tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1944079581687608453.post395566611588400314..comments2024-03-18T18:08:58.999+00:00Comments on Army Service Numbers 1881-1918: Border Regiment recruitment in 1906Paul Nixonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12354531380984476532noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1944079581687608453.post-2952348035086235472018-10-09T13:21:44.137+01:002018-10-09T13:21:44.137+01:00Thanks for this information. I wondered why my gr...Thanks for this information. I wondered why my grandmother's uncle ( Bert Price 8338) had joined the Border Regiment 15th May 1906 when he was born and raised in Islington. I though Royal Welch Fsiliers would be logical for a a London Welsh lad. I see by his attestation papers he signed up in Stratford. He was soon posted to Burma and was there with the rest of the 1st Battalion when war broke out. One good thing about him joining up is he became pals with my grandfather John Rowntree ( 9078) who signed up in Nov 1906 in Durham where he was born. Bert took grandad home on leave during the war and he met my grandmother. It's nice to have gaps filled in the family story by information like this.Captain Obvioushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02066219924086444115noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1944079581687608453.post-47981594192204804332016-10-22T12:05:20.106+01:002016-10-22T12:05:20.106+01:00Re inter-regimental transfers. Thanks for comment...Re inter-regimental transfers. Thanks for commenting. I have seen men transferring in order to serve with family members. Men could also buy themselves out of the army (if they could afford to do so) and then re-enlist. My own 2x great uncle did this, enlisting in the Wiltshire Regt in 1894, buying himself out within three months and then immediately enlisting again, this time with the 20th Hussars. However, despite the fact that his papers survive, his motivations remain a mystery. Inter-regimental transfers could also occur if a battalion was under-establishment and due for service overseas. This seems to have been particularly common with cavalry but may also have been relevant for infantry - and the NF and Border Regt were effectively neighbours.Paul Nixonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12354531380984476532noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1944079581687608453.post-28446761415574103012016-10-17T15:51:17.999+01:002016-10-17T15:51:17.999+01:00Being a Norfolk family through and through for at ...Being a Norfolk family through and through for at least five generations it always caused much confusion as to why my great grandfather spent around twenty years in the Border Regiment. Research has revealed that after enlisting in the Norfolk Regiment and a very brief spell in the Northumberland Fusilers, Robert James NEWBY 8784 transferred to Border Regiment in around 1906, surviving WW1 as an Old Comtemptible, continued to serve the Border Regiment as a Serjeant Instructor in Aspatria Cumberland into the 1920s. Whilst I understand the reasonings in the blog and comments for new recruits being drawn from across the UK, what would have been the motivation or reasoning for transfers between three regiments in such a short space of time? Keep up the good work.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1944079581687608453.post-29048470679054532332011-06-19T13:40:35.089+01:002011-06-19T13:40:35.089+01:00Sue
All regiments recruited outside of their '...Sue<br /><br />All regiments recruited outside of their 'local' recruitment areas and at different times, according to the strenght of their establishment, that recruitment may have been more vigorous than on other occasions. Perfectly natural therefore, that your grandfather should have joined up at Stratford outside the snapshot period that my post dealt with.<br /><br />PaulPaul Nixonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12354531380984476532noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1944079581687608453.post-51371977127079016942011-06-16T15:27:53.319+01:002011-06-16T15:27:53.319+01:00Hi Paul
Interesting reading - thanks.
However I qu...Hi Paul<br />Interesting reading - thanks.<br />However I question your reasoning that they extended their recruiting net in 1905 - my grandfather (roll 7415) enlisted in Stratford in April 1904<br />Regards<br />SueAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1944079581687608453.post-70799246350966509002009-06-25T04:19:19.964+01:002009-06-25T04:19:19.964+01:00Thanks Chris
I've just posted again on recrui...Thanks Chris<br /><br />I've just posted again on recruitment in the 19th Century and quoted from Alan Kelley's book on the Victorian Soldier at Home which supports what you and Graham are saying.<br /><br />PaulPaul Nixonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12354531380984476532noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1944079581687608453.post-1771490396738667992009-06-24T21:37:29.314+01:002009-06-24T21:37:29.314+01:00Paul,
Another informative blog on the Borders, ve...Paul,<br /><br />Another informative blog on the Borders, very interesting and I will definitely agree with your thoughts on the recruiting process including men from other counties, often counties at the other end of the country.<br /><br />Generally, from reading articles, browsing websites etc. this almost exclusively seems to be the case with several other regiments where recruitment was lacking and so if men from a regiment's home county were not interested in joining, a search for those who were would have to have come from somewhere else....and the bigger poplations were almost always going to yield better recruiting results.<br /><br />Graham's comment sort of confirms your theory.<br /><br />Methinks you are correct!<br /><br />Chris - Border Regiment ForumChrisnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1944079581687608453.post-78670467585177964692009-06-24T15:58:04.332+01:002009-06-24T15:58:04.332+01:00Graham
Thanks for your helpful insights as ever. ...Graham<br /><br />Thanks for your helpful insights as ever. I did check through some of the recruitment areas for the Border Regiment for 1905 and although there is a Stratford (London) enlistment there, most of the other men who joined up that year, came from the areas I'd have expected them to come from.<br /><br />But there was certainly a surge in recruitment for the Border Regt in 1906 and that happened well away from Border country. I reckon that Jersey is about as far south as you can go, without recruiting for French regiments!<br /><br />The NF man in the list I published was also a Londoner. There was another too, not included in that list because I couldn't identify his original number. But he joined up in 1905 and then transferred to the Border Regt the following year.<br /><br />Fascinating stuff as usual though, Mr Stewart, but like you, being many miles away from likely sources for Digest of Service documents, I'm going to have to put that quest on a back-burner for the time being.<br /><br />PaulPaul Nixonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12354531380984476532noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1944079581687608453.post-52731395352572788682009-06-24T15:46:11.578+01:002009-06-24T15:46:11.578+01:00Hi Paul,
Have read yor blog regarding the Border R...Hi Paul,<br />Have read yor blog regarding the Border Regiment and in particular your comment regarding the regiments "traditional" recruiting area. However I have to say that despite the Cardwell reforms of 1881 and the idea that regiments would recruit from within their set boundaries, in reality it was a total "myth" and virtually all regiments were forced to seek recruits well beyond their territorial borders as set by the Cardwell system.<br /><br />My conclusions are based upon many years of research into the Northumberland Fusiliers and recruiting in general and for a better idea as to how regiments were recruiting you have to look at their "Digest of Service", which is usually a brief resume of the regiments history, but includes lesser known details on recruitment, desertion, as well as changes in uniform and clothing.<br /><br />Sadly being located out here in Saudi I have none of my notes with me, but can well recall the Northumberlands did infact recorded that they had more men serving from the Home Counties than from Northumberland itself. Also on more than one occassion it was announced that London was closed to recruiting for the Northumberlands, such was the regiments popularity. <br /><br />I also own a "Pamphlet for Recruiters" dated 1895 for Coalville, Leicestershire. In that pamphlet are a list of regiments which can be regarded as "target" units, i.e. units for which recruiters are given preference to fill.<br /><br />If a "Digest of Service" for any regiment can be found you'll find some interesting observations not found elsewhere.<br /><br />Love the site and all the best,<br />Graham.Graham Stewartnoreply@blogger.com