Having just commemorated a Royal Warwickshire Regiment man on my WW1 Remembrance blog, I thought I'd use this post to look at army service numbers issued to men joining the regular battalions of the Royal Warwickshire Regiment between 1881 and 1914.
In 1881 the 6th Regiment of Foot became the Royal Warwickshire Regiment and in the years up until 1914 fought at Atbara and Omdurman in the Sudan and later during the Boer War campaign.
Service records for all of the following numbers survive in the WO 363 (Burnt Documents) and WO 364 (Pensions) series at the National Archives in Kew, London. A search on Findmypast for Royal Warwickshire Regiment service and pension records reveals over 50,000 results. Click the link to see the search results. Also view these on-line as part of a FREE 14 day trial with Ancestry.co.uk.
71 joined on 3rd September 1881
354 joined on 20th April 1882
710 joined on 27th June 1883
934 joined on 25th January 1884
1401 joined on 22nd June 1885
1930 joined on 6th October 1886
2110 joined on 9th February 1887
2260 joined on 3rd March 1888
2448 joined on 25th January 1889
2693 joined on 17th April 1890
3200 joined on 12th March 1891
3582 joined on 19th February 1892
3781 joined on 17th January 1893
4216 joined on 17th April 1894
4553 joined on 5th June 1895
4680 joined on 8th May 1896
5028 joined on 4th August 1897
5440 joined on 15th March 1898
On 6th April 1898 - and with tensions in South Africa increasing - the Royal Warwickshire Regiment raised a 3rd regular battalion in Ireland. The 3rd Battalion drew numbers from the same series as the 1st and 2nd Battalions. It would eventually be disbanded in England on 23rd April 1907.
6661 joined on 13th February 1899
7326 joined on 5th June 1900
7683 joined on 13th February 1901
On 3rd February 1902 the Royal Warwickshire Regiment raised a 4th regular battalion at Colchester in Essex and it too drew numbers from the same series being used by the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Battalions. The 4th Battalion would be disbanded on 9th February 1907.
8480 joined on 1st March 1902
9376 joined on 30th March 1903
9842 joined on 9th January 1904
In 1904 - or late 1903 - and with its numbering approaching 9999, the regiment applied to the Adjutant-General to commence a new series of numbers. Permission was duly granted and the regiment started numbering from 1 again in 1904. 1904 was also one of those years in which regulations regarding numbering changed; not in time though for the Royal Warwickshire regiment which had seen its recruitment figures leap as a result of the addition of two regular battalions. Read more about Queen's and King's Regulations regarding numbering, HERE.
552 joined on 17th October 1905
779 joined on 2nd March 1906
968 joined on 13th November 1907
1152 joined on 11th August 1908
1493 joined on 13th December 1909
1650 joined on 8th June 1910
1770 joined on 4th February 1911
1987 joined on 27th January 1912
2253 joined on 7th January 1913
2539 joined on 9th June 1914
When Britain went to war with Germany a couple of months later, the newly forming service battalions (with the exception of the 14th, 15th, 16th and 17th Battalions) drew numbers from the same series that had been used by the regulars.
1st Battalion stations 1881-1914
1881 London
1885 Plymouth1885 Tipperary
1889 Fermoy
1890 Aldershot
1895 Malta
1896 Egypt
1898 Sudan
1898 Madras
1901 Belgaum
1904 Quetta
1908 Peshawar
1910 Bombay
1911 Aden
1912 Shornecliffe
1913 Portsmouth
1914 France & Flanders (from August)
2nd Battalion stations
1881-1914
1881 Jubbulpore
1885 Calcutta1889 Subathu (India)
1891 Ceylon
1896 Chatham
1898 Ireland
1899 South Africa
1901 Devonport
1904 Portland
1906 Borden
1909 Lichfield
1912 Malta
1914 France & Flanders (from October)
3rd Battalion stations
1898-1907
1898 Raised in Ireland on the 6th April
1898 Malta
1902 Bermuda
1904 Gibraltar
1905 South Africa
1907 England. Disbanded on the 23rd April.
4th Battalion stations 1900-1909
1900 Raised in Colchester on the 3rd
February.
1901 Dublin1906 England
1907 Disbanded on the 9th February.
I also offer a comprehensive, fast and cost-effective military history research service. Follow the link for more information.
British Military History Bookshop
Click the link above to view Royal Warwickshire Regiment and Warwickshire-related military books.
From The Naval & Military Press
A Brigade of the Old Army - 1914
The author was a Brigadier-General in 1914, commanding the 10th Infantry Brigade (1st Royal Warwickshire, 2nd Seaforth Highlanders, 1st Royal Irish Fusiliers and 2nd Royal Dublin Fusiliers) of the 4th Division and ending up as a corps commander. The 4th Division formed the second wave of the BEF, arriving in France on 22nd August 1914 in time to join in the retreat from Mons.
This account, though not published until after the war, was written at the front in the Spring of 1915 and the author has allowed it to stand practically as it was written at the time, thus providing a valuable and immediate contribution to the fighting in those early days. He covers Le Cateau, the retreat, the subsequent advance to the Aisne and the move to Flanders. In mid-November 1914 Haldane handed over command of 10th Brigade at ‘Plugstreet’ on promotion to command of the 3rd Division at Ypres, where its commander, Maj Gen E.Hamilton, had been killed. During the retreat from Mons the COs of 1st R Warwicks and 2nd RDF attempted to negotiate the surrender of their battalions at St Quentin, a move that was frustrated by the actions of Major Tom Bridges. Both COs were later courtmartialled and cashiered.
