The importance of regimental numbers in military research

This is a well-worn topic on this blog but it doesn't harm to go over the basics again once in a while. And before I forget, the image above is borrowed from the Postcards of Cornwall website and shows men from Section 4, A Company, 10th DCLI photographed in 1915.


The reason I began my study of regimental numbers in the first place was that for many of the men I was researching at the time, a regimental number on a medal card / medal roll was all I had. Knowing how particular the army was I felt sure that there must have been a system in place when it came to issuing regimental numbers and that if I could crack the code, a man's regimental number could tell me quite a bit.


Over the years I  have built a database of men with known enlistment and/or transfer dates and the regimental numbers they were issued with. I did this for the majority of all infantry of the line battalions and for all other corps except the Army service Corps and Labour Corps. My study embraced all branches of the army: regular, militia, special reserve, extra reserve, Volunteer Force (partial), Territorial Force, Yeomanry and New Army (from 1914). I have published a fraction of this research on this blog.

So here's an example of what I mean. The eight names listed above are the first eight results you get if you run a blank search of "Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry" on Ancestry's medal index card collection. The DCLI appears to be one of the worst affected regiments when it comes to surviving documents from 1914-1918 and so understanding when numbers were issued for this regiment becomes particularly important. Here's what I make of the numbers:


36689 Percival H Abbiss
Some papers survive in WO 363 but documents dealing with his transfer to DCLI do not survive. From my database, 36689 dates to October 1917


38115 Albert E Abbott
No service record survives. The number dates to late November 1917.


5288/201891 Albert S Abbott
No service record survives. The six-digit number marks this man as a member of the 4th (Territorial Force) Battalion. Papers survive in WO 364 and show that this man enlisted in April 1916, although he had attested earlier, in December 1915, under the Derby Scheme. My army service numbers database also identifies patterns of Derby Scheme enlistments.


6326 Alfred Abbott
Some papers survive in WO 364 which show that this man was discharged from The Norfolk Regiment in June 1917. The papers show that this man enlisted in 1891 and again in October 1914. The 1891 enlistment cannot have been when he was issued with the number 6326 and therefore this number must have been issued in October 1914. The only battalion that this can have been was the 3rd (Special Reserve) Battalion.


676/240010 Arthur W Abbott
No service record survives. The six-digit number marks this man as a member of the 5th (TF) Battalion and an enlistment date of June 1908. This man was probably an original member of the 2nd Volunteer Battalion which pre-dated the 5th (TF) Battalion. By the time he was issued with his new six-digit number in 1917, he was the 10th longest serving man in the battalion.


28818 Fred Abbott
No service record survives. The number dates to September 1916.


23049 George Abbott
No service record survives. The number dates to August 1915.


27960 George Abbott
No service record survives. The number dates to May 1916.


So there you have it in a simple blog post: eight good reasons why regimental numbers are important.


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Lancashire Fusiliers - PoW Other Ranks 1914

The following men were all serving with the 2nd Battalion, Lancashire Fusiliers when they became prisoners of war of the Germans on or before Christmas Day 1914. There are 162 names in this list.  Read more about this Prisoner of War data source on my 1914 PoWs page.

This data has been transcribed from the following sources which are now housed at the Imperial War Museum:

1. B.O.2 1/248 is a six-page typed document from The Lancashire Fusiliers Prisoners of war Regimental Care Committee. Dated 4th January 1919.
2. B.O.2 1/251 is a three-page typed document from officer i/c No 1. Infantry Records, No 3 District. Dated 2nd March 1919.

Some men appear on both lists, Typically one list will give the man's home address whilst the other will record next of kin and next of kin address.

Note the variation in regimental numbers in the list which follows. The Lancashire Fusiliers reached 9999 in November 1903 and immediately commenced a new series beginning from 1. By August 1914, numbering in the two regular battalions had reached around 2900.  Knowing this information we can guess that most, if not all, of the men in the list below with numbers between 1 and 2900 enlisted between November 1903 and August 1914 whilst most of, if not all of, the men with numbers between 2900 and 9999 are pre-November 1903 enlistments and would, for the most part be men who had either re-engaged to complete 21 years with the colours or who had joined Section D of the Army Reserve at the end of their 12-year colour/reserve service.

