tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19440795816876084532024-03-18T18:09:01.847+00:00Army Service Numbers 1881-1918British regimental number research. First World War research. Military research. British Army regiments. Regimental numbering sequences between 1881 and 1918. Regimental number series. Other rank prisoners of war 1914.Paul Nixonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12354531380984476532noreply@blogger.comBlogger653125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1944079581687608453.post-51692189188041795802022-09-23T17:39:00.004+01:002022-09-23T17:39:57.639+01:009th (Highlanders) Royal Scots<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfSE29b8nvkcco2Bjxt7CxhggKAlxE7MYoGsHJU0355TbFR1GnP9pX1284Izn6uF7o6RVbxVYosN0SObLBTlHLUzgVgkwKyauUOgehh1F12AuNDUbPwR98rd7B0qdBeatqiV-HeXeiP5Rh_FuCOJ4Y3YYxHSfhhxWbJYoXHihOXeRqfGJPusBlj3dR/s950/9th%20Royal%20Scots%20-%20Aberdour%20Camp%201909.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="605" data-original-width="950" height="255" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfSE29b8nvkcco2Bjxt7CxhggKAlxE7MYoGsHJU0355TbFR1GnP9pX1284Izn6uF7o6RVbxVYosN0SObLBTlHLUzgVgkwKyauUOgehh1F12AuNDUbPwR98rd7B0qdBeatqiV-HeXeiP5Rh_FuCOJ4Y3YYxHSfhhxWbJYoXHihOXeRqfGJPusBlj3dR/w400-h255/9th%20Royal%20Scots%20-%20Aberdour%20Camp%201909.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />Neill Gilhooley alerts me to some terrific research he has undertaken into the <a href="https://neillgilhooley.com/9th-royal-scots/serial-numbers/" target="_blank">9th Royal Scots</a>. The fruits of his considerable labours can be viewed by clicking on the link above.<p></p><p>The photo, source unknown, shows men of the 9th Royal Scots at their annual camp, on this occasion at Aberdour, in 1909.</p>Paul Nixonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12354531380984476532noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1944079581687608453.post-71950112282466536182022-08-09T17:03:00.001+01:002022-08-09T19:33:12.825+01:00Royal Munster Fusiliers - Regular, Special & Extra Reserve enlistments<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUVv--d5S5PNmoe2hYkUY-0Nud0iXneWMT9XQvD9P3F_sAV_wsWPgKyLH4THb2KywKSeVlw6b4eDkBn6Wsl1iNP0erqTg7-Na9rvdnz8h58IgKwGFrzI9ekvggm_OnIxKGXOPkxJRFmkA19fwIg8jXdHfWfTW-xRJU2A9oImtMSeCWnJsZxH6taZWp/s676/RMF.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="565" data-original-width="676" height="334" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUVv--d5S5PNmoe2hYkUY-0Nud0iXneWMT9XQvD9P3F_sAV_wsWPgKyLH4THb2KywKSeVlw6b4eDkBn6Wsl1iNP0erqTg7-Na9rvdnz8h58IgKwGFrzI9ekvggm_OnIxKGXOPkxJRFmkA19fwIg8jXdHfWfTW-xRJU2A9oImtMSeCWnJsZxH6taZWp/w400-h334/RMF.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>Having recently posted three separate posts on regimental numbering in the <a href="https://armyservicenumbers.blogspot.com/2022/08/royal-munster-fusiliers-3rd-special.html">3rd (Special Reserve) Battalion</a>, <a href="https://armyservicenumbers.blogspot.com/2022/08/royal-munster-fusiliers-4th-extra.html">4th (Extra Reserve) Battalion</a> and <a href="https://armyservicenumbers.blogspot.com/2022/08/royal-munster-fusiliers-5th-extra.html">5th (Extra Reserve Battalion)</a> of the Royal Munster Fusiliers (RMF), I thought it would be helpful to illustrate the problems we face when trying to work out when our RMF ancestor joined the regiment - and which battalion he joined.</p><p>Between 1908 and 1914, men joining the 1st and 2nd Battalions would have been issued with numbers in the approximate range 8700 to 10320. For men joining the 3rd Battalion, the number range was approximately 3000 to 4500, for the 4th Battalion it was 4000 to 7300 and for the 5th Battalion it was 5300 to 6100. I stress that these number ranges are approximate.</p><p>So if you know your RMF ancestor earned the 1914 Star and had the regimental number 4300, he could have originally joined the 3rd or 4th Battalion. For that matter, it's also possible that he was an older soldier who had originally joined the 5th (Militia) Battalion pre-1908. If he was in fact a career soldier, he would have had to have joined the RMF in 1893. </p><p>Take a look at the 1914 Star medal roll extract on this post. The 3rd Battalion only reached the 5100s by December 1914. For the 4th Battalion, they reached the 7600s, and the 5th Battalion was in the 6600s. This means that a man with a number higher than 7700 must have been a career soldier and must have originally served with the 1st or 2nd Battalion.</p><p>Ten of the 12 men on this extract must therefore have been career soldiers. So that leaves 6093 Walton and 7202 Crowe. Walton could have enlisted with the 4th or 5th Battalions, but not the 3rd. Crowe could have enlisted with the 4th, but not the 3rd or 5th Battalions. For that matter, both men could have been early regular enlistments - see my post on <a href="https://armyservicenumbers.blogspot.com/2009/10/royal-munster-fusiliers-1st-2nd.html" target="_blank">numbering in the 1st & 2nd Battalions</a> - with Walton potentially joining the regiment in 1898, and Crowe joining in 1902.</p><p>In such cases, you'd be hoping for a service record or a record in MH 106 (hospital admissions) to provide additional information about these men's length of service. My own hunch, without having researched these two men further is that they probably were long-serving career soldiers, given that they arrived overseas on the 13th August 1914 along with the majority of the other men on this roll.</p>Paul Nixonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12354531380984476532noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1944079581687608453.post-29766179141505489002022-08-09T16:06:00.002+01:002022-08-09T16:06:22.792+01:00Royal Munster Fusiliers - 5th (Extra Reserve) Battalion<p><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">This
post will look at regimental numbering in the 5th (Extra Reserve) Battalion of
the Royal Munster Fusiliers between 1908 and 1914. The Special Reserve and the
Extra Reserve were the natural heirs to the militia battalions which, for the
most part, they replaced in 1908. My 2009 article on the </span><a href="https://armyservicenumbers.blogspot.com/2009/02/creation-of-special-reserve-in-1908.html" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2288bb;">Creation of the Special Reserve in
1908</span></a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> may be helpful here.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">The Royal Munster Fusiliers had three militia
battalions (the 3rd, 4th and 5th Battalions) and these survived in all but name
when the Special Reserve was introduced in 1908. Men who were then serving with
the 3rd (Militia) Battalion, were asked if they wanted to continue to serve
with the newly formed 3rd (Special Reserve) Battalion, and men who were then
serving with the 4th and 5th (Militia) Battalions, were asked if they wanted to
continue to serve with the newly formed 4th & 5th (Extra Reserve) Battalions. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Men joining the militia and special/extra reserve
were not career soldiers. The Army Book for the British Empire, published in
1893 provided a useful overview of the militia when it noted:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><i><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">"Its object is to maintain in the United Kingdom a trained body of
men available "in case of imminent national danger or great
emergency" to supplement the regular army in the defence of the country.</span></i><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><i><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">"It offers military service to the class of men willing to give it
for a month in the year for training of for the term of their engagement on
emergency, but whose avocations do not lead them to become either regular
soldiers or volunteers."</span></i><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Most 1914 Star rolls show plenty of evidence of
Special Reserve and Extra Reserve men who served alongside career soldiers.
Sometimes their numbers are prefixed by the number of their battalion -
typically a 3/ or 4/ in most line infantry regiments - but just as often there
will be no prefix.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">In 1908 the regular battalions were numbering in
the 8000 range whereas the 5th Battalion, picking up the old militia numbering sequence,
was numbering in the 5000s. When these 4th Battalion men were called up as
drafts for the regular 1st and 2nd Battalions from August 1914, they retained
their original 5th Battalion regimental numbers.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Here are some sample regimental numbers and joining
dates for the <b>5th Royal Munster Fusiliers</b>. Use this information to
estimate when a man would have joined this battalion.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">5319 joined on the 28th
December 1908<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">5357 joined on the 28th
February 1909<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">5529 joined on the 16th
May 1910<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">5629 joined on the 17th
February 1911 <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">5845 joined on the 7th
November 1912<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">5994 joined on the 12th
December 1913<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">6031 joined on the
14th April 1914<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">6119 joined on the 18th
August 1914<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">6216 joined on the
15th September 1914</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Do also read of
some of the articles towards the bottom of the </span><a href="https://armyservicenumbers.blogspot.com/p/index.html" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2288bb;">Army Service Numbers 1881-1918 index</span></a><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">. </span></p>Paul Nixonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12354531380984476532noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1944079581687608453.post-20627006574543700732022-08-09T15:56:00.003+01:002022-08-09T15:59:34.180+01:00Royal Munster Fusiliers - 4th (Extra Reserve) Battalion<p><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; font-size: 10pt;">This post will look at regimental
numbering in the 4th (Extra Reserve) Battalion of the Royal Munster Fusiliers
between 1908 and 1914. The Special Reserve and the Extra Reserve were the
natural heirs to the militia battalions which, for the most part, they replaced
in 1908. My 2009 article on the </span><a href="https://armyservicenumbers.blogspot.com/2009/02/creation-of-special-reserve-in-1908.html" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2288bb;">Creation of the Special Reserve in
1908</span></a><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; font-size: 10pt;"> may be helpful here.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: #222222; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">The Royal Munster Fusiliers had three militia
battalions (the 3rd, 4th and 5th battalions) and these survived in all but name
when the Special Reserve was introduced in 1908. Men who were then serving with
the 3rd (Militia) Battalion, were asked if they wanted to continue to serve
with the newly formed 3rd (Special Reserve) Battalion, and men who were then
serving with the 4th and 5th (Militia) Battalions, were asked if they wanted to
continue to serve with the newly formed 4th & 5th (Extra Reserve) Battalions. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: #222222; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Men joining the militia and special/extra reserve
were not career soldiers. The Army Book for the British Empire, published in
1893 provided a useful overview of the militia when it noted:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><i><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: #222222; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">"Its object is to maintain in the United Kingdom a trained body of
men available "in case of imminent national danger or great
emergency" to supplement the regular army in the defence of the country.</span></i><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: #222222; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><i><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: #222222; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">"It offers military service to the class of men willing to give it
for a month in the year for training of for the term of their engagement on
emergency, but whose avocations do not lead them to become either regular
soldiers or volunteers."</span></i><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: #222222; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: #222222; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Most 1914 Star rolls show plenty of evidence of
Special Reserve and Extra Reserve men who served alongside career soldiers.
Sometimes their numbers are prefixed by the number of their battalion -
typically a 3/ or 4/ in most line infantry regiments - but just as often there
will be no prefix.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: #222222; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">In 1908 the regular battalions were numbering in
the 8000 range whereas the 4th Battalion, picking up the old militia numbering sequence,
was numbering in the 4000s. When these 4th Battalion men were called up as
drafts for the regular 1st and 2nd Battalions from August 1914, they retained
their original 4th Battalion regimental numbers.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: #222222; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Here are some sample regimental numbers and joining
dates for the <b>4th Royal Munster Fusiliers</b>. Use this information to
estimate when a man would have joined this battalion.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; text-align: justify;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: #222222; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">2876 (a former
militia man) joined on the 2nd August 1908<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; text-align: justify;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: #222222; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">6160 joined on the 27th
June 1910<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; text-align: justify;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: #222222; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">6297 joined on the 25th
November 1911 <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; text-align: justify;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: #222222; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">6607 joined on the 16th
March 1912<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; text-align: justify;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: #222222; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">6917 joined on the 26th
May 1913<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; text-align: justify;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: #222222; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">7268 joined on the
17th July 1914<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; text-align: justify;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: #222222; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">7325 joined on the
8th August 1914<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; text-align: justify;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: #222222; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">7481 Joined on the
10th September 1914<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; text-align: justify;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: #222222; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">7587 joined on the
15th October 1914<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; text-align: justify;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #222222; font-size: 10pt;">Do also read of
some of the articles towards the bottom of the </span><a href="https://armyservicenumbers.blogspot.com/p/index.html" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2288bb;">Army Service Numbers 1881-1918 index</span></a><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #222222; font-size: 10pt;">. </span></p>Paul Nixonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12354531380984476532noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1944079581687608453.post-31838646693107300472022-08-09T15:43:00.002+01:002022-08-09T15:43:43.509+01:00Royal Munster Fusiliers - 3rd (Special Reserve) Battalion<p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">This
post will look at regimental numbering in the 3rd (Special Reserve) Battalion
of the Royal Munster Fusiliers between 1908 and 1914. The Special Reserve and
the Extra Reserve were the natural heirs to the militia battalions which, for
the most part, they replaced in 1908. My 2009 article on the <a href="https://armyservicenumbers.blogspot.com/2009/02/creation-of-special-reserve-in-1908.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2288bb;">Creation of the Special Reserve in
1908</span></a> may be helpful here.</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">The Royal Munster Fusiliers had three militia
battalions (the 3rd, 4th and 5th battalions) and these survived in all but name
when the Special Reserve was introduced in 1908. Men who were then serving with
the 3rd (Militia) Battalion, were asked if they wanted to continue to serve
with the newly formed 3rd (Special Reserve) Battalion, and men who were then
serving with the 4th and 5th (Militia) Battalions, were asked if they wanted to
continue to serve with the newly formed 4th & 5th (Extra Reserve) Battalions. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Men joining the militia and special/extra reserve
were not career soldiers. The Army Book for the British Empire, published in
1893 provided a useful overview of the militia when it noted:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><i><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">"Its object is to maintain in the United Kingdom a trained body of
men available "in case of imminent national danger or great
emergency" to supplement the regular army in the defence of the country.</span></i><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><i><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">"It offers military service to the class of men willing to give it
for a month in the year for training of for the term of their engagement on
emergency, but whose avocations do not lead them to become either regular
soldiers or volunteers."</span></i><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Most 1914 Star rolls show plenty of evidence of
Special Reserve and Extra Reserve men who served alongside career soldiers.
