The 10th Manchester Regiment

The 10th Manchesters, headquartered at Oldham, was a Territorial Force battalion which, prior to 1908, had been the 6th Volunteer Battalion, the Manchester Regiment. I list below, sample army service numbers and corresponding joining dates for the 10th Battalion, The Manchester Regiment.

240 joined on 7th April 1908
517 joined on 28th January 1909
1056 joined on 3rd March 1910
1243 joined on 11th May 1911
1378 joined on 4th July 1912
1581 joined on 9th October 1913
1668 joined on 30th January 1914
1947 joined on 14th August 1914
2086 joined on 3rd September 1914
3044 joined on 2nd October 1914
3079 joined on 3rd November 1914
3101 joined on 2nd January 1915
3294 joined on 26th February 1915
3337 joined on 22nd March 1915
3356 joined on 6th April 1915
3458 joined on 7th May 1915
3661 joined on 3rd June 1915
3792 joined on 2nd July 1915
3838 joined on 18th August 1915
3851 joined on 4th September 1915
4023 joined on 4th October 1915
4285 joined on 8th November 1915
4454 joined on 9th December 1915
4517 joined on 21st January 1916
4785 joined on 17th February 1916
5056 joined on 10th March 1916
5232 joined on 20th April 1916
5253 joined on 1st May 1916
5423 joined on 24th July 1916

My data currently stops short here. I'll add to this though, in due course.

When the Territorial Force re-numbered in 1917, the 10th Battalion, Manchester Regiment, was allocated numbers within the block 375001 to 400000. Here are some six digit numbers for the 10th Manchesters.

375003 originally joined on 1st April 1908 (and was almost certainly a 6th VB man to boot)
375074 originally joined on 19th July 1909
375102 originally joined on 13th April 1911
375144 originally joined on 9th May 1912
375234 originally joined on 8th December 1913
375310 originally joined on 9th February 1914
375553 originally joined on 4th September 1914
375983 originally joined on 13th October 1914
376069 originally joined on 18th January 1915
376199 originally joined on 6th April 1915
376262 originally joined on 7th May 1915
376397 originally joined on 3rd June 1915
376469 originally joined on 2nd July 1915
376545 originally joined on 27th September 1915
376679 originally joined on 11th November 1915
376841 originally joined on 16th February 1916
377179 originally joined on 20th April 1916
377316 originally joined on 25th July 1916
377597 originally joined on 9th August 1916
377662 originally joined on 18th September 1916
377929 originally joined on 17th October 1916

There was a third series of numbers used by this battalion and that was for (mostly) National Reservists who joined Supernumerary Companies attached to the 10th Battalion. These men, who had often seen previous military experience - and in many cases, several years earlier - signed up for one year's service in the United Kingdom on Army Form. E.514. My data for these men is not extensive, but James Brierley, who joined up at Oldham on 23rd July 1915, is a typical Supernumerary Company man. He was 49 years old and indicated that he had previously served with the 4th King's Lancaster Regiment. When the Royal Defence Corps was formed the following year, he transferred to it, assigned to No. 309 Protection Company. His army service number as a 10th Bn Supernumerary man was 20063. When he joined the RDC (on 29th April 1916) he received a new number: 27064.

James Brierley's service record survives in the WO 363 series which can be accessed on-line via Ancestry.co.uk

Read my other posts on The Manchester Regiment:

The Manchester Regiment, The Regular Battalions 1881-1914
The Manchester Regiment, Special & Extra Reserve Battalions 1908-1914

5th Bn, Manchester Regiment (TF)
6th Bn, Manchester Regiment (TF)
7th Bn, Manchester Regiment (TF)
8th Bn, Manchester Regiment (TF)
9th Bn, Manchester Regiment (TF)

Manchester Regiment Service Battalion numbers 1914-1916
16th, 17th & 18th Manchesters (1st, 2nd and 3rd City Battalions)
19th, 20th & 21st Manchesters (4th, 5th and 6th City Battalions)
22nd, 23rd & 24th Manchesters (7th & 8th City Battalions and the Oldham Pioneers)

A Manchester Pal's War - 9814 Pte Harry Bardsley, 18th Manchesters

Caveat
It is wrong to assume that numbering sequences in battalions always followed a sequential pattern. They didn't. As the war progressed and casualties grew, large numbers of men were often transferred from one battalion to another and allocated numbers within blocks which did not fit the sequential patterning seen to date. This becomes particularly evident in most battalions from 1916 onwards. For an example of this, see my post on the 23rd London Regiment.


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