20 comments:
Hi Paul
Thanks for the blog. It's a very useful resource.
For what it's worth, to add to the above:
395 joined on 19th May 1882 in Calcutta
8963 joined on 3rd September 1902 in Malta
Regards
Tom
Thanks for your compliments and for taking the trouble to post that information, Tom.
Paul
Do you have anyway of identifying if someone was in Royal Warwicks and whether they were in Ireland 1917-1919 ish.
Trying to find how my grandad fron Aston ended up in Ireland to marry gran.
Marriage cert says soldier.
His name was Thomas Arthur Robinson born 1898
Martin
I couldn't find a medal index card for a man of that name in that regiment. Not conclusive proof that he wasn't in Ireland with the regiment however. He might have been, and may never have travelled overseas. I could not see a service record for this man either. Have you tried contacting the regimental archive? Is there a Royal Warwicks forum online? These would be my next steps?
Hi Paul, thanks for posting the information on RWR regimental numbering. According to the medals list my father recieved Regt. 1st Batt. #534. Born February 1889, he must have joined in 1904-5. His service records apparently were amongst those burn during WW2. He was listed in the Regt. diaries as have been wounded twice from Aug.1914 onward but I haven't been able to get any details of his service in India prior the outbreak or after the Armistice in 1919. Any ideas of a path I could follow before I get to the point of no return and can't leave my children grandchildren details of his Army life?
Re 534 Royal Warwicks
Sorry for the late response on this. He would not have gone overseas until he was 20 years old at least and so you'd be looking at the period 1909-1914.
I have updated the original post showing locations of the battalions up to 1914.
Paul
Hi.
Can anyone help me?
I found a Victorian Bible (Official Copy stamped on the front and back) with the following details inside;
Pte C Pinder 1321 C Coy RWR
I have no idea where to start with research.
Many thanks.
Mike
Mike, he was a regular soldier who had joined the Royal Warwickshire Regt in 1904 and was probably a reservist by Aug 1914. He arrived in France in October 1914. If you want a full report on him, pls drop me a line at paulcanixon@gmail.com.
6102 Reuben Fell joined on 10th August 1898 served with 2nd Battn in Malta returned to UK October November 1902, and discharged to army Reserve until 9.8.10.....rejoined at outbreak of ww1 (file N/A) as 2841, again 2nd Battn and KIA 3.9.16 on Somme.
Mick M.
A period of robust recruiting for this regiment. Thanks for commenting, Mick.
Linda, re
"Trying to find info on Robert B Emmett 3050? Royal Warwickshire regiment. Believed killed Flanders 1914 ....any info greatly appreciated"
He died on the 19th December 1914. See CWGC info here: http://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/872552/EMMETT,%20ROBERT
There is more that could be researched about this man. Contact me at paulcanixon@yahoo.co.uk if you wish to take this up.
Hi All. I'm trying to find the date of enlistment for my Great Grandfather, who served with the 15th Royal Warwickshire Regiment. He was KIA on 26th October 2017. His was a Private and his Service Number was 22735. I believe that he enlisted in Hartley Winchfield, Hants. I have done quite a bit of research on him, but would love to know when he enlisted so that I can trace his service history. Any help would be very much appreciated. Kindest Regards, Harvey
Please see the RESEARCH tab, Harvey.
Paul
Any info welcome on 200269 pte Samuel Joseph boulton died 8/10/1917,where he died and was it wounds or Kia any info welcome cheers
Lynda, please contact me via the Research tab: http://armyservicenumbers.blogspot.co.uk/p/research.html if you would like me to research this for you.
My grandad pte james airlie enlisted 1915 for 10th batallion royal scots but was discgarged from royal warwickshire regt 1918. On the discharge form it says he did serve overseas and had a wound stripe and one blue chevron. His regl no is 27860. How can I find out where he served? He survived and lived until age 81. Thank you
Thank you for your comment, Eleanor. As you will hopefully have seen when posting on this blog, if your request is for information about a specific individual, please contact me via the research tab.
Doing a near number search in the WO97 series of service record for a man I'm investigating turned up these four.
416 Nathan George Nelder attested at Warwick on the 18th July 1905. He enlisted for 12 years on a 9 and 3 split. He reached the Depot at Warwick on the 23rd.
418 Arthur Kite attested at Wedgnock Park on the 28th July 1905. He enlisted for 12 years on a 9 and 3 split. He was ex 5th Battalion. He reached the Depot at Warwick on the 30th.
424 Patrick Coogan attested at Bootle on the 20th July 1905, initially with the Royal Welsh Fusiliers. He enlisted for 12 years on a 9 and 3 split. He was redirected to the Royal Warwickshire Regiment, reaching the Depot at Warwick on the 27th.
432 Harry Bloxham attested at Coventry on the 1st August 1905. He enlisted for 12 years on a 9 and 3 split. He reached the Depot at Warwick on the 4th.
As you leap from January 1904 to October 1905 I hope that helps.
Peter
Peter, thank you very much, and apologies for my slow response. Paul.
Post a Comment