JAYNE SHRIMPTON is a professional dress historian and portrait specialist
KATHERINE COBB is a member of AGRA based in Somerset
STEVE THOMAS is a genealogist with over 20 years’ experience
DEBBIE KENNETT is the author of DNA and Social Networking
PHIL TOMASELLI is a military family history expert and author
What can you tell me about Joseph's service?
Q I am trying to work out what Joseph Mellor0 0Vernon (1886–1953) did during the First World War. A pottery worker living in Porthill, Stoke-on-Trent, he married Phoebe Turner in 1911 and they had three children. Some service records have survived that show he attested in 1915 and was mobilised on 29 June 1917 as a private in the North Staffordshire Regiment (116815). On enlistment, his height was given as 4 foot 11 inches, which was below the regulation minimum of 5 foot 3 inches, so why was he accepted? He is recorded as being in various battalions. His military history form is blank, but I know he went overseas and was in the Labour Corps later on.
Janet Hurst
A partial service record is helpful here as the usual route for finding out about a soldier's service, through) and The National Archives’ (TNA's) website() says that his Labour Corps number was 682739 and, using that number, the roll we located only confirms that he served with the North Staffs (no specific battalions).