The two Company Sergeant Majors on this list who have the numbers 5290 and 5358 both joined the regiment in 1895 and would have been well on the way to receiving their LSGC medals at the time of capture. Colour Sergeant Frederick Byford, on the other hand, had joined the regiment in June 1889 as a 14-year-old and was already in possession of medals for the Sudan and the Boer War as well as the LSGC. He would be repatriated in 1917 and would finally be discharged from the army in 1920 after over 30 years' service.

I say "most, if not all of, the men..." Bear in mind that some of the men in the list below could have been original members of the 3rd (Special Reserve) or 4th (Extra Reserve) Battalions and may have been posted as part of a draft to the 2nd Battalion. These two battalions, when formed in 1908, had picked up the numbering sequences of their militia predecessors and new recruits who joined between 1908 and 1914 would have been given numbers in the 3000/4000 range.


The full transcription is available for sale as a download or CD for £20. Contact me
if you would like to purchase a copy.

2642 Private T Ainscough, 9944 Private T Ainsworth, 690 Private J Anscombe, 9189 Private W Ashton, 6746 Private F Ashworth

6924 Private Henry Ballard, 9587 Private J Banks, 2359 Private W C Barr, 9435 Pte Stephen Barrett, 2636 Private A E Batchelor, 991 Private G W Bilton, 9720 Private A Blake, 2530 Private A Blue, 1706 Sergeant Arthur H Bond, 155 Private J Bramble, 301 Private N Briggs, 2721 Private R Briggs, 1456 Private R Bunting, 614 Private H Burgess, 9096 Private J Burke, 9017 Private W Butcher, 3019 Colour-Sergeant Frederick Byford, 395 Private J Byrne

1612 Private J Callaghan,9921 Private Hugh Campbell, 1158 Corporal George Cannon, 1402 Sergeant A Carrington, 730 Private S Chance, 9630 Private J Clough, 9555 Corporal John F Clowes, 706 Private J Collins, 191 Private Joseph Collins, 2855 Private P Collins, 9806 Private John Connell, 141 Private G Cooke, 40 Pte Ernest Corbett, 2730 Private J Cox, 9183 Corporal W Crossley

57 Private E Daley, 9287 Pte Edward Daly, 9924 Private A J De Massey, 749 Private James Dennehy, 9998 Private F J Dowding, 318 Lance-Corporal J Doyle

9126 Private C Eachus, 2808 Private J Eckersley, 171 Private R Edmondson 

2573 Private W E Fawley, 2522 Corporal R Fellows, 196 Private J Fenny, 2796 Private C Fenton, 2107 Private E Firth, 9709 Pte William Fitton, 9200 Private J G Fleming, 9771 Private Harry D Funnell

850 Private F Gannon, 519 Private J Gethings, 9041 Private J W Gill, 626 Private J Gorman, 250 Private A Green, 9892 Private T Grundy

68 Private F Hall, 439 Private H Hall, 2437 Private H R Hall, 2413 Private T Hall, 9667 Private D Hallam, 9253 Private B Hamer, 6840 Private J Hanlon, 618 Private E Hanson, 30 Private M E Hardman, 6267 Private J Hart, 1719 Private L Hatson, 990 Corporal H Hemsley, 9651 Pte John Henry, 886 Private J Heyes, 9915 Private B Hill, 9302 Corporal H Hilton, 9776 Private P Hines, 2841 Private J Hogan, 180 Private R Holding, 2549 Private George Holland, 1470 Private W E Hooper, 9780 Private H Horwood, 9311 Private J Howard, 2851 Private George Hurst, 682 Private R Hurst

1684 Private G Inch

156 Private A Jackson, 9411 Private P Jeffers, 157 Private T Jennings, 2799 Lance-Corporal C Johnson, 77 Private R Johnson, 377 Lance-Corporal P J Jordon 

1580 Corporal P Keegan, 751 Private T Kerfoot, 9875 Private G Knight

39 Private W G Lawrence, 9136 Private W Leah, 2660 Private M Lee, 125 Private P Logan, 304 Private Thomas H Lowe, 2794 Private W L Lupton

2862 Private R G Magin, 1013 Private H Mann, 502 Pte James Markland, 351 Private G Marsden, 2837 Pte Thomas Mason, 2491 Corporal A Massey, 5290 CSM C J R Maxwell, 9477 Private M McBride, 9477 Private M McBride, 9139 Private C McCormick, 
5358 CSM H McCready, 9441 Private T Melia, 9465 Private W Metcalf, 82 Private G Mottershead (above, Rochdale Observer, 31st Oct 1914), 329 Sergeant H Mowbray, 1009 Corporal J Mullen