Sometimes their numbers are prefixed by the number of their battalion -
typically a 3/ or 4/ in most line infantry regiments - but just as often there
will be no prefix.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">In 1908 the regular battalions were numbering in
the 8000 range whereas the 3rd Battalion, picking up the old militia numbering sequence,
was numbering in the 3000s. When these 3rd Battalion men were called up as
drafts for the regular 1st and 2nd Battalions from August 1914, they retained
their original 3rd Battalion regimental numbers.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Here are some sample regimental numbers and joining
dates for the <b>3rd Royal Munster Fusiliers</b>. Use this information to
estimate when a man would have joined this battalion.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">3766 had originally
joined the militia in January 1908 and retained this number from April 1908.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">3867 joined on the
6th January 1909<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">4159 joined on the
13th April 1910<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">4256 joined on the
8th April 1911 <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">4352 joined on the
7th February 1912<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">4462 joined on the
8th February 1913<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">4564 joined on the
8th August 1914<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Do also read of
some of the articles towards the bottom of the </span><a href="https://armyservicenumbers.blogspot.com/p/index.html" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2288bb;">Army Service Numbers 1881-1918 index</span></a><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">. </span></p><br /><p></p>Paul Nixonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12354531380984476532noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1944079581687608453.post-10612750598818197512022-04-23T14:14:00.004+01:002022-04-23T14:23:17.365+01:00Findmypast knocks 50% off 1921 Census views<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqPTFsAMR-gtIREls6uN3lJEqctpq1jVocHSNeX2-fbptWUc5E9GFDe-HDBrxydUdjSdZ7XmLQbcdu1WQEQs67EqAyFvcIVz8ArR_lV_tCbOgSj3h4PF_7ZVw01h4m_NgfGDDnxhxMcW6khbTqX2uXTDqZOlCmoKC9-xfwNXbAOfQLR-E48XlFJRqq/s933/1921%20Census.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="477" data-original-width="933" height="205" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqPTFsAMR-gtIREls6uN3lJEqctpq1jVocHSNeX2-fbptWUc5E9GFDe-HDBrxydUdjSdZ7XmLQbcdu1WQEQs67EqAyFvcIVz8ArR_lV_tCbOgSj3h4PF_7ZVw01h4m_NgfGDDnxhxMcW6khbTqX2uXTDqZOlCmoKC9-xfwNXbAOfQLR-E48XlFJRqq/w400-h205/1921%20Census.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Those of us with an interest in the First World War and earlier will have eagerly awaited the release of the 1921 Census by Findmypast. I have enjoyed finding soldiers who served in the First World War back in their civilian environments - usually - by 1921.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Now, in what could be termed a 'flash' sale, Findmypast has slashed the cost of viewing the census by 50%. However, you'll need to be quick because this offer ends at 9am BST on Tuesday 26th April. The normal cost to view a census image is <span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">£3.50, and to view a transcription it's </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">£2.50. However, these prices have been halved and so it will now cost just </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">£1.75 and </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">£1.25 respectively.</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Make the most of this offer. Remember, the sale ends at Tuesday at 9am BST. Click on this <a href="https://www.awin1.com/cread.php?awinmid=2114&awinaffid=94297&ued=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.findmypast.co.uk%2F1921-census" target="_blank">1921 Census sale</a> link to go straight to the Findmypast website. If you are not already registered with the site you will need to register first.</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Remember too, that you can also conduct a <a href="https://www.awin1.com/cread.php?awinmid=2114&awinaffid=94297&ued=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.findmypast.co.uk%2F1921-census%2Faddress" target="_blank">1921 Census address search</a> and a <a href="https://www.awin1.com/cread.php?awinmid=2114&awinaffid=94297&ued=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.findmypast.co.uk%2F1921-census%2Femployer" target="_blank">1921 Census Employer search</a>. So not only can you now see where your ancestor worked, but who he or she worked with.</span></span></div><p></p>Paul Nixonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12354531380984476532noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1944079581687608453.post-85642744987619041442022-04-23T13:52:00.001+01:002022-04-23T13:52:06.899+01:004th (Extra Reserve) Battalion, King's (Liverpool Regiment)<p><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFRQMtE4eK037YjyhijGUyQ4m7LKHqFdI6xRKx4ZWcuWqeXJnzjo2PptBBUIun5Rsj-M7ZWDHkiPsPaVImkmhuINxClts33icHY_bziVrX9j2qnS-9SsdhKRCCWHwGFHIWg8LabkBFEohFYRYR6j3Be-kWbbhYClB4TDV5KPkuqaE_tHTBj0i93uY0/s621/King's%20(Liverpool%20Regt).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="621" height="258" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFRQMtE4eK037YjyhijGUyQ4m7LKHqFdI6xRKx4ZWcuWqeXJnzjo2PptBBUIun5Rsj-M7ZWDHkiPsPaVImkmhuINxClts33icHY_bziVrX9j2qnS-9SsdhKRCCWHwGFHIWg8LabkBFEohFYRYR6j3Be-kWbbhYClB4TDV5KPkuqaE_tHTBj0i93uY0/w400-h258/King's%20(Liverpool%20Regt).jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />This post will look at regimental numbering in the 4th (Extra Reserve) Battalion, King’s (Liverpool Regiment) between 1908 and August 1914. <p></p><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Men signed up for six years' service on the understanding that they were "liable to be called out or detained whilst called up for training, in case of imminent national danger, or great emergency, on permanent service in the United Kingdom, or elsewhere..." and furthermore that they "could be detained in army service for the unexpired portion of [their] term of service in the Army Reserve and for a further period not exceeding 12 months..." And when Britain went to war in August 1914 that is exactly what happened. Men in the Extra Reserve were called up and were soon forming drafts to replace casualties in the regular battalions which, in the case of the King’s (Liverpool Regiment), were the 1st and 2nd Battalions. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">The regimental numbering sequence used by the 4th (Extra Reserve) Battalion was entirely separate from the numbering series used by the 1st and 2nd Battalions and separate also from the numbering system in the 3rd (Special Reserve) Battalions. Both the 3rd and the 4th Battalions had been created in April 1908 with the demise of the 3rd and 4th (Militia) Battalions. Use these sample regimental numbers to ascertain when a man would have joined the 4th (Extra Reserve) Battalion, King’s (Liverpool Regiment). </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">7072 joined on the 19th July 1908 </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">4/8153 joined on the 20th January 1909 </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">8423 joined on the 6th April 1910 </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">8652 joined on the 13th March1912 </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">8810 joined on the 25th July 1913 </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">8909 joined on the 18th March1914 </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">9103 joined on the 4th August 1914 </span></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">The 4/ prefix was used inconsistently and it can therefore be confusing at times when it comes to trying to ascertain, from a man's regimental number alone, whether he was a regular soldier or a man who had originally joined the Extra Reserve. For instance, whilst the number 9103, above, was issued to an Extra Reservist in August 1914, the same number would have been issued to a man signing up as a regular in 1904.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">For photos of King's (Liverpool Regiment) soldiers don't forget to check out my <a href="https://www.britisharmyancestors.co.uk/" target="_blank">British Army Ancestors website</a>.</span></div>Paul Nixonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12354531380984476532noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1944079581687608453.post-61646761289608544292022-04-23T13:42:00.002+01:002022-04-23T13:43:52.644+01:003rd (Special Reserve) Battalion, King's (Liverpool Regiment)<span style="font-family: arial;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuFyzkpNDOaudGEXBn916bbp3aKchWpi-oO_6QP3MhpQ9Ku-AMrSD0IaOyZpdxYWI_O_X-eFhH74adu-UWkMaSPP7wHe9Rpahd-5rL3H-vkoXrrsNulcglw9cz-rqY974x-LCh-teHdJ4g73lyvX5UPxyWP_wToZt6YLrScL2x1DiEawV4su7jkWQv/s3811/063-001.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3811" data-original-width="2409" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuFyzkpNDOaudGEXBn916bbp3aKchWpi-oO_6QP3MhpQ9Ku-AMrSD0IaOyZpdxYWI_O_X-eFhH74adu-UWkMaSPP7wHe9Rpahd-5rL3H-vkoXrrsNulcglw9cz-rqY974x-LCh-teHdJ4g73lyvX5UPxyWP_wToZt6YLrScL2x1DiEawV4su7jkWQv/w253-h400/063-001.jpg" width="253" /></a></div><br />This post will look at regimental numbering in the 3rd (Special Reserve) Battalion, King’s (Liverpool Regiment) between 1908 and November 1914. </span><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Men signed up for six years' service on the understanding that they were "liable to be called out or detained whilst called up for training, in case of imminent national danger, or great emergency, on permanent service in the United Kingdom, or elsewhere..." and furthermore that they "could be detained in army service for the unexpired portion of [their] term of service in the Army Reserve and for a further period not exceeding 12 months..." And when Britain went to war in August 1914 that is exactly what happened. Men in the Special Reserve were called up and were soon forming drafts to replace casualties in the regular battalions which, in the case of the King’s (Liverpool Regiment), were the 1st and 2nd Battalions. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">The regimental numbering sequence used by the 3rd (Special Reserve) Battalion was entirely separate from the numbering series used by the 1st and 2nd Battalions and separate also from the numbering system in the 4th (Extra Reserve) Battalions. Both the 3rd and the 4th Battalions had been created in April 1908 with the demise of the 3rd and 4th (Militia) Battalions.
Use these sample regimental numbers to ascertain when a man would have joined the 3rd (Special Reserve) Battalion, King’s (Liverpool Regiment). </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">9272 joined on the 30th June 1908 </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">9542 joined on the 24th June 1909 </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">9732 joined on the 4th March 1910 </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">9851 joined on the 18th April 1911 </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">10030 joined on the 5th January1912 </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">10290 joined on the 19th February 1913 </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">3/10628 joined on the 6th August 1914 </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">3/11991 joined on the 12th September 1914 </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">3/12339 joined on the 1st October 1914 </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">3/12628 joined on the 2nd November 1914 </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">The 3/ prefix was used inconsistently and it can therefore be confusing at times when it comes to trying to ascertain, from a man's regimental number alone, whether he was a regular soldier or a man who had originally joined the Special Reserve. For instance, whilst the number 9851, above, was issued to a Special Reservist in April 1911, the same number would have been issued to a man signing up as a regular in 1907.
