This battalion had its origins in the 2nd London Volunteer Rifle Corps and had its headquarters in Farringdon Road in the City of London. The image above shows men from the 6th Londons at Watford in 1915
Here are some army service numbers and corresponding joining dates for men of the Cast Iron Sixth.
441 joined on 4th November 1908
1053 joined on 17th May 1909
1104 joined on 1st March 1910
1175 joined on 8th March 1911
1276 joined on 5th February 1912
1361 joined on 7th January 1913
1851 joined on 7th August 1914
2375 joined on 3rd September 1914
3164 joined on 6th October 1914
3195 joined on 4th January 1915
3247 joined on 25th February 1915
3289 joined on 9th March 1915
3289 joined on 9th March 1915
3330 joined on 21st April 1915
3419 joined on 3rd May 1915
3419 joined on 3rd May 1915
4469 joined on 10th June 1915
4622 joined on 12th July 1915
4856 joined on 11th August 1915
4622 joined on 12th July 1915
4856 joined on 11th August 1915
4927 joined on 9th September 1915
4960 joined on 27th October 1915
4975 joined on 6th November 1915
5018 joined on 11th December 1915
5302 joined on 10th February 1916
5302 joined on 10th February 1916
5389 joined on 26th April 1916
5424 joined on 20th May 1916
5738 joined on 1st June 1916
6331 joined on 15th August 1916
5738 joined on 1st June 1916
6331 joined on 15th August 1916
6597 joined on 14th September 1916
6720 joined on 23rd October 1916
6941 joined on 3rd November 1916
When the Territorial Force was re-numbered in 1917, the 6th Londons re-numbered within the block 320001 to 350000. These six digit numbers start appearing in January 1917.
6720 joined on 23rd October 1916
6941 joined on 3rd November 1916
When the Territorial Force was re-numbered in 1917, the 6th Londons re-numbered within the block 320001 to 350000. These six digit numbers start appearing in January 1917.
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Read my other posts on numbering in the London Regiment battalions:
City of London Battalions
1st (City of London) Battalion (Royal Fusiliers)
2nd (City of London) Battalion (Royal Fusiliers)
3rd (City of London) Battalion (Royal Fusiliers)
4th (City of London) Battalion (Royal Fusiliers)
5th (City of London) Battalion (Rifle Brigade)
7th (City of London) Battalion
8th (City of London) Battalion (Post Office Rifles)
County of London Battalions
9th (County of London) Battalion (Queen Victoria's Rifles)
10th County of London) Battalion (Hackney) [Originally Paddington Rifles]
11th (County of London) Battalion (Finsbury Rifles)
12th (County of London) Battalion (The Rangers)
13th (County of London) Battalion (Kensington)
14th (County of London) Battalion (London Scottish)
15th (County of London) Battalion (Prince of Wales's Own Civil Service Rifles)
16th (County of London) Battalion (Queen's Westminster Rifles)
17th (County of London) Battalion (Poplar & Stepney Rifles)
18th (County of London) Battalion (London Irish Rifles)
19th (County of London) Battalion (St Pancras)
20th (County of London) Battalion (Blackheath & Woolwich)
21st (County of London) Battalion (First Surrey Rifles)
22nd (County of London) Battalion (The Queen's)
23rd (County of London) Battalion
24th (County of London) Battalion (The Queen's)
25th (County of London) Cyclist Battalion
28th (County of London) Battalion (Artists Rifles)
the Cast Iron 6th according to the regimental history adopted the Church of St James on St James Rd Croydon and donated a simple white wooden cross. this church was derelict for years and vandalised, the church officials in croydon say the cross was possibly lost during this period and they have no records about it. i bet the WW1 soldiers wouldnt have thought it would be lost and forgotten even in the same century they made that committment
ReplyDeleteDo you know the names of any of the men in photo, My great uncle Thomas Peile was killed at High Wood and finding details of service is impossible.
ReplyDeleteHi, long stretch seeing as the comment is 10 years old - but I’m also here looking for info on Thomas. Did you manage to find anything? I’m a descendant, not sure what exact relation though!
DeleteNo, I'm afraid I don't.
ReplyDelete1364 Sgt Thomas Peile was a pre-war enlistment and he joined in Jan1913 and so is possibly in this photo. There is a book on the 6th Londons, re-published by Naval and Military Press, which would give you an overview of the actions in which the regiment was involved.
Paul
very interesting site . my family member Richard Lyus in the 1901 census gives his occupation as private in 1 KRR by 1902 he is a paper warehouseman his army number was 244 he was killed in 1915 whils a member of the 6th
ReplyDeleteDavid Lyus
Re Richard Lyus.
