History of Wigan   (Help with ancient and recent history.)

Process of elimination:
The South Lancashires had 18 Battalions
If your relative was in France in 1914, a high chance he served with the 2nd Battalion.

Territorial Force
1/4th - France - Disembarked on (around) 13th February 1915
1/5th - France - same as above

Kitchener (Service) Battalions
7th Battalion - France - Disembarked on 18th July 1915
8th Battalion - France - Disemberked on 28th Sept 1915
9th Battalion - France/Salonika - Landed in France 07 Sept 1915 traveled to Marsaille and went onto Salonika. -Disembarked 05 Nov 1915
11th Battalion - France - Disembarked on 07 Nov 1915.

Things to note: At this point in time (1914) both Regular and TF soldiers were allocated 4 digit service numbers. In the TF, any man with a number less than 4 digits was issued his number after 02 April 1908 and was probably a Volunteer in the county rifle association. Some of these men served in the Boer war.

If you go to the Ancestry website (others are available) and look at the medal cards, the date at the bottom of the card is the disembarkation date. Using the dates above you can identify the unit your relative served with. If the date is different, a month or so out, he was probably a replacement and came in a draft of men from the UK.

Wounded: Search the Times or Local papers for casualty lists. They list killed and wounded. Dependant on the theatre, a casualty list reported in the paper is anything between 4 -6 weeks old. If a person was wounded and brought back to the UK, after being rehabilitated in hospital and then a convalescant hospital, the man would be posted to his reserve battalion or depot. Once fully recovered, some men went back to thier original unit, some would be posted to a battalion that needed the manpower. After 1916 men were sent to any regiment or corps that needed the manpower. The needs of the army come first, the needs of the unit second, the needs of the individual, last. This still happens today. Nothing has changed.

If a man was seriously injured, the Army would not just chuck them out. Many went to the Labour Corps. These men did not serve in the frontline (unless attacked or absolutely necesary), they served as labourers at docks in France or transportation units. If they could not serve in any capacity, they were discharged.

There are pension cards available. There are several catagories, men who survived the war and were injured. Men who did not survive and the widow is claiming the pension. The man survived the war but died shortly after due to injuries sustained in service. These cards can have the type of injury suffered, the pension amount and an address. Sometimes they are just blank. Its pot luck.

Good luck searching.