</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">For photos of King's (Liverpool Regiment) soldiers don't forget to check out my <a href="https://www.britisharmyancestors.co.uk/" target="_blank">British Army Ancestors website</a>.</span></div>Paul Nixonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12354531380984476532noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1944079581687608453.post-17782724125419425092022-03-29T10:08:00.004+01:002022-03-29T10:11:32.043+01:00The British Army in the 1921 Census<p></p><p style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><span face=""Calibri","sans-serif"" style="color: #333333; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Findmypast’s recent release of the <a href="https://www.awin1.com/cread.php?awinmid=2114&awinaffid=94297&ued=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.findmypast.co.uk%2F1921-census" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #337ab7;">1921 Census of England & Wales</span></a> provides
an ideal opportunity for a quick sanity check on where the British Army was
located in June 1921. With the singular exception of Scotland, the census returns
for which are expected to be released later this year, if your British Army
Ancestor was in uniform in June 1921, you should find him in the <a href="https://www.awin1.com/cread.php?awinmid=2114&awinaffid=94297&ued=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.findmypast.co.uk%2F1921-census"><span style="color: #337ab7;">1921 Census of England & Wales</span></a>. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><span face=""Calibri","sans-serif"" style="color: #333333; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><span face=""Calibri","sans-serif"" style="color: #333333; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">As with the 1911 Census, the <a href="https://www.awin1.com/cread.php?awinmid=2114&awinaffid=94297&ued=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.findmypast.co.uk%2F1921-census"><span style="color: #337ab7;">1921 Census of England & Wales</span></a> also
enumerated men who were stationed overseas, and Findmypast provides some great
detail about where you’ll find these men.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><span face=""Calibri","sans-serif"" style="color: #333333; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><span face=""Calibri","sans-serif"" style="color: #333333; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">There are 35 separate volumes (‘pieces’ is the archival term)
for the British Army overseas, 11 pieces for the Royal Navy and a single piece
for the RAF. It is possible to search by piece number on the main 1921 Census
search page and doing so will quickly enable you to filter out irrelevant
results. Here are the piece numbers and locationd for the British Army overseas in June 1921:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><span face=""Calibri","sans-serif"" style="color: #333333; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><span face=""Calibri","sans-serif"" style="color: #333333; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">28107: Mesopotamia<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><span face=""Calibri","sans-serif"" style="color: #333333; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">28108: Mesopotamia</span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><span face=""Calibri","sans-serif"" style="color: #333333; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">28109:<span style="mso-tab-count: 3;"> </span>Hong
Kong, China, Aden, South Africa, Singapore, Bermuda, troop ships at sea<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><span face=""Calibri","sans-serif"" style="color: #333333; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">28110: Constantinople<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><span face=""Calibri","sans-serif"" style="color: #333333; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">28111:<span style="mso-tab-count: 3;"> </span>Egypt,
Sudan & Cyprus<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><span face=""Calibri","sans-serif"" style="color: #333333; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">28112: Egypt & Sudan</span></p><p style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><span face=""Calibri","sans-serif"" style="color: #333333; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">28113:<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span>Egypt
& Sudan<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><span face=""Calibri","sans-serif"" style="color: #333333; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">28114:<span style="mso-tab-count: 3;"> </span>France
& Flanders, Jamaica, Southampton Water<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><span face=""Calibri","sans-serif"" style="color: #333333; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">28115:<span style="mso-tab-count: 3;"> </span>Trinidad,
Gibraltar, Mauritius, troop ship at sea, Poland, Sierra Leone<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><span face=""Calibri","sans-serif"" style="color: #333333; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">28116: India</span></p><p style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><span face=""Calibri","sans-serif"" style="color: #333333; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">28117</span><span face="Calibri, "sans-serif"" style="color: #333333; font-size: 14.6667px;">: India</span></p><p style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><span face=""Calibri","sans-serif"" style="color: #333333; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">28118</span><span face="Calibri, "sans-serif"" style="color: #333333; font-size: 14.6667px;">: India</span></p><p style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><span face=""Calibri","sans-serif"" style="color: #333333; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">28119</span><span face="Calibri, "sans-serif"" style="color: #333333; font-size: 14.6667px;">: India</span></p><p style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><span face=""Calibri","sans-serif"" style="color: #333333; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">28120</span><span face="Calibri, "sans-serif"" style="color: #333333; font-size: 14.6667px;">: India</span></p><p style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><span face=""Calibri","sans-serif"" style="color: #333333; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">28121</span><span face="Calibri, "sans-serif"" style="color: #333333; font-size: 14.6667px;">: India</span></p><p style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><span face=""Calibri","sans-serif"" style="color: #333333; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">28122</span><span face="Calibri, "sans-serif"" style="color: #333333; font-size: 14.6667px;">: India</span></p><p style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><span face=""Calibri","sans-serif"" style="color: #333333; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">28123</span><span face="Calibri, "sans-serif"" style="color: #333333; font-size: 14.6667px;">: India</span></p><p style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><span face=""Calibri","sans-serif"" style="color: #333333; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">28124</span><span face="Calibri, "sans-serif"" style="color: #333333; font-size: 14.6667px;">: India</span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><span face=""Calibri","sans-serif"" style="color: #333333; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">28125: Ireland</span></p><p style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><span face=""Calibri","sans-serif"" style="color: #333333; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">28126</span><span face="Calibri, "sans-serif"" style="color: #333333; font-size: 14.6667px;">: Ireland</span></p><p style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><span face=""Calibri","sans-serif"" style="color: #333333; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">28127</span><span face="Calibri, "sans-serif"" style="color: #333333; font-size: 14.6667px;">: Ireland</span></p><p style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><span face=""Calibri","sans-serif"" style="color: #333333; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">28128</span><span face="Calibri, "sans-serif"" style="color: #333333; font-size: 14.6667px;">: Ireland</span></p><p style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><span face=""Calibri","sans-serif"" style="color: #333333; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">28129</span><span face="Calibri, "sans-serif"" style="color: #333333; font-size: 14.6667px;">: Ireland</span></p><p style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><span face=""Calibri","sans-serif"" style="color: #333333; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">28130</span><span face="Calibri, "sans-serif"" style="color: #333333; font-size: 14.6667px;">: Ireland</span></p><p style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><span face=""Calibri","sans-serif"" style="color: #333333; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">28131</span><span face="Calibri, "sans-serif"" style="color: #333333; font-size: 14.6667px;">: Ireland</span></p><p style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><span face=""Calibri","sans-serif"" style="color: #333333; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">28132</span><span face="Calibri, "sans-serif"" style="color: #333333; font-size: 14.6667px;">: Ireland</span></p><p style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><span face=""Calibri","sans-serif"" style="color: #333333; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">28133</span><span face="Calibri, "sans-serif"" style="color: #333333; font-size: 14.6667px;">: Ireland</span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><span face=""Calibri","sans-serif"" style="color: #333333; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">28134:<span style="mso-tab-count: 3;"> </span>Malta<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><span face=""Calibri","sans-serif"" style="color: #333333; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">28135:<span style="mso-tab-count: 3;"> </span>Mesopotamia
& Persian Gulf<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><span face=""Calibri","sans-serif"" style="color: #333333; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">28136:<span style="mso-tab-count: 3;"> </span>Mesopotamia<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><span face=""Calibri","sans-serif"" style="color: #333333; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">28137:<span style="mso-tab-count: 3;"> </span>Palestine<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><span face=""Calibri","sans-serif"" style="color: #333333; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">28138: Germany<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><span face=""Calibri","sans-serif"" style="color: #333333; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">28139: The
British Upper Silesian Force<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><span face=""Calibri","sans-serif"" style="color: #333333; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">28140: Guernsey
& Alderney<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><span face=""Calibri","sans-serif"" style="color: #333333; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">28141: Jersey<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><span face=""Calibri","sans-serif"" style="color: #333333; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><span face=""Calibri","sans-serif"" style="color: #333333; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Be aware that regiment names may not always be spelled out on
the actual pages which list soldier names. Instead, expect to find the words ‘Army’
or ‘Infantry’, ‘Cavalry’ etc. However, if you find the first page of the
return, you will usually find that the officer making that return also includes
the regiment name. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><span face=""Calibri","sans-serif"" style="color: #333333; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></p><p style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><span face=""Calibri","sans-serif"" style="color: #333333; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Remember too, that many men who had served during the First World War may still have been in uniform in 1921. Some would have been career soldiers who had joined the army before 1914 or during the war; others may have re-enlisted for limited periods of engagement after the war. It's worth checking the 1921 Census to see if your ancestor was still in uniform and, if he was, his service record will almost certainly still survive with the <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/requests-for-personal-data-and-service-records" target="_blank">Ministry of Defence</a> and can be ordered by clicking the link. Be aware though, that at the time of writing it is taking the MoD up to 12 months to fulfil requests.</span></p><br /><p></p>Paul Nixonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12354531380984476532noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1944079581687608453.post-82661971993953232922021-10-24T06:14:00.002+01:002021-10-24T06:14:28.924+01:00West Yorkshire Regiment - 4th (Extra Reserve) Battalion<p><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: arial; text-align: justify;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: arial; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1jN_HrqRQSZoMr6qpp-ZvgHghiVo2ZoPZ5x-jeCAtK4KoFP80BJtpBsWcyqo2BcKFQhNCUJ-w-P22iOL1OapolTdy93P2TwlFc-Sg8YrWcWXmZtHUPqzG_WwfBv1eGCLQXH5-NF0bisg/s1024/West+Yorkshire+Regt+badges.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="West Yorkshire Regiment colours" border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="661" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1jN_HrqRQSZoMr6qpp-ZvgHghiVo2ZoPZ5x-jeCAtK4KoFP80BJtpBsWcyqo2BcKFQhNCUJ-w-P22iOL1OapolTdy93P2TwlFc-Sg8YrWcWXmZtHUPqzG_WwfBv1eGCLQXH5-NF0bisg/w259-h400/West+Yorkshire+Regt+badges.JPG" width="259" /></a></span></div><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: arial; text-align: justify;"><br />This post will look at regimental numbering in the 4th (Extra Reserve) Battalion of the West Yorkshire Regiment between 1908 and 1914. T</span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: arial; text-align: justify;">he Special Reserve and the Extra Reserve were the natural heirs to the militia battalions which, for the most part they replaced in 1908. My 2009 article on the <a href="https://armyservicenumbers.blogspot.com/2009/02/creation-of-special-reserve-in-1908.html" style="color: #2288bb; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Creation of the Special Reserve in 1908</a> may be helpful here.</span><p></p><p></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #222222; text-align: justify;"><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: arial;">Both <span style="color: black;">West Yorkshire Regiment</span> militia battalions survived in all but name when the Special Reserve was created in 1908. Men who were then serving with the 3rd (Militia) Battalion, were asked if they wanted to continue to serve with the newly formed 3rd (Special Reserve) Battalion, and </span></span><span style="font-family: arial;">men who were then serving with the 4th (Militia) Battalion, were asked if they wanted to contunue to serve with the newly formed 4th (Extra Reserve) Battalion. </span></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #222222; text-align: justify;"><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: arial;">Men joining the militia and special/extra reserve were not career soldiers. The Army Book for the British Empire, published in 1893 provided a useful summary of the militia when it noted:</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>"Its object is to maintain in the United Kingdom a trained body of men available "in case of imminent national danger or great emergency" to supplement the regular army in the defence of the country.</i></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>"It offers military service to the class of men willing to give it for a month in the year for training of for the term of their engagement on emergency, but whose avocations do not lead them to become either regular soldiers or volunteers."</i></span></span></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #222222; text-align: justify;"><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: arial;">Most 1914 Star rolls show plenty of evidence of Special Reserve and Extra Reserve men who served alongside career soldiers. Sometimes their numbers are prefixed by the number of their battalion - typically a 3/ or 4/ in most line infantry regiments - but just as often there will be no prefix.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial;"><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Confusingly, for those with an interest in West Yorkshire Regiment regimental numbers, the series used by the 4th Battalion pretty much kept pace with the series used by the 3rd Battalion, but both were distinct series and that is important to remember. Also important to note is that when these men were called up as drafts for the regular 1st and 2nd Battalions from August 1914, they retained their original 3rd and 4th Battalion regimental numbers.