ReplyDeleteVery interesting. This man was a volunteer with the 2nd London Rifle Volunteers in 1900. He was discharged in February 1900 in order to re-enlist with the regular forces and he then joined the KRRC, serving with them in South Africa until he was discharged in June 1901. So yes, at the time of the 1901 census he was a serving soldier with the KRRC albeit his term of enlistment was "for a term of one year, unless the war in South Africa last longer than one year...". He has a surviving service record in WO 97 (accessbile on findmypast) and there will be a medal roll entry for the QSA (available on Ancestry) which I have not checked.
His number with the 6th Londons indicates that he was serving with the VF again before the VF became the TF in 1908. So he really appears to have been a dedicated volunteer soldier. His medal combination of a QSA to a volunteer with the KRRC and the BWM and VM for WW1 will be uncommon.
I am researching Albert William Vicary who was killed in action 15th Sept 1916 in High Wood. He was with the 6th Lindon Regiment. I have his medal record and soldiers will but there are no enlistment papers. His number was 4822/322126 which indicates he enlisted July/August 1915. Strange thing is he had previously been discharged from the 4th Beds Regiment on 1st Jan 1915 as medically unfit due to valvular disease of the heart.
ReplyDeleteAre the enlistment papers available and how did he pass his medical second time round ?
Ian Vicary
vicary@one-name.org
Hello Ian
ReplyDeleteI couldn't find papers for him either so we must assume these were destroyed by enemy bombing in 1940. The 4th Beds was the Extra Reserve battalion and he probably did what a lot of men did and that was to turn up at another recruiting office and sign up without declaring any health issues. The rigours of medical examinations did vary and his heart disease would not have been picked up. If it had been, he would almost certainly have been rejected. Despite the needs for men, men with obvious defects - even bad teeth - were rejected as unfit.
My Great Grandad (Alexander Edwin Richard Hirst) died on September 15th 1916 while serving with the 6th London rifles. Could he be in this photo I wonder?
ReplyDeleteJoe Hirst :)
It's possible isn't it? None of the men are named though and so you'd be relying on a face match against another photo.
ReplyDeletePaul
My wife's grandfather was 31453 in the Dorsetshire Regiment, then transferred (in the middle of a batch of ~140 men) to the King's Royal Rifle Corps (44958).
ReplyDeleteI've worked out that this must have been prior to the end of March 1918, since CWGC has deaths recorded against that block of numbers [44903-45097]. The deaths are scattered around the
Somehow he ended up, with others from KRRC, in the London Regiment with service number 348496 (they all seem to be 348xxx). Is this a 6th London number, as indicated in the list?
If so is it likely they were transferring into the 6th London after recovering from wounds?
I'm trying to track down some of the movements of my wife's grandfather who ended up in the London Regiment with number 348496. He'd previously been 31453 in the Dorsets and 44958 in the King's Royal Rifle Corps. His transfer from 1st Bn. Dorsets to KRRC was part of a bulk move of around 140 men (120+ of whom are surname and service number sorted) which must have happened in/before March 1918 since soldiers in that range died as KRRC from 31st March through to 27th Oct.
ReplyDeleteNo service record or pension record exist, so dates are all very much a matter of reverse engineeering from deaths of comrades.
We know he was wounded - is it possible that the transfer into the London Regiment (possibly the 6th from the number range) would have been on recovery?
Eric
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ReplyDeleteHi Paul
ReplyDeleteI'm trying to find out where in Flanders my Great Uncle died, I believe in late 1917. Albert Odell service number 320355. From your data and what I have found to date I believe he served in the 6th(City of London) Battalion (Rifles). I'm also trying to obtain a cap badge but am having trouble in recognising the correct badge. Could you help with advice in obtaining further details
Hello, my great uncle was service number 322040. KIA on 7.6.1917. Same 6th london batallion as a rifleman. Very sad they died so young. His name was Alfred William Morley. Regards. Nova
DeletePlease drop me a line via the research tab, Bill, and I'll let you know how I can assist.
ReplyDeletePaul
My Great Uncle Harry Nokes KIA 13/8/18. 6th Batt. Buried in MONT HUON MILITARY CEMETERY, LE TREPORT, just been to see my nan, who is 102, his name came up.
ReplyDeleteHello, just found this thread.
ReplyDeleteI'm researching my family tree on ancestry site.
My great uncle served in the 6th Batallion rifleman london regiment. His no. Was 322040. He was called Alfred William Morley and sadly killed in action on 7.6.1917 in northern France.
I have managed to find the hand written war diaries online and read the diary for the day he died.
I would love to see a photo of him somewhere one day. I'll keep researching and looking.
Thanks. Nova
Nova thaqnks for posting and keep an eye out on my British Army Ancestors site: http://britisharmyancestors.co.uk/
ReplyDeleteService number 1853 my great uncle died on 16th February 1916 Albert George board do you have anything on him
ReplyDeletehttps://www.britisharmyancestors.co.uk/search-result/?q=1853+board
ReplyDelete