9293 Private T Nuttall 

1476 Private A E Oliver, 9882 Private G W Oliver, 19 Private C T O'Malley, 158 Private R Orrell, 2760 Private H Osborne, 9067 Private T W Owen

8800 Private J Park, 9294 Private J C Paul, 9047 Private J H Pearce, 1901 Private W J Pembery, 264 Private C Preston, 9357 Private W H Price 

9092 Corporal W Riley, 9040 Private T Rogers 

720 Sergeant Stanley H Sayer, 9394 Private H Sherrin, 2765 Private G Snape
9303 Private Richard Stansfield (above, Rochdale Observer, 31st Oct 1914), 6399 Private J Steel, 9157 Pte Benjamin I Steele 

306 Private G Tarrant, 9680 Private J W Taylor, 9389 Corporal R Thomas, 9606 Private J Tobin, 9444 Private E Toole, 297 Private H Travers, 9881 Corporal P Tumhelty, 8765 Private R Turnbull

8656 Private R Waddington, 5526 Private J Walker, 9061 Private E Walmsley, 631 Private John Walters, 276 Private J Watthey, 553 Private S Waugh, 1435 Private H W Wheeler, 2529 Private J White, 9958 Lance-Corporal A Wilson, 2456 Private H W Wilson, 2833 Private Harry Wilson, 330 Private T Winstanley, 2579 Private C F Wooten, 2908 Private J Worsley, 2644 Lance-Corporal F L Wyatt

I also offer a comprehensive, fast and cost-effective military history research service. Follow the link for more information. 

Army Service Numbers 1881-1918: one million views and counting

Yesterday, seven years after I launched this blog, it received its millionth view. In those seven years I have published 426 posts - and you're reading the 427th post now.


More importantly, over the last seven years, I have tried to make sense of the regimental numbering system in the British Army. 1881 was my starting point because this was the year which saw the demise of the old regiments of foot and their re-birth as county or territorial regiments, a process which had begun nine years earlier. I chose 1918 as my end point because it marked the end of the First World War, although it would have actually made more sense to put the end date at 1920 which was when, actually, regimental numbers were replaced by army numbers.


Correctly then, were I starting this exercise again, I would probably have called this blog, British Army regimental numbers 1881-1920. Semantics aside, however, I am pleased that the  information published here has been useful. Understand too, that what is published here is a fraction of the information I have researched over the years. I set out on this exercise initially because I was frustrated that so many of the men I was researching from the Sussex village of Chailey had no surviving service records. For the majority, all that survived was a medal index card and medal rolls and most of these told me very little about when the man had joined the army. At that time too, with a few notable exceptions (Graham Stewart and David Langley in particular), general opinion was that regimental numbers told you very little. I hope that I have proven that opinion to be flawed.


The posts on this blog have mostly concentrated on the period 1881-1914. Regimental numbering certainly becomes more complicated, and more interesting in many respects, from August 1914, and worthy of study in its own right is the response of the army as a whole and regiments in particular, to the challenges brought about by mass recruiting and the formation of brand new battalions. Regiments dealt with this challenge in different ways and some certainly seem to have been more organised than others.


Over the last seven years my own interests have also developed. The First World War remains an abiding passion, but I have become more interested in the late Victorian army and the regular army which went to war in August 1914. I have an enduring admiration for the men of that army and the manner in which they fought in their Majesties' many small wars.


I have also started publishing regimental lists of other rank PoWs captured in 1914 (the only online resource, as far as I know, where this information is available regimentally) and I launched a low-cost research service. Oh, and I continued to post on the other eight blogs that are currently running (although maybe 2016 will see some consolidation in this area).


Thanks for supporting this blog over the last seven years. Onward and upward.


The image on this post is taken from the Gardin-Zanardi archive.

Manchester Regiment - PoW Other Ranks 1914

As we approach Christmas 2015, spare a thought for those men of the BEF who spent Christmas 1914 as prisoners of war. Whilst elsewhere an unofficial truce would take place along parts of the line, thousands of British soldiers captured in fighting in the early months of the war were beginning lengthy periods in captivity, and many would not make it home until 1918 or 1919.

The following men were all serving with the 1st or 2nd Battalion, Manchester Regiment when they became prisoners of war of the Germans on or before Christmas Day 1914. There are 108 names in this list.  Read more about this Prisoner of War data source on my 1914 PoWs page.

