Harry (Sonny) Carter #47577 19th Battalion Manchester Regiment

[Bomber]

Hi Everyone,

how glad am I that I have found this forum (and http://www.themanchesters.org website) - top work everyone

Firstly, I'll apologise for my lack of knowledge/ignorance but I have a few questions to ask, some of a more general nature to which I'm hoping someone will answer or point me in the right direction and some of a more specific nature on which someone can shed some light.

Background Info:
Harry Carter was my Nan's brother, all my Nan ever told me was that he had died in the first world war, she and her sisters very rarely spoke about him and pretty much any info there was available on him was destroyed in the blitz. It also didn't help that they came from London so I presumed a London/South East based regiment and, more importantly, they only ever referred to him as 'Sonny' so I have been looking for the wrong person in the wrong regiment for goodness knows how long!

Anyways, I'm here now after discovering the memorial plaque and a couple of letters from Sonny (Harry) which led me to 'The Manchesters'

My questions are as follows(and apologies for the long list but they have been brewing a long time):

1. Where can I get more information regarding where/when Harry/Sonny signed up.
2. How did he end up in The Manchesters (my guess is that it was a Pals regiment and that was where he was put irrespective of where he came from) - apologies for my lack of knowledge about how the Army works, but it might be interesting to find out who he signed up with or who signed up on the same day.
3.  What action he was involved in (I don't know what company or platoon he was) although looking at the DOD and the website it's obvious it was the 3rd battle of Ypres.
& finally
4. His name is inscribed on the Addenda Panel at the Menin Gate and the documentation for this is all dated 2004 - is there anywhere I can find out why this is so?

Thanks in advance for any help/assistance - even if someone could just point me in the right direction it would be a huge step forwards.

Graeme (Bomber)

[mack]

hiya Graeme
he was originally private 2392 harry carter army service corps
enlisted 24-9-1914 aged 19
saw service in france in 1914
transferred to the training reserve 25-9-1916
transferred to Manchester regt 1st January 1917,posted to 19th battalion 20th January,killed 31st july 1917
son of Emmanuel+harriet carter,186 rodswell rd,limehouse
occupation,groom

mack

[Bomber]

Hi Mack,

thanks for the quick response, much appreciated.

Bit confused about the dates of posting though as documentations shows DOD 31st July 2017 ?

Other details also explain confusion in tracking him down - family have parents names as 'Harry' and 'Theresa' - no wonder I can't find any information on my mothers family, nobody is known by their right name!

Thanks
Graeme

[mack]

sorry Graeme,its my error july was the correct date of death not January

mack

[mack]

Hi Mack,

thanks for the quick response, much appreciated.

Bit confused about the dates of posting though as documentations shows DOD 31st July 2017 ?

Other details also explain confusion in tracking him down - family have parents names as 'Harry' and 'Theresa' - no wonder I can't find any information on my mothers family, nobody is known by their right name!

Thanks
Graeme

the parents are definitely Emmanuel+harriet,his brothers+sisters were.
Emily
willie
clara
George
amy
Minnie
ernest.

do any of these match with your mum and her sisters.

mack

[Bomber]

Hi Mack,

once again you have come up trumps, thank you so much, you have given me the ammo I need to move forward with this project. Clara was my nan and I know of Amy & Minnie but the others I had no idea of. Time to go and sit down with my mum & have a proper chat.

As a footnote I am going to the Menin Gate for the first time with my buddies later this year - strange that I should find out after all this time that 'Sonny' is commemorated there.

Once again, thanks so much for your help.