Worcestershire Regiment

Does anyone know of a Private Henry SCANTLIN (Number 14491). He was from Bethnal Green Area of London - born 1888. He was my father's first cousin. I wonder why a Londoner would sign up for the 1st Btn Worcestershire Regiment? Does anyone know?

Liz Bruce

Liz,

The medal index card of Private Henry Scantlin shows that he later held the rank of Corporal.

Louis

Louis
Many thanks I have a copy of his medal card, so I did note that.
Liz

Hello Liz,
Henry joining the Worcestershire Regiment was NOT unusual! Men from London represented 5% of the 1st Battalion, which is the second highest percentage total. Beaten only by Birmingham, which had 23% of the total and most of Birmingham was in Warwickshire! The Worcesters attracted men who wanted a bit more adventure. It was one of only four Regiments that had 4 fighting battalions before the Great War. It had built up a reputation for travel and fighting. Henry wanted more than to join a regiment just down the road from his house, he did not want to catch a bus home each night. He wanted new horizons, new challenges a bit of adventure.
Regards Mike Jones

Dear Mike
Many thanks for that reponse. I am sure that as an East End Boy he would have wanted something different! I went to the National Archives the other day and looked at the Campaign Medal Roll Books. I also read some of the "log books" which were written up by an officer in the trenches. Quite amazing they included little sketches of battle fields and trenches. How they could do this in those circumstances makes one feel very humble.
Henry got married in Hoxton in May 1918 (before the war finished and is described as "Soldier". Could he have been invalided out? Unfortunately I cannot trace his service resord as it must be one of the 60% lost.
Liz

Hi Liz,
what a wonderful name to trace, so rare! There was only 1 Henry Scantlin in the British Army of The Great War. How do you Know he was in the 1st Battalion, please? Have you PlumPudding his Medal Index Card yet? If he was invalided out it will show the award of a Silver War Badge. The award of such a badge will be listed with lots of lovely information on Henry. His medal card will also give the date he went overseas, assuming it was before 1st January 1916. If you can get to Kew again, you might try the medical records to see if Henry was wounded at any time.
Regards Mike

Dear Mike
I have a copy of his Medal Card which says "1 Worc Reg". His medals are Victory; British and 14 Star. His date of entry 7 Nov 1914. It also says he was a Private and then a Corporal. Do you know the reference for WW1 Medical Records? I live nearby to Kew so go there regularly.
Liz

Morning Liz,
Sorry for the delay but my ancient computer has been playing up again. Military Medical records for soldiers of the Great war are held in MH106. They apparently are in 2000 boxes but the index to what is in what box is in MH106/2386 or possibly MH106/2389. Now you can help me on this point , please. I have been assured by one researcher that all regiments are covered in these records. Another man says NO, only a few regiments are covered. Please find out for me what IS covered. Did you know that the Medal Index Card only really indicates that an entry exists for Henry in the full Medal Rolls? Have you looked up the actual full entries? Whilst Henry does have the 1914 Star he never claimed the Clasp to it. I do not know if, as next of kin you can claim it. The other thing that interests me is, do you know if Henry had Military experience before he joined the Worcesters? He only joined us late in August 1914 and was at the front by 7th November 1914. For someone with no previous military experience it would be a record time.
Regards Mike

Hi Mike
Thanks for this information. I will try to go to Kew next week and look them up. I will let you know which regiments are included if I can.
I am not a direct descendent of Henry - he was my father's first cousin. However I have discovered his daughter and family via Genes Reunited. They would be the ones to claim the clasp. I also do not know if he was in the Army before 1914.
I did look up the Medal Roll Books and took some pictures but they did not come out well, so I will need to reorder them and get them photocopied!
I;ll let you know progress.
Liz

Hi Mike
Sorry for the delay. I have been to Kew and looked up the records you suggested. Only a few regiments are kept (Worcesters not one of them unfortunately. The ones they have seem to be Guards etc, not th hoi poloi!
However I have now made copies from the Medal Roll Books.
I cannot find his WW1 Records (WO363/4) but not surprising as only about one third still exist.
Liz

I've now had contact from Alfred Scantlin (Henry's son) who tells me he enrolled in the Army at age 16 (1904) - don't know if this was in the Worcesters. He was a regular soldier. Would this make a difference as to where I could find his records? Would they be in WO97 sereis?
Liz Bruce

Morning Liz,
thanks for finding out about the Medical records. At least I now know they do not contain the Worcestershire Records. What did the Medal Rolls say about Henry? When you are up at Kew next, could you look a man up for me please? With regard to the new information that you have, it is uncharted waters for me, i'm afraid. The fact he had previous military experience does fit the bill though. If he joined in 1904, his reserve period would have finished in 1916. So if he returned to his original regiment, he could have carried on with his old number. The fact he has a new number probably means his old regiment was NOT the Worcesters! I do believe that the records of men who left the army prior to 1914 and who subsequently did not rejoin using those old numbers were stored in a diffent place to the bombing of WW2. That was a mouthful but basically the burnt records were only those of men who fought in WW1. Henry's previous military career records should not be in the burnt records.
Henry got the coveted 1914 Star because he was in France on the 7th November 1914 with the 1st Battalion at the battle of Neuve Chappelle. Have you read up on this battle? As some one who has researched Henry and got a warmth for him it will bring a tear to your eye. It was an awful situation, very poor conditions, an excepionally cold winter (400 men were invalided home with FROSTBITE), no rest and death all around. If you get to go to France, you must go there. It will be where Henry stood and it is still easy to see the landscape and situation he was in. Regards Mike