1915

His Medals Index Card shows he was a Captain with 123rd Outram’s Rifles – (they became an infantry regiment of the British India Army in 1903 as part of the Kitchener reforms of the Indian Army; They were sent to Aden in 1903; The Regt. raised further battalions during the course of WW1 seeing service in the Middle East; After the Palestine campaign began in 1917 the Regiment joined the 234th Brigade, 75th Division [as did the 4th Reserve Bn. Devon Regt. on 13.12.1917 in India], involved in the Third Battle of Gaza beginning on 31.10.1917, the Megiddo Offensive in September 1918. War came to an end in the Middle East on 30.10.1918 with the Ottoman Armistice; 1st Bn. existed from 1820 to 1922; The 2nd Bn. formed at Baroda on 29.12.1915 and was disbanded on 12.08.1921; This Battalion served in Burma until 1917 until moving to Lucknow early 1918; Did not serve outside of India in WW1; On 06.05.1919 saw service in the 3rd Anglo-Afghan War; Served in 1920 in Mesopotamia; 

On 01.10.1914 John Robert Birchall became a Temporary Lieutenant, 4th Bn. Devons, gazetted 23.11.1914; The Devonshire Regiment in British Army list for February 1915 has Captain Birchall J R on (28.11.1914) with 4th Bn Devon's (Territorial) in Exeter; He was Commanding ‘B’ Company on 02.04.1915 in Malappuran, Kerala, India; 

British Army List for October 1917 has Lt. J R Birchall of 4th Bn. Devons, serving as Staff Captain with the Ferozepore Brigade, 3rd (Lahore) div. Area; HQ Staff of the Army in India; 

London Gazette Index of 1918 has Military Promotion (Territorial Force) for Lieutenant (acting Captain) J R Birchall to be Acting Major; 

London Gazette Index of 1919 has OfKicers of the Indian Army, Promotions – Commands and Staff, Lieutenant (temporary Captain) J R Birchall to be Staff Captain; 

MIC also has him as John Robert Birchall Captain with 2/4th Devon Regiment. (They were formed in Exeter September 1914; Sailed for India 12.012.1914 arriving Madras January 1915; They became 4th Reserve Battalion, Devon Regiment on 13.12.1917 & were with the 234th Brigade, 75th Division in India); 

Medals Index Card has him as John Albert Birchall, Captain with the Army Education Corps. Later recorded as Acting Lieutenant Colonel also with AEC; 

The OC of HQ Cairo Brigade, Kasr-el-Nil, Cairo entitled this ofKicer for BW & Victory Medals on 10.08.1922; The address given for medals was Messrs. Holt & Co., #3, Whitehall Place, London SW;   Medals   were  issued   from   the   Devon's  medal   roll   to   Lieutenant   Colonel   J   R   Birchall   on 28.11.1922; His Emblems (mentions in despatches etc.) were issued by the Government of India; 

I failed to Kind John Robert Birchall in 1921? 

London Gazette  Index  of 1921 has Military Promotions  (Territorial  Force)  Lieutenant  (acting Lieutenant Colonel) J R Birchall relinquishing the acting rank of Lt. Colonel; London Gazette Index of 1922 has Captain J R Birchall promoted to temporary Instructor, Cl. FF); 

(There is an internet entry that records John R Birchall married a Lo=ja Koplewwska in Poland in 1922-1923)? 

London Gazette Index of 1925 under Miltary Promotions, Regular Forces, Royal Military College, J R Birchall; London Gazette Index of 1930 has J R Birchall serving at the Royal Miliatry College; On 03.06.1933 the London Gazette has Captain John Robert Birchall, M.A., Army Educational Corps, Chief Instructor, Army School of Education in India, awarded the OBE; Throughout my research of the London Gazette Indexes from 1930 to 1947 I found promotion data for J R Birchall both in the l...