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial;">Here are some sample regimental numbers and joining dates for the </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial;">4th (Extra Reserve) Battalion, West Yorkshire Regiment</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial;">:</span></p><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: arial;"></span><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">5727 joined on 27th June1908, but this number had originally been issued to this man when he joined the 4th (Militia) Bn in 1903</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">6886 </span><span style="font-family: arial;">joined on 1st June 1909</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">7322 joined on 31st January 1910</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">7411 joined on 16th February 1911</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">7656 joined on 2nd May 1912</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">7845 joined on 26th February 1913</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">8067 joined on 25th February 1914</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">8277 joined on 5th August 1914</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Do also read of some of the articles towards the bottom of the </span><a href="https://armyservicenumbers.blogspot.com/p/index.html" style="color: #2288bb; font-family: arial; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Army Service Numbers 1881-1918 index</a><span style="font-family: arial;">. </span></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif"></span></span><div style="text-align: center;"><strong><span style="font-family: arial;">Remember. I research soldiers!</span></strong></div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="http://armyservicenumbers.blogspot.co.uk/p/research.html" style="color: #888888; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Drop me a line</a> </span></strong></div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></strong></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><strong>To search for West Yorkshire Regiment photos, check my <a href="https://britisharmyancestors.co.uk/" style="color: #888888; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">British Army Ancestors website</a>. </strong><span style="background-color: transparent; text-align: left;"> </span></span></div></div>Paul Nixonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12354531380984476532noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1944079581687608453.post-32523956164377261392021-10-24T06:07:00.002+01:002021-10-24T06:07:46.762+01:00West Yorkshire Regiment - 3rd (Special Reserve) Battalion<p><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: arial; text-align: justify;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: arial; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3G2y88wYQ8u7ufvb594CUJ_w_wdFngzNJXqZmh1AOHOIKfbenFKJtK4qoX5arTvD4HNAaSg3gxK-eLKfmin64SiEkpB-qrEn0LWUztK7vYXFQUJ847EBD43CokwgiLfwpbeAFUP1X2I0/s816/West+Yorkshire+Regt+colours.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="West Yorkshire Regiment colours" border="0" data-original-height="546" data-original-width="816" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3G2y88wYQ8u7ufvb594CUJ_w_wdFngzNJXqZmh1AOHOIKfbenFKJtK4qoX5arTvD4HNAaSg3gxK-eLKfmin64SiEkpB-qrEn0LWUztK7vYXFQUJ847EBD43CokwgiLfwpbeAFUP1X2I0/w400-h268/West+Yorkshire+Regt+colours.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></div><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: arial; text-align: justify;"><br />This post will look at regimental numbering in the 3rd (Special Reserve) Battalion of the West Yorkshire Regiment between 1908 and 1914. T</span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: arial; text-align: justify;">he Special Reserve and the Extra Reserve were the natural heirs to the militia battalions which, for the most part they replaced in 1908. My 2009 article on the <a href="https://armyservicenumbers.blogspot.com/2009/02/creation-of-special-reserve-in-1908.html" style="color: #2288bb; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Creation of the Special Reserve in 1908</a> may be helpful here.</span><p></p><p></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #222222; text-align: justify;"><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: arial;">Both <span style="color: black;">West Yorkshire Regiment</span> militia battalions survived in all but name when the Special Reserve was created in 1908. Men who were then serving with the 3rd (Militia) Battalion, were asked if they wanted to continue to serve with the newly formed 3rd (Special Reserve) Battalion, and </span></span><span style="font-family: arial;">men who were then serving with the 4th (Militia) Battalion, were asked if they wanted to contunue to serve with the newly formed 4th (Extra Reserve) Battalion. </span></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #222222; text-align: justify;"><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: arial;">Men joining the militia and special/extra reserve were not career soldiers. The Army Book for the British Empire, published in 1893 provided a useful summary of the militia when it noted:</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>"Its object is to maintain in the United Kingdom a trained body of men available "in case of imminent national danger or great emergency" to supplement the regular army in the defence of the country.</i></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>"It offers military service to the class of men willing to give it for a month in the year for training of for the term of their engagement on emergency, but whose avocations do not lead them to become either regular soldiers or volunteers."</i></span></span></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #222222; text-align: justify;"><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: arial;">Most 1914 Star rolls show plenty of evidence of Special Reserve and Extra Reserve men who served alongside career soldiers. Sometimes their numbers are prefixed by the number of their battalion - typically a 3/ or 4/ in most line infantry regiments - but just as often there will be no prefix.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial;"><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Confusingly, for those with an interest in West Yorkshire Regiment regimental numbers, the series used by the 3rd Battalion pretty much kept pace with the series used by the 4th Battalion, but both were distinct series and that is important to remember. Also important to note is that when these men were called up as drafts for the regular 1st and 2nd Battalions from August 1914, they retained their original 3rd and 4th Battalion regimental numbers.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial;">Here are some sample regimental numbers and joining dates for the </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial;">3rd (Special Reserve) Battalion, West Yorkshire Regiment</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial;">:</span></p><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: arial;"></span><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">6207 joined on 27th June1908, but this number had originally been issued to this man when he joined the 3rd (Militia) Bn in 1902</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">7695 </span><span style="font-family: arial;">joined on 22nd February 1909</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">7907 joined on 13th January 1910</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">8108 joined on 31st May 1911</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">8363 joined on 12th July 1912</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">8533 joined on 27th May 1913</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">8703 joined on 26th January 1914</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">8869 joined on 12th August 1914</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">9723 joined on 2nd September 1914</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">10198 joined on 3rd October 1914</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Do also read of some of the articles towards the bottom of the </span><a href="https://armyservicenumbers.blogspot.com/p/index.html" style="color: #2288bb; font-family: arial; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Army Service Numbers 1881-1918 index</a><span style="font-family: arial;">. </span></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif"></span></span><div style="text-align: center;"><strong><span style="font-family: arial;">Remember. I research soldiers!</span></strong></div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="http://armyservicenumbers.blogspot.co.uk/p/research.html" style="color: #888888; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Drop me a line</a> </span></strong></div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></strong></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><strong>To search for West Yorkshire Regiment photos, check my <a href="https://britisharmyancestors.co.uk/" style="color: #888888; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">British Army Ancestors website</a>. </strong><span style="background-color: transparent; text-align: left;"> </span></span></div></div>Paul Nixonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12354531380984476532noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1944079581687608453.post-37204194246459269182021-10-24T05:48:00.001+01:002021-10-24T05:51:46.068+01:00Connaught Rangers - 4th (Extra Reserve) Battalion<p><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: arial; text-align: justify;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: arial; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIU4UAYdkMngHPdvD08A1XynHu9UIOQzHYMxfTByORjibGe_F4h0O_1m7S-_Ie5bH-SApSyshtP07DsczG4doorYpw_h3XGvx5jmy3KUijGwOMJHhIXUD1LMHaTJ9hEGwAjmG0zrtgck8/s1489/GP+Badge+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Connaught Rangers regimental insignia" border="0" data-original-height="1489" data-original-width="970" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIU4UAYdkMngHPdvD08A1XynHu9UIOQzHYMxfTByORjibGe_F4h0O_1m7S-_Ie5bH-SApSyshtP07DsczG4doorYpw_h3XGvx5jmy3KUijGwOMJHhIXUD1LMHaTJ9hEGwAjmG0zrtgck8/w260-h400/GP+Badge+1.jpg" width="260" /></a></span></div><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: arial; text-align: justify;"><br />This post will look at regimental numbering in the 4th (Extra Reserve) Battalion of the Connaught Rangers between 1908 and 1914. T</span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: arial; text-align: justify;">he Special Reserve and the Extra Reserve were the natural heirs to the militia battalions which, for the most part they replaced in 1908. My 2009 article on the <a href="https://armyservicenumbers.blogspot.com/2009/02/creation-of-special-reserve-in-1908.html" style="color: #2288bb; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Creation of the Special Reserve in 1908</a> may be helpful here.</span><p></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #222222; text-align: justify;"><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: arial;">Both Connaught Rangers militia battalions survived in all but name when the Special Reserve was introduced in 1908. Men who were then serving with the 4th (Militia) Battalion, were asked if they wanted to continue to serve with the newly formed 3rd (Special Reserve) Battalion, and </span></span><span style="font-family: arial;">men who were then serving with the 5th (Militia) Battalion, were asked if they wanted to contunue to serve with the newly formed 4th (Extra Reserve) Battalion. </span></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #222222; text-align: justify;"><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: arial;">Men joining the militia and special/extra reserve were not career soldiers. The Army Book for the British Empire, published in 1893 provided a useful overview of the militia when it noted:</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>"Its object is to maintain in the United Kingdom a trained body of men available "in case of imminent national danger or great emergency" to supplement the regular army in the defence of the country.</i></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>"It offers military service to the class of men willing to give it for a month in the year for training of for the term of their engagement on emergency, but whose avocations do not lead them to become either regular soldiers or volunteers."</i></span></span></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #222222; text-align: justify;"><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: arial;">Most 1914 Star rolls show plenty of evidence of Special Reserve and Extra Reserve men who served alongside career soldiers. Sometimes their numbers are prefixed by the number of their battalion - typically a 3/ or 4/ in most line infantry regiments - but just as often there will be no prefix.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial;"><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Confusingly, for those with an interest in Connaught Rangers regimental numbers, the series used by the 4th Battalion pretty much kept pace with the series used by the 3rd Battalion, but both were distinct series and that is important to remember. Also important to note is that when these men were called up as drafts for the regular 1st and 2nd Battalions from August 1914, they retained their original 3rd and 4th Battalion regimental numbers.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial;"><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Extra Reserve numbering appears to begin in August 1908 with numbers below circa 3800 all being men who formerly served with the 5th (Militia) Battalion and simply re-used their old militia regimental numbers. </span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial;"><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Here are some sample regimental numbers and joining dates for the <b>4th Connaught Rangers</b>:</span></span></p><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: arial;"></span><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">3325 joined on 2nd August 1908 (but this number had originally been issued to this man when he joined the 5th (Militia) Bn in April 1905</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">4082 </span><span style="font-family: arial;">joined on 6th January 1909</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">4218 joined on 1st January 1910</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">4423 joined on 18th February 1911</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">4606 joined on 2nd April 1912</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">4663 joined on 8th January 1913</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">4769 joined on 23rd January 1914</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">4857 joined on 3rd September 1914</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">5078 joined on 28th December 1914</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Do also read of some of the articles towards the bottom of the </span><a href="https://armyservicenumbers.blogspot.com/p/index.html" style="color: #2288bb; font-family: arial; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Army Service Numbers 1881-1918 index</a><span style="font-family: arial;">. </span></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif"></span></span><div style="text-align: center;"><strong><span style="font-family: arial;">Remember. I research soldiers!</span></strong></div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="http://armyservicenumbers.blogspot.co.uk/p/research.html" style="color: #888888; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Drop me a line</a> </span></strong></div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></strong></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><strong>To search for Connaught Rangers photos, check my <a href="https://britisharmyancestors.co.uk/" style="color: #888888; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">British Army Ancestors website</a>. </strong><span style="background-color: transparent; text-align: left;"> </span></span></div></div>Paul Nixonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12354531380984476532noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1944079581687608453.post-30237167867880713882021-10-24T05:38:00.002+01:002021-10-24T05:49:43.636+01:00Connaught Rangers - 3rd (Special Reserve) Battalion<p><span style="font-family: arial; text-align: justify;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipNLtYQmoI7MKZ6VRTl71pmHvF-69B-YjyzkxEn2Y02O8zmM8ew4zCRzyW59viKYm8Ye4sRolq66kC7NkhyWJFCMCqmpKwMYo2gAR-NLr1ivFHhDvUQWRoIfpZSPUaZcuvwq98o9aE1Ps/s1488/Gale+%2526+Polden.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Connaught Rangers, Gale & Polden" border="0" data-original-height="955" data-original-width="1488" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipNLtYQmoI7MKZ6VRTl71pmHvF-69B-YjyzkxEn2Y02O8zmM8ew4zCRzyW59viKYm8Ye4sRolq66kC7NkhyWJFCMCqmpKwMYo2gAR-NLr1ivFHhDvUQWRoIfpZSPUaZcuvwq98o9aE1Ps/w400-h256/Gale+%2526+Polden.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #222222; text-align: justify;"><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #222222; text-align: justify;"><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="color: black;">This post will look at regimental numbering in the 3rd (Special Reserve) Battalion of the Connaught Rangers between 1908 and 1914. T</span><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="color: black;">he Special Reserve and the Extra Reserve were the natural heirs to the militia battalions which, for the most part, they replaced in 1908. My 2009 article on the <a href="https://armyservicenumbers.blogspot.com/2009/02/creation-of-special-reserve-in-1908.html" style="color: #2288bb; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Creation of the Special Reserve in 1908</a> may be helpful here.</span></span></span></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #222222; text-align: justify;"><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: arial;">Both Connaught Rangers militia battalions survived in all but name when the Special Reserve was introduced in 1908. Men who were then serving with the 4th (Militia) Battalion, were asked if they wanted to contunue to serve with the newly formed 3rd (Special Reserve) Battalion, and </span></span><span style="font-family: arial;">men who were then serving with the 5th (Militia) Battalion, were asked if they wanted to contunue to serve with the newly formed 4th (Extra Reserve) Battalion. </span></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #222222; text-align: justify;"><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: arial;">Men joining the militia and special/extra reserve were not career soldiers. The Army Book for the British Empire, published in 1893 provided a useful overview of the militia when it noted:</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>"Its object
