Thomas Evan Clark ?? pals battalion

[jaks]

Does the Wigan/Warrington thing fit with any of the pals battallions?

I'll be honest.... I think it highly unlikely he was a sergeant major..... he doesn't have a reputation of discipline and hardwork!!!  I'm sure my grandad would have known if he was.

Thanks again for all your efforts, all the family really appreciate it!

Jaks

[harribobs]

  i think that was a red herring

there's a csm t clark without a number but we're not done yet 

[jaks]

Someone on the great war forum has just pointed out that the story of being gassed and back in blighty by July 1915 can't be true as the pals didn't see action til Nov 1915!  Plus his marriage cert in Aug 1915 states his occupation as cotton spinner.  I think the evidence is pointing to him joining up after their wedding!

I think the story of meeting my gt gran in the hospital is a cover.  Their wedding was a shotgun affair....I did the maths !!

Ooh I love a good mystery

[harribobs]

that's right, just by looking at his uniform he signed up (he was a volunteer) in 1914 and didn't leave the UK until late 1915

he would have been in and out of the trenches but would have been very invovled in the batle of the somme (1st july 1916 and then onwards)

I think the story of meeting my gt gran in the hospital is a cover.  Their wedding was a shotgun affair....I did the maths Grin!!

  they didn't do things like that then....

[jaks]

 they didn't do things like that then....  my lot obviously did!!! (remember there's not a lot to do of an evening in sunny Oldham!!)

When you look at the births of his kids the eldest is brn Apr 1916, the next Dec 1917, then Jun 1920... before, during and the celebratory one after.  I'm begining to think that the gassing incident and subsiquent spell in hospital was around the begining of 1917, about the time no 2 kid happens!!
Does this fit with the Somme?

At least it looks like he did serve out his time and didn't do a 'blackadder' (pencils up the nose and wibble) right at the start as my family initially thought.

[harribobs]

quite the opposite i think, he volunteered at the start of the war and was still there at the end! 

[mack]

your gt/grandfather was living at 32 kingsbridge rd,clarksfield,oldham,in 1918.
mack

[harribobs]

i have had a pretty full search on the MICs index tonight and i can't find him under any combination or mispelling!!

but i'm sure he's there somewhere

[themonsstar]

He moved overseas with the 21st Battalion, then to the 1/7th Bn R.W.R, then back to the 22nd Battalion Manchester Regt, he was also a L/cpl.

[harribobs]

and his service number?

come on.... don't just give us half a story

[mack]

55142 thomas evan clark
21st manchesters
32 kingbridge rd,oldham.

royal warwickshire regt,54567
then 22nd manchesters,70768

mack

[jaks]

Mack, ( I've posted over on the Grt War forum too that) as far as the family knew he was always just a private,  is this definately him?

I wont rule anything out........ we started out thinking he didn't see much action and got out early on, we were wrong! So anything is possible!!

Thanks again to everyone who is helping, the family are starting to see a whole new side to Gt Grandad...... and now we're hooked!!

[harribobs]

AHH!

http://www.tiny.cc/MIC533

lance corporal was a job rather than a rank, so he would still be a private

[jaks]

Sorry I think my ignorance of all things military is shining through...........but I'm learning!! 

I have a copy of that medal card........ it doesn't mention any injuries or silver war badge but anything is possible!  It also doesn't mention any middle name or initial but I guess that doesn't mean it's not him.

[harribobs]

it probably won't mention either, they are notoriously short of information by the end of the war, wounds are not recorded on the cards

if he applied for an SWB then he probably (more than likely) has another card which relates only to the SWB rolls