Have you a relative named George McHale who served during World War One? 

My name is Guy Ballaz, I live in France, in Arras (Pas de Calais), I am a member of the association “webdetection 62,” we practise metal detecting .

I found a metal disc in a field near Arras in August 2011; like every time we find one, we have started research to find the soldier’s family. We don’t have much information for the moment, but we know that this soldier lived in Birmingham and died in 1968.

It’s very important for us to be able to give back this identity disc to the family, and perhaps with your help, we will be successful.

Here is the information I have found on the “British & Commonwealth Military Badge Forum”

“George McHale served as 4272 in the 2nd 5th Battalion Royal Warwickshire regiment 2/5th BattalionFormed in Birmingham in October 1914 as a second line battalion. Became part of 2nd Warwickshire Brigade, 2nd South Midland Division, August 1915: redesignated as 182nd Brigade, 61st (2nd South Midland) Division. Landed in France on 21 May 1916.20 February 1918: disbanded in France.

He also served as 201138 in the Royal Warwickshire regiment before transferring into the Lancashire Fusiliers as 238069 see MIC. He was not a casualty so I assume he discarded his RWAR identity disc when he joined the Lancashire Fusiliers.

I have just found a little more on George. He was born in Birmingham, Warwickshire in 1896 and died also in Birmingham in 1968 aged 72. I agree with BWEF, a private purchased ID disc simply thrown away when he was transferred into the Lancashire Fusiliers. This would have been a forced transfer to rebalance the numbers in battalions 1917/1918.”

If you can help, please contact Guy at [email protected]