This data has been transcribed from the following sources which are now housed at the Imperial War Museum:

1. B.O.2 1/208 is a five-page typed list of Manchester Regt men who were PoWs on or before 25th December 1914.  Sent by Lancashire County War Comforts Association on 6th January 1919.
2. B.O.2 1/209 is a single typed name of L C Trott giving address details.  Sent by Lancashire County War Comforts Association on 8th January 1919.
3. B.O.2 1/210 is a two-page typed list of Manchester Regt men who were PoWs on or before 25th December 1914.  Sent by Infantry Record Office No 1, No 3 District, Preston on 5th March 1919

There is obviously some duplication between 208 and 210 but note that 210 also gives the date of repatriation in most cases. My full transcription of this Manchester Regiment Prisoners of War roll call of other ranks (not reproduced here) also contains the battalion, and home address or next of kin address. 

The full transcription is available for sale as a download or CD for £20. Contact me
if you would like to purchase a copy.


9824 Private Thomas Addis
1972 Private George Appleton
1812 Private James Bailey
6539 Corporal J Beresford
1338 Private Thomas Berry
138 Private James Brown
9915 Private James Brown
2291 Corporal M J Brown
29 Private W T Brown
489 Sergeant M J Cahill
2542 Private J Campbell
9930 Private W Campbell
9954 Private P Carroll
9085 Private J Clarke
9135 Private J Clay
1549 Private H Cosgrove
7974 Private A Cronshaw
8662 Private Charles Cusworth
2091 Private P Daly
8581 Sergeant John Devonshire
7910 Private J Dickson
9074 Private W Downey
9585 Private W Edwards
3 Private Harold Elson
7938 Private W England
1530 Drummer J Eyres
2464 Private J Fenton
8103 Private H Fielding
173 Private J Foster
9024 Private George Fox
1074 Corporal Arthur Freeth
9983 Private J Fudge
9749 Private T Furber
8589 Private J Gettings
2529 Lance-Corporal Thomas Gill
7598 Private Edward Gorton
204 Pte Thomas Green
4498 Lance-Corporal J Gregory
1928 Lance-Corporal W C Hadfield
107 Private Robert Haigh
8142 Private W Hamer
9694 Private H Harland
8741 Private R Harrison
2629 Lance-Corporal W Heaton
535 Private James Henderson
8708 Private J S Hilditch
2611 Private J Hill
9861 Private Travis Hilton
2598 Private William Hilton
1991 Private William D Hodges
133 Private J Hollis
389 Pte Joseph Hopwood
9677 Private W Iveson
2618 Private A Jacobs
1527 Private T Keefe
2596 Private William Kelly
1218 Private Charles Kenny
878 Private T King
2637 Private G Langley
1802 Corporal S Leaberry
9955 Private John Leek
2495 Lance-Corporal W Leigh
2672 Private W G Lewis
1949 Lance-Corporal W Linney
273 Corporal J Lumby
9410 Lance-Corporal T Mackin
8648 Sergeant J Mannion
2014 Private D McBride
2308 Lance-Corporal D McKenna
9758 Lance-Corporal W McPherson
9923 Private T Molley
2528 Pte A Morgan
8601 Private J Morley
9552 Corporal J Morrow
2578 Lance-Corporal Herbert Moulding
8564 Private R Mulcahey
2521 Lance-Corporal F Mulholland
9133 Private S Mullen
7990 Private T Munro
8687 Private W Murphy
8616 Private J O'Donnell
1812 Corporal J Pailey
6800 Sergeant F G Pinchin
9402 Private Charles Porter
9854 Private J Reddy
38 Lance-Corporal A J Roberts
2633 Private C Rose
4426 Private John Rothwell
2772 Private S Ryan
177 Corporal J Ryder
9117 Private J Schofield
8603 Lance-Corporal R Shaw
2383 Driver William S Shelsher
8701 Private James Shirley
2336 Private N Sladen
9155 Bandsman C F Smith
8892 Private John Smith
2283 Corporal W H Smith
8468 Private John Snape
8502 Private T Taylor
8987 Private W Taylor
9881 Private A J Thompson
9764 Private George Tobin
1414 Lance-Corporal T Trott
1414 Lance-Corporal Thomas Trott
8013 Lance-Corporal E Walmsley
182 Private Thomas Ward
2370 Private E Williams
8786 Corporal Ernest Yates

The undated photograph on this post is courtesy of the Imperial War Museum and shows captured British soldiers in the prisoner of war camp Altengrabow, in the Prussian province of Saxony.

