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Hello Everyone,
Need a bit of help trying to find out about my Grandfather's military service.Family
gossip has it that my Grandfather,Thomas Walton,was in the Tyneside Scottish Regiment during the First World War,not in France or Belgium,but in India.What
is usually called the North West Frontier.Have been unable to find out anything about
any part of this Regiment being in India.My Grandfather was born in 1886 and live
until 1960.Can anyone help ?

Gordon Walton.

Gordon , do you have some more details on him please, parents, address?

There are several possible entries if he was in the Northumberland Fusiliers, which going by this is possible?

"1st Tyneside Scottish (20th Battalion, Northumberland Fusiliers)
2nd Tyneside Scottish (21st Battalion, Northumberland Fusiliers)
3rd Tyneside Scottish (22nd Battalion, Northumberland Fusiliers)
4th Tyneside Scottish (23rd Battalion, Northumberland Fusiliers)

Hello Rambling Rose,
Thomas was born in Consett,Co.Durham.his father was called Thomas
too,his mother was Sarah Ann Bibbins.For several decades they lived in the
part of Consett called Number One.In the Crescent .

Gordon.

For ref:

Walton Household (5 People)
48 The Crescent , Consett U.D., Durham, England

Thomas Walton 04 ? 1886 Male Steel Works Bricklayer Heavy Worker Married 250 1
5 more people who are officially closed
Margaret (A) Walton 03 Mar 1889 Female Unpaid Domestic Duties Married 250 2
5 more people who are officially closed
Thomas Walton 05 Sep 1908 Male Locomotive Fireman Heavy Worker Single 250
3
5 more people who are officially closed
William Walton 13 Feb 1921 Male Apprentice Bricklayer Single 250 4
5 more people who are officially closed
Eric Walton 05 Apr 1928 Male At School Single 250 8
5 more people who are officially closed

Hello Gins,
yes that the correct family.

Gordon.

Gordon

This weekend, Ancestry is free to search military records

http://search.ancestry.co.uk/

OKAY Gins,thank you.

Regards Gordon.

You could also try googling the regiments posted by RR, see if they have histories online, and that would give you an idea whether or not they were posted to India at any time.

You never know ............. the history might also have the names of soldiers.

Okay SylvaInCanada,

Thank you for your message.

Gordon.

Hello Gordon, after a quick search I too am struggling to see that those battalions were in India during the war. Perhaps he re-enlisted after the war, or transferred from another unit?

Hello AustinQ,
Yes it's very puzzling,it's going to take a bit of detective work to sort
It out.Thanks for the message.

Gordon.

I saw somewhere that some of the regiments mentioned in previous posts on this thread were disbanded in 1920.

My grandfather fought with the Machine Gun Corps in WW1. His records show a period of about 10 months missing from when he was training with the MGC and then boarding a ship in Bombay to go to "Mesopotamia" (ie modern day Iraq.

I've discovered that the MGC was formed after WW1 began, and disbanded soon after .......... this statement comes from the MGC site

"It was one of the few “war raised” units, having no existence prior to the conflict, and suffering the ignominy of being disbanded entirely in the years immediately following .............. Conveniently, perhaps, all of its operational records, its establishments and regimental orders were totally destroyed in a mysterious fire which took place at the last Headquarters of the Corps, at Shorncliffe, near Folkestone in 1920. Not a single sheet of paper survived and even the partly written history of the Corps was lost. No attempt has been made to put right this omission until recent years."


I've found odd bits when searching the internet, including the fact that Grandfather's unit was indeed in Basra.


I'm just wondering if something similar happened to your grandfather and his compatriots?

Try looking carefully at this site ...........

http://www.longlongtrail.co.uk/



In addition, have you tried posting on the Military Chat Board on this site?

Say that you have a thread on Find Ancestors and give the link, but it has been suggested that you post on the MC Board to ask if anyone knows anything about the regiments and battalions, or can suggest where to search. It will then hopefully not be taken as a duplicate thread because you are asking specifically about the regiments.

Hi SylviainCanada,
Thanks for all the useful information,you have given me some good leads.
Yes, I have used Military Chat before,and might just try it again for help with
this problem.By 1920 my Grandfather was our of the army.I have him boarding a ship
in Liverpool in that year,The "Empress of France ".which was sailing to Canada,
docking at Saint Johns.I did know about his time in Canada,it's well known within
the family,he was a Master Mason by trade.

Gordon.