterans of WW1.

I would be surprised if you didn't know him.

Ricky (ex-Aughton)

[Mark Abbott]

Thanks to everyone who has taken the trouble to reply. Sorry for the delay in posting, I have just returned from two weeks in France/Belgium.

Daggers: I do have an interest in all things relating to the St Helens RE, so any information would be welcome-thank you.

Ricky: Yes I know Ken very well and infact, we met up with him and his family in France and spent some time together exploring the battlefields. He and I share an interest in the 55th West Lancashire Division and help each other with our research. As you know, Ken's interest is the 9th King's, and many of "his" men are named in the RE War Diaries which I have.

Best wishes

Mark

[daggers]

Mark
PM sent
Daggers

[m.downey]

Henry McCormick was my grandfather. His WW1 medal card says he was a pte in S.Lancs Regiment..??Regimental Number1938 and other no 240320. Neither are very clear.

The medal card is the only information I have ever been able to find..could find no trace of his service record (??WW2 destroyed) and have only family stories of where he supposedly served. Would be grateful for info you might have.

[Ken Lees]

I have checked Ancestry and the only record there is his Medal Index Card, which you have already.

The information that this gives is that he was initially numbered 1938 and later was re-numbered 240320.

This tells us that he served in the 5th Battalion of the South Lancashire Regiment, and that he was a Territorial soldier. The reason for the change in number was not because he changed regiment or battalion. The whole of the Territorial Force was re-numbered in early 1917.

The 5th South Lancs Regt. was subdivided in 1914 into two (and then three) battalions - the 1/5th (pronounced first-fifth), 2/5th and 3/5th. The 1/5th went out to France in 1915 and from the beginning of 1916 were part of the 55th (West Lancashire) Division, the 2/5th went to France in 1917 as part of the 57th (2nd West Lancashire) Division, whilst the 3/5th didn't serve overseas.

The other notable conclusion from his Medal index Card is that he probably did not serve overseas in a theatre of war until after the end of 1915. If he had done I would have expected to see a reference to the 1914-15 Star on the card, with a date of disembarkation. I say 'probably' because there is always the possibility that there is a second card with the star entitlement on it.

If his service record has survived (and only about 30% have) it will be at the National Archives, Kew, London and, in due course, it will be available on Ancestry.

Ken

[m.downey]

Thanks Ken,
This is the first real picture of where he served I have had...no pension records for him at the UK Archives.And have been unable to find out if he is in the 30% of records which did survive.
One thing my dad did tell me was that he thought his father was out in Northern Ireland at the end of his service - although again this is only anecdotal information.
Many thanks for at least some info and also why he had two army numbers.
Best wishes
md

[Mark Abbott]

Does anyone have any photos, circa WW1 of the RE Drill Hall on Croppers Hill?

Mark

[m.downey]

Not WW1 - but I have a book which records some the official and most of the unofficial history of the 254 Field Park Company of the Royal Engineers from 1939 -1945 (55th South West Lancs Division R.E. ) Company 254 was formed in St.Helens as the 254 Company was dissolved in Liverpool. The book takes the company through the whole of WW2 and many individual names are mentioned throught the book..

[Mark Abbott]

I'm sorry for the delay in replying.

I have never seen or indeed heard of this book. Do you know who published it?

Thanks

Mark

[m.downey]

Mark,
No info on publisher, only info on inside page is 'printed by Georg Westermann, Brunswick'. No author identified - although the book has 54 pages.
The title on the front is :
254 Field Park Company
ROYAL ENGINEERS
1939 -1945

It records the journey of the company from its formation in 1939 in St. Helens at the same time as the 254 Field Company Liverpool was dissolved.
The final pages date it at June 1945.

A small book A5 in size but packed with names , places and tales of the company.

Md

[Mark Abbott]

The data base is progressing slowly.

Any information would be welcome.

Mark

[busybee]

Hi Mark,

I am looking for any soliders with the surname 'Hunt', 'Lynn', 'Case' or 'Cullen' who served in the war.

Thanks Busybee