I also offer a comprehensive, fast and cost-effective military history research service. Follow the link for more information.

Kalapoosh! 7th Hussars transfers in 1886

Edwin Mole, a troop sergeant major with the 14th Hussars, and back in England in 1886 just prior to the regiment's return from India (or Kalapoosh, as it was known to the men), writes:

“Judge then our feelings of dismay when one Sunday, about four months before the 14th was expected home, on returning from church parade, every man of our depot was ordered to parade in front of orderly-room. Colonel G then called the troop to attention, and to the surprise and mortification of both Captain T and myself, read out an order that all our men under three months’ service were to be forthwith transferred to the 7th Hussars and that all over that service might volunteer for the same regiment, which was just proceeding to India to relieve the 14th. To make matters worse, he pointed out to those who desired to see foreign service, that now was their time, for as the 14th was coming home and would remain in England for some years, unless they accepted this chance, all their soldiering would be in the United Kingdom. The argument was irresistible, for Kalapoosh was every young fellow’s ambition. Before evening our depot had lost half its muster.”

I decided to explore this further by looking in series WO 97 for men transferring into the 7th Hussars in 1886. It didn't take long before I found what I was after.

In the list below, the names of the recruits are followed by their previous Hussars regimental number and Hussars regiment, followed by their new 7th Hussars regimental number and their date of transfer. As we can see, the 14th Hussars were not alone in losing men to Kalapoosh:      

Augustine John Welsh, No prior service, 3004 7th Hussars, 26th August
Edward Ellis, No prior service, 3007 7th Hussars, 1st September
Charles Duck, No prior service, 3012 7th Hussars, 15th September
Henry Brereton, No prior service, 3020 7th Hussars, 20th September
John MacQueen, No prior service, 3021 7th Hussars, 20th September
Headley Frederick Griggs, No prior service, 3023, 7th Hussars 21st September

14th Hussars transfers

William John Davis 2400 14th Hussars 13th June 1884; later 3026 7th Hussars, 23rd September
Fred T Harper 2427 14th Hussars 13th October 1884; later 3027 7th Hussars, 23rd September
John Rhodes 2585 14th Hussars 9th January 1886; later 3028 7th Hussars, 23rd September
Henry Peck Naylor 2538 14th Hussars 29th August 1885; later 3029 7th Hussars, 23rd September
William Bull 2473 14th Hussars 4th June 1885; later 3032 7th Hussars, 23rd September
Robert Bishop 2490 14th Hussars 25th June 1885; later 3033 7th Hussars, 23rd September
Thomas Clarke 2477 14th Hussars 11th June 1885; later 3038 7th Hussars, 23rd September
George Ernest Harris 2484 14th Hussars 19th June 1885; later 3040 7th Hussars, 23rd September
Thomas Hendley 2461 14th Hussars 29th May 1885; later 3041 7th Hussars, 23rd September
Charles Le Court 2505 14th Hussars 16th July 1885; later 3042 7th Hussars, 23rd September
John Edward Murtan 2529 14th Hussars 14th August 1885; later 3043 7th Hussars, 23rd September
William Bevan 2446 14th Hussars 19th March 1885; later 3050 7th Hussars, 23rd September
George Ernest Whitmarsh 2474 14th Hussars 6th July 1885; later 3056 7th Hussars, 23rd September

Joseph McCullie, No prior service, 3058 7th Hussars, 5th October

19th Hussars transfers

Robert Bousfield 2801 19th Hussars 25th November 1885; later 3065 7th Hussars, 12th October
William Charles Cook 2785 19th Hussars 9th November 1885; later 3066 7th Hussars, 12th October
Robert Barclay 2609 19th Hussars 30th June 1884; later 3067 7th Hussars, 12th October
Benjamin Burton 2133 19th Hussars 27th January 1882; later 3070 7th Hussars, 12th October
Charles Butterworth 2356 19th Hussars 3rd November 1882 ; later3071 7th Hussars, 12th October
Henry James Elliott 2481 19th Hussars 14th March 1884; later 3073 7th Hussars, 12th October
Harry Thomas 2535 19th Hussars 21st May 1884; later 3080 7th Hussars, 12th October
William Smith Jeffcott 2647 19th Hussars 4th April 1885; later 3081 7th Hussars, 12th October
Henry Walker 2565 19th Hussars 10th June 1884; later 3083 7th Hussars, 12th October
Richard Allen 2848 19th Hussars 11th January 1886; later 3084 7th Hussars, 12th October

