DLOY to 12th Manchesters to RAF

[Angular]

I have a medal card for a Walter Gibson, who served in the Duke of Lancaster's Own Yeomanry (Pte. 110612), then transferred to the 12th Manchesters (Pte 245640), then joined the RAF (319958).

Does anyone have any idea how I can find out where he was born? If he is related to me, he would probably have joined B Sqn DLOY, as they were from Bolton, and he lived in Bolton, although he was born in Blackburn in 1884.

Thanks for any help you can give (before I bore you all to death with my search for dead relatives)!

[harribobs]

the 12th batt and the DLOY were merged and i must admit i struggle sometimes to work out when how and why

did walter survive the war?

[Angular]

Walter isn't posted on the CWG website, so I assume that he survived the war.  I don't know where to find out when he was discharged from the RAF; he was an engineer's clerk in 1901, so he may have made a career out of it.

The DLOY don't seem to have had a good war.

[Wendi]

Hi Angular!

What does the 1901 Census say as to age and place of birth ?

Wendi 

[Angular]

MY Walter was living with his parents, Henry and Emily, at 9, Oriel St, Bolton, in 1901.  He was 17, and an engineer's clerk.  He was born in Blackburn, where his grandfather ran a grocer's business.  I have no idea if he is THIS Walter, although logic suggests that mine would either be a gunner, in the DLOY, in the Manchesters or the Loyals.  If I could get the date of birth for THIS Walter, I could at least eliminate him from my enquiries!

I have the family tree back to 1690 (I was the first NOT to have been born within a day's walk of Blackburn since that date), but this branch of the family is a complete mystery to me.  Currently I have found only one relative who definitely fought in WW1, and he's still at Ypres 

[harribobs]

what are the references on the medal card you have?

[Angular]

The catalogue reference is WO/372/8/0/857.  Is this what you need?

[harribobs]

no there is a reference on the card next to the medals, something like

H/104 1234

[Angular]

Roger.  That would be RAF/10817 page 348.  He had the Victory medal, and the British Medal, but not the Star, and no mention of any theatre of war served in.

[harribobs]

hmmm, well obviously that is a RAF reference and we don't have those medal rolls 

[harribobs]

another strange thing, his manchesters number is actually a 5th battalion number, not a 12th

[Angular]

Oh no, does that mean I've got to go talking to the Crabs??

I spent three years in the Yeomanry (RWY), followed by five years in the infantry, so old prejudices run deep

thanks for your help.

Don't know why our man should have a 5th Bn number, unless they re-used them, or the 12th was full and they shunted some 'leftovers' to other battalions.

[harribobs]

i think its more likely that after the merger he was transferred to the 5th and got his S/N there after 1916