44508 Pte. James R Wheeler & 44517 Pte. John Cregg - 20th Bn - Man. R

[1954gladiator]

2 more reinforcements in the field with the 20th Bn. on 25th October, 1916.

James was KIA on 12th April 1917 & John on 10th October 1917.  James is remembered at Euston Road Cemetery, Colincamps & John at Tyne Cot. Can't post their CWWG Debt of Honour Certificates as file sizes too large!

Can anyone tell me where they were killed & post their MIC's please?   Any other info about their war service appreciated.

Both James & John were with my grandad 44510 A- Cpl. Stanley Vince.  If I can find out more about his commrades it will enable me to piece together exactly when & where he might have fought.

Thanks.

Clive Mabbutt

[harribobs]

i will try to have a go at this tonight Clive


Chris

[1954gladiator]

Hi Chris - thanks for this.  Any research time & positive results will be really appreciated. 

If you find MIC's or information on 44511 Pte. Percy North & 44514 L. Cpl Hugh Frederick Eva (stories just below this topic) that would be great also.  If you have time on page 3 of my grandads story 44510 A-Cpl Stanley Gilbert Gordon Vince there are 9 other reinforcements listed with him who appear to have survived WW1.  I would like to know their stories or see MIC's if available.  Such info could help me appreciate my grandads theatre of war & may even lead me to get more info about him through contact with any relatives of his commrades.

My Dad was with my grandad when he died & he told me yesterday that he must have witnessed unimaginable horrors whilst at the Somme judging by the flash backs & nightmares he witnessed him having on his death bed.  We all owe those who fought, died & thankfully lived through the Great War a terrific debt of gratitude.  It's been a fascinating journey for me to find out so much about my grandad & his undoudted herroism.

Thanks for all your past help.

Clive 

[harribobs]

cregg and wheeler, both came from other regiments

[1954gladiator]

Hi Chris - Thanks for your posting.

James was a Royal Fusilier like my grandad - he also was an Essex lad enlisting in Sudbury.  My grandad was a Suffolk lad from a small village called Monks Eleigh near Sudbury.  James's enlisting number was 24875 & Stanley's was 24975 - exactly 100 later!

At Kew I viewed the MR 22nd Bn. War Diary as well as the 20th Bn.  Stanley's War Service Record shows him in both.  I attach 2 pages from this WD - the 2nd page shows a batch of 10 Royal Fusiliers arriving as reinforcements for the 22nd Bn. on 10th July 1916.  I wonder if both men were in this group as Stanley was posted on 28th June 1916?  Later Stanley's WSR (image attached) shows him being transfered to the 20th Bn. on the 25th October 1916.  Perhaps both men joined the 20th Bn. on this date?

James was KIA in the 20th Bn. - dying of his wounds.  It would be nice to think that both men were friends as they must have enlisted together, travelled to Ashton together, went overseas together & fought together.  Perhaps Stanley was able to comfort James whilst he lay dying - we will never know?!  

My final attachment from Stanleys WSR is about his return to the Suffolk Regiment Depot in Bury St Edmunds following his being invalided out of the war.  It clearly show him in the 22nd Bn. but in earlier pages of his WSR there is no mention anywhere of him being transfered back to the 22nd Bn. from the 20th Bn.  Both Bn's fought in Italy in 1917/1918 so could it be that Stanley stayed in the 20th Bn. for the whole of WW1 with the person completing his final infantry record missing the small entry recording his transfer from the 22nd Bn. to the 20th Bn. over 2.5 years earlier?

[1954gladiator]

From my Battlefield tour. With great respect but thanks! 

[tisgrannie]

Hi I was going to save grave photos for the photo section but my laptop has Vista 7 and won't let me save. I will try at home on PC after the weekend. If not I will email you if thats OK.
Thanks very much.
tisgrannie

[1954gladiator]

No problems - PM me with your personal email address & I will send images there from mine.
Clive