3rd Hussars transfers

Charles Robinson 2171 3rd Hussars 6th August 1884; later 3086 7th Hussars, 23rd October
William Neal 2174 3rd Hussars 7th August 1884; later 3087 7th Hussars, 1st November
William Marshall 2121 3rd Hussars 10th July 1884; later 3088 7th Hussars, 31st October

Various Hussars transfers (including another man from the 14th)

Frederick Godfrey 2532 14th Hussars 20th August 1885; later 3095 7th Hussars, 1st November
Louis Madge 2889 18th Hussars 23rd September 1885; later 3101 7th Hussars, 1st November
Richard Probert 2314 21st Hussars 20th June 1884; later 3103 7th Hussars, 1st November

15th Hussars transfers

James Henry Hannett 2076 15th Hussars 23rd January 1884; later 3105 7th Hussars, 1st November
John Paterson 2105 15th Hussars 10th April 1884; later 3110 7th Hussars, 1st November
Harry Gray 2177 15th Hussars 1st November 1884; later 3114 7th Hussars, 1st November

William Buck, No prior service, 3117 7th Hussars, 5th November
William Smith, No prior service, 3118 7th Hussars, 29th October

10th Hussars transfers

James Black 2096 10th Hussars 15th March 1884; later 3123 7th Hussars, 16th November
Samuel Clarke 1858 10th Hussars 27th January 1881; later 3127 7th Hussars
Richard Ellis 2127 10th Hussars 3rd May 1884; later 3131 7th Hussars, 16th November
Thomas Green 1946 10th Hussars 25th January 1882; later 3134 7th Hussars, 16th November
David Griffin 1935 10th Hussars 8th November 1881; later 3139 7th Hussars, 16th November

Christopher Kiddell 2174 19th Hussars 7th March 1882; later 3144 7th Hussars, 16th December

The last man on this list, Christopher Kiddell, did not make it overseas as he enlisted after the 7th Hussars had departed for India on the 25th November 1886. But there are definite sequential patterns to the transfers: a block of around 30 men from the 14th Hussars, 20 men from the 19th Hussars, 16+ men from the 10th Hussars, and others.

Edwin Mole's assertion though, that 14th Hussars recruits with under three months' service were also transferred, appears to be incorrect. I looked at 14th Hussars enlistments in 1886 and did not come across a single man who transferred to the 7th. Admittedly there are gaps in surviving service records but all those for whom records do survive spent their colour service at home in the UK. On the other hand, men with no prior service who enlisted directly into the 7th Hussars in 1886, did travel to India with their regiment. William Buck, for instance, enlisted on the 5th November 1886 and was en route to India twenty days later.

I have noticed pattern of transfer in line cavalry regiments in the past but had not considered the possibility that one of the reasons for this was to bring another regiment in the same corps up to establishment before it proceeded overseas. Edwin Mole's casual statement now sheds more light on this.

The image on this post, taken from the Navy & Army Illustrated, shows the 14th Hussars in Ireland in 1896.

I offer a fast, efficient and cost-effective military research service. Have a look at my military research page and drop me a line if you think I might be able to help.

Northamptonshire Regiment - PoW Other Ranks 1914

The following men were all serving with The Northamptonshire Regiment, when they became prisoners of war of the Germans on or before Christmas Day 1914. There are 61 names in this list.  Read more about this Prisoner of War data source on my 1914 PoWs page.

This data has been transcribed from the following source which is now housed at the Imperial War Museum:

1. B.O.2 1/195. A five-page undated typed list, sender unknown. 

My full transcription of this Northamptonshire Regiment Prisoners of War roll call of other ranks (not reproduced here) also contains the date of capture, home address and whether or not the man had been repatriated as a prisoner of war at the date on which this list was compiled.

The full transcription is available for sale as a download or CD for £20. Contact me if you would like to purchase a copy.