is to maintain in the United Kingdom a trained body of men available "in
case of imminent national danger or great emergency" to supplement the
regular army in the defence of the country. </i></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>"It
offers military service to the class of men willing to give it for a month in
the year for training of for the term of their engagement on emergency, but
whose avocations do not lead them to become either regular soldiers or
volunteers."</i></span></span></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #222222; text-align: justify;"><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: arial;">Most 1914 Star rolls show plenty of evidence of Special Reserve and Extra Reserve men who served alongside career soldiers. Sometimes their numbers are prefixed by the number of their battalion - typically a 3/ or 4/ in most line infantry regiments - but just as often there will be no prefix.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial;"><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Confusingly, for those with an interest in Connaught Rangers regimental numbers, the series used by the 3rd Battalion pretty much kept pace with the series used by the 4th Battalion, but both were distinct series and that is important to remember. Also important to note is that when these men were called up as drafts for the regular 1st and 2nd Battalions from August 1914, they retained their original 3rd and 4th Battalion regimental numbers.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial;"><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Speical Reserve numbering appears to begin in August 1908 with numbers below circa 3000 all being men who formerly served with the 4th (Militia) Battalion and simply re-used their old militia regimental numbers. </span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial;"><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Here are some sample regimental numbers and joining dates for the <b>3rd Connaught Rangers</b>:</span></span></p><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: arial;"></span><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">2523 joined on 2nd August 1908 (but this number had originally been issued to this man when he joined the 4th (Militia) Bn pre-1899</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">3559 joined on 3rd November 1908</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">3669 </span><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">joined on 11th September 1909</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">3699 joined on 1st February 1910</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">3869 joined on 1st February 1911</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">4093 joined on 29th August 1912</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">4155 joined on 21st January 1913</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">4261 joined on 12th January 1914</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">4311 joined on 10th September 1914</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">4483 joined on 7th October 1914</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">4740 joined on 2nd November 1914</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">5118 joined on 1st December 1914</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Do also read of some of the articles towards the bottom of the </span><a href="https://armyservicenumbers.blogspot.com/p/index.html" style="color: #2288bb; font-family: arial; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Army Service Numbers 1881-1918 index</a><span style="font-family: arial;">. </span></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif"></span></span><div style="text-align: center;"><strong><span style="font-family: arial;">Remember. I research soldiers!</span></strong></div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="http://armyservicenumbers.blogspot.co.uk/p/research.html" style="color: #888888; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Drop me a line</a> </span></strong></div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></strong></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><strong>To search for Connaught Rangers photos, check my <a href="https://britisharmyancestors.co.uk/" style="color: #888888; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">British Army Ancestors website</a>. </strong><span style="background-color: transparent; text-align: left;"> </span></span></div></div>Paul Nixonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12354531380984476532noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1944079581687608453.post-10885273593250124912021-08-30T10:52:00.005+01:002021-10-24T05:00:58.835+01:00Devonshire Regiment, 3rd (Special Reserve) Battalion<p><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial; font-size: 13.2px;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP8S4jTOGe0DKqHCT5EpbOrD5VJM9DQOadutAqm8IwK3kiJlVP3xxJ7IT4sf8DciIXUUhLcHm60-bCRQaeDEzH2R9bOMuRRyD1kWbK-A-r9LNkbhyphenhypheniyx1EcJ9f_2bGDyuF_XJIyk8e1_4/s1024/Devon+Regt+badges.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="661" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP8S4jTOGe0DKqHCT5EpbOrD5VJM9DQOadutAqm8IwK3kiJlVP3xxJ7IT4sf8DciIXUUhLcHm60-bCRQaeDEzH2R9bOMuRRyD1kWbK-A-r9LNkbhyphenhypheniyx1EcJ9f_2bGDyuF_XJIyk8e1_4/s320/Devon+Regt+badges.JPG" width="207" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">This post will look at regimental numbering in the 3rd (Special Reserve) Battalion of the Devonshire between 1908 and 1914. T<span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial; font-size: 13.2px;">he Special Reserve and the Extra Reserve were the natural heirs to the militia battalions which, for the most part they replaced in 1908. My 2009 article on the <a href="https://armyservicenumbers.blogspot.com/2009/02/creation-of-special-reserve-in-1908.html" style="color: #2288bb; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Creation of the Special Reserve in 1908</a> may be helpful here.</span></div><p></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;"></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;"></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-align: justify;"><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: arial;">With the creation of the Special Reserve in 1908, the Devonshire Regiment effectively lost a battalion. Prior to this date, as well as its two regular battalions, it also fielded two militia battalions, the 3rd and 4th Battalions. Wiht the creation of the Special Reserv, the 4th Battalion was abandoned, men now being given the option to sign up to the 3rd (Special Reserve) Battalion. As far as regimental numbering in the battalion was concerned. Men who were still serving with the 3rd (Militia) Battalion simply joined the 3rd (Speical Reserve) Battalion with their old regimental numbers. 4th (Militia) Battalion men who now opted to join the 3rd (Special Reserve) Battalion were given new numbers from the 3rd Battalion series which was, itself, a continuation of the militia number series. There are many examples in surviving service records of serving militia men joining the Special Reserve in 1908 but only signing up for the unexpired portion of their militia service.</span></span></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-align: justify;"><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: arial;">Men joining the militia and special/extra reserve were not career soldiers. They were men who had completed a period of training alongside career soldiers at the regimental depot but they then went back to their homes, turning out annually for drills and camp. Men of the Militia and the Special Reserve signed up for six years' service and knew, in the event of war, that they would be called upon to fill gaps in the regular battalions. A glance at most 1914 Star rolls will show plenty of evidence of Special Reserve men who served alongside career soldiers. Sometimes their numbers are prefixed by the number of their battalion - typically a 3/ or 4/ in most line infantry regiments - but just as often there will be no prefix.</span></span></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The first 3rd (Special Reserve) Battalion number I have on my database - and there will be many earlier ones thatn this - is 4893 Samuel Rowe who was a time-expired soldier with 12 years' service under his belt. He was also a serving member of the 4th (Militia) battalion and when he joined the 3rd (Special Reserve) Battalion on the 27th June 1908 he only signed up for 2 years and 200 days which was the unexpired portion of his militia service. The new number he was issued with was from the series which had been in use for the 3rd (Militia) Battalion. </span></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Here then, are some sample numbers for the <b>3rd (Special Reserve) Battalion, Devonshire Regiment</b>:</span></p><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 13.2px;">4956 joined on the 27th June 1908 </span></div><div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">3/5749 </span><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">joined on the 12th May 1909</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">5947 joined on the 24th January 1910</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">6206 joined on the 18th April 1911</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">3/6597 joined on the 29th October 1912</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">3/6679 joined on the 12th February 1913</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">3/7040 joined on the 15th August 1914</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">3/7180 joined on the 1st September 1914</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">3/7743 joined on the 7th October 1914</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The regimental number series was unique to the 3rd Miltia/Special Reserve Battalion but care needs to be exercised when determining if a man's number belongs to this series or to the series that was issued from the regimental depot to men joining as career soldiers. For example, looking at the sequence above, it can be seen that the number 7000 would have been issued to a 3rd Bn man between February 1913 and August 1914 (and more likely to have been July or August 1914 for that matter). However, the same number would have been issued to a career soldier who joined the regiment in July 1902. See my article on regimental numbering in the <a href="https://armyservicenumbers.blogspot.com/2009/06/devonshire-regiment-1st-2nd-battalions.html" target="_blank">1st & 2nd Battalions of The Devonshire Regiment</a>.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 13.2px;">And if all of this is still confusing, have a read of some of the articles towards the bottom of the </span><a href="https://armyservicenumbers.blogspot.com/p/index.html" style="color: #2288bb; font-family: arial; font-size: 13.2px; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Army Service Numbers 1881-1918 index</a><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 13.2px;">. </span></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><br /></span><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif"></span></span><div style="text-align: center;"><strong><span style="font-family: arial;">Remember. I research soldiers!</span></strong></div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="http://armyservicenumbers.blogspot.co.uk/p/research.html" style="color: #888888; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Drop me a line</a> </span></strong></div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></strong></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><strong>To search for Devonshire Regiment photos, check my <a href="https://britisharmyancestors.co.uk/" style="color: #888888; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">British Army Ancestors website</a>. </strong><span style="background-color: transparent; text-align: left;"> </span></span></div></div></div>Paul Nixonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12354531380984476532noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1944079581687608453.post-4424135703795518382021-08-30T10:20:00.007+01:002021-10-24T05:01:56.655+01:00The Buffs (East Kent Regiment) - 3rd (Special Reserve) Bn<span style="font-family: arial;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr_FiF4T6KJlVatW7z93Tu-YVUaB6mHJ-gHiu-pD2PJ6caIaJw8WvqIrug3bnFBWn-fHvlgRYmnpp7HTKTj7eSBnzqKybDflXUqu0PGjD_zGDVPwUFXEBTeU_oMQzffFKvRYu0nU9Hk3Q/s925/3rd+Bn+officers+-+The+Tatler+-+20+Jan+1915+2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="550" data-original-width="925" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr_FiF4T6KJlVatW7z93Tu-YVUaB6mHJ-gHiu-pD2PJ6caIaJw8WvqIrug3bnFBWn-fHvlgRYmnpp7HTKTj7eSBnzqKybDflXUqu0PGjD_zGDVPwUFXEBTeU_oMQzffFKvRYu0nU9Hk3Q/w400-h238/3rd+Bn+officers+-+The+Tatler+-+20+Jan+1915+2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">This post will look at regimental numbering in the 3rd (Special Reserve) Battalion of the Buffs (East Kent Regiment) between 1908 and 1914. T<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">he Special Reserve and the Extra Reserve were the natural heirs to the militia battalions which, for the most part they replaced in 1908. My 2009 article on the <a href="https://armyservicenumbers.blogspot.com/2009/02/creation-of-special-reserve-in-1908.html" style="color: #2288bb; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Creation of the Special Reserve in 1908</a> may be helpful here.</span></div></span><p></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #222222; text-align: justify;"><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: arial;">As far as the Buffs was concerned, it was the 3rd (Militia) Battalion which it lost with the creation of the Special Reserve in 1908 and those concerned with such matters appear to have simply shrugged their shoulders and carried on with the same regimental number series that had been in use for the militia. </span></span></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #222222; text-align: justify;"><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: arial;">Men joining the militia and special/extra reserve were not career soldiers. They were men who had completed a period of training alongside career soldiers at the regimental depot but they then went back to their homes, turning out annually for drills and camp. Men of the Militia and the Special Reserve signed up for six years' service and knew, in the event of war, that they would be called upon to fill gaps in the regular battalions. A glance at most 1914 Star rolls will show plenty of evidence of Special Reserve men who served alongside career soldiers. Sometimes their numbers are prefixed by the number of their battalion - typically a 3/ or 4/ in most line infantry regiments - but just as often there will be no prefix.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial;"><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">The first 3rd (Special Reserve) Battalion number I have on my database - and there will be many earlier ones thatn this - is 7196 Ernest William John Brooks who had been issued with that number when he joined the 3rd (Militia) Battalion on the 3rd June 1904. He was still a serving member of the 3rd (Militia) Battalion when the Special Reserve was created, and he signed on for a further six years in July 1908, his old militia number being re-activated. Other men who joined at the same time and who were not already serving with the militia were issued with new regimental numbers which began where the old militia regimental series had ended. This pattern is seen in very many special and extra reserve battalion attestation papers for 1908.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial;"><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Here then, are some sample regimental numbers for the <b>3rd Buffs (East Kent Regiment)</b>:</span></span></p><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><div><span style="font-family: arial;"></span><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">8104 joined on 28th June 1908 </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">9382 </span><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">joined on 21st April 1909</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">9623 joined on 21st February 1910</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">9941 joined on 20th February 1911</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">10179 joined on 1st January 1912</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">10486 joined on 14th May 1913</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">3/10669 joined on the 8th July 1914</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">S/10703 joined on 8th August 1914</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The regimental number series was unique to the 3rd Miltia/Special Reserve Battalion but care needs to be exercised when determining if a man's number belongs to this series or to the series that was issued from the regimental depot to men joining as career soldiers. For example, looking at the sequence above, it can be seen that the number 10000 would have been issued to a 3rd Bn man between February 1911 and January 1912. However, the same number would have been issued to a career soldier who joined the regiment in April or May 1913. See my article on regimental numbering in the <a href="https://armyservicenumbers.blogspot.com/2009/11/buffs-east-kent-regt-1st-2nd-battalions.html" target="_blank">1st & 2nd Battalions of The Buffs (East Kent) Regiment</a>.