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As most of his records were burnt or partially burnt in the Kew fire bombing, want to find out where he was in France. He was wounded twice and sent back to Birmingham war hospital.
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For our reference:
Donald Laycock
in the UK, British Army World War I Service Records, 1914-1920
Name Donald Laycock
Gender Male
Enlistment Age 18
Birth Date abt 1899
Document Date 1917
Residence Place 10 Cragg View, Sutton in Craven Yorks
Military Date 1917
Regimental Number 80967
Regiment Name Training Reserve ?? Batt Tr Dli
Number of Images 10
Form Title Service and Casualty
Family Members (Name) Relation to Soldier
Donald Laycock
John Arthur Laycock
Father
As you know, the record , or what survives of it, mentions various postings/transfers, with dates, but doesn't say where.
He wasn't called up until April 1917.
I assume you've researched the DLI's movements?
Most of its battalions were on the Western Front, Sept 1914 - Nov 1918.
https://www.nam.ac.uk/explore/durham-light-infantry
ADDED:
https://www.longlongtrail.co.uk/army/regiments-and-corps/the-british-infantry-regiments-of-1914-1918/durham-light-infantry/
His record mentions the 258th in 1917.
From the link above:
"51st (Graduated) Battalion
Up to 27 October 1917, this was known as 258th Graduated Battalion and had no regimental affiliation. Before that it had been 4th Battalion of the Training Reserve and up to September 1916 had been the 11th (Reserve) Battalion of the North Staffordshire Regiment. A training unit based at Ipswich, it was part of 215th Brigade in 72nd Division. In March 1918 when 72nd Division was broken up it went to 206th Brigade of 69th Division at Durham. Moved to Guisborough in March 1918 and in autumn went on to Catterick."
After that, his record seems to mention the 3rd battalion, in 1918.
"3rd (Reserve) Battalion
August 1914 : stationed at Fenham Barracks.
A depot/training unit, it moved on mobilisation to South Shields where it then remained as part of the Tyne Garrison."
From that, it sounds as if he wasn't abroad at all - but presumably he was, unless very unlucky in the UK, as you say he was wounded.
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Fold3
There are a handful of documents in his Service Record from the "Burnt" records
He served with 5th Company, 3rd Battalion.
However, his pension ledger suggests the following
UK, WWI, Pension Ledgers and Index Cards, 1914-1923
Full Name
Laycock, Donald
Alias [Blank]
Service Number 80967, 6231, 15748 ***********
Address-Add
Address
[Blank]
Regiment Durham Light Infantry
Household ID
Year Range [Blank]
Reference Number
131/0495/LAW-LAY
As there are 3 service numbers attached to his record, he was transferred to/from another Battalion, as prior to 1920 each regiment had its own system of regimental numbers.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Full Name
Laycock, D
Incident Details
War Office Daily List No.5580
Incident Date
31 May 1918
More Information
Entitled to wear a "Wound Stripe" as authorised under Army Order 204 of the 6th July 1916. The terms of this award being named on this list.
Rank Name Private
Service Number 80967
Casualty Listed As Wounded
Next Of Kin Address
Sutton-in-Craven
Service British Army
Primary Unit Durham Light Infantry
Archive Reference
NLS 1918_WList44
Conflict Period World War I
Served For United Kingdom
award Victory Medal
award British War Medal
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This may be of interest to you as it is specific to the DLI
https://livesofthefirstworldwar.iwm.org.uk/community/3651
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Looking at his Service Record (what's left of it), he was in France from
31/3/1918 - 17/4/1918 = 18 Days
He appears to have been at Home prior to and after this deployment.
Transfers/Postings included
Training Reserve 258th Battalion 31/8/1917
3rd Battalion DLI 31/3/1918
1/8th (Territorial Force) 2/4/1918
Depot 18/4/1918
3rd Battalion 28/12/1918
As his Casualty report is dated 31/5/1918 and given the time it would take for the information to reach the UK, it would seem likely that he was serving with the 1/8th DLI when he was wounded.
1/8th were attached to 151st (Durham Light Infantry) Brigade, 50th (Northumbrian) Division until June 1918.
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I have sent OP a PM outlining how to access Orders of Battle, War Diaries and Trench Maps with a view to narrowing down Donald's wounding in France.
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Can someone with FMP look at the following please
Casualty Clearing Station (CCS) entries in the British Armed Forces, First World War soldiers' medical records
If the CCS can be identified, then the National Archives may hold the War Diary for that CCS.
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David when you look at the ORBAT, further to the right you will see the names of the Ambulance Battalions that were attached to 50 Division.
You could also look at their War Diaries to establish where they were around the time of Donald's wounding.
Ambulance Battalions moved patients to CCS, CCS was usually near a railyard. Ambulance trains would then take patients to the coast for onward travel to the UK
National Archives WO95 series are the operational records of hospitals
MH106 admission and discharge registers and medical sheets for
personnel of expeditionary and imperial forces treated at
the hospital
Hospital records are extremely limited
Have you considered a local newspaper search??
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