This post will look at numbering in the regular battalions of The North Staffordshire Regiment between August 1881 and August 1914.
The regiment was formed in July 1881; the 1st Battalion from the old 64th (2nd Staffordshire) Regiment of Foot, and the 2nd Battalion from the old 98th (Prince of Wales's) Regiment of Foot. Service records for all of the following numbers survive in the WO 363 (Burnt Documents) and (mostly) in the WO 364 (Pensions) series at the National Archives in Kew, London. Also see the British Army Pensions in WO 97, now online with Findmypast, for more North Staffordshire Regiment pension records.
In actual fact, there are over 34,000 North
Staffordshire Regiment pension and service records (for this regiment
- and its antecedents) in various War Office series held at the National
Archives. Clicking on the link will take you to the results on Findmypast but you
will need a subscription or Pay-Per-View credits to actually view the
records. Some of these records can also be viewed on-line on Ancestry although
Findmypast has by far the most comprehensive service record collection.
Use the regimental numbers and dates on which these were issued, below,
to determine parameters for when your own North Staffordshire Regiment ancestor
would have joined up. Note though that these numbers are only for regular
enlistments. Special Reserve and Territorial Force battalions operated
completely separate regimental number sequences.
9 joined on 23rd August 1881
313 joined on 9th August 1882
543 joined on 17th February 1883
1315 joined on 17th September 1884
1432 joined on 24th January 1885
2001 joined on 17th April 1886
2313 joined on 4th March 1887
2496 joined on 27th February 1888
2692 joined on 4th January 1889
2954 joined on 29th January 1890
3295 joined on 26th February 1891
3591 joined on 19th January 1892
4015 joined on 16th February 1893
4428 joined on 15th February 1894
4701 joined on 8th January 1895
4899 joined on 25th January 1896
5246 joined on 18th February 1897
5580 joined on 17th February 1898
5823 joined on 2nd January 1899
6100 joined on 8th January 1900
6367 joined on 16th January 1901
6568 joined on 1st April 1902
6812 joined on 6th January 1903
7174 joined on 7th January 1904
7910 joined on 10th January 1905
8139 joined on 31st January 1906
8469 joined on 10th June 1907
8697 joined on 13th January 1908
9209 joined on 10th August 1909
9271 joined on 15th February 1910
9471 joined on 25th February 1911
9702 joined on 14th March 1912
9961 joined on 30th August 1913
10006 joined on 13th December 1913
My pre-WW1 data ends at this point. When Britain went to war with Germany eight months later, the new service battalions would draw numbers for their recruits from the series that had been in use by the 1st and 2nd Battalions.
The image on this post shows officers of the 2nd Battalion, North Staffordshire Regiment outside the Officers' Mess in Multan, India in 1908. The image comes from Wikimedia Commons.
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Good morning Paul
ReplyDeleteI am looking at the data I have for a soldier
10098 Pte Thomas Marsh
According to what you have he was not a regular. Young lad 19 when killed maybe less.
Medal Record shows embarkation day as 28/11/14 Died 02/04/1915
I am a bit confused youth and timing
Have you got anything to help.
Best wshes Draperju
Draperju, I've checked the data again and I agree; I think there's an error in my assertion that 9985 joined for wartime service only. I'm deleting that section. I have also discovered that 10006 joined in December 1913 and so I would suggest that your man is an early 1914 pre-war regular enlistment.
ReplyDeletePaul
I have a North Staffs soldier with Service number of 7524 - He was born in 1892 - we know he was a reservist at the outbreak of the war.
ReplyDeleteAny idea when he joined pre war as the number table suggest he was too young to have joined when his number suggests ?
Martyn
He was almost certainly a member of the 3rd(Special Reserve) or 4th (Extra Reserve) Battalion, in that case. Both these battalions had passed 75** before the outbreak of WW1.
ReplyDeleteThanks Paul - I assume he was a regular before the war and then placed onto the reserve before being called up ?
ReplyDeleteKilled on the Somme in 1916 and has no known grave.
Martyn
Probably not, Martyn. The Special Reserve was a part-time, home-based body of men without a full-time commitment to soldiering, albeit in times of war the SR was used to provide drafts to regular battalions. I have written about the SR elsewhere on this blog.
ReplyDeletePaul, I'm researching a soldier who served with the North Staffs and East Lancs, and have turned up a couple of North Staffs which might be useful for your database:
ReplyDelete25328 John Sutton attested 19 November 1915, to depot [16 May 1916] joined 3rd (Reserve) Battalion from Depot Derby 22 May 1916 at Wallsend, posted to BEF 13 September 1916
25334 Frank Tomlinson attested 11 Dec 1915, accepted 26 May 1916, posted to N Staffs Depot 27 May, then 3rd North Staffordshires 30 May, overseas 20 October 1916.
My man is a bit of a mystery as he was KIA on 22 October 1916 (or thereabouts - personally I think 18 October is the more likely date) having transferred to 1/E Lancs but according to CWGC/SDGW his previous North Staffs service number was 45332. By my limited calculations, that number would seem to date to around May 1917! (Cf 45327 Frederick Rowley, attested 10 Dec 1915, mobilised & posted to North Staffs 26 May 1917.) Am I about right in that assumption, would you say?
Anthony
I'd say you were spot on, Anthony; thanks for the two North Staffs men.
ReplyDeleteThanks Paul, much appreciated as ever.
DeleteCan anyone confirm that soldier Brown from Stoke on Trent (maybe Horatio) was drowned in a river in or near Multan apparently a monument or similar is dedicated to him on the river bank?
ReplyDeleteHello there - I have a medal in my family. My father was born in Cheddleton near Leek in Staffs. The medal is a Victory Medal named to 9165 PTE JOHN WILSON N STAFFS R.
ReplyDeleteFrom research by a friend I know he was wounded in 1917 and he also got the MM in 1916…. I know nothing else about him and his links to the family have been lost in time… will his records still exist? I am happy to consider some paid research. We don’t have his date of birth. He seems to be mentioned with a ‘from’ of ASHFORD. I believe this would be Ashford by the Water in the Peak District not Ashford in Kent or Ashford in Middlesex but that is just my own hunch…
@Pete Marshall there appears to be no surviving service record for this man but it would be possible to research more about the man and his career. Drop me a line to paul@britisharmyancestors.co.uk if you would be interested in pursuing this.
ReplyDelete