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">In addition to this main regimental number sequence for the 3rd (Special Reserve) Battalion, there was a second number series which was begun in August 1914 and which appears to have been short-lived. These numbers began at 1 and were prefixed with - on attestation papers at least - SREKGS, which was shorthand for <b>S</b>pecial <b>R</b>eserve <b>E</b>ast <b>K</b>ent <b>G</b>eneral <b>S</b>ervice. If your man has a number with this prefix, then this mini series may be helpful:</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">SREKGS/102 was issued on the 14th August 1914</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">SREKGS/229 was issued on the 5th September 1914</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">SREKGS/828 was issued on the 27th October 1914</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">This is the last number I have on my database but I'd be interested to hear of later numbers issued in this series.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">And if all of this is still confusing, have a read of some of the articles towards the bottom of the <a href="https://armyservicenumbers.blogspot.com/p/index.html" style="color: #2288bb; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Army Service Numbers 1881-1918 index</a>. The photo on this post was published in The Tatler on the 20th January 1915 and shows officers of the 3rd Battalion, The Buffs.</span></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><br /></span><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif"></span></span><div style="text-align: center;"><strong><span style="font-family: arial;">Remember. I research soldiers!</span></strong></div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="http://armyservicenumbers.blogspot.co.uk/p/research.html" style="color: #888888; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Drop me a line</a> </span></strong></div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></strong></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><strong>To search for Buffs (East Kent Regiment) photos, check my <a href="https://britisharmyancestors.co.uk/" style="color: #888888; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">British Army Ancestors website</a>. </strong><span style="background-color: transparent; text-align: left;"> </span></span></div></div></div>Paul Nixonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12354531380984476532noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1944079581687608453.post-17145791508179796032021-08-07T16:52:00.003+01:002021-08-08T05:59:54.096+01:00Fill yer boots! It's the Naval & Military Press summer sale!<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYhDBm1cg-ehjIcF9pgZhn4DZuPwswxBxCkBywWLHls2mTjmfaOhyphenhyphenD3kOJnWm8CiRgc2xgUgwJpUHlGmMJXBEy74ql4m2R4ad6Quj6C0eeikctBm9obioVZrLhKW1MVXevtW2_tvs9NNo/s580/Summer-Sale-2021-web-header-V2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="580" data-original-width="520" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYhDBm1cg-ehjIcF9pgZhn4DZuPwswxBxCkBywWLHls2mTjmfaOhyphenhyphenD3kOJnWm8CiRgc2xgUgwJpUHlGmMJXBEy74ql4m2R4ad6Quj6C0eeikctBm9obioVZrLhKW1MVXevtW2_tvs9NNo/s320/Summer-Sale-2021-web-header-V2.jpg" width="287" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Grab some bargains with the <a href="https://www.naval-military-press.com/?ref=paulcanixon" target="_blank">Naval & Military Press Summer Sale 2021</a>. There's a flat 20% discount applied to all titles in the extensive Naval & Military Press catalogue inlcuding titles which have already been heavily discounted.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Clicking the link above will take you straight to the Naval & Military Press website where you can browse to your heart's content. However, to make it even easier for you, here are some links to specific categories which you might find useful:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.naval-military-press.com/product-category/the-great-war/?ref=paulcanixon" target="_blank">The Great War 1914-1918</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> <a href="https://www.naval-military-press.com/product-category/the-great-war/regimental-histories-of-the-british-army/?ref=paulcanixon" target="_blank">First World War regimental histories</a> - over 230 titles<br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> <a href="https://www.naval-military-press.com/product-category/the-great-war/rolls-of-honour-casualty-lists-and-genealogy/?ref=paulcanixon" target="_blank">Rolls of Honour, casualty lists and genealogy</a> - over 140 titles<br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.naval-military-press.com/product-category/world-war-ii/?ref=paulcanixon" target="_blank">The Second World War 1939-1945</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Remember, this is a time-limited discount and some stocks of titles on the Naval & Military Press website may be running low. Don't miss out. Grab yourself a bargain today.</div><br /> <p></p>Paul Nixonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12354531380984476532noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1944079581687608453.post-3244066873716860082021-07-29T12:17:00.002+01:002021-08-30T09:38:43.496+01:00Border Regiment - regimental numbering in the 3rd (Special Reserve) Battalion 1908-1914<p><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial; font-size: 13.2px;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicQ1KeiSAq5cHwPbVdw9pH9iHIiGFTH8Zg_aaPO1DYUX2W-dvIngfZme4eTiTDdtlKKf_uRPceGhuwkXc0GBx6WMFTZ76j6lbUT28yPIQ49ZLYmqzpXP_6iXyiZydHaQGcv8RLop2NZKg/s810/Border+Regt+-+34th+%2526+55th+Foot.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="518" data-original-width="810" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicQ1KeiSAq5cHwPbVdw9pH9iHIiGFTH8Zg_aaPO1DYUX2W-dvIngfZme4eTiTDdtlKKf_uRPceGhuwkXc0GBx6WMFTZ76j6lbUT28yPIQ49ZLYmqzpXP_6iXyiZydHaQGcv8RLop2NZKg/w400-h256/Border+Regt+-+34th+%2526+55th+Foot.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />This article will look at regimental numbering in the 3rd (Special Reserve) Battalion of the Border Regiment between 1908 and 1914. As I have written before, t<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">he Special Reserve and the Extra Reserve were the natural heirs to militia battalions which, for the most part they replaced. My 2009 article on the <a href="https://armyservicenumbers.blogspot.com/2009/02/creation-of-special-reserve-in-1908.html" style="color: #2288bb; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Creation of the Special Reserve in 1908</a> may be helpful here.</span><p></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;"></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;"><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: arial;">As far as the Border Regiment was concerned, it was one of the regiments which lost a militia battalion with the creation of the Special Reserve in 1908. Up until that time it had recruited for the 3rd and 4th militia battalions. However, from 1908 it was just the 3rd (Special Reserve) Battalion which replaced both militia battalions. Men who were still serving with these miltiia battalions in 1908 were invited to join the new 3rd (Special Reserve) Battalion.</span></span></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;"><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: arial;">Men joining the militia and special/extra reserve were not career soldiers. They were men who had completed a period of training alongside career soldiers at the regimental depot but they then went back to their homes, turning out annually for drills and camp. Men of the Militia and the Special Reserve signed up for six years' service and knew, in the event of war, that they would be called upon to fill gaps in the regular battalions. A glance at most 1914 Star rolls will show plenty of evidence of Special Reserve men who served alongside career soldiers. Sometimes their numbers are prefixed by the number of their battalion - typically a 3/ or 4/ in most line infantry regiments - but just as often there will be no prefix.</span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial; font-size: 13.2px;"><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">The lowest 3rd (Special Reserve) Battalion number I have is 2585 for Thomas Walker who joined the newly formd battalion on the 12th July 1908. His number though, dates to the time when he had joined the 3rd (Militia) Battalion on the 8th June 1899. In common with many newly forming special reserve and extra reserve battalions, the 3rd Border Regiment just continued with the same numberv series that had been used for the 3rd miltiia battalion and old militiamen now joining the new special reserve simply brough their old militia numbers with them.</span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial; font-size: 13.2px;"><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Here then, are some numbers for the 3rd Border Regiment.</span></span></p><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13.2px;"><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>3rd (Special Reserve) Battalion, Border Regiment</b></span></span><div style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"></span><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;">2585 joined on 12th July 1908 (but the number dates to 1899)</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">3987 </span><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">joined on 14th January 1909</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;">4222 joined on 18th November 1910</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;">4309 joined on 29th May 1911</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;">4434 joined on 3rd January 1912</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;">4887 joined on 4th October 1913</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;">5022 joined on the 31st March 1914</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;">5135 joined on 17th August 1914</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;">5477 joined on the 3rd September 1914</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;">6463 joined on the 19th October 1914</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The regimental number series was unique to the 3rd Miltia/Special Reserve Battalion but care needs to be exercised when determining if a man's number belongs to this series or to the series that was issued from the regimental depot to men joining as career soldiers. For example, looking at the sequence above, it can be seen that the number 6000 would have been issued to a 3rd Bn man between September and October 1914. However, the same number would have been issued to a career soldier in the first quarter of 1899 and there were plenty of men who had enlisted as early as this who would still be liable to fight for King and Country in August 1914. See my article on <a href="https://armyservicenumbers.blogspot.com/2009/06/border-regiment-1st-2nd-battalions.html" target="_blank">regimental numbering in the 1st & 2nd Battalions of the Border Regiment</a>.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;">And if all of this is still confusing, have a read of some of the articles towards the bottom of the <a href="https://armyservicenumbers.blogspot.com/p/index.html" style="color: #2288bb; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Army Service Numbers 1881-1918 index</a>.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><br /></span><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif"></span></span><div style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; text-align: center;"><strong><span style="font-family: arial;">Remember. I research soldiers!</span></strong></div><div style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; text-align: center;"><strong><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="http://armyservicenumbers.blogspot.co.uk/p/research.html" style="color: #888888; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Drop me a line</a> </span></strong></div><div style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; text-align: center;"><strong><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></strong></div><div style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><strong><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">To search for Border Regiment photos, check my <a href="https://britisharmyancestors.co.uk/" style="color: #888888; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">British Army Ancestors website</a>. </span></strong></span></div></div></div>Paul Nixonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12354531380984476532noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1944079581687608453.post-1896923530696928882021-07-29T11:42:00.003+01:002021-07-29T21:07:29.179+01:00Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) - Regimental numbering in the 3rd (Special Reserve) and 4th (Extra Reserve) Battalions 1908-1914<p><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13.2px;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlI6zASuq10hgsxyabPljivW2E9NDZYmfb54xhXjCVtjm46DguE8oc9nC0IbWc_sct_jHYNcKLgIcjbv4ft_3CZGC-uMlrahT3FOdZH17L6z5-B3UzvomoXoQhYNauI7Boz1HKaWTbJ5U/s3199/CAM.L147-24-002.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><img border="0" data-original-height="983" data-original-width="3199" height="122" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlI6zASuq10hgsxyabPljivW2E9NDZYmfb54xhXjCVtjm46DguE8oc9nC0IbWc_sct_jHYNcKLgIcjbv4ft_3CZGC-uMlrahT3FOdZH17L6z5-B3UzvomoXoQhYNauI7Boz1HKaWTbJ5U/w400-h122/CAM.L147-24-002.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br />Having concentrated a lot in recent months on various Territorial Force battalions, I'm going to look at regimental numbering in Special Reserve and Extra Reserve battalions. As I have written before, t<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">he Special Reserve and the Extra Reserve were the natural heirs to militia battalions which, for the most part they replaced. My 2009 article on the <a href="https://armyservicenumbers.blogspot.com/2009/02/creation-of-special-reserve-in-1908.html" target="_blank">Creation of the Special Reserve in 1908</a> may be helpful here.</span></span><p></p><p><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="color: #222222;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial;">As far as the Scottish Rifles was concerned, its new 3rd (Special Reserve) and 4th (Extra Reserve) replaced the 3rd and 4th Militia Battalions and the new battalions just continued with the same regimental numbering systems that had been used by their militia predecessors.</span></span></p><p><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="color: #222222;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial;">Remember, the men joining the militia and special/extra reserve were not career soldiers. They were men who had completed a period of training alongside career soldiers at the regimental depot but they then went back to their homes, turning out annually for drills and camp. Men of the Special Reserve signed up for six years' service and knew, in the event of war, that they would be called upon to fill gaps in the regular battalions. A glance at most 1914 Star rolls will show plenty of evidence of Special Reserve men who served alongside career soldiers. Sometimes their numbers are prefixed by the number of their battalion - typically a 3/ or 4/ in most line infantry regiments - but just as often there will be no prefix.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="color: #222222;"><span style="background-color: white;">My summary below shows enlistment into the 3rd (Special Reserve) and 4th (Extra Reserve) Battalions of the Cameronians (Scottish Rifles). All of these men would have lived locally, within the recruiting area for the Cameronians. </span></span></span><div><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="color: #222222;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="color: #222222;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial;"><b>3rd (Special Reserve) Battalion, Scottish Rifles</b></span></span><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial;"></span><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;">3/6298 joined on 9th August 1908. This man had already been serving with the 3rd Militia Bn with this number.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">3/6965 </span><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="color: #222222;">joined on 27th April 1909</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial;">3/7207 joined on 25th January 1910</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial;">3/7339 joined on 19th June 1911</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial;">3/7439 joined on 1st February 1912</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial;">3/7639 joined on 3rd December 1913</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial;">3/7753 joined on 11th August 1914</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><b style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: arial;">4th (Extra Reserve) Battalion, Scottish Rifles</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><span style="color: blue; font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;">6510 joined on 9th August 1908</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;">6740 joined on 14th February 1909</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">6979 </span><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">joined on 12th April 1910</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">7052 </span><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">joined on 16th October 1911</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">7077 </span><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">joined on 10th January 1912</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">7094 </span><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">joined on 6th March 1913</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">7234 </span><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">joined on 17th February 1914</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">7453 </span><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">joined on 11th August 1914</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;">You can see from the sequences above that there was very little difference between the 3rd and 4th Battalions in terms of when numbers were issued. By the 11th August 1914 the 3rd Battalion had has 7753 men through its books, whilst the 4th Battalion had recruited precisely 300 fewer men. But the regimental number sequences were unique to both battalions and it is important to understand this.