9724 Private Henry Allen
3/8776 Private Arthur Ball
7331 Private Fred J Bannister
7991 Private Edward Barton
9673 Private Harold Beeby
7214 Private William George Bennett
3/10110 Private James Biddle
9655 Private Percy Bradley
3/10004 Private Charles Carter
7554 Private George Cave
7114 Private John Chinnery
7076 Private Harry Clarke
7272 Private John Dixon
7622 Private John T England
3/9593 Private George Fielding
7644 Private George H Finch
7703 Private George Foster
3/9989 Private Arthur Franklin
3/9979 Private Thomas Frisby
7172 Private William Fuller
6908 Sergeant Frederick Gayton
3/10071 Private Harry Greystone
8464 Private Frederick Humphreys
7643 Private Robert Ireland
9693 Private George Jacob
7271 Private John W Johnson
7439 Lance-Corporal Henry T Last
6238 Sergeant George Albert Lines
7414 Private Harry Lowe
9770 Private Albert Mitchell
3/10079 Private Harry Mitchell
3/10259 Private Reginald Morrall
9868 Private Arthur Munton
5621 Corporal Richard Murphy
3/9075 Private Thomas Orton
7517 Private Ralph Paxton
7233 Private John Pescow
6961 Private Sidney Pratt
8089 Private Thomas Pugh
3/10167 Private Frederick Robbins
3/9999 Private Eric Rose
7484 Private William Sargent
9801 Private Frank Smale
7564 Private John Smedley
3/9980 Private Ernest Smith
7296 Private Harry Smith
7670 Corporal Thomas Stock
3/10972 Private George Taylor
9696 Private William Thomas
7530 Private George S Tinkler
7992 Lance-Corporal Frederick Varley
3/10788 Private George Watts
3/9538 Private George Webb
3/9929 Private William Welby
9702 Private Harry Wesley
3/9491 Lance-Corporal Horace Whitewell
3/9447 Private Herbert Whiting
7757 Private Robert Wiggins
9501 Private Ernest E Wood
9646 Private Walter Wood
7083 Private Thomas Woods

I offer a fast, efficient and cost-effective military research service. Have a look at my military research page and drop me a line if you think I might be able to help.

King's Own Scottish Borderers - Other Rank PoWs 1914

This is an edited roll of Other Ranks serving with the 1st and 2nd Battalions, King's Own Scottish Borderers, who were captured by the enemy and became Prisoners of War on or before the 25th December 1914. Read more about this data source on my 1914 PoWs 
page.

This data has been transcribed from a single source at the Imperial War Museum: B.O.2 1/133, a 6-page, typed list sent by the King's Own Scottish Borderers Prisoner of War Fund to Sir Ernest Goodhart, dated 23rd December 1918.

My full transcription of this KOSB data (not reproduced here) also contains:

• the man's home address
• the man's battalion and company

There are 190 names on this list, light by some battalions' standards for 1914 but nevertheless a significant loss of experienced soldiers.

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10169 Sergeant J Adair, 9699 Private P Aird, 10959 Private J Aitchison, 11019 Private F Allen, 8814 Lance-Corporal J Allen, 8769 Lance-Corporal P Allen, 7493 Private A Anderson, 11187 Private G Anderson, 8396 Private J Anderson, 11419 Private W Anderson, 4729 Corporal N Armstrong, 8386 Private E Ashworth, 10794 Private H Axford

5912 Sergeant J J Bacon, 11655 Private J Barnes, 9775 Lance-Corporal E Barwick, 9653 Private G Baxter, 8978 Private J Beats, 7625 Private J Beattie, 8305 Lance-Corporal W J Begbie, 8738 Private J J Bell, 8687 Private E Bell, 9314 Private J Black, 9193 Private D Blackburn, 8794 Private W Bloomfield, 7094 Private J Bonnar, 8905 Private C Borthwick, 8733 Corporal E Bowar, 9757 Private R Bowden, 5801 Lance-Corporal W Brady, 9166 Private T Brisons, 9445 Private C Brown, 9392 Lance-Corporal J Brown, 10953 Lance-Corporal R J Brown, 9227 Lance-Corporal P Buckle, 11067 Private W Bunyon

8922 Private P Cahill, 11530 Lance-Corporal G Cairns, 8348 Private J Callander, 8846 Pte James Cameron, 8578 Private J Campbell, 9221 Private R Cassidy, 1545 Private A Chambers, 8074 Private J Charlton, 7441 Private A Chisholm, 7923 Private A Christie, 8730 Private A Clarke, 7678 Private R Clayton, 11206 Private T Clayton, 5914 Private P Conlin, 9311 Private M Cooney, 8613 Lance-Corporal H Cooper, 8641 Lance-Corporal J Cooper, 8626 Private R Cooper, 9701 Private G Coulter, 6534 Private W Cox, 8028 Lance-Corporal J Craig, 9820 Private J C Cullen, 10538 Private W Cunningham, 8724 Private G Curley, 11432 Private A Curtis, 

