Gordon Caldecott Posted 1 April , 2004 Share Posted 1 April , 2004 Dear All, Can anyone tell me which Divisions arrived in Egypt in August 1915? Did any of them then return to serve on the Western Front? If so did any of them serve around Amiens/Rosieres areas? Gordon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris_Baker Posted 1 April , 2004 Share Posted 1 April , 2004 All Divisional embarkation dates appear on the Long, Long Trail, on this page. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gordon Caldecott Posted 1 April , 2004 Author Share Posted 1 April , 2004 Cheers Chris thats smashing. Gordon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terry Posted 1 April , 2004 Share Posted 1 April , 2004 Chris, I checked out your list of embarkation dates, hoping to perhaps find out a bit more about my grandfather (sergeant,ASC; MIC indicates he arrived in Egypt 20 June,1915). Your notation lists 13th (Western) Division as entering Egypt that month, so I thought it might just be possible he was with that formation. However, when I checked out Ray Westlake's book "Kitchener's Army", his entry for the 13th Division stated that they left the UK on 13 June and proceeded to Lemnos, from there moving on directly to Gallipoli for the rest of the year. Any thoughts? I realize that grandfather could have been sent to Egypt to some formation already there, but it would be nice to be able to pin down some further information about the old fellow, who died long before I was born. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gordon Caldecott Posted 1 April , 2004 Author Share Posted 1 April , 2004 Okay, I think I`ve narrowed it down to the 13th Western Division, who landed in Egypt in June 1915, no lets say that was late June, the guy i`m researching (Pte Frank Pears-RAMC) landed in Egypt on the 14th July 1915, maybe he was one of the last to land? The Division then moved to Gallipoli in July, maybe the end of July, I`ll have to look into it. Then maybe he went straight out to Gallipoli, then back to Egypt, before going to Iraq.....can anyone tell me if the Division stayed in Iraq, till then end of the war of did they come back to Europe? Any thought from anyone on this or anything else, please drop me a line. Gordon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gordon Caldecott Posted 1 April , 2004 Author Share Posted 1 April , 2004 According to the book `Defeat at Gallipoli`, the 13th Div landed in early July. If that is the case, then is it possible that the Div did a big snake across the Med, the first have of the Div landing at Gallipoli, while the other half was still landing in Egypt? How long does it take to land a whole Div anywhere? My Great Grandfather served with the Cheshires in the 26th Div, they took 10 days to sail from France to Salonika. But am unsure how long the rest of the Div took to arrive. Any thoughts anyone? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris_Baker Posted 1 April , 2004 Share Posted 1 April , 2004 Becke's order of battle has this to say about 13th Division: 7 June 1915, received orders to prepare for move to the Med. 10 June, embarkation orders received. First transports sailed on 13 June. Divisional HQ left Avonmouth on 18 June. "Alexandria was reached on the 28th and HQ landed at Mudros on 4 July. Between 6-16 July the infantry crossed to Helles and relieved 29th Division". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Caul Posted 2 April , 2004 Share Posted 2 April , 2004 Gordon, I was looking at the war diary of the 7th North Staffords (part of the 13th Western div) at PRO a couple of weeks ago. The diary shows them in Mesopotamia throughout 1916-1917, at camp at Baghdad on March 11 1917 and at Baku (I think that is on the Caspian sea) on Nov 19 1918. So at least some of the division where in the area till the end of the war. Chris. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gordon Caldecott Posted 4 April , 2004 Author Share Posted 4 April , 2004 Cheers Chris and Chris, If Frank landed in Egypt on the 14th July 1915, it must have been as the Infantry were leaving for Helles, so in all proberbility Frank may have only been in Egypt for a few days, which I think you`ll agree makes sense. I guess we`ll never know if Frank spent his entire war with the 13th. As his service papers don not exist, which is a real shame. However, I do know that after the war Frank worked in France with teh IWGC for 36 years in the Rosieres Area, if your interested, I`ve put loads of info, about him on the Cemeteries page of this website. Under Head Gardner Area B. Thanks again, to you both, you`ve been of great help. Kind regards, Gordon Caldecott. Frank in Uniform. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris_Baker Posted 4 April , 2004 Share Posted 4 April , 2004 I guess we`ll never know if Frank spent his entire war with the 13th Gordon, have you checked out his medal entitlement documents? They will confirm his battalion(s). If he moved on from the 7th at any time, it will be shown. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gordon Caldecott Posted 5 April , 2004 Author Share Posted 5 April , 2004 Chris, I`ve got a copy of his MIC, which only states that he was entitled to a 1914/15 trio, that he arrived in Egypt (3), on the 14th July 1915, and was posted to the Z Class on the 16th August 1919. Any idea what the Z Class means or whether the 13th were back from Iraq, by August 1919. It is possible I suppose that Frank may have been wounded, or caught some disease, whilst at Gallipoli, or Iraq, and was sent back to Blighty, on recovery was posted to a different Div out in France. Or that one of the units/battalions he served with, was posted back to France, or maybe he didn`t serve in France at all, but felt duty bound after the war to go and work for the IWGC, or couldn`t find a job, so decided to go and work in France, the possibilities I suppose are endless. I must admit I can`t understand why the service papers for E and G, are at the PRO, but no F`s? Gordon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris_Baker Posted 5 April , 2004 Share Posted 5 April , 2004 Class Z Army Reserve was the normal last step when troops were demobilised. The man returned to civilian life but under Class Z was subject o recall. Class Z reserve service lasted 12 months. You really should look up the medal rolls. The MIC gives the references for them. The BWM/VM roll will give his battalions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gordon Caldecott Posted 6 April , 2004 Author Share Posted 6 April , 2004 That is interesting. Does the medal rolls, give the these details, even if the guy served in a corps? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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