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Practically, this means that when looking at medal rolls and trying to work out enlistment dates, if your man had the number 7000 he could have been a 3rd Battalion man who joined between April 1909 and January 1910 or a 4th Battalion man who had joined between April 1910 and October 1911. On the other hand, he could have been a career soldier who had joined between February 1900 and May 1901. (See my post on the <a href="https://armyservicenumbers.blogspot.com/2014/10/cameronians-scottish-rifles-1881-1914.html" target="_blank">1st & 2nd Battalions, Scottish Rifles</a>).</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;">And if all of this is still confusing, have a read of some of the articles towards the bottom of the <a href="https://armyservicenumbers.blogspot.com/p/index.html" target="_blank">Army Service Numbers 1881-1918 index</a>.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><br /></span><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"></span></span><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; text-align: center;"><strong><span style="font-family: arial;">Remember. I research soldiers!</span></strong></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; text-align: center;"><strong><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="http://armyservicenumbers.blogspot.co.uk/p/research.html" style="color: #888888; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Drop me a line</a> </span></strong></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; text-align: center;"><strong><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></strong></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><strong><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">To search for Scottish Rifles photos, check my <a href="https://britisharmyancestors.co.uk/" style="color: #888888; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">British Army Ancestors website</a>. </span></strong><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">The image shows men of the 1st Cameronians at Portsmouth in 1894 and is reproduced by courtesy of the Cameronians Museum.</span></span></div></div></div>Paul Nixonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12354531380984476532noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1944079581687608453.post-30048784344895237022021-07-29T09:57:00.002+01:002021-07-29T09:57:49.712+01:00Highland Light Infantry - 9th (Glasgow Highland) Bn - 1908-1914<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGRtdNkwPDpeiM75VjV1HzRfKWDv9G9dg0aKxFgFnH0sBbbGhc1_l6mZj754_LKUAshkZxl1FsPftvX3v3PelypAuYIPIgelZDPG6m2liodLsWGz4wbJigJ3OmzAH77L6aBAbZozsKi5g/s1100/HLI+Laffans+Plain.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="730" data-original-width="1100" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGRtdNkwPDpeiM75VjV1HzRfKWDv9G9dg0aKxFgFnH0sBbbGhc1_l6mZj754_LKUAshkZxl1FsPftvX3v3PelypAuYIPIgelZDPG6m2liodLsWGz4wbJigJ3OmzAH77L6aBAbZozsKi5g/w400-h265/HLI+Laffans+Plain.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">This post will look at regimental numbering in the 9th (Glasgow Highland) Battalion, Highland Light Infantry between 1908 and 1914.</span></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="background: white; color: #222222; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The 9th Battalion, which had previously existed at the 5th (Glasgow Highland) Volunteer Battalion, Highland Light Infantry, was formed on the 1st April 1908. The Territorial Year Book for 1909 recorded that the battalion strength was 30 officers and 696 men. At the annual camp in 1908, 344 officers and men attended for eight days whilst 286 officers and men attended for 15 days. Private J Chisholm of D Company was the best shot of the battalion.</span> </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #222222; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The following year, The Territorial Year Book for 1910 recorded that the strength was 31 officers and 1000 other ranks, a steady increase on the previous year, and in line with increases in other HLI Territorial Force Battalions. At the annual camp in 1909 438 officers and men attended for 8 days whilst 477 officers and men attended for 15 days. Serjeant J W Mathieson of A Company was the best shot of the battalion. Camp for 1910 was scheduled for Stirling from the 16th July.<br /><br />The battalion was headquartered at 81 Greendyke Street, Glasgow and used the Drill Hall at Glasgow Green. There was a shooting range at Patterton, five miles from HQ. It too formed</span><span style="color: #222222; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> part of the Highland Light Infantry Brigade in the Lowland Division.</span><span style="color: #222222;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="background: white; color: #222222; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Here are some sample regimental numbers and joining dates for the 9th (Glasgow Highland) Battalion, Highland Light Infantry.<br /><br />457 joined on the 9th April 1908<br />815 joined on the 15th March 1909<br />1207 joined on the 23rd February 1910<br />1295 joined on the 16th January 1911<br />1457 joined on the 12th February 1912<br />1746 joined on the 7th April 1913<br />1949 joined on the 28th January 1914<br />2205 joined on the 6th August 1914<br /><br />Use these regimental numbers to approximate when a man would have joined this battalion between 1908 and August 1914. For example if your man's number was 1568 he would have joined the battalion between February 1912 and April 1913.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222;">The image that I have used for this post shows officers and men of the Highlnad Light Infantry on Laffans Plain. To search </span>for photos of your Highland Light Infantry ancestors, check my <a href="https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/1944079581687608453/3767654210512597049"><span style="color: #888888;">British Army Ancestors website</span></a>.</p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><b>Remember. I research soldiers!</b></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/1944079581687608453/3767654210512597049"><span style="color: #888888;">Drop me a line</span></a> </b></p>Paul Nixonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12354531380984476532noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1944079581687608453.post-21822606838430534932021-07-29T09:27:00.002+01:002021-07-29T09:27:48.917+01:00Highland Light Infantry - 7th (Blythswood) Bn - 1908-1914<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2oMIftuVK4MMUapH0HvxFY6jDurKrPeM5yJvsEKioNvdNTHJZwc0d0dtS8-BygS5zlQxtcwxeA5HXJ5GhC0giQBJSRmOINFPH9bYRdKIMsA38wcHck2Lhyphenhyphen9qoytWAWWatByHbMIcMUjI/s1227/3-7th+HLI+officers+-+The+Tatler+-+15+Dec+1915.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="572" data-original-width="1227" height="186" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2oMIftuVK4MMUapH0HvxFY6jDurKrPeM5yJvsEKioNvdNTHJZwc0d0dtS8-BygS5zlQxtcwxeA5HXJ5GhC0giQBJSRmOINFPH9bYRdKIMsA38wcHck2Lhyphenhyphen9qoytWAWWatByHbMIcMUjI/w400-h186/3-7th+HLI+officers+-+The+Tatler+-+15+Dec+1915.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><br /></span></p>
This post will look at regimental numbering in the 7th (Blythswood) Battalion, Highland
Light Infantry between 1908 and 1914.</span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="background: white; color: #222222; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The 7th
Battalion, which had previously existed at the 3rd (Blythswood) Volunteer
Battalion, Highland Light Infantry, was formed on the 1st April 1908. The
Territorial Year Book for 1909 recorded that the battalion strength was 29
officers and 571 men. At the annual camp in 1908, 20 officers and men attended
for eight days whilst 460 officers and men attended for 15 days. Serjeant J Humphreys
was the best shot of the battalion.</span> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="background: white; color: #222222; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The following year, The Territorial Year Book for 1910
recorded that the strength was 31 officers and 928 other ranks, a significant
increase on the previous year, and in line with increases in the 5th and 6th
Battalions. At the annual camp at Gailes in 1909 257 officers and men attended
for 8 days whilst 572 officers and men attended for 15 days. Private Doctor of
E Company was the best shot of the battalion. Camp for 1910 was scheduled for Stirling
from the 16th July. <br />
<br />
The battalion was headquartered at 69 Main Street, Bridgeton and had drill
halls at its HQ and another at Glasgow Green. There was a shooting range at
Dechmont, Cambuslang, seven miles by road from HQ, or five miles by rail. Like
the 5th & 6th Battalions, the 7th Battalion’s eight companies drew men from
the city of Glasgow. It too formed</span><span style="color: #222222; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> part of the Highland Light Infantry Brigade in the Lowland
Division.</span><span style="color: #222222;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="background: white; color: #222222; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Here
are some sample regimental numbers and joining dates for the 7th Battalion, Highland
Light Infantry.<br />
<br />
29 joined on the 28th May 1908<br />
637 joined on the 2nd March 1909 <br />
1201 joined on the 28th February 1910<br />
1311 joined on the 20th February 1911<br />
1391 joined on the 9th February 1912<br />
1625 joined on the 18th April 1913<br />
1714 joined on the 26th February 1914<br />
2125 joined on the 7th August 1914<br />
<br />
Use these regimental numbers to approximate when a man would have joined this
battalion between 1908 and August 1914. For example if your man's number was 1234
he would have joined the battalion between February 1910 and February 1911.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222;">The image that I have used
for this post shows officers of the 3/7th Highland Light Infantry photographed
in 1915. The photograph was published in The Tatler on the 15th December that
year. To search </span>for
photos of your Highland Light Infantry ancestors, check my <a href="https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/1944079581687608453/3767654210512597049"><span style="color: #888888;">British Army Ancestors website</span></a>.</p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><b>Remember. I research soldiers!</b></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/1944079581687608453/3767654210512597049"><span style="color: #888888;">Drop me a line</span></a> </span></b><span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>Paul Nixonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12354531380984476532noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1944079581687608453.post-23631148322479959082021-07-29T09:06:00.000+01:002021-07-29T09:06:50.587+01:00Highland Light Infantry - 6th (City of Glasgow) Bn - 1908-1914<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxVaUsijxCPf8e9TokSAu9R_WUbgWagwzllsglHXZvOINTl4GgW69qH8y1M1Hee6-bAiIWtFi0yaSP9OlEL8GmiXyEA6g7B5SI3YoEgc4EepUk2ny-yqNGmZZYoHHSSxGJNMg5ZDK-_wY/s1514/Highland+Light+Infantry+in+Camp.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="955" data-original-width="1514" height="253" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxVaUsijxCPf8e9TokSAu9R_WUbgWagwzllsglHXZvOINTl4GgW69qH8y1M1Hee6-bAiIWtFi0yaSP9OlEL8GmiXyEA6g7B5SI3YoEgc4EepUk2ny-yqNGmZZYoHHSSxGJNMg5ZDK-_wY/w400-h253/Highland+Light+Infantry+in+Camp.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><br /></span></p>This
post will look at regimental numbering in the 6th (City of Glasgow) Battalion, Highland
Light Infantry between 1908 and 1914.</span> <p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="background: white; color: #222222; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The 6th
Battalion, which had previously existed at the 2nd Volunteer Battalion, Highland
Light Infantry, was formed on the 1st April 1908. The Territorial Year Book for
1909 recorded that the battalion strength was 23 officers and 562 men. At the
annual camp in 1908, 135 officers and men attended for eight days whilst 366
officers and men attended for 15 days. Lance-Serjeant E Patience was the best
shot of the battalion.</span> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="background: white; color: #222222; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The following year, The Territorial Year Book for 1910
recorded that the strength was 21 officers and 974 men, a good increase on the
previous year. At the annual camp in 1909 377 officers and men attended for 8
days whilst 553 officers and men attended for 15 days. Camp for 1910 was
scheduled for Stirling from the 16th July.<br />
<br />
The battalion was headquartered at 172 Yorkhill Street, Glasgow and had drill
halls at its HQ and another at Westend Park. There was a shooting range at
Dechmont, Cambuslang, nine miles from HQ. Like the 5th Battalion, the battalion’s
eight companies drew men from the city of Glasgow. It too formed</span><span style="color: #222222; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> part of the Highland Light
Infantry Brigade in the Lowland Division.</span><span style="color: #222222;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="background: white; color: #222222; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Here
are some sample regimental numbers and joining dates for the 6th Battalion, Highland
Light Infantry.<br />
<br />
425 joined on the 19th August 1908<br />
603 joined on the 13th April 1909<br />
1168 joined on the 3rd June 1910<br />
1210 joined on the 2nd May 1911<br />
1318 joined on the 6th May 1912<br />
1469 joined on the 11th February 1913<br />
1656 joined on the 27th January 1914<br />
1839 joined on the 5th August 1914<br />
<br />
Use these regimental numbers to approximate when a man would have joined this
battalion between 1908 and August 1914. For example if your man's number was 1600
he would have joined the battalion between February 1913 and January 1914.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The image that I have used
for this post shows men of the Highland Light Infantry in camp. To search </span><span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">for photos of your Highland Light
Infantry ancestors, check my <a href="https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/1944079581687608453/3767654210512597049"><span style="color: #888888;">British Army Ancestors website</span></a>.</span><span style="text-align: center;"> </span></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Remember. I research soldiers!</span></b><span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/1944079581687608453/3767654210512597049"><span style="color: #888888;">Drop me a line</span></a> </span></b><span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br />Paul Nixonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12354531380984476532noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1944079581687608453.post-13041352068730037752021-07-29T08:44:00.003+01:002021-07-29T08:44:24.751+01:00Highland Light Infantry - 5th (City of Glasgow) Bn - 1908-1914<p><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9m33ltRAh1ROcC_1LURelpzDCL-rngZyeC0XkS9gicvIYhb7E7DRx4t_TLDo5uoPptH_bhzX25OywenCNrSK6P2R69ArAcWeaJK9uMXxcgiwMvMBIFn9OJ-Bgb8TlmRGsLQ8YV8V68FE/s1432/HLI+Pipers-001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="796" data-original-width="1432" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9m33ltRAh1ROcC_1LURelpzDCL-rngZyeC0XkS9gicvIYhb7E7DRx4t_TLDo5uoPptH_bhzX25OywenCNrSK6P2R69ArAcWeaJK9uMXxcgiwMvMBIFn9OJ-Bgb8TlmRGsLQ8YV8V68FE/w400-h223/HLI+Pipers-001.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></div><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><br />This
post will look at regimental numbering in the 5th (City of Glasgow) Battalion, Highland
Light Infantry between 1908 and 1914.</span> <p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="background: white; color: #222222; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The 5th
Battalion, which had previously existed at the 1st Volunteer Battalion, Highland
Light Infantry, was formed on the 1st April 1908. The Territorial Year Book for
1909 recorded that the battalion strength was 20 officers and 397 men. At the
annual camp in 1908, 109 officers and men attended for eight days whilst 265
officers and men attended for 15 days.</span> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="background: white; color: #222222; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The following year, The Territorial Year Book for 1910
recorded that the strength was 28 officers and 949 men, a significant increase
on the previous year. At the annual camp 166 officers and men attended for 8
days whilst 701 officers and men attended for 15 days. Camp for 1910 was
scheduled for Stirling from the 16th July.<br />
<br />
The battalion was headquartered at 24 Hill Street, Garnethill, Glasgow and its
eight companies drew men from the city of Glasgow. </span><span style="color: #222222; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The battalion formed part of the
Highland Light Infantry Brigade in the Lowland Division.</span><span style="color: #222222;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="background: white; color: #222222; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Here
are some sample regimental numbers and joining dates for the 5th Battalion, Highland
Light Infantry.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="background: white; color: #222222; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">
53 joined on the 3rd April 1908<br />
432 joined on the 1st February 1909<br />
1083 joined on the 11th March 1910<br />
1187 joined on the 25th January 1911<br />
1340 joined on the 8th May 1912<br />
1377 joined on the 3rd February 1913<br />
1591 joined on the 15th March 1914<br />
