222946 Patrick Francis McAuliffe British Army 23rd Btn. C Company. London Regiment from:Wandworth My great grandfather Pat McAuliffe joined up probably in the first week of July 1914, certainly no later than 6th July. His original service number was 700279. He was in C Company when 1/23rd went to France in March 1915. His date of leaving France on 28th May 1915 would indicate very strongly that he was wounded on 25th/26th May at Givenchy, most of the 'lucky' casualties who made it back to UK appear to have left around that date. He may have been held back in UK for longer than it took him to recover from his wound, as he would have been only 17 in 1915.
After his recovery he is sent in a draft to 2/21st London in Salonika, even though he has a six digit 23rd London number. He wouldn't have had to change his number when transferred as 21st London were of the same corps (East Surreys) as 23rd London, but would have been issued it in Jan/Feb 1917.
He remains with 2/21st when they move to Egypt and on the reduction of 2/21st on 3rd June 1918 he's part of the draft that goes to 2/13th London (other drafts went to 2/19th and 2/22nd) and gets his number changed to 494569 He probably has some form of medical downgrade when with 2/13th which leads to his transfer to 21st Rifle Brigade, another number change, 212896 and ultimately his garrisoning of India until some time in mid 1919 when those battalions of the Rifle Brigade seem to have returned home.
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