Army Service Numbers 1881-1918: 4th (City of London) Bn, The London Regiment (Royal Fusiliers)

26 August 2008

4th (City of London) Bn, The London Regiment (Royal Fusiliers)

The 4th (City of London) Battalion, The London Regiment (Royal Fusiliers), had its origins in the 4th Volunteer Battalion Royal Fusiliers.

Here are some sample army service numbers and corresponding joining dates for the 4th London Regiment:

220 joined on 2nd April 1908
502 joined on 11th February 1909
1086 joined on 7th February 1911
1203 joined on 9th January 1912
1783 joined on 24th April 1913
1933 joined on 10th March 1914
2156 joined on 10th August 1914
2318 joined on 1st September 1914
3035 joined on 15th October 1914
3275 joined on 2nd November 1914
3505 joined on 14th December 1914
3796 joined on 27th January 1915
3919 joined on 16th February 1915
4013 joined on 25th March 1915
4067 joined on 12th April 1915
4110 joined on 5th May 1915
4486 joined on 15th June 1915
4787 joined on 16th August 1915
5003 joined on 1st November 1915
5163 joined on 21st January 1916
5486 joined on 12th February 1916
5546 joined on 20th March 1916
6190 joined on 1st April 1916
6429 joined on 2nd May 1916
6641 joined on 12th August 1916
6771 joined on 13th October 1916
8056 joined on 21st November 1916

When the battalion re-numbered in 1917, it did so using numbers within the block 280001 to 300000. Here are some sample six digt numbers and joining dates for the 4th Londons (original numbers, where known, in brackets):

280050 originally joined on 13th September 1910 (1059)
280075 originally joined on 6th February 1912
280244 originally joined on 3rd June 1913
280364 originally joined on 11th June 1914
280536 originally joined on 2nd September 1914
281089 originally joined on 27th October 1914 (3277)
281103 originally joined on 2nd November 1914 (3275)
281278 originally joined on 7th January 1915
281473 originally joined on 15th February 1915
281623 originally joined on 10th May 1915 (4133)
281727 originally joined 3rd June 1915
282163 originally joined on 1st November 1915 (5003)
283202 originally joined on 12th August 1916 (6641)

This concludes the numbering sequences for the first four Territorial Force London Battalions, all of these four battalions associated with The Royal Fusiliers.

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WAR HISTORY OF THE 4TH BATTALION THE LONDON REGIMENT (ROYAL FUSILIERS) 1914-1919

The Naval & Military Press has reprinted this battalion's war history. This from their blurb on the book (below):

"At the beginning of the war the 4th Londons were part of the 1st London Brigade, 1st London Division. The brigade’s task on mobilization was guarding the railway between Waterloo and Southampton. However, within a month of the declaration of war the brigade was despatched to Malta to replace the regular battalions called back to the UK.

"In January 1915 the battalion left Malta for France where it joined the Ferozepore Brigade of the 3rd Indian (Lahore) Division with which it fought its first major action, at Neuve Chapelle in March. The Indian Corps left France in December 1915 and in February the following year the battalion joined the 168th Brigade in the reformed 1st London Division (now numbered 56th) with which it remained, on the Western Front, for the rest of the war.

"In September 1914 the second line battalion, 2/4th, was formed (the original 4th Battalion now became 1/4th) and in December it went to Malta to relieve the 1/4th which was going to France. After eight months the battalion sailed to Alexandria and from there it went to Gallipoli (October 1915) where it was attached to the Royal Naval Division. The battalion left Gallipoli in January 1916 and went back to Egypt for four months before moving to France (Rouen) where it was disbanded in June 1916.

"The third line battalion, 3/4th, had been formed in January 1915 and when the 2/4th was disbanded, the 3/4th was redesignated the 2/4th and under that title landed in France in January 1917 with 173rd Brigade, 58th Division. The battalion fought with that division till September 1918 when it was broken up and personnel transferred to the 2/2nd Battalion.

"Finally there was a fourth line battalion, 4/4th, which remained in the UK as a drafting unit for the overseas battalions.

"This is a good, solid history which describes very well the doings of the active service battalions with plenty of detaiI. It follows the progress of the war from mobilization to armistice with each chapter covering a specific period and a specific battalion, clearly indicated in the contents list. Thus Chapter IV is the 1/4th in the Second Battle of Ypres, Chapter VII is The 2/4th in Malta, Gallipoli and Egypt. and so on. There is no Roll of Honour though there is a list of Honours and Awards, including foreign decorations, as well as a list of officers and men of other regiments who won their awards serving with the 4th Londons."

Army Service Numbers 1881-1918

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26 August 2008

4th (City of London) Bn, The London Regiment (Royal Fusiliers)

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