1637 joined on the 4th August 1914</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="background: white; color: #222222; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Use these regimental numbers to approximate when a man would have joined this
battalion between 1908 and August 1914. For example if your man's number was 1200
he would have joined the battalion between January 1911 and May 1912.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The image that I have
borrowed for this post shows pipers of the Highland Light Infantry ‘in the park
on the march’. To search </span><span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">for
photos of your Highland Light Infantry ancestors, check my <a href="https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/1944079581687608453/3767654210512597049"><span style="color: #888888;">British Army Ancestors website</span></a>.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Remember. I research soldiers!</span></b></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/1944079581687608453/3767654210512597049"><span style="color: #888888;">Drop me a line</span></a> </span></b><span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>Paul Nixonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12354531380984476532noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1944079581687608453.post-37676542105125970492021-05-30T09:56:00.004+01:002021-05-30T11:42:57.055+01:00Devonshire Regiment - 7th (Cyclist) Bn (TF) - 1910-1914<p><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyExhc8tWhNlLgoQ6QVYYBomZVUAghIISQiTS6GOzuJD5DjpVHzpAwTpP_tT3o2OxLwLzwX7cMCS-H_GFZeci2icZfd8XRM-zLBEF3Tg4MA2SGPqQg6eaYcWW1mMfygFDXDaZQgnpM5Io/s1114/2018-112-30-british-1558623234.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1114" data-original-width="920" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyExhc8tWhNlLgoQ6QVYYBomZVUAghIISQiTS6GOzuJD5DjpVHzpAwTpP_tT3o2OxLwLzwX7cMCS-H_GFZeci2icZfd8XRM-zLBEF3Tg4MA2SGPqQg6eaYcWW1mMfygFDXDaZQgnpM5Io/w330-h400/2018-112-30-british-1558623234.jpg" width="330" /></a></span></div><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial;"><br />This post will look at regimental numbering in the 7th Battalion, Devonshire Regiment between 1908 and 1914.</span><p></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The 7th Battalion had no direct Volunteer Force predecessor although it had its nucleus in cyclist sections of the 1st and 5th Volunteer Force Battalions. The 7th Battalion (TF) was formed on the 11th June 1908 with the recruiting area defined as "not restricted, but preferably the south coast of Devon."<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial;">The Territorial Year Book for 1909 recorded that the battalion strength was eight officers and 252 men. 137 Sgt W D Pyne was the best shot of the battalion and at the annual camp in 1908, 104 officers and men attended for eight days whilst 96 officers and men attended for 15 days.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The following year, The Territorial Year Book for 1910 recorded that the strength was 19 officers and 413 men. 128 Pte J L Mogridge was the best shot in 1909 and at the annual camp 108 officers and men attended for 8 days whilst 236 officers and men attended for 15 days. Camp for 1910 was scheduled for Totnes from the 23rd July.<br /><br />The battalion was headquartered at Exeter, and its eight companies drew men from the following areas.<br /><br />A Company: Torquay, with a drill station at Broad Clyst</span><span style="font-family: arial;"><br />B Company: Exeter, with drill stations at Topsham and Woodbury</span><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">C Company: Exeter</span></p><span style="font-family: arial;">D Company: Cullompton, with drill stations at Bradninch and Silverton<br />E Company: Crediton<br />F Company: Dartmouth<br />G Company: Plymouth<br />H Company: Torquay</span><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span face=""Arial","sans-serif"" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #222222; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial;">The battalion was attached to Southern Command</span></span></p><span face=""Arial","sans-serif"" style="background: white; color: #222222; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: arial;"></span><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #222222; font-family: arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Understanding the company distribution is important if you know where your 7th Battalion soldier lived as it would likely suggest the company he served with. For instance, men living in Crediton and wishing to join this battalion would have logically been assigned to E Company, serving together in that company with men from the same area. </span><span face=""Arial","sans-serif"" style="color: #222222; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;"><br />I have fewer numbers in my 7th Devonshire Regiment database than for some other battalions and so I start here in 1910. Here are some sample regimental numbers and joining dates for the 7th Battalion, Devonshire Regiment.</span><br /><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;"><br /></span><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">387 joined on the 8th March 1910</span><br /><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">671 joined on the 11th May 1911</span><br /><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">736 joined on the 12th March 1912</span><br /><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">819 joined on the 26th February 1913</span><br /><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">1005 joined on the 18th June 1914</span><br /><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">1077 joined on the 7th August 1914</span><br />1155 joined on the 12th October 1914</span><span style="font-family: arial;"><br />1560 joined on the 7th November 1914</span></span><span style="font-family: arial;"><br />1625 joined on the 1st December 1914<br /><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;"><br />Use these regimental numbers to approximate when a man would have joined this battalion between 1908 and August 1914. For example if your man's number was 1555 he would have joined the battalion between February 1911 and December 1912.</span></span></p></span><span style="font-family: arial;"><o:p style="font-size: 8.5pt;"></o:p></span><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span face=""Arial","sans-serif"" style="color: #222222; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">The undated image that I have borrowed for this post shows a <a href="https://www.bicycling.com/news/g27561042/world-war-1-bicycles/" target="_blank">First World War era cyclist</a>. </span></span></span><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif">To search for photos of your Devonshire Regiment ancestors, check my <a href="https://britisharmyancestors.co.uk/" style="color: #888888; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">British Army Ancestors website</a>.</span></span></p><div style="text-align: center;"><strong><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></strong></div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong><span style="font-family: arial;">Remember. I research soldiers!</span></strong></div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="http://armyservicenumbers.blogspot.co.uk/p/research.html" style="color: #888888; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Drop me a line</a> </span></strong></div>Paul Nixonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12354531380984476532noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1944079581687608453.post-81624025041103368102021-05-29T10:58:00.002+01:002021-05-29T10:58:49.476+01:00Devonshire Regiment - 6th Battalion (TF) - 1908-1914<p><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNIVt89Omf6XuIomO3b34s12NVUwg2k5KajRi3mS9PTxyCdmZFYJ9dqllY6Twhp5uYUPlyylLDHztewkoyFA7eRK0DVrKXz5crG_Rm5ynWoL7dEgwziqfXYaxcDkxVGNpznGf0LVfYkH0/s504/Devonshire+Regt+%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="504" data-original-width="271" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNIVt89Omf6XuIomO3b34s12NVUwg2k5KajRi3mS9PTxyCdmZFYJ9dqllY6Twhp5uYUPlyylLDHztewkoyFA7eRK0DVrKXz5crG_Rm5ynWoL7dEgwziqfXYaxcDkxVGNpznGf0LVfYkH0/w215-h400/Devonshire+Regt+%25282%2529.jpg" width="215" /></a></span></div><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial;"><br />This post will look at regimental numbering in the 6th Battalion, Devonshire Regiment between 1908 and 1914.</span><p></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The 6th Battalion was formed on the 1st April 1908, taking in men from the former 4th Volunteer Battalion. It was headquartered at Barnstaple.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial;">The Territorial Year Book for 1909 recorded that the battalion strength was 25 officers and 523 men. At the annual camp in 1908, 243 officers and men attended for eight days whilst 207 officers and men attended for 15 days.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background: white; color: #222222; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The following year, The Territorial Year Book for 1910 recorded that the strength was 27 officers and 853 men. At the annual camp in 1909, 408 officers and men had attended for 8 days whilst 411 officers and men had attended for 15 days. Camp for 1910 was scheduled for West Down South from the 23rd July.<br /><br />The battalion's eight companies drew men from the following areas.<br /><br />A Company: Barnstaple, with a drill station at Muddiford</span><span><br />B Company: Okehampton, with drill stations at Hatherleigh, Bow, and Sticklepath<br />C Company: Bideford, with drill stations at Appledore, Parkham, and Hartland<br />D Company: Torrington, with drill stations at St Giles, Holsworthy, and Ashwater<br />E Company: South Molton, with drill stations at Witheridge, Molland, and Chittlehampton<br />F Company: Chulmleigh, with drill stations at Winkleigh, King's Nympton, Burrington, and Crediton<br />G Company: Combe Martin, with drill stations at Berrynarbor,Braunton and Croyde<br />H Company: Barnstaple</span><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial;">Understanding the company distribution is important if you know where your 6th Battalion soldier lived as it would likely suggest the company he served with. For instance, men living in South Molton and wishing to join this battalion would have logically been assigned to E Company. (Note that such logic was largely abandoned after 4th August 1914).</span></p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span><span face=""Arial","sans-serif"" style="background: white; color: #222222; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span face=""Arial","sans-serif"" style="color: #222222; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">Here are some sample regimental numbers and joining dates for the 5th Battalion, Devonshire Regiment.</span><br /><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;"><br />386 joined on the 1st April 1908</span><br /><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">665 joined on the 16th February 1909</span><br /><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">1203 joined on the 28th April 1910</span><br />1442 joined on the 1st July 1911</span><br />1479 joined on the 22nd February 1912</span><br />1724 joined on the 9th June 1913</p></span>1825 joined on the 9th January 1914</span><br />2240 joined on the 26th August 1914</span><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br />Use these regimental numbers to approximate when a man would have joined the 6th Battalion between 1908 and August 1914. For example if your man's number was 1500 he would have joined the battalion between February 1912 and June 1913.<o:p></o:p></span><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span face=""Arial","sans-serif"" style="color: #222222; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">The undated image on this post shows men of the 4th Battalion band. </span></span></span><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif">To search for photos of your Devonshire Regiment ancestors, check my <a href="https://britisharmyancestors.co.uk/" style="color: #888888; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">British Army Ancestors website</a>.</span></span></p><div style="text-align: center;"><strong><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></strong></div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong><span style="font-family: arial;">Remember. I research soldiers!</span></strong></div></div>Paul Nixonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12354531380984476532noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1944079581687608453.post-67033095871112974692021-05-29T10:34:00.000+01:002021-05-29T10:34:16.715+01:00Devonshire Regiment - 5th Battalion (TF) - 1908-1914<p><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoPdcRzGUbSJJnED-dV1WwS4cuXZ6VTl-WEx2dks2r1RISLepA5FDPml6MberwSkweDx1dVxNI-xYIWxl_5MhuOXX8yVKPbDpQwWUbRFvvDfOdp_uepdOPmz9mMiqweSlqVEjSmaLrHQs/s1270/Devonshire+Regt2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="791" data-original-width="1270" height="249" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoPdcRzGUbSJJnED-dV1WwS4cuXZ6VTl-WEx2dks2r1RISLepA5FDPml6MberwSkweDx1dVxNI-xYIWxl_5MhuOXX8yVKPbDpQwWUbRFvvDfOdp_uepdOPmz9mMiqweSlqVEjSmaLrHQs/w400-h249/Devonshire+Regt2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />This
post will look at regimental numbering in the 5th Battalion, Devonshire
Regiment between 1908 and 1914.</span></div><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The 5th
Battalion was formed on the 1st April 1908, taking in men from the former 2nd and 5th (Hay Tor) Volunteer Battalions which had been amalgamated to meet the
requirements of the Territorial Forces Act of 1907. It was headquartered at Millbay, Plymouth.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial;">The
Territorial Year Book for 1909 recorded that the battalion strength was 33
officers and 693 men. Private F Slade of F Company (Torquay) was the best shot of the battalion and
at the annual camp in 1908, 279 officers and men attended for
eight days whilst 306 officers and men attended for 15 days.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background: white; color: #222222; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The following year, The Territorial Year Book for 1910 recorded that the
strength was 37 officers and 821 men. Corporal W Coways was the best shot this year and at the annual camp at Whitchurch Down in
1909, 273 officers and men had attended for 8 days whilst 493 officers and men
had attended for 15 days. Camp for 1910 was scheduled for West Down South from
the 23rd July.<br />
<br />
The battalion's eight companies drew men
from the following areas.<br />
<br />
A Company: Tavistock</span><span><br />
B Company: Plymouth<br />
C Company: Plymouth, with drill stations at Ivybridge & Kingsbridge<br />
D Company: Devonport<br />
E Company: Newton Abbot, with a drill station at Chudleigh<br />
F Company: Teignmouth, with drill stations at dawlish and Torquay<br />
G Company: Moretion Hampstead, with drill stations at Bovey Tracey and Chagford<br />
H Company: Totnes, with drill stations at Ashburton and Buckfastleigh</span><br />
</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span face=""Arial","sans-serif"" style="background: white; color: #222222; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial;">The
battalion formed part of the Devon & Cornwall Infantry Brigade in the Wessex
Division.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span face=""Arial","sans-serif"" style="background: white; color: #222222; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span>
</span><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="background: white; color: #222222; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Understanding the company distribution is important if you know where your 5th
Battalion soldier lived as it would likely suggest the company he served with.
For instance, men living in Devonport and wishing to join this battalion would
have logically been assigned to D Company. (Note that such logic was largely abandoned
after 4th August 1914).</span><span face=""Arial","sans-serif"" style="color: #222222; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span><br />
<span style="background: white;"><br />
Here are some sample regimental numbers and joining dates for the 5th Battalion,
Devonshire Regiment.</span><br />
<span style="background: white;"><br />
861 joined on the 20th November 1908</span><br />
<span style="background: white;">978 joined on the 17th March 1909</span><br />
<span style="background: white;">1044 joined on the 20th January 1910</span><br />
<span style="background: white;">1354 joined on the 22nd February 1911</span><br /><span style="background: white;">1591 joined on the 2nd September 1913</span><br />
1803 joined on the 26th May 1914</span><br />
1887 joined on the 7th August 1914</span><br />2094 joined on the 3rd September 1914</p></span>
<span style="background: white;"><br />
Use these regimental numbers to approximate when a man would have joined this
battalion between 1908 and August 1914. For example if your man's number was 1900 he would have joined the battalion between August and September 1914.</span><o:p></o:p></span><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span face=""Arial","sans-serif"" style="color: #222222; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span><span style="background: white;">The undated image on this post shows men of the 4th Battalion band. </span></span></span><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif">To search for photos of your Devonshire Regiment ancestors, check my <a href="https://britisharmyancestors.co.uk/" style="color: #888888; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">British Army Ancestors website</a>.</span></span></p><div style="text-align: center;"><strong><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></strong></div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong><span style="font-family: arial;">Remember. I research soldiers!</span></strong></div><br />Paul Nixonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12354531380984476532noreply@blogger.com0