Absalom Pollard Rigby

[waitara]

I need some help to find information on my great-great uncle, Absalom Rigby. According to an entry found in the WW1 Medal Rolls Index Cards from the Ancestry site he is listed as being in the 6th Manchester.   REG.NO.:- 12,   RANK:-  Cpl.,   ENLISTMENT:- 10/9/14,  DISCHARGE:- 13/4/15.
CAUSE OF DISCHARGE:- Par. 3 or 5 possibly [not clear].  Med. unfit,  age 54.  K.R.
Below under [a.] MEDAL and [b.] BADGE there are inverted commas and, below that, ACTION TAKEN:- List TH/725.
Can someone interpret this for me?
He was born in Salford in 1863, and I have found him [ almost positive] on the 1881 Census as a private in the army stationed at The Verne Citadel, Isle of Portland. The C.O. is Lieut. Colonel Edward Saunders, and I believe the regiment may have been The Prince of Wales' Own West Yorkshire [late 14th]. I don't know how long he served, but he married in 1887, and in the 1891 Census he was a railway policeman in Salford.There is a question mark over his given place of birth,
it could be an error or a lie on his part.
I would be grateful for any assistance.

[slob]

His birth was registered in Salford.
In 1871 it looks like he appears as Abraham, but again born in Salford, as is his entire family.
The 1881 looks like an error.

Dave

[harribobs]

hi waitara

and welcome to the group

it would seem that he served in the army previously almost certainly, he would have been dismissed under kings regulations (KR) 392 although the card doesn't state which paragraph (para) it was probably 16 (No longer physically fit for war service)

he was awarded the silver war badge , TH/725 is the list that this is recorded on



from the NA site

The Silver War Badge, sometimes erroneously called the Silver Wound Badge, was authorised in September 1916 and takes the form of a circular badge with the legend "For King and Empire-Services Rendered" surrounding the George V cypher. The badge was awarded to all of those military personnel who were discharged as a result of sickness or wounds contracted or received during the war, either at home or overseas

cheers  chris

[waitara]

Thank you Dave, I have a full history of Absalom [Abraham] Rigby apart from his army service.
Thank you also Chris, for information about the Silver War Badge. I knew that was the most likely, but it was authorised in 1916, a year after he was discharged.
Would it have been backdated?
I can see that a visit to Kew is the only real option to get the full picture, which could be difficult as I am about 13,000 miles away!
Thanks again
Val.

[harribobs]

Thank you also Chris, for information about the Silver War Badge. I knew that was the most likely, but it was authorised in 1916, a year after he was discharged.
Would it have been backdated?
Val.

hi val

yes that would have been the case, the medal card you see on ancestry is for the SWB, he never went abroad so he wouldn't have received any medals

you will be very lucky if you found out any more even with a visit to Kew, 70% of soldiers records were lost in the blitz in WW2 and as his army career lasted only 7 months which would have been generally training, i seriously think there would be little in the records

chris

[Tony1/612742]

Umm, I have Francis Alban Walmsley as having number 12 in the 1/6th pre war and 250003 later???  The A P Rigby MIC is clear though. How has this happened?

[themonsstar]

12 Cpl Rigby Absalom
6th Bn Manch Regt.
Englictment date 10/9/14.
Discharge date 13/4/15.(Med/unfit age 51 years).
Overseas No.


If he was in the Army in the 1880s, you may find a service record in WO97:

http://themanchesters.org/forum/index.php?topic=1100.0

[Tony1/612742]

Monsstar,

I can't work it out. There is no mistaking that Sjt F A Warmsley #12 was with the 1/6th and his MIC says he entered 2b 5/5/15 (a day early but a lot of MIC's say 5th May and not 6th May).  A P Rigby would not have been given #12 on attesting for war duty with the 6th on 10th Sept 14 there was already a #12 and for that enlistment date he would of had a 2300 or 2400 #. I know A P Rigby's MIC shows 6 M/R Reg 12 but it can't be right.  F A Walrmsley signed up with the 1/6th on 1/4/08 presumably from the 2VB to have a # that low. Tony

[mack]

his army number isnt for a soldier who enlisted in 1914,that number,was issued around 1908.
its possible,that he went to the 1/6th battalion,from another manchester battalion.
his last known address,was 3 fairfield rd,blackpool,he was working as a railway policeman,for the lancs+yorks railway
his grandparents,george+phoebe, once lived at 42 brook st,hulme,which is close to the 7th manchesters barracks

mack

[waitara]

Thanks to Tony, Monsstar and Mack. There certainly seems to be some confusion about the reg. no. Thanks for correcting my interpretation of his age, now I look again, I can see that it is "1" not "4". That fits better with his d.o.b.
As far as his previous army history is concerned, the only info I have is the previously mentioned 1881 census. He married in Salford in 1887, and in 1891, 1901,
and 1911 he is a L and Y railway policeman. In 1911 he was living in Cheetham, Nth. Manchester. He died in 1931.
Waitara.

[mack]

waitara.
do you have a picture of him,for our photo gallery.

many thanks.
mack

[Tony1/612742]

Mack,

Sorry to go on a bit but I need this info right for my records: If he was a Blackpool man and he was in the TF pre war and retired and jumped back in in 1914 I think he would have been training from Wigan pre war with the 1/5th and he may have been #12 in 1908 with the 1/5. Do you think it is a typo error on the MIC? I cannot see an army unit having two #12s if he jumped back in into the 1/6th they would have given him another #. T