Good afternoon, all.
I have been a WFA member for many years and have done quite a bit of research on the military service of members of my own family and also that of numerous friends, and am currently engaged on investigating a JAMES CLARKSON, Pte., 2199, 1/5th Bn. Manchester Regiment, who was killed on 20 /10/1918.
James was the great uncle of a friend of mine. The friend’s family has a 1914 Princess Mary Gift Fund Christmas Box in which are kept James’s 14-15 Star, and his Victory and war Medals, all unmounted with their original ribbons. (Of course, the Box might NOT have belonged to James originally – the family had other relatives also serving). They do also have his death plaque.
James’s Service Record appears not to have survived, so I am trying to reconstruct his service and the circumstances leading up to his death from what records remain, including his Medal Index Card, the Medal Roll itself and the War Diary of 1/5th Manchesters amongst others, but have encountered a bit of a conundrum!
I believe his photograph (Sorry, unable to upload, but shows a seviceman in 'Dress' uniform) and Service Number suggests he was a pre-war soldier, possibly being mobilised from the reserves in August or September 1914. The MIC suggests James’s entitlement to the ’15 Star was due to him arriving in the Western European theatre of war on 20/03/1915, and records that he served with the 2nd Bn. Manchester Regt. The Medal Roll itself records that James did indeed serve with the 2nd, but also the 18th and 1/5th Battalions, all with the same Service Number, 2199.
I believe that on the outbreak of war the 2nd Bn. was at Curragh, N.I., as part of 14 Bde., 5th Division, and went to France in August 1914, and that possibly James joined them at Dranoutre in March 1915 before it was deployed to the Ypres sector in April.
What is confusing me is the record on the Medal Roll of James being with the 18th Bn., which I understand didn’t go to France until November, 1915, and the fact that amongst the family’s possession is a very frail cutting from the ‘Ashton Reporter’, dated 16 November 1918, which contains the following report of James’s death:
“HURST SOLDIER
Mr. and Mrs Thomas Clarkson, 35, Princess Street, Hurst, have received official news of the death of their son, Private 2199, JAMES CLARKSON, 1/5th Manchester Regiment, on October 20th (Transferred from the 9th battalion). One of his comrades has written to say that he was killed by a shell and that he saw him fall as they were advancing to make an attack.
Private CLARKSON joined the army when quite a youth, and served for a time in the Militia. On the outbreak of war he was on special reserve and rejoined the forces in August 1914. He went out to France with the 2/9th Manchesters, and was three times wounded, once in the right foot by shrapnel, another time he was hit by a snipers bullet in the face, and on the third occasion a bullet went through his hip. His brother-in-law, Able Seaman WILLIAM WOLLEY (sic) has served in the Royal Navy for ten years, and another brother-in-law, Rifleman JOHN McBRIDE, is serving with the Royal Irish Fusiliers. He has been wounded once, and has returned to France after being over on hospital leave. (James Clarkson is buried in Belle Vue British Cemetery, Briastre).”
No mention here of the 18th Bn., and I believe the 1/9th Bn. served in the Gallipoli campaign until 1917; and the 2/9th Bn. served at home, mainly as a reinforcing unit for the 1/9th Bn. until leaving for France in March 1917.
If anyone can offer any other information about James’s pre-war service, or offer an alternative interpretation of the available evidence, I would be delighted to hear from them. Thanks for reading, Malcolm