This post will look at army service numbers issued to regular soldiers of the Royal Sussex Regiment between 1881 and 1916 (where my data currently ends).
Numbers issued to the men joining regular battalions of the Royal Sussex Regiment were generally, but not always, prefixed with the letter L/. In the sample list or army service numbers and corresponding joining dates below, I have omitted this prefix.
129 joined on 23rd August 1881
542 joined on 3rd January 1882
1181 joined on 12th January 1883
1494 joined on 21st February 1884
1972 joined on 11th July 1885
2197 joined on 26th January 1886
2552 joined on 25th January 1887
2866 joined on 20th July 1888
3122 joined on 20th February 1889
3549 joined on 7th November 1890
3603 joined on 4th January 1891
3902 joined on 2nd January 1892
4246 joined on 19th January 1893
4575 joined on 27th February 1894
4900 joined on 14th June 1895
5090 joined on 17th January 1896
5390 joined on 24th June 1897
5510 joined on 10th January 1898
5887 joined on 24th April 1899
6183 joined on 7th February 1900
6368 joined on 16th February 1901
6740 joined on 4th January 1902
7347 joined on 14th January 1903
7739 joined on 22nd January 1904
8153 joined on 18th January 1905
8407 joined on 9th January 1906
8647 joined on 9th January 1907
9023 joined on 18th February 1908
9210 joined on 5th April 1909
9413 joined on 7th July 1910
9556 joined on 2nd January 1911
9841 joined on 6th January 1912
10085 joined on 2nd January 1913
10276 joined on 3rd February 1914
The First World War
When Britain declared war on Germany in August 1914 and her infantry regiments expanded with new the addition of new war-time “service” battalions, it was common for these new battalions (with the notable exception of the Pals-type battalions) to continue numbering men in the same series that had, up until then, been in use by the regular battalions. Not so The Royal Sussex Regiment. War-time service enlistments – which I’ll cover in more depth in a future posts – were given numbers from a new series beginning with 1 and prefixed with the letter G/, whilst men who, during the war years, continued to join up for regular terms of enlistment with the Royal Sussex Regiment, continued to be numbered from the original series (their numbers for the most part prefixed with L/.) The South Down battalions which were Pals-type battalions also had their own separate number series prefixed with SD/.
Numbers issued to the men joining regular battalions of the Royal Sussex Regiment were generally, but not always, prefixed with the letter L/. In the sample list or army service numbers and corresponding joining dates below, I have omitted this prefix.
129 joined on 23rd August 1881
542 joined on 3rd January 1882
1181 joined on 12th January 1883
1494 joined on 21st February 1884
1972 joined on 11th July 1885
2197 joined on 26th January 1886
2552 joined on 25th January 1887
2866 joined on 20th July 1888
3122 joined on 20th February 1889
3549 joined on 7th November 1890
3603 joined on 4th January 1891
3902 joined on 2nd January 1892
4246 joined on 19th January 1893
4575 joined on 27th February 1894
4900 joined on 14th June 1895
5090 joined on 17th January 1896
5390 joined on 24th June 1897
5510 joined on 10th January 1898
5887 joined on 24th April 1899
6183 joined on 7th February 1900
6368 joined on 16th February 1901
6740 joined on 4th January 1902
7347 joined on 14th January 1903
7739 joined on 22nd January 1904
8153 joined on 18th January 1905
8407 joined on 9th January 1906
8647 joined on 9th January 1907
9023 joined on 18th February 1908
9210 joined on 5th April 1909
9413 joined on 7th July 1910
9556 joined on 2nd January 1911
9841 joined on 6th January 1912
10085 joined on 2nd January 1913
10276 joined on 3rd February 1914
The First World War
When Britain declared war on Germany in August 1914 and her infantry regiments expanded with new the addition of new war-time “service” battalions, it was common for these new battalions (with the notable exception of the Pals-type battalions) to continue numbering men in the same series that had, up until then, been in use by the regular battalions. Not so The Royal Sussex Regiment. War-time service enlistments – which I’ll cover in more depth in a future posts – were given numbers from a new series beginning with 1 and prefixed with the letter G/, whilst men who, during the war years, continued to join up for regular terms of enlistment with the Royal Sussex Regiment, continued to be numbered from the original series (their numbers for the most part prefixed with L/.) The South Down battalions which were Pals-type battalions also had their own separate number series prefixed with SD/.
Albert Padgham, Pictured above (seated) joined up on regular terms of service during the First World War. His number was L/10419 which means that he must have joined between the 7th and the 19th August 1914. Albert died of wounds on 24th August 1916. You can read more about him on my Chailey 1914-1918 website.
10403 joined on 7th August 1914
10476 joined on 4th September 1914
10543 joined on 26th October 1914
10574 joined on 14th November 1914
10615 joined on 11th December 1914
10630 joined on 4th January 1915
10667 joined on 1st February 1915
10706 joined on 2nd March 1915
10761 joined on 13th April 1915
10812 joined on 17th May 1915
10873 joined on 25th June 1915
10887 joined on 6th July 1915
10936 joined on 4th August 1915
10982 joined on 20th September 1915
10998 joined on 8th October 1915
11037 joined on 15th November 1915
11045 joined on 1st December 1915
11057 joined on 11th January 1916
11088 joined on 18th May 1916
It is important to make the distinction between numbers prefixed with L/ (above) and those which, from August 1914, would be prefixed with G/.
G/10290 joined a service battalion of the Royal Sussex Regiment in March 1916 whereas L/10290 would have joined the 1st or 2nd Battalion around March 1914.
Find Royal Sussex Regiment service records, pension records and medal index cards on-line via ANCESTRY
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