My Granddad

[DaveJ]

Hi, I'm DaveJ, and I'm trying to find out more about my Granddad's WW1 experiences.

He was Private Edwin Hall, 20th Battalion, 5th City, B Company, Platoon No 6 ( that came from your brilliant photographs section), no. 17364.

I've got some stuff, like the 1918 Battalion diaries, from the National Archive website. but wondered if anyone on here has access to any more detailed information.

I think, but am not sure, he may have told me he helped man a Vickers Vimy machine gun.

[mack]

hiya dave
pte 17364 edwin hall
enlisted 16-11-14
aged 19yrs 11mths
occupation,clerk
religion,CofE
64 stowell st,west gorton[mother clara]
to france 8-11-15
3-8-16 admitted to 4th scottish gen hospital stobhill,glasgow,caused unknown[possibly sick]
29-9-16,posted to the 3rd battalion as part of the humber garrison
sailed from folkstone 27-7-17 and sent to etaples
15-8-17,admitted to the 22nd field ambulance and then to the 43rd casualty clearing station[sick]
2-9-17 admitted to the 1/3rd field ambulance with fever
16-2-19 embarked at dieppe for demob at prees heath england
army reserve 18-3-19
now living at 13 lonsdale st,gorse hill,stretford

mack

[harribobs]

I think, but am not sure, he may have told me he helped man a Vickers Vimy machine gun.

Hi Dave

That would probably have been a vickers machine gun (the vickers vimy was an airplane)


cheers




chris

[DaveJ]

On Mon, Dec 5, 2011 at 3:19 PM, David Jackson (email removed from text, please use message icons under name on the left this is to stop spam thanks) wrote:
Hello again Mack

Thanks for your valuable information, I wonder if you can help me again ?

I've done quite a bit more work, including going to Kew where I managed to retrieve his service record, and I hoped you might be able to clarify a couple of things for me; I've also read Michael Stedman's excellent books on the Manchester Pals and Fricourt/Mametz.

I assume Private Hall was involved in the attack on Fricourt on the afternoon of 1st July, and also in the actions at High Wood later that month before being invalided back to Stobhill.

According to his service record, he returned to Etaples in July 1917, spent a further two months in field hospitals and CCS's, before rejoining his battalion on 29th September; there is a further entry 'Serving with Battalion' dated 8.2.18, followed by 'With Bn B Coy Italy 28.4.18'; he then appears to have succombed to scabies on 20.7.18, before 'rejoined Battalion' on 14.8.18; he then appears to have returned to France, until 18.2.19.

Does this mean he was involved in the actions at Ypres at the end of 1917 ? And that he went to Italy with the 7th Division ? And that he was involved in the operations at Beaurevoir in the last days of the war ?

I'm compiling a record/tribute for the rest of the family to go out with the Christmas cards and would very much appreciate a bit more information.

I must say the more I research this stuff the more gut-wrenching it becomes; those poor boys !

Thanks and best wishes

DaveJ

[mack]

his actions in 1916 are missing from his records,the 20th manchesters left the 7th division on 13th sept 1918 and returned to france where they joined the 7th brigade in the 25th division at canchy on 16th sept 1918,when he returned from leave in november 1918 his battalion was at landrecies

mack