A/6729 Private J F Dent, 7926 Private R Devery, 9025 Private P Devlin, 8170 Private J Dickenson, 9720 Private W Dixon, 7421 Private J E Dodds, 10190 Private W M Doig, 9477 Private R Douglas, 11593 Private R J Drake, 11599 Lance-Corporal J Dunnion, 

8104 Private G Eadie

11764 Private J Farrell, 9677 Lance-Corporal J Farries, 8140 Private J Faulkney, 8670 Corporal J Feats, 8264 Corporal J Ferguson, 5741 CSM H Fitzgerald

9106 Private A Galloway, 9625 Private J Garrogan, 8252 Lance-Corporal H Gauld, 11424 Sergeant C A Geddes, 9298 Lance-Corporal J Gibb, 11376 Private D Gilmartin, 10636 Drummer H Glover, 11568 Private F S Goldsmith, 11409 Private N Gordon, 8354 Private T Gordon, 574 Lance-Corporal J Grant, 
9675 Private J Gray, 6698 Private O Gray, 7814 Private T Guffney, 10586 Sergeant W N Gunn 

10552 Private J Haley, 11576 Private N Halstead, 8058 Private W Hamilton, 7613 Private P Hannan, 7866 Lance-Corporal J Hartley, 8171 Private T Hastie, 11448 Private A Hechles, 7977 Private R Hennigan, 11766 Private J Herbert, 11714 Private A Hetherington, 10398 Private R Hogg, 10808 Private M Hurst, 11283 Private T Husland, 9615 Private T Hutton, 9453 Lance-Corporal W Hutton, 11582 Corporal W T Hyde 

8044 Pte Edward Jackson, 9212 Private A Johnson, 8659 Private J Johnson, 11557 Pte Harold Victor Johnstone, 9190 Private T Johnstone, 8700 Private W H Jones

 
9195 Private H Kelly, 11546 Private J Kelly, 8291 Private H Kennedy, 7366 Private D King

8692 Private W Laing, 11676 Private C Landells, 8943 Private F Lawson, 1427 Private F J Lawton, 11188 Corporal J R Leslie, 11310 Private J Lockhart, 

7332 Private D Mackay, 9718 Private J Mackie, 8758 Private H Mail, 8964 Private D Martin, 9995 Sergeant D Mathieson, 11464 Private R McAuley, 9199 Private H McCleallan, 8727 Private J McCluskey, 7815 Private W McCracken, 11495 Private C McDonald, 8766 Private J McDougall, 8854 Private W McGeachy, 8760 Private P McGeogh, 8937 Private W McGuire, 10835 Private J D McIlroy, 8980 Private P McInally, 10903 Private W McKie, 9185 Private J McLean, 9683 Private J McLeod, 10641 Private J McLeod, 8385 Private R McMartin, 9708 Private A McNaught, 8134 Private F McShane, 9281 Private A Melrose, 8177 Private A Miller, 8942 Private J Miller, 11060 Private W D Monks, 19750 Sergeant W Moran, 11415 Private O S Muirhead, 10327 Private W Munn, 8903 Private W Murphy

 
8698 Private C Naylor, 7641 Private M Neenan

11344 Lance-Corporal J Partner, 11227 Private W Patterson, 11232 Private T Peckham, 11142 Private T Pike, 11594 Private H Pilling, 11580 Private W Platt, 9678 Private J Purves, 10904 Private W Purves,

11700 Private J Ralph, 8287 Private J H Ratcliffe, 8864 Private S Reilly, 8323 Private J Renwick, 8366 Private J Roach, 9913 Private J Rogers, 9211 Private A A Ross, 8378 Private T Ryan 

11373 Private W Saunders, 7909 Pte H Smith, 7456 Private J Smith, 8600 Private R Smith, 11360 Lance-Corporal T Smith, 11549 Lance-Corporal W C Smith, 11704 Private A Storrie

11470 Private W Tait, 7996 Private A Tancred, 6758 Private S Tenby, 10821 Private J Toolen 

9280 Private E Warley, 10091 Lance-Corporal W Watson, 9774 Private J J White, 10739 Lance-Corporal A F Williams, 7836 Sergeant A Wilson

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