commanding Officers 5th Bn.

[sphinx]

Hello,

Can anyone provide a list of the Commanding Officers of the 5th Bn from WW1 through to WW2 please

Regards

[mack]

hiya simon.
go to wiganworld,and type in manchester regt,theres a nice picture[named] of Lt/col w.s france and the other officers of the battalion,taken a few months before the war.

mack

[sphinx]

Mack,

Thanks for that, some good stuff there and the photo of the officers in 1914 does actually contain the man I am researching,
Gerald Elliston ALLEN.

He became the 5th Bn CO in the 1930's, thats why I was looking for a list of CO's in the interwar period if you know of such a list it would be of assistance to pin point when he was CO.

regards

[mack]

hiya simon.
i dont have a list,but i can give you another name,Lt/col ronald,allen france TD,son of L/col william stephen france,he became the CO on 30th sept 1938,his 2nd in command was major j.w holmes,i wonder if he took command after allen??i will keep diggin simon
L/col w.s france died in the christopher private patients home in wigan,on 22-2-1946 aged 82,hes buried in wigan cemetery,grave ref B417
L/col r.a france died at kendal in june 1980,born 19-7-1896
the family home was at bellingham house,wigan lane,wigan

mack

[mack]

gerald,elliston allen
born 26-9-1896
son of herbert,elliston+ethel margaret allen,ashland house,wigan[father was a solicitor]
attended rugby school
died 3-1-1966
lived at 1 greenwood gardens,birkdale,southport
in 1918 he sailed from new york,arriving in liverpool on 26th december 1918,gave his place of residence as egypt,occupation soldier

mack

[themonsstar]

Hi Simon

Have you  tried the Army Lists.

[sphinx]

Mack,

thanks for the extra info.  I think he was attached to the Royal Flying Corps in 1917 & trained aircrew in aerial photography in Canada before coming back to the 5th Bn in 1918.

further research pinpoints his Command of the 5th from 1930 to 1934 (estimated) and also the possibility that in 1939 he may have become the Colonel of the Bn whilst also a Lt. Col of the 42nd divisional RASC (TA).

These are the details I need to confirm.

Roy, my lists are sporadic and do not cover the periods in question.  If you have lists for those periods it would be very useful.

thanks both for trying.

Regards

[Robert Bonner]

Simon.

1936 - Lt-Colonel C J Falk MC.

[sphinx]

Thanks Robert,

that's Frank &France in the 1930's.
Allen possibly before both, keep looking everyone!

Regards

[PhilipG]

Lt.Col.Spencer Mitchell CO. Barracks at Scarborough 1918. PhilipG.

[sphinx]

Lt.Col.Spencer Mitchell CO. Barracks at Scarborough 1918. PhilipG.

I think you will find thats the 5th Reserve Bn, not the 1st/5th

refards

[PhilipG]

Sorry. Of course you are right. Put it down to advancing years!  Take care. PhilipG.

[sphinx]

To answer my own question, and for your information:-

Lt. Col. G.E. Allen, CO of 5th (TA) Bn. from 20.9.1930 - 20.9.1934.

regards