King's Own Royal Regiment Museum

First World War

8th (Service) Battalion, King's Own Royal Lancaster Regiment

Sergeants Mess of the 8th Battalion, King's Own Royal Lancaster Regiment, 1914.  The only identified soldier is Sergeant Brown who is kneeling on the right hand side below the person in civilian dress.  The officer in the middle is Lieutenant Colonel A D Thorne. 
Accession Number KO1011/01

Private Billy Poole, number 14705, (right) from Little Urswick, Ulverston and comrade of the 8th (Service) Battalion, King's Own Royal Lancaster Regiment in October 1914. From his number Billy probably enlisted in the middle of October 1914.  He went overseas to the Western Front on the 27th September 1915 and was killed in action on 20th October 1915.  Private Poole is buried in the Divisional Cemetery, Ypres, Belgium.  He was the son of James and Grace Poole of Fair View, Little Urswick, Ulverston.
Accession Number: KONeg0222

Corporal Leonard Williamson, number 15929, who was killed in action on 13th November 1916 towards the end of the Battle of the Somme.  The lapel badge he is wearing states '8 KOR'.
Accession Number KO1773/10

The 8th Battalion on parade, 1914, many are still wearing civilian clothing for lack of uniform, however all are wearing issued webbing.  The Commanding Officer, Lieutenant Colonel A D Thorne is on the horse at the front.
Accession Number KO1553/01 and KO1011/02

Unidentified group of soldiers of the 8th Battalion, King's Own Royal Lancaster Regiment, circa 1914.
Accession Number: KO2950/02

Soldiers of the 8th Battalion, King's Own, including Private Wilfred Knott, standing first left.  The soldiers wear temporary uniforms, most do not have cap badges, and they are wearing a small lapel badge which states "8 KOR".
Accession Number: KO2895/03

8th Battalion, King’s Own Royal Lancaster Regiment, Route March in, 1914 or 1915. Three officers on horseback and at the front and followed by the men, many of whom are wearing the 8th Battalion lapel badges.
On the rear in pencil is ‘KORL Leaving Bournemouth for Oidham’
Photo by Bournemouth View Co. Ltd.
Accession Number: KO3100/64

Group of eight people, including five in uniform, two with King’s Own Cap Badges and four with lapel badges of the type known to have been worn by the 8th King’s Own ‘8 KOR’
Accession Number: KO2684/38

Group of six soldiers of the 8th Battalion, King’s Own Royal Lancaster Regiment, and one man and two ladies, circa 1914. Two soldiers are wearing 8th Battalion lapel badges on their service dress tunics.
Photograph by E E Prangell, Parkwood Studios, Boscombe
Accession Number: KO3100/58

YMCA Sports Meyrick Park, 3rd April 1915.
The soldiers in the group are from various regiments including the 8th Battalion of the King’s Own Royal Lancaster Regiment. Some of the 8th Battalion soldiers wearing the lapel badge issued in the absence of a cap badge. One of the King’s Own soldiers has a right facing collar dog as a cap badge.
There is a good mix of cap badges, including King’s Regiment; Loyals; South Lancashire Regiment. etc. All were based in the local area undergoing training.
Photo by The Bournemouth View Co. Ltd, St. Paul’s Lane.
Accession Number: KO3100/90

C Company, 8th Battalion, King's Own Royal Lancaster Regiment, circa 1915.
Accession Number: KO2590/10

Stretcher Bearer Section of the 8th Battalion, King's Own Royal Lancaster, Regiment, taken in around 1915.  Some men can be seen wearing the lapel badge issued instead of the regimental cap badge which was in short supply.  Seated first left is Private Thomas Henry Rose, number 16069, who was later awarded the Military Medal whilst with the battalion for action on 14th July 1916 during the battle of the Somme.  He later transferred to the 9th Battalion and served in Salonika and was awarded a bar to the Military Medal.
Accession Number KO2791/05

Unknown group of the 8th Battalion, King's Own Royal Lancaster Regiment, circa 1915.
Accession Number: KO2709/20

Machine Gun Section, 8th Battalion, King's Own Royal Lancaster Regiment, Bournemouth, 1915.  Private Wilfred Knott is fourth from the right on the back row.
Accession Number: KO2932/01

Unidentified group of soldiers of the 8th Battalion, King's Own Royal Lancaster Regiment, Bournemouth, 1915.
Accession Number: KO3013/23

8th Battalion, King's Own Royal Lancaster Regiment, Signalling Class, Bournemouth 1915
Accession Number: KO0959/07

Non-commissioned officers of the 8th Battalion, King’s Own Royal Lancaster Regiment, 1918
Accession Number: KO0959/08

Group of Sergeants and Warrant Officer of the 8th Battalion in October 1917, in France.
This image was acquired via an internet auction site in January 2007, without any information.  In August 2007 a visitor to the museum had a copy of the same postcard, which contained surnames - which also confirmed the image to be of the 8th Battalion.
With the surnames and further research it is believed the men are:
Standing, left to right: Sergeant Thomas Harrison DCM; Sergeant William Blackburn; Sergeant Thomas Johnstone (?); Sergeant Gordon Pickering; Sergeant Albert Moores; Sergeant George (?); Sergeant Christopher Braithwaite.
Seated: Warrant Officer 2, Company Sergeant Major, Ernest Ramel; Colour Sergeant Thomas Taylor; Sergeant Walter Nuttal.
Seated, front:  Sergeant T Shields; Sergeant Ernest Jones and Sergeant Frederick Gornall.
Accession Number: KO2546/30

Unidentified sergeant of the 8th Battalion, King's Own Royal Lancaster Regiment who had been awarded the Military Medal.  First World War.
Accession Number: KO3046/11

Sergeant and Commanding Officer, 8th Battalion, King's Own Royal Lancaster Regiment, April 1919.
Accession Number: KO2331/06

8th Battalion, King's Own Royal Lancaster Regiment at Cologne, April 1919.
Accession Number: KO2331/07

8th Battalion, King's Own Royal Lancaster Regiment at Cologne, April 1919.
Accession Number: KO2331/08

Officers of Headquarters Company of the 8th Battalion in Cologne as part of the British Army of the Rhine in 1919.
Accession Number: KO2684/55

Believed to be the officers of the 8th Battalion, King's Own Royal Lancaster Regiment, in Dublin, Ireland, 1919.  The commanding officer of the 8th Battalion was at the time Lieutenant Colonel H H Perry who was an officer in the Royal Scots.
Accession Number: KO1859/03