'THE CONFUSING CASE OF THE RICHARD BELLINGHAMS'

Richard Bellingham volunteered for active service on 7 November 1914 in Birkenhead, was given army number 22325, and was enlisted into the ‘4th City Battalion Pals’ which became the 20th Battalion, King’s Liverpool Regiment, and one of the four Old Pals battalions lately formed in Liverpool. However, even before the battalion had completed their training he was discharged as medically unfit. Yet he seemed to have been taken on again by his regiment and was eventually in action abroad. He was in same regiment but it seemed an error had been made on his number when he returned – he was now 22324. But other records did not seem to fit and it became a puzzle as to what had happened to his wife and child.

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