Four numbers for one man.

[WASMAN]

Medal card of Grundy, John

Corps Regiment No Rank

Liverpool Regiment 1738 Private

Labour Corps 53128 Private

Royal Air Force 144301 Private

Royal Air Force 408596 Private

How did it happen that this man was moved from the Liverpool regiment to labour corps and then to RAF, he remained a private, never progressing through the ranks.

[Chris_Baker]

His move from King's (Liverpool Regiment) to Labour Corps was due to him being medically downgraded and considered no longer fit for front line infantry work. The reason for transfer to RAF - which was after 1 April 1918, when RFC and RNAS merged and the RAF was created - is much less clear. Perhaps an RAF expert can advise?

[Guest Hill 60]

One of my great uncles (William Swain) had 4 numbers with 4 regiments and he only remaind a Private.

He joined up under-age, was wounded and gassed and disharged. He then re-joined when he was old enough and moved around 3 regiments before his death.

[HarryBettsMCDCM]

His move from King's (Liverpool Regiment) to Labour Corps was due to him being medically downgraded and considered no longer fit for front line infantry work. The reason for transfer to RAF - which was after 1 April 1918, when RFC and RNAS merged and the RAF was created - is much less clear. Perhaps an RAF expert can advise?

Possibly he had a trade that the RAF required{eg:Toolmaker,Instrument{Watch} Repairer,etc} & obtained a transfer on the strength of that,he may have been discharged & re~enlisted into the RAF;I would advise if possible getting a copy of his RAF Muster Roll Page which gives Classification of Rank.

[Ivor Lee]

His Labour Corps number indicates that he was initially in 89 Company which had been formed from the 24th Infantry Labour Company of the Liverpool Regiment.

If he was serving in a regimental Infantry Labour Company it meant he was not medically fit enough for front line service.

Regarding the transfer to the RAF. I have come across a number of men in the Labour Corps where this happened. In 1917 and 1918 a number of Labour Corps companies worked for the RFC/RAF. However during 1918 the RAF appear to have formed their own labour units and